Isla is beautiful and provides an enjoyable dining experience. We visited earlier in the evening so…read moreit was a little quiet, which was nice, and still had a great vibe. Service was awesome. We ordered the tomato and pepper choka bara, hamachi crudo, smoked chargrilled chicken, fire grilled branzino, and mocha Smith Island cake. To drink, I had the Old Money and Fancy Pants. I was most looking forward to the chicken and it was inedible. Absolutely dry and flavorless. I was shocked. Hamachi was also a bit disappointing. Everything else was delicious. I enjoyed my drinks. The bara is addictive. The snapper was perfect and I love chado beni, so the chimichurri was awesome. The mocha Smith Island cake was my favorite. I already love this cake and the espresso ice cream made it fantastic. I'd return to Isla, hoping that kitchen issues are resolved.

Isla is the newest Black owned restaurant that's been on my list to try. Conveniently located in…read moredowntown DC nearby plenty of other popular restaurants. Although they do not validate, there is a spacious parking garage on the lower level. I arrived here a little earlier than my party so I sat at the bar and ordered the passion project. I believe the cocktail prices are pretty standard for DC ($20+). I was not impressed by my cocktail or interested in having another one. Thankfully, my bartender didn't bother to ask if I wanted another one - just handed me my bill and sent me on my way. I'm a spicy marg fan, but something about this drink was too adjacent to a savory spicy dish. At the price point for the dishes, I was expecting to be blown away, but most dishes were just ok to me. The stars of the show were the oxtail patties, fried snapper, and brussel sprouts. The pepper sauce that came with the oxtail patties was delishhhh. The fried snapper was unique in that it was already picked off the bone for you which made eating it way easier. The lamb chops were cool, nothing to call home about. Branzino was not memorable. The restaurant and decor is beautiful! It was quite noisy in there which made it hard to have conversations at the table. The service was quite lackluster (no one to refill water, no one to check on the meal after receiving it, took a while to get our order in, no knife to cut my lamb chops, no offer of dessert, took a while to close out our check) which is annoying when there is auto gratuity built into the bill. For food alone, I'd give the restaurant a 4, but the poor service brings this review to a 3. I hope I get to try it again in the future to leave a better review.

My partner and I just hosted an 80s formal wedding celebration at the Arts Club, and we had the…read moremost gnarly time... like totally! We spent several weeks looking for the perfect location for our big day, and the Arts Club met all of our criteria. The house boasts loads of unique character (including original artwork), the staff are professional and hard-working, they offers chairs, tables, linens, and cutlery/glassware at no extra cost, there are multiple floors available for guests to roam, their garden/courtyard is the perfect setting for a ceremony/dinner, and the venue even offers in-house catering (a rare, cost-saving find in D.C.). The only piece of advice I would offer anyone looking to host an event at the Arts Club is to be as proactive and organized as possible. At times the staff are difficult to connect with, but as long as you are persistent and make clear exactly what you want/need, you should be fine. Also, I would highly recommend taking advantage of the Hotel Lombardy next door. Their rates are fantastic, and the hotel offers a unique European charm. Of course, the fact that they are located right next door to the Arts Club makes it easy to organize hotel accommodations for event guests.

This Club is sandwiched between the White House and George Washington University. It is a…read moreprivate club but open to the public during certain hours. The historic building is worth the visit and you can visit certain rooms that have art hanging on the walls. You can also use the facilities for events. If you enjoy art and a quiet atmosphere this is a very nice venue.

This review is long overdue. I was invited to dinner here and this has to go in the Top Ten places…read moreI've ever dined at. Of course my friend is a member and if I'm lucky, someday I will be too. It started off as I walked up the sidewalk and approached the club, the doorman was standing on the sidewalk. As I got closer, the doorman greeted me by name! I was taken a back for a minute wondering how could he possibly know my name! I was escorted in and asked to wait in the main reception while they went to get my friend. I went into what they refer to as the "Correspondence Lounge" which is sort of a small library with some incredibly old literary works. They have very strict rules and one of surprise is no use of cell phones... period. How refreshing! You can go into the Correspondence Lounge if you need to use your phone but otherwise you cannot use while in the dining room or other public areas. So make sure you "check-in" on Yelp when you are outside. Naturally they have a dress code, but really, if you have to ask what the dress code is, you probably aren't going to this place. Another rule I was surprised is they try to keep business limited so you cannot bring out a bunch of papers, laptop, etc... The only papers you can hold would have to be a newspaper or a book. Once seated, the service is impeccable. Extremely polite and not overbearing. They knew when we were engrossed in conversation and didn't interrupt. I had the lump crab cake for dinner and it was without a doubt the BEST! I lived in Virginia for five years and went to college at George Washington so I'm quite familiar with East Coast seafood and I can honestly say the lump crab at the Metropolitan Club is the BEST! I could go on about this place but simply put, if you have the opportunity to go, don't pass that opportunity up for what will end up being one of the greatest dining experiences of your life.

