There used to be a club located in Dupont called Dragonfly that Dean and I used to hit up with some regularity. It was great as a starter, intermediary or finishing venue for an evening in DC. The one consistency was that there was always a pretty good crowd, good music yet it was never difficult to get a drink. Then, somehow it inexplicably shut down and has been dormant for the past year or so. Current has been built on the ashes of Dragonfly and subsequently, has a lot to live up to.

Cost - $$

Service - B+
It was a little amusing that the doorman thought I was trying to BS my way into their soft opening by saying I write about the DC nightlife. That being said he still let us in without a problem and so that was a plus. Upstairs, we got served without much difficulty and the bartender was pretty cool. Later, some chubby Patrick Bateman wannabe was getting a little overbearing and there was almost an altercation but the Current staffer came and handled the situation with relative aplomb.

Food - ?

Decor - B+
It looks like they have modernized the look and feel of the venue a bit although I always dug the simplicity of Dragonfly. They’ve tried to glitz it up a bit and give it a more high-end feel. The bar has flip-flopped to the other side of the upstairs area and they’ve added tables for bottle service. Generally speaking, it has a pretty slick, contemporary feel.

Feel - B+
Current has certainly jumped on the high-end bandwagon that seems to be emerging in the DC nightlife scene.  Dragonfly had a unique personality and a defined character and may have been a bit more laid back - You knew that you were going to get good service and a laid-back fairly attractive crowd.  Ultimately, the question for Current will be whether they can create a solid and loyal following like their predecessor.  I’d say they are off to a solid start and we’ll be watching them with interest as they begin to try and stake their claim in Dupont Circle.

Current is located at 1215 Connecticut Ave. NW.

Cost - $$$

Service - B+

I think it is pretty much the same story - if you get in you’re fine but if you are stuck at the door then you will probably have a pretty negative perspective on the service at the venue.  Shadow Room has introduced some pretty strong service incentives for members including priority valet, coat check; and also some fascinating technical services such as mobile ordering and a variety of other kiosk-driven service orders.  I do have to mention that they might want to consider hiring more shrewd doormen.  Without getting into too much detail I will simply mention I was witness to the doorman dropping the ball pretty significantly in some respects.

Food - ?

Decor - A
The space was designed by Adamstein & Demetriou, who have been behind many DC hot-spots including Zola, Zaytinya, Raku and a host of others for which they have been garnered national recognition.  Their work on Shadow Room is certainly on par with any of their other projects and certainly lends itself to the exclusive nature of the venue.

Feel - A
Many longtime DC scenesters are not happy with the direction that the city seems to be taking but I personally am supportive of it.  The club scene is starting to fall in-line with what you see in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami and that can only mean good things for DC, which has traditionally been known for its distinct lack of style and sophistication.  For all those that complain about the increasing exclusivity (see the thread on Josephine’s) there are loads of great venues where you don’t have to deal with door politics in the city.  Just set your expectations appropriately.

Shadow Room is located at 2131 K Street.  They can be reached at (202) 887-1200.  For more information on membership with Shadow Room visit their Web site.

This past Friday a friend of mine mentioned she was visiting a members-only club in Georgetown for a birthday party. Naturally, I became very curious because there has been a recent trend in the DC nightlife towards more exclusive, upscale venues that place all sorts of social filters at the door. The trend has spawned a great deal of positive and negative opinions (just read the discussion on the Josephine’s review). My personal perspective on the matter is that it is bringing a certain sense of legitimacy to the nightlife in DC. At any rate, Dean and I decided to head over to L2 Lounge to see if it stacked up with some of the other members-only clubs in the area.

Cost - $$$
The drinks are fairly pricey. In fact, I recall looking at my tab the following morning and seeing that I had been charged $17 for one drink I had never even heard of nor remember ordering (although I am sure I ordered it). You pay for what you get however.

Service - B+
I will gloss over the borderline annoying once-over we received by the two doormen (who I believe may have even discussed our outfits) and instead focus on the terrific job the management has done in staffing the interior of the venue with professional, sharp personnel. The bartender was incredibly cool and friendly and we had no problems meeting and chatting with the very personable manager.

Food - ?

