Very chill, not pretentious, good bartenders, plenty of seating, music is good, overall just a good…read morespot to land

Free State is perfect for a chill bar in the Downtown area. It's exactly the kind of place you want…read moreto share a few drinks and be able to hear the person in front of you. I had a delicious orange crush drink and my friend had a sangria. The bartenders are extremely chill and nice; they only come up when you need it which is nice for good conversation. I'll easily be back when I want to catch up with friends without a speaker blaring in our ears. Great place to introduce to more people!

Martini Hour alert!…read more First, I think that the martini hour is absolutely genius! It runs from 5-7pm and the selections of martinis were perfect. Ambiance: the restaurant is beautiful but note that martini hour takes place in a small bar area with limited seats. Nonetheless, you can grab a few friends and make this a moment as you enjoy those perfect martini selections. Bites: there weren't much to eat at martini hour so we moved to the general area afterwards to enjoy some food. Service: the staff was amazing and very accommodating. Shoutout to Nesto, the best bartender around! Martinis: Morini Martini: I absolutely love this drink. It was crisp, refreshing, and had a little bold flavors from the white pepper. I absolutely loved this drink and would get it again Sicilian Martini: another fav! Think summer time refreshing with a hint of sweet and citrus burst from the mandarin and lemon Espresso Martini: this drink was another great selection. Freshly brewed and perfectly prepared. I loved it Least favorite: Cala Rossa. I only disliked the drink because it was very sugary and I don't really enjoy sugary drinks. Food: Rigatoni: this dish was divine! And quick note, the smaller plates were perfect serving sizes. But back to the dish. The pasta was cooked al dente and the lamb ragu was soooooooooooooo good! No seriously, it was absolutely divine. Perfectly seasoned and rich in flavors. Other members of my party enjoyed their dishes: Cappelletti and Paccheri Alla Norma, both were described as absolutely perfect. Excellent evening, great service, incredible food and perfect drinks! What's not to love about this place?! I'll be back!

So this place is a go-to for pasta lovers- either in person or delivery. The large portion is a…read moremust! Even to have leftovers! One of my favorites pictured here is the squid ink pasta in a spicy sauce with blended shellfish. The bread crumbs on top, shellfish and pasta have the best texture combination. The red pepper perfectly compliments the dish. My other go- to is the gramigna- the white sauce with pepper and sausage is a very tasty dish. I truly appreciate their homemade pasta! For apps- can't go wrong with the burrata. The service was impeccable and the atmosphere chic casual.

Stopped by this wine bar for dinner on a weekday and was able to walk in. I'd heard good things…read moreabout the drinks here but wasn't sure if there would be good dinner food.. and I was pleasantly surprised! Loved the moody vibe of the wine bar, it felt very cool, cozy and sophisticated. We sat in a booth under a red light so unfortunately my food picture turned out super red. Friends loved the selection of orange wine, and we ordered mcbetty truffle fries, shrimp scampi, honey whipped goat cheese, shishito peppers, and caesar salad for 4 people. Highlights were definitely the shrimp scampi with focaccia and fries, with the goat cheese on bread as a close third. A little pricy for the portions but honestly impressed with the variety of flavors and quality of the food. Service was ok, food came out a little slower than expected. I had really hoped to pick up some pastries (miss those baked joint cupcakes!) but seems like they don't sell them in evening. I'll have to come back for brunch/lunch to get some!

La Betty is a really cool vinyl wine bar that has all the vibes. Wine isn't usually my go to, but I…read morereally loved the space and the overall ambiance. It's got plenty of character and feels like a great spot to hang out with friends or for a nightcap. When you walk in someone will help you find a seat and once you you're ready to order, you go up to the bar to order drinks or food. Although wine isn't my main thing, they do offer a small and limited selection of alcoholic options just no cocktails. Enough to do the job. I loved the music and the dim, chill, laid back decor really complimented the overall feel. It's definitely a spot I'd come back to especially to try out some of the food. Really dope spot.

This place has been here forever, and I have walked by it so many times. A friend finally invited…read moreme out and it was such a blast! Every wine I tried was something totally new. They were on the tail end of their winter menu, and the sparkling wine that my friend was super excited about was phased out. But I just told the staff what kind of wine I was in the mood for and they chose something wonderful for me. I took pictures of the bottles, I'll track those down and post them later. I'm glad I managed to find red and white wines that I enjoyed. I also noticed that they had a crunchwrap on their menu and I had to try it. It was smaller than I thought, but the flavors going on?? Spectacular. There will also these dumplings... SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS! And they had sage and candied walnuts. Ultimately they tasted more like a dessert, but I was obsessed with those and loved how unique they were. I'd return here, there's just too much good stuff to try! Can get pricey if you want to try a lot of wines, though.

Lovely place for a drink! I decided to get an old fashioned which was quite good! Also ordered the…read moreburrata which was delicious! Service was very friendly and quick!

Baan Siam was great for a recent group dinner! Food was delicious, ordering was efficient and space…read morewas great. Have also had Baan Siam as takeout catering before for a party and that was great too.

Food was amazing, the ambience was very pleasant and evoked a cool vibe. Service at big times was…read moreharried but I believe they must have been short staffed by our last visit. We ordered lots of appetizers and they were all first rate. There were dumplings and all kinds of Asian Fusion influences. Cocktails at Happy Hour are always fun and I guarantee that you will enjoy the cool vibe and the excellent choices on their menu.