This is a wonderful spot nestled across from the White House. The building and members have more…read morehistory in Washington, than just about any place in the capitol, or the nation for that matter. I have been fortunate enough to dine, party, and converse with some of Washington's behind the scene's power players. You can learn a lot, if you ever get past the door man, or Lily.

Hard to believe, but almost a year ago I turned in my Single Girl Membership Card and got married…read more Getting married was not something I was looking for. Something in my female DNA might be defective or something because I've never dreamed of my wedding day and how wonderful and romantic it would be. I never thought of it at all. Until my heart was captured by my now husband. My hubs is the romantic one in our relationship. I'm the practical one. I've attended many lovely weddings over the years and completely respect that choices about weddings are intensely personal. To me the money spent on a big lavish wedding could be put to better use elsewhere, such as a new car or down payment on a home. So I was all like "hey, we'll go down to the courthouse and do this thing! I can get on your health insurance! And we can both go back to work afterwards." Hubs, who possesses good sense, said "no way". This was his 2nd marriage and it was important that his young son be a part of the ceremony. He was absolutely right on that point, the kid stays in the picture. But I still didn't want a whole wedding hoo-ha experience. I wasn't going to get sucked into the Wedding Industrial Complex, with its ice sculptures, junior bridesmaids, rehearsal dinners, and custom printed cocktail napkins with our names and the wedding date "Find someone to marry us," I ordered. The hubs found our wonderful wedding officiant, Jodi Arbor Johnson of Waterfront Wedding Services. Jodi was immediately responsive, letting us know her available dates, sample vows and the required procedures in Virginia to get married. Because we were doing this on a budget of nil, we asked Jodi for suggestions or free parks or other areas where we could do the ceremony. She suggested some excellent options, we checked them all out, and fell in love with a small, quirky sculpture garden in Tide Lock Park on the waterfront in Old Town. Mother Nature granted us the most exquisite weather possible on our wedding day. Jodi was there on time and ready to go! I really thought I might faint or something because I was so Totally Freaked Out About Getting Married, but Jodi's high energy and warm likeability immediately eased my nerves. Instead of being nervous I laughed my way through the ceremony. It was fun - and having fun took nothing away from the solemnity or seriousness with which I took my vows. Our ceremony was non-religious and informal, but Jodi does larger weddings and can officiate weddings in VA, DC, & MD. Waterfront Wedding Services also provides photography services and can help with other logistical challenges in planning a wedding. I'm so happy that my hubs found Jodi and Waterfront Wedding Services!

Jodi officiated our wedding at The Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria. From the moment we met…read moreher, we knew she was who we wanted to have preside over our special day. In addition to being extremely professional, Jodi is warm, kind, and caring. She truly puts her heart and soul into making your wedding day special. Our friends and family also loved Jodi and we received so many compliments about her from our guests. We could not have asked for a better officiant! Cheers!

Kia and Farzan were quite literally AMAZING. Probably the #1 thing I am most happy with is going…read morewith y'all for music. Not only did they make me feel comfortable and excited with their presence but Kia also helped with our timeline in a way that made everything go extremely smoothly. When him Conor and I. Had a meeting couple weeks before the wedding. We were struggling with the timeline of everything and how we're going to incorporate the Persian ceremony with American ceremony and Kia was able to explain how it will be done so effortlessly. As for the actual music, we sent a couple ideas what we wanted the night to be like in Kia couldn't be more perfect in his effortless djing and MCing. And Farzan was a tremendous add, I am so happy We have also had him to compliment Kia. Everyone we spoke to after the wedding could not stop raving about both of them. Also both of their extremely positive attitudes was a cherry on top- they were truly a huge part of the night and couldn't have gone as smooth as it did without them. I need Kia to make a playlist on everything he did because OBSESSED. My maid of honor getting married next year also using Kia also said she is now soooo excited to use you guys!

I couldn't recommend Exclusively Entertainment more! They are extremely professional,…read moreaccommodating, personal, and talented! The DJ for our wedding, Maz, executed my vision just perfectly. He was the perfect match for our fusion wedding!

DACOR Bacon is a sensational venue for hosting a party/wedding/school reunion/etc.. We have thrown…read morea cocktails and dance party there for the past three years, and can't say enough about the professionalism of the staff, the quality of the food, the service, and the price. Best of all, our guests love DACOR Bacon and come back each year. The house is an elegant Federal brick building (1801), home of John Marshall when he was on the Supreme Court. It is decorated with beautiful antiques and paintings. If you're having a large event, the garden AND the house are able to accommodate 180 people. When we wanted to rent a tent for dancing under outside, they helped us. When we wanted great DJs, they helped find them. For smaller events, the house is wonderful for a cocktail party, lunch or dinner. It retains its beautiful old world charm and is located just a stone's throw from the White House. Parking is fairly easy on weekends and in the evening We have also used DACOR Bacon for alumni cocktail parties. Guests tremendously enjoyed the elegant and comfortable setting. Washingtonians love to come to parties there -- it's the only still functioning grand historic house in Foggy Bottom. People walked by and say, 'What's that? I'd love to go in there." Out of towners are thrilled with its location, history and beauty. The staff is very experienced and helpful. They go out of their way to ensure the success of the events. Sylvia, who is the events coordinator, always goes above and beyond to make sure that we have a good experience. Alba and Jose make sure all the logistics are running smoothly, and they do a wonderful job. Meg wonderfully oversees it all.