Decor - A
Simply put, the interior designer at L2 has done a spectacular job creating a space that mixes contemporary furnishings with bare-bone brick walls. Combined with a masterful lighting arrangement, L2 Lounge exudes sophisticated sexiness.

Feel - A
I had one of my more memorable evenings in a while at L2 Lounge. I ended up bumping into several friends at the venue and everyone who I met there just seemed friendly and open. Discussing the night later, Dean and I concluded that the a combination of the decor, exclusivity, and social pact that is somehow enacted between the club and its members, results in an ambiance where people can relax and not have to worry about drunken or sleazy idiots. It is the antithesis to every venue in Adams Morgan and has made it onto my short list of top venues in the DC area.

L2 Lounge is located at 3307 M Street, NW and can be reached at (202) 965-2001. For membership information visit their Web site.

What’s the Buzz:

March 22, 2008 - L2 Lounge, Georgetown (That Guy at the Bar) - I’m not going to be able to write this without gushing like a school girl. I LOVE L2 Lounge. That Guy at the Bar has been to L2 three times over the last couple of weeks with different groups of friends, and every time the experience has been fantastic. Full article…

Dean and I decided to get some culture a couple of weeks back so we headed to Artomatic. While at Artomatic I recall looking out the window and seeing the deck at Ibiza and thinking it would be cooler if we were over there. Dean was amenable so we dropped the feeble attempt at culture and headed next door to Ibiza.

I learned this in hindsight but the club’s opening night was hosted by Kim Kardashian. Associating your club with a girl whose claim to fame is having sex with a marginally famous rapper is definitely a statement of sorts and the experience of Ibiza was reflective of this.

Cost - $$$
I don’t know how this club gets away with charging more than $10 for marginal liquor but they do. I can only imagine the balance sheets at Ibiza by the end of the night.

Service - B
Much like other super clubs in DC, they place a premium on security and this means you will get frisked before entering. Personally I don’t like to start my nights off getting felt up by some dude but at least the security has some semblance of cordiality (something you don’t get at other super clubs like Love). Once you are in, the bartenders are pretty cool and cute.

Food - ?

Decor - B
The Ibiza Web site claims that when you walk in the doors you will “take a trip into a breathtaking world of elegance, beauty and excitement.” That it a bit of an exaggeration - the only thing breathtaking is the stench of cheap perfume and cologne that pervades the club. The place is absolutely huge but I have to admit they have done a pretty decent job designing and decorating the place. The upstairs patio is particularly cool.

Feel - C
I think for some, Ibiza is a pretty cool club but I am a grumpy middle-aged man and I don’t like super clubs nor the clientele that super clubs attract. As far as super clubs go, Ibiza is certainly a better place than Love. Just not my cup of tea.

Ibiza is located at 1222 First Street, NE. They can be reached at (888) IBIZADC

Ownership of most of the hot spots in DC is consolidated by a handful of club owners. One of those is Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld, whose company Latin Concepts is responsible for some of the top clubs and restaurants in DC including Chi-Cha, Mate, and Gazuza. As with the other Latin Concepts venues, Guarapo offers a trendy, sophisticated combination of food, music, and atmosphere and is one of the top venues in the Clarendon / Arlington area (and the only one I have been to in the area in the past several years).

Cost - $$

Service - A-
The general manager is Sevem Al-Hendi and he has done a good job staffing Guarapo with a combination of attractive, friendly bartenders and wait staff. I have always had a positive experience when interacting with the staff at Guarapo.

Food - B+
Ismael Otarola, the executive chef, is responsible for the menu that features a variety of Latin-infused tapas.

Decor - A-
I like the look and feel of Guarapo quite a bit. It offers a little bit of everything including an outdoor patio, upstairs bar, dance floor and dining/lounge area. It is also a versatile space - I have been there for dinner, happy hour and even a variety of events including fashion shows.

Feel - A-
Guarapo offers a sexy, laid-back ambiance that is conducive to socializing as well as a more secluded, romantic dining experience. I don’t venture into Virginia much on the weekends but if I did, it would definitely be to visit a handful of places and one of them would definitely be Guarapo.

Guarapo is located at 2039 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA. They can be reached at (703) 528-6500.