Came here last night for a last minute solo dinner and it was the best decision. I love the look of…read morethe restaurant. Lights are somewhat dimmed with red accents everywhere. I was already impressed by the weekend happy hour deals. I started with the Aromatic whites wine flight (great pours for $12!!). All 3 wines were delicious and the bartender, Fabio was the best and very engaging throughout my time at the bar. I had the beef tartare and it was the best I've ever had! I then ordered a glass of the Domain du Somail Red Blend paired with the steak frites, which was the best pairing. I was stuffed but decided to get the crème brulee, which you could never go wrong with. It was the best CB I've had in a while. I will definitely be back for restaurant week or just an impromptu happy hour.

Food 3.5/5.0 Service 3.5/5.0…read moreValue 3.0/5.0 Decor 3.5/5.0 Overall 3.5/5.0 Decent French restaurant, nothing in particular to write home about. The ambiance is decent.

Ugly Duckling is a lovely little wine bar with plenty of window seats. I visited for a short 30…read moreminutes during Happy Hour but during my visit I had a great experience. I enjoyed their happy hour rosé and how spacious it was inside. Beyond that I also loved how kind the bartender was. Because I was staying in a hotel nearby, he gave me helpful and thorough recommendations on his favorite local places to eat. If ever I'm staying in this area again, I'd be sure to pop in here for a drink or two. Would definitely recommend it to others.

A new fave! This place is located in the perfect location, right across from Ivy and Coney and…read moreDacha, in a nice newer building. The whole vibe is immaculate, with dark walls, dim lighting, and a great playlist, which all sets a very welcoming atmosphere. They have one of the best happy hours in town. M-F until 7, you can get incredible deals. You can get chicken or BLT sliders for $3.50 apiece, and reduced priced stuffed mushrooms, too. The $5 whipped feta comes with a big side of potato chips. These are small bites, but for very small prices. Food specials on a happy hour menu always get me excited. The chicken sliders were the consensus fave and will definitely be our go to. The drink deals are even better, though. I had a delicious old fashioned for just $7, and for round 2, the preparadas up is amazing. It is a bright red draft milk punch that is a little sweet, a little tart, with gin, lime, a touch of spice, and a sour candy garnish. Very fun, but very delicious, too. And it packs a punch. Plenty of other options are discounted, too. If you are reading this during the government shutdown, they have additional shutdown deals (available for everyone, all day), so it's almost like all day happy hour. Don't miss it!

Food: I tried Gaji Bokum & Dak Jjim. They both were well seasoned and delicious. Dak jjim is a bit…read morespicy. Just a heads up. ;) Service: I received an incorrect order by an accident, and when I went back, they fixed the mistake quickly. Staff were friendly even though I arrived there after their closing hour. Ambiance: there is a bar area, left side when entered the restaurant, and a dining area on the right. Both parts are well spaced out to have a meal comfortably.

I've been to Mandu a few times over the years and I'm sorry to say my most recent visit didn't hit…read morethe mark. I visited on a Friday around 6:30 PM and sat at the bar to catch the end of happy hour (Mon-Sun 5-7 PM). The bar was empty at the time, but a few other people showed up later. The dining room had a handful of tables occupied. In short, easy to get a seat. Drinks were good. I like the Somaek ($6) which is a small beer and a shot of soju. Beer ($7) was beer. We got some beef and pork mandu (dumplings) that were pretty good. 6 pieces for $10 on HH. We got two entrees, the Ddukbokgi ($28) and Yukgaejang ($29), which came with four banchan. Ddukbokgi is chewy rice cakes, gochujang, onion, and bulgogi. We thought it was only ok -- we've had better, including at Mandu in the past. Yukgaejang was a new dish for me. The menu described it as a "spicy beef stew, brisket, noodles, shiitake, bean sprouts, and egg." I expected the brisket to be sliced and recognizably brisket, but it was pulled -- it looked and tasted more like pulled pork. The dish also didn't have any noodles in it. I didn't like it. The banchan was seaweed, bean sprouts, kimchi, and cucumbers. It was okay. Service at the bar was fine.

Deliciousness - 3/5 Happiness -5/5…read more This place is for drinkers as it has no food, so if you want to lift an ale (and go out for dinner before or after, or bring food in with you), this is the place to be. They have a large beer, wine, and liquor list (although not nearly as many English beers as I expected from a place called Crown & Crow). I won't deny that I wasn't a fan of either of the mixed cocktails I had, with both (including strangely a smoky drink) being too sweet. But the beer was expertly poured and the wine was a very generous serving. The prices are also more than reasonable, which is great for a DC bar. But what really elevates this place is the service. By late night, the place was jam packed. But each and every bartender was extremely friendly and they expertly worked the crowd, getting drinks served quickly (which too few places manage to do) and swiftly clearing off tables of dirty glasses. I also greatly appreciated the free goldfish that they happily dole out to the patrons. The staff made this a really good time.

We came in on a busy Saturday early-evening for drinks before dinner. The back room was…read more"reserved", but we were told to sit back there, given the size of our group and we sat nowhere near the party that was in there. The bartender in that area was friendly, but unhelpful, directing us to use the front room's bartender, even though she wasn't busy when we approached and asked for a couple of drinks. The bartender in the main room was great, he was very friendly and once he started a tab for me he said I could use the other bar too, I guess he wasn't aware the bartender at that other bar already told me she wouldn't help me. Regardless, the drinks we had were decent. For small bites, they only had gold fish crackers, I wish they would have had more to nosh on while drinking. Overall, not a bad visit.

Alem is an excellent server. Very professional and engaging. When I come back to this restaurant, I…read morewill definitely ask for her.

The food was great and Tigist was an absolutely wonderful server. I ended up eating here for the…read moremajority of my weekend in DC! Thank you for such kind service!