This is a private club. Went for a group dinner sponsored by a member. We had to preselect our…read moremenu, but there was a decent variety for a quiet evening. I had the arugula and heirloom tomato salad, spring pea soup (which was quite delicious, I think it had some mint?) ginger glazed salmon for my entree, and an orange cake. Had a decent merlot. Servers were very attentive and polite. The building itself was the draw for me; rich with character. It must be about 200 years old. It feels like a converted private house with how the rooms are carved out of the space. Very nice experience.

Loved our first visit to Ellipse! The staff was very friendly and they have a good selection of…read moredrinks & food. The seating was comfy as well.

This bar is tiiinnyyyyyyy. Me and my homegirl were looking for a view and a drink. We hadn't…read morerealized that we had crashed a language exchange event and "new to town" mixer. Definitely a quiet spot despite the location and people present. We had a lotta guys coming up to us trying to get to know us or promoting other clubs in the area. We just wanted to see the fireworks for the cherry blossom festival. Unfortunately the surrounding buildings were a bit too tall, and we could only see a few fireworks. Out of everyone we chatted with, the bartenders were the most charming people there. Me and my homegirl were grateful for their heavy pour. The drinks themselves were priced fairly relative to the area.

I was invited to an event at The Gathering Spot, and while the event itself was wonderful, The…read moreGathering Spot truly felt like the perfect place to host it. It was a happy hour and learning-style event, and the space worked incredibly well for both. There was a great balance between areas that encouraged socializing and connecting, while also having comfortable spaces where everyone could sit down and focus during the learning portion. The staff was phenomenal. They were attentive and proactive in a way that stood out. They seemed to anticipate questions before we even had them and made sure everyone knew where things were and felt taken care of throughout the evening. I also ordered the spinach artichoke dip during the class portion of the event and I need to take a moment for that because it was, without exaggeration, the best spinach artichoke dip I have ever had in my life. I'm still thinking about it. A few others at the event also commented on how incredible their dishes were, so kudos to the kitchen because clearly this was not a one-off experience. I'll probably be dreaming about that spinach artichoke dip for a while.

If you're looking for a great place to hold a meeting or a gathering. The gathering spot is your…read moreanswer it has all the chic pizazz of a lounge but the sophistication of an office setting. The happy hour menu is the best in the city and the staff is amazing. If you're looking for a membership hit them up and as for Mr. McCraw tell him Donica sent you.

My daughter and I visited in 2015, 2019 and again last Spring 2023 took a tour of the downstairs…read moreonly. In 2019 a 200+ pound replica of the White House by former Executive WH pastry chef Roland Mesnier was on display. A photo of the Gingerbread house has been attached to this review. The unassuming brick home sets across from the WH. The house happens to be the oldest private residence in DC at almost 200 years young. I would not go out of your way, but we thought the cake was super cool inn2019. 3.5 rounding up.

Came here for a after-hours party so to be honest, this is more of a review about that party than…read moreit is about the house itself. The party occurred in what I assume to be the courtyard; it was covered (though the weather was nice out for March), with beautiful lighting. But crazily enough, the space was HUGE. Absolutely gorgeous. If you're looking to host a large party, I 100% recommend this location. The set-up was fantastic. I have NO clue where the food came from, but whoever catered was phenomenal (I had the best cheesecake bites I have EVER let my tastebuds experience). While waiting 45 min for this lyft to arrive, I decided to venture around the house (with the guide). The house itself is pretty bare, but I love it's simplicity. It was of course quiet, though you could hear the faint sounds of the party outside. I completely forgot that we were SO close to the white house, could have gone for a night stroll, but didn't. Overall, this was a fun experience and I am glad I got to enjoy it in such a way.

I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I recently visited our DC office while in town for…read moreother reasons, and was duly impressed. In particular, Dominique was bright and smiling from the moment I opened the door. She was super friendly, helpful, and offered me coffee and snacks as soon as I told her that I was just stopping by. She also gave me a brief tour of the lovely building, and introduced me to Priscilla and Nia - also very cheerful and welcoming people. I am a fan!

The team at Intelligent Office is the best! I had two days of hosting a meeting with them and…read moreeveryone was super kind with every detail thought through. I would happily have a meeting here again.