Situated off of M in Georgetown, Degrees Bar & Lounge is a posh venue located in the Ritz-Carlton. The first time I visited was just a few months ago after I had some problems at the door at Josephine’s. I was looking for a nice venue where I knew there wouldn’t be any door politics and Degrees turned out to be perfect. Actually, to be perfectly honest I should say that the lounge in the Ritz-Carlton turned out to be perfect but Degrees was right there.

Cost - $$$

Service - A-
The Ritz-Carlton is a high-end establishment so as you can imagine the service is pretty good. They have to be good otherwise they will be fired.

Food - B+
I really like the food in the Ritz-Carlton. There are an assortment of appetizers to choose from in the main lounge are.

Decor - B
The decor in Degrees itself is nothing to really write home about. As you can see from the picture, it has a simple but classic aesthetic. Nothing really jumps out at you about the decor in the place.

Feel - A-
Again, this review is partially about Degrees and partially about the Ritz-Carlton. That being said, after experiencing some crazy door politics at Josephine’s, Degrees couldn’t have been a better experience to help the night rebound. We got over there at about 12PM and found parking fairly easily (I don’t think this is common). We entered the lounge as the yuppies were beginning to clear out and found a great area by the fireplace where we sat, enjoyed some hors d’oeuvres and cocktails and relaxed. The bar area was actually quite crowded until close so I can imagine it would be a good time in there, but the opportunity to have either a laid-back time in the lounge, or a more gregarious social experience in the bar makes Degrees one of my favorite venues in Georgetown.

Degrees in located in the Ritz-Carlton at 3100 South St. NW. They can be reached at (202) 912-4100.

The Park at Fourteenth is a relatively new venue located (surprise) down on 14th between I and K across from Franklin Square. Josephine’s and the Park at Fourteenth popped about the same time and although they both want to be the new hot club in DC they are taking very different tacts to get there. While Josephine’s attempts to create more of an air of exclusivity, the Park at Fourteenth definitely has a wider door policy. Consequently you might get more meat and chicken heads (does anyone use this term any longer) but at the same time you also engender more good will.

Cost - $$

Service - B+
I’ve never seen a place that creates more controversy because of its door policy than Josephine’s. Many of the people I’ve talked to bring up the Park at Fourteenth as an antithetical representation of what a club should do at the door - which is let people in. Now I’m not going to debate the relative merit of an open versus closed door approach but I’ll just say that personally I have tended to have an easier time at the door at the Park. The service inside the club is also pretty good.

Food - ?

Decor - C
This is where the Park at Fourteenth falls short. In my opinion, there wasn’t much thought put into the general decor of the place. There is nothing in the general decor of the venue that would suggest it was any different than any other cheesy waterfront club like Love.

Feel - C-
As much as I’d like to put this place up on a pedestal I simply don’t get it. I think the main reason people are getting behind this place is because it is new and they let people in. My two cents is that it is a little tacky. I honestly felt like it had a mega-club feel in an area of DC (K Street) that is a little more sophisticated. Think of the venue as MCCXXIII except in a different part of town.

The Park at Fourteenth is located at 920 14th St NW.

What’s the Buzz:

March 12, 2008 - Review: The Park at Fourteenth (Ginger) - Two thumbs DOWN. I should probably elaborate, even though I don’t really feel like it and just want you to take my word for it. But anyway, here goes…Full article…

December 4, 2007 - The Park at Fourteenth (DCfabulous) - Everyone knows a Saturday night doesn’t end at dinner, so after cocktails at Westend Bistro and rounds of champagne at Hudson, my group of ladies headed to the newly opened Park on Fourteenth. Arriving around 11pm, there was a huge crowd of people standing outside the bar trying to find a way in, but being in a small groups of girls must be the golden ticket because the velvet rope was immediately moved aside for us. Full Article…

Napoleon Bistro and Lounge in Adams Morgan has been gaining in popularity over the past year and now seems to have fully arrived. We are frequent visitors and it used to be more hit or miss but now, especially on weekends, there is almost always a good crowd in the lounge with a number of people dancing to a good mix of music. The restaurant on the other hand has received mixed reviews but I get the sense that over the past few months things have been getting better - especially for brunch.

