Entertainment in Washington, DC
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Kennedy Center
Perched on 17 acres along the Potomac, the magnificent Kennedy Center hosts a staggering array of performances – more than 2000 each year among its multiple venues – including the Concert Hall (home to the National Symphony), the Opera House and Eisenhower Theater. The Millennium Stage puts on free performances at 6pm daily.
reviewed
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Cafe Citron
Citron is a festive, Latin-loving lounge with dance-happy crowds who come for salsa, world beats, and ever-flowing pitchers of mojitos and margaritas. With never a cover, there are free salsa lessons on Wednesdays and flamenco shows on Mondays.
reviewed
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Blue Gin
When it opened a few years back it attracted the likes of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn (in town to shoot the popular movie The Wedding Crashers), instantly putting this trendy cocktail lounge at the top of Washington's hot list. Its residential location, however, means pretty strict conditions liquor-wise and no one under 25 is allowed. As a result the crowd here is more mellow, less worried about the scene than at some of DC's other hip spots.
This doesn't mean Blue Gin isn't a good place for singles; it is. There are two levels. We like upstairs best - it has lots of good-for-sinking couches, plenty of funky sculptures and two bars. If it's crowded, however, getting…
reviewed
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Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar
If Alice got back from Wonderland so traumatized by a near-beheading that she needed to start engaging in heavy drinking, we’d imagine she’d often pop down to Little Miss Whiskey’s. She’d love the decor: somewhere between Wonderland’s most whimsical moments of surrealism and the dark nightmares of a lost drug addict, all mixed with a heavy dose of Cure video Goth-Glam. And she’d probably go ape-poo for the excellent beer and whiskey menu, served by savvy bartenders who are hand-picked veterans of the DC nightlife scene. These guys have specifically been selected to run this spot, and as such Little Miss Whiskey’s feels like a bartender’s bar, although to be fair…
reviewed
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E
Verizon Center
DC's great big sports arena-cum-big-name-band venue.
reviewed
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Fedex Field
The Redskins play September through January at FedEx Field, but rare is the opportunity to actually see them play here. There is a miles-long waiting list to buy season tickets, so there are never tickets left for individual games. The only exception is when some are returned to the box office by the opposing team, which you can find out about by calling the stadium two or three days before the game. If you have your heart set on seeing the ’Skins in person, online agents will be pleased to sell you tickets with a hefty markup. To get here, drive to FedEx Field by taking the Central Ave exit from I-495, or walk to the field from Morgan Blvd Metro station (1 mile).…
reviewed
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F
Rose’s Dream Bar & Lounge
Go-go, the DC style of local music that’s a cross between funk and an improvised drum line, occasionally dusted with a bit of hip-hop, has been a fading genre in the District. But Rose’s keeps the beat alive. It’s one of the few go-go clubs left where a white out-of-towner won’t feel like they’re interloping in someone else’s territory; the clientele is primarily black, but this is a mixed crowd as these things go. Coming here is a DC cultural experience – go-go really is the city’s own brand of music, resented in cities as close as Baltimore – but beyond that Rose’s is plenty fun, with good bartenders working the line and karaoke, dance nights and live shows blowing up…
reviewed
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Madam's Organ
The Organ is a well-loved standby, with lively crowds, cheap drinks, a rambling interior and roof deck, free pool and bands playing nightly.
reviewed
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Wonderland
In a residential stretch of Columbia Heights, Wonderland is friendly but divey with a spacious patio in front with outsize wooden benches just right on warm evenings. The upstairs dance floor sees a mix of DJs and bands, and gets packed on weekends.
reviewed
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H Street Country Club
The Country Club is two levels of fantastic-ness: the bottom floor is packed with pool tables, skeeball and shuffleboard, while the top contains (seriously) its own minigolf course ($7 to play), done up to resemble a tour of the city on a small scale. You putt-putt past a trio of Lego lobbyists, through Beltway traffic snarls and past a King Kong–clad Washington monument. The whole vibe of the place just facilitates a relaxed atmosphere where it’s very easy to strike up conversations with strangers – if you’re shy and new to town, we’d highly recommend joining the Country Club, as it’s hard to leave here without hitting up some random in conversation (‘Nice chip,…
reviewed
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Aroma
If you’re a fan of the TV show Mad Men, you’ll love this spot. There’s a pronounced fascination with the 1950s: it’s filled with those kidney-shaped coffee tables and old sofas; the tiled bar serves up the scotch and ciggies; and in general, whenever we come here we want to smooth out our suits and sexually harass our secretaries (that’s a Mad Men reference – we’d never actually do that). That said, this is a politically incorrect bar in one important way: because Aroma does so much business in the cigar-selling trade, it’s exempt from the smoking ban, so if you’ve got a thing against secondhand, you may want to steer clear.
