Number Nine is a bright spot in a inexplicably dim D.C. gay bar scene. They offer two-for one happy hour drinks every evening until 9, which is a great deal. The interior is cool and sleek, and more like a NYC bar than anywhere else I've been in D.C. The two-floor space is adequate for a busy happy hour, but a bit too small for evening events. They sometimes have a DJ on weekends,but there's really no dance floor. All in all, it's my favorite neighborhood bar for happy hour. read more

Great 2 for 1 deal for happy hour. Nice ambiance too.

LOVE this place so much! Have frequented this place a few times already after having enjoyed the drinks and the great service from the bartenders. Also good music and a packed, but chill crowd. Buck is amazing and goes out of his way to take care of you. Patient and takes his time to make good drinks regardless of how packed the place gets. This bar also has the best 2-for-1 happy hour special that will sneak up on you... appreciate him being kind and attentive in making sure I was good! read more

I was there during pride weekend and I had a great time. Great music, great drinks* and very friendly bartenders. *I don't like the juice from the gun. I drink Absolute & Grapefruit-- the grapefruit tastes like fruit punch. read more

Ok. One of the few options lest for gay And bi men--- but bartenders tonight, one in particular on second floor- complete Disrespectful and entitlement - even assuming our change each time was his tip. Owners- you have a problem on staff. Your issue to deal with now as I for one cannot come back . read more

Was here for their Friday night happy hour and had a pretty good time. We enjoyed their half off drinks and my group of friends (a mix of gay and straight) had a nice time talking to others who were there. But then it got damn crowded-- fast. We left around 8pm as it was getting too packed. My favorite drink was the Bully Boy and I even got them to make me a regular old fashion (however the tons of crushed ice was a little strange). Overall had a pretty good time read more

Woohoo! I had a great time here. First off, they had a surprisingly good beer list - and have a buy-one-get-one-free deal for certain times on ALL drinks. Awesome! And the deal goes til pretty late! Not only that but I loved the music, atmosphere, and they had fun music videos playing on big screens to enjoy. I don't know what else to say, great vibe, lots of fun and I loved this place! read more

My co-workers and I come here often for happy hour as the 2-1 special is fantastic. We've come here for regular happy hours and for work events and they are always accommodating. The bartenders are attentive and make a mean drink. read more

The happy hour deal here is amazing and goes until 9pm. We sat at the bar trying to kill time before dinner, and had a couple delicious cocktails by Jose. Service was great and drinks were amazing. Definitely a great neighborhood bar. read more

Cool atmosphere and great drinks. Love that 2 for 1 happy hour. Kind of low key. Cool place to come after work.

Came here by accident. After eating a late dinner next door, we wanted drinks and Number Nine was just right there. LOVED the music choice. A mixed of old and new with music videos projects all around for your entertainment. They had drink specials which were alright. For a Saturday night, it was kinda dead. Maybe we just went on the wrong day or something. read more

Two Story bar in Washington DC. Visited here this last Friday...It was crowded...fairly easy to retrieve a drink, fair drink prices for DC and a great atmosphere.....Will definitely go back! read more

While the 5-9 happy hour with 2-4-1 everything is appreciated, the underpouring of liquor, alas, is not. My partner ordered a rocks, no mixer, and seemed to actually get the correct pour. IMHO that is the way to go. Cute crowd though, especially after league games. read more

This bar was a nice find while I was staying in DC for a couple days. It's a beautiful, trendy lounge with delicious cocktails and a diverse crowd of old/young, different ethnicities, etc. The music is not too loud so you can easily carry on a conversation with the good-looking, diverse clientele at this bar. I would definitely go back next time I'm in DC. read more

The reincarnation of Halo has arrived - and it's better that it's previous life. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was very impressed with what they've done with the interior. The old South Beach-esque look has been traded for something that fits in a little better with the Logan Circle vibe. The place feels more intimate and the drink specials are back. The cocktails I have had since Number Nine's debut has been classic, good and strong. I feel I will be returning very soon... read more

There are a lot of gay men at this bar (I'm not sure if this is an "official gay bar" or not, but it is also what I would describe as a "mixed crowd" meaning there were plenty of women present too. I like being in a diverse environment - which Number Nine certainly provides. The happy hour specials are well worth it. The bar is clean and the new design a great transformation. A very welcome change to the DC bar scene! read more

Great drinks all around! I love the Happy Hours. Buy one, get one free makes the night go by much quicker. This is a great gay bar to sit and talk with people. read more

Went here on opening week and was impressed so far. Fantastic renovation of the old Halo/Mova space! Drinks were decent and they were 2 for 1 until 9:00. It's a great place to unwind and have a drink after work. read more

Chill place. I appreciate that you can come here to chat and de-stress rather than have to grind on people, so it's a break from the likes of Town and Cobalt. I think the drinks are a little pricey, but not above average for DC. The bartenders are friendly and cute. The crowd seems to be very diverse. read more

A rarity to find drink specials, cool bartenders and a nice spot to hang out on a Friday night. I was recently here for my virgin trip to DC and plan to return everything I visit. Nothing beats a 2-4-1 happy hour here! read more

Great ambience! Amazing staff very cute and friendly :) their 2-4-1 special is fantastic! It also has great music and you can definitely have a great conversation with whoever you are with read more

The drinks are strong and very well priced! The one bartender I interacted with was nice. Definitely a gay bar so not many women but it was still a decent experience. read more

Tasteful decor. A regular hangout when I'm in the city. Sometimes the bartenders are not AS attentive as they should be. The one today didn't even know what the ingredients of my basic drink were! Otherwise there's no bar in DC with this sophistication. I'll definitely be back. read more