Cost - $$

Service - B
I have heard some complain about the service but my experiences have all been pretty positive. The wait staff continues to be friendly and the food and drinks usually come out in a reasonable amount of time. The bartenders in the lounge do a great job and probably deserve an A-. Even on overly crowded nights, they seem to do their best to keep wait times to a minimum.

Food - C+
The food isn’t as good as many of the other French restaurants around town in the same price range but it is still a little better than decent. I have ordered the same entree on different visits and have it be very good one time and okay another. As I alluded to earlier, the food seems to be getting more consistent.

Decor - B
Napoleon falls a little short of French chic but it’s a good attempt. I like the idea of red walls, black leather booths and the coat of arms behind the upstairs bar. The lounge area is kind of cool too with the brick mixed with regal looking wallpaper but it is sometimes too crowded and dimly lit to see much of anything except the bar.

Feel - B+
Napoleon has been a go to spot over the past few months and it has consistently been a good way to end nights out in Adams Morgan. The crowd used to be more hip but now that it has more of a following, there is a lot more variety in the clientele which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The lounge tends to be on the small side so it can be crowded but not obnoxiously so. It also helps that the DJs are always good and keep the atmosphere energetic, fun and friendly.

Napoleon is located at 1847 Columbia Rd. NW. They can be reached at (202) 299-9630.

April 13, 2007 - Napoleon (Washington Post) - Whether your taste and budget call for a glass of sparkling Australian wine or an expensive vintage from a legendary French producer, champagne bars draw the hip and well-heeled from New York to Paris and beyond. Full article…

February 20, 2007 - Napoleon (DC Dining) - Café Bonaparte in Georgetown has opened a sibling restaurant, Napoleon, in the old Mantis space at the corner of Columbia Road and Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan. The interior, garish that it may be, is much more comfortable. Full article…

Cost - $$

Service - A
The bartenders and wait staff are cool as all hell. I’m sure a great deal of the positive energy oozes down from the owner, a former part-time DJ at the 9:30 club.

Food - B+
Marx Cafe has a good selection of comfort foods and tapas, and has also quickly become one of my favorite places to grab brunch on a Sunday afternoon.

Decor - A-
Marx Cafe has an unpretentious, bare-bone aesthetic that feels clean, comfortable and hip - the venue additionally passes the daylight litmus test for cleanliness.

Feel - A-
Marx Cafe is multi-faceted in the sense that it is a good brunch venue, good neighborhood wine bar for a weekday drink, and even provides a laid-back alternative spot for a weekend soiree. It is still relatively new and remains a hidden gem that is likely to gain steam as the word gets out.

Marx Cafe is at 3203 Mount Pleasant St. NW. They can be reached at (202) 518-7600.

Leftbank is one of the few ultra-modern establishments in Adam Morgan and is known to have a few faces, depending on when one visits. On one hand it is a French bistro that also serves brunch and sushi, on another, it is a lounge complete with with a dance floor and DJ playing a wide range of music from hip hop to international. One of the cool things about this place is that during the warmer months, they open up the front doors which gives the place an open feel. When I first came to DC almost three years ago, Leftbank was consistently packed on weekend nights but for the past few months it seems to be slowing down a bit. However, it looks to be doing just fine as as a restaurant and special events venue.

Cost - $$

Service - B
From talking to others, comments from service range from being good to mediocre. I know the owner and manager so my experience has always been excellent.

Food - B
The food used to be sometimes inconsistent but a few months back, a new chef was hired and the food seems to be improved. The back sushi bar is pretty good and some of the sushi chefs really know how to make it fun for diners.

Decor - B
I really like the airy and open feel of the space which is complemented by a simple long three-sided bar. The orange banquettes and pieces of art add nice splashes of color to the minimalist decor. A good setting for brunch in colorful Adams Morgan.

Feel - C+
As of late, it’s been hit or miss as a night time destination but with a few tweaks, I think the place can pick it up because the space itself is actually pretty cool. For those seeking out an international crowd with international beats in Adams Morgan, Leftbank could be a decent choice. It also could work for those who want to dance and don’t care to be bumped into.

Leftbank is located at 2424 18th St. NW. They can be reached at (202) 464-2100.