reviewed
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Room 11
Room 11 is a little too accurately named: this place really isn’t much bigger than an ambitious living room, and as such it can get pretty crowded. On the plus side, everyone here is quite friendly, the intimacy is warmly inviting on chilly winter nights and there’s a nice, spacious outdoor area for when it gets too hot inside. The crowd here is hip sans pretension, munching tapas off an evolving menu, sipping some excellent wines hand-selected by the management and enjoying some frankly kick-ass cocktails. There’s beer too, of course, but we really recommend you order something that was once a grape, or order off the mixed-drink menu – that’s where these cats…
reviewed
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Saki
At first Saki’s basement lounge gives the impression of being a little like a psychiatric institution: low white ceilings, white walls, white floor and tables. But after a while your eyes adjust and you realize that creatively placed rectangular panels are bouncing constantly changing rainbows of light around the room, bathing the trendy couples sipping cocktails at the corner table in a wash of fire-engine red and dusty orange. Light shows aside, Saki is best known for its DJs. The space is small, but locals recommend it for the music, especially on Fridays when you get a mix of old-school funk and electro house. On other nights the DJ music ranges from acid rock to…
reviewed
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Red and Black
The Red and Black claims to be a New Orleans–style bar, and we’ll accept that assessment. There are no brass bands rolling through, but if there were they wouldn’t feel out of place in this wooden shack, which has all the dilapidated charm of the best parts of the Big Easy. This is first and foremost a live-music venue, where sets are played so up-close and personal you feel like you could kiss the singers (that’s probably a bad idea, as they tend to be tatted graduates of the rock-and-roll school of hard knocks). Bartenders are friendly, and when the R&B isn’t hosting a ripping show, it feels like a friendly-as-hell neighborhood joint.
reviewed
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Firefly
Firefly is a restaurant first, but we haven’t eaten here yet and can’t judge it by those merits (other reviews seem to indicate it’s quite good on the culinary front). We can say it’s one of the coolest bars in Dupont, decked out with its surreal, magically happy ‘firefly trees, ’ all candle-lit and reminiscent of childhood summer evenings, and romantic as hell to boot. The cocktail menu is a glorious thing; knock back an Opal (rum, chai spices and cream) and see if the world doesn’t just glow a little more…wait, that’s the firefly trees. Whatever – still happy!
reviewed
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Raven
The tattoo-loving Raven has cheap drinks, graffiti-stained bathrooms and more attitude than a pissed-off Ramone. Give it some respect and you may find this is DC's best spot for a $2 Schlitz.
reviewed
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Cafe Saint-Ex
Amid framed drawings of Le Petit Price and wooden propellers (the place is named after French flyer and children's book author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), this comfy classic serves up hearty bistro fare, a fine beer selection at the bar and DJs spinning fine grooves in the downstairs lounge, Gate 54. Head for the outdoor tables on warm nights.
reviewed
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Palace of Wonders
The Palace was one of the leaders of the charge that turned H St NE into one of the coolest parts of the capital. It is, frankly, what DC has always needed: a semipermanent freak show. Upstairs is a circus of oddities, local genius James Taylor’s museum of the odd, twisted and awesome. Downstairs is a kickin’ bar that attracts a pretty punk-ish crowd; on weekends, a cover charge (usually around $20) gets you in for all-night performances of sword-swallowing, flea circuses, fire eating and magic tricks. It’s extremely fun, and what DC needed to offset its admittedly large preppie population.
reviewed
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Love
Where does Beyoncé play when she’s in DC? Yo, where is the Love? If you’re going to go to a multifloor megaclub in DC, make it this gorgeous spot, where you’re basically the star of your own Usher video. Dress to impress (the code is strict, no sneakers or baggy jeans allowed) as this club attracts thousands and lines form out the door. Friday nights see a predominantly hip-hop-heavy menu and African American crowd. Saturdays are more diverse, with international electronica pumped through the speakers and a mixed crowd. You need to drive or taxi out here.
reviewed
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Round Robin
The bar at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel is likely the most famous drinking institution in the city. The word ‘lobbyist’ was invented here during the Grant administration, and too many politicians, heads of state, journalists and other bigwigs have passed through for this book to list. The small, circular drinking space is done up in Gilded Age accents, all dark wood and 19th-century flourishes, and while it’s a bit tourist-y, you’ll still see folks here likely determining your latest tax hike over a single-malt Scotch.
reviewed
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9:30 Club
This spacious dive features two floors and a midsize stage (watch the action from the balcony or join the dancey mayhem below), with an excellent lineup of bands. Arrive early for a prime spot.
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Looking Glass Lounge
Petworth's best nightspot is an artfully designed neighborhood dive with a great jukebox, DJs on weekends and a fine outdoor patio.
reviewed
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Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse
Ice-cold beers and second-run films at bargain-basement prices? Who could resist that? Not many people. You need to be 21 to enter (or with a parent), but once inside you will find comfy chairs for flick-viewing, a menu of sandwiches, pizzas and, of course, popcorn, as well as a selection of alcoholic drinks (this is one of the few places in DC where you can drink and catch a movie at the same time). Some nights the theater skips the movies and hosts stand-up comedy instead. Check the website. There are also family-oriented programs some weekends.
reviewed
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Le Bar
Ah, Le Bar, elle est si belle. This is the kind of spot you should rightly enter in a trench coat in the midst of occupied Paris whilst delivering secret documents to a very attractive member of the Resistance…er, we’re getting carried away again, aren’t we? But seriously, that’s kind of the vibe: all chandelier-like European glitz mixed with a bit of Washington power-player muscle, a heady combination that’s as strong as the bourbon. The outdoor patio is wonderful on spring and humid summer nights.
reviewed
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Eighteenth Street Lounge
Chandeliers, velvet sofas, antique wallpaper and an attractive dance-loving crowd adorn this multifloored mansion. The DJs here – spinning funk, soul, Brazilian beats – are phenomenal, which is not surprising given Eric Hilton (of Thievery Corporation) is co-owner.
reviewed