I WILL NEVER BE BACK! I usually frequent this bar and have brought out of town guests here as a "go-to" spot. I even brought my out of town guest here this time as well, but that will be the very LAST time I go to this bar. We were celebrating our friends birthday, laughing, joking, drinking (most importantly--as we were spending money) and the bartender had comes to our table and says, "Other people are trying to enjoy the bar. You all are being aggressive over here and need to stop." In my experience, animals are aggressive. It was an absolutely poor choice of words. We asked for the manager, because as a group of African-Americans we felt that terminology was highly offensive--considering we were the only people of color in the establishment. While speaking to the manager, he agreed that "aggressive" was the correct term to use and that he was supporting what the original gentleman said to us. I immediately asked for his superior and he indicated that the man who called us aggressive was, in fact, his boss, not just a bartender. He proceeded to argue, belittle, demean, and disrespect us further as we (the customers) explained to him that asking a group of patrons to lower their voices is much different from calling them aggressive and continuing to disrespect us. Other patrons overheard what the bartender/manager said to us, came over to us and told us that they would leave when we did because the establishment was completely out of line for addressing us in such a demeaning manner. So, not only did we leave the establishment, but we took other patrons who were offended with us. As another business owner in the DMV area, I would never speak to or disrespect my clients in the way this establishment disrespected me. We came for a good, wholesome time, but were met with disrespect. I will never be back and I advocate for others to not spend money at this bar. read more

What at first might seem a drab charnel house is enlivened at the bar by Kieran, a sparkling conversationalist able to discuss anything, including recent discoveries in science. read more

There is one bartender who is rude as hell. My friend was sick bc she had attended an event earlier and eaten something that set her stomach off. We waited for the unisex bathroom to open up but it didn't and she said she was feeling really sick so I checked the mens room since the other restroom was upstairs. We went in the mens room where I told her to try and throw it up so that her tummy feels better. In comes this rude bartender who doesn't ask if anything was up or why I was telling her to try and induce vomiting herself but just says "you gotta leave, I work here and you are asking her to try throwing up". I ask if she can at least try and feel better before we do but he keeps insisting that he is an employee there (we get it! don't take your status in the place so seriously dude) and therefore we need to leave. Not that anything fun was going on anyways at your close to dead bar on a Saturday night but we were willing to give it a try. The only reason I give this place a 3 star is because the guys at the door were awesome and so nice. read more

Some of the bartenders here are the worst. I tried to close my tab when I had opened it with another bartender at the same bar. He insisted I needed to close it with the other bartender - so I went to the area of the bar between the two. The SAME bartender comes and closes my tab for me. I asked him why he couldn't have just done that for me before and he literally threw my receipt at me and said "you're welcome!" What a jerk. I really like this bar aside from several jerk bartender... read more

I wish this spot was still Halo- that bar was classy, and welcoming of all people. I've been to Number Nine and a few time and it's more of a males-only dive. Last time I was there I went to Stoney's next door to use the bathroom (bathroom options for women are basically non-existent at Number Nine) and wasn't let back in. It wasn't that late and the bar wasn't very busy. This was fine by me-- the mildew smell in the bar had been giving me a headache anyway-- but my wife was still in there and her phone was dead. I had to send messages to her through the boys that were still being let in. Fortunately, they were able to find her easily since she was the only middle-aged woman in there. Now I see why! read more

Number Nine bar is very racist, as well as Town and Trade! The bar staff are very racist as well. The overall vibes are cold and unfriendly toward non-white patrons. This has been occurring for several years and has not changed. I was there last week October 2016 and it was exactly the same. I'm not surprised I guess, they have tried to stop non-whites from visiting for several years. Too bad it's such racism in a community that has to struggle and overcome so many other obstacles. read more

Same place as before, just put lipstick on the pig. Same crowd, same annoying music....nothing new.

The worst bartender in DC. Better places that appreciate customers. Trust. Attitude not attractive. Not much more to say.

I had high hopes but was ultimately disappointed with an unfriendly staff... Nice, clean atmosphere but the bartenders act like it's an inconvenience to their texting to serve you or talk to you (maybe this is a thing of the past?)... Probably wouldn't go back. read more

Where do I start. #9 is actually a nice looking place --chic, clean, and classy. However, it has so many flaws that grossly undermine the nice facade. Firstly, unlike what many people here say, bartenders are far from nice. They are rude, careless, and only care about making money. My approach when I go to bars (this is not a dance club), is I wait until the end of my stay to tip those who have served me. The reason is I want to take everything into account, from drink quality to service to how well they treated me, etc. I'm not cheap when it comes to tipping because I know that's their largest (if not only) source of income. I'm fine tipping 40% if you worked at that level of service, and I tip no less than 20% regardless of how good a service I was provided --I know bartending is not easy. However, and to my surprise, #9 bartenders don't like that. In both occasions I was REMINDED that they "work for tips only." Yes, REMINDED that I needed to tip each time I conducted a transaction at the bar. The bartender who got really pissed about my approach was a short, white, toned guy who's usually upstairs and always seems to wear a tank top. Even after explaining I would be tipping and apologizing to them for not having said so upfront, they did not seem pleased. It ruined my night both times I went there. I go out for the EXPERIENCE. #9 bartenders do not understand they are in the SERVICE industry. If I just wanted to drink, I rather stay home or visit my friends. When I go out, I'm looking for a joyous and fun atmosphere. My tipping (which is not just a salary) takes that into account. Bartenders that go out of their way to be chatty, make you feel welcomed, seem interested in what you like, and help you generously make decisions, I tip extremely well --in the 40% range. However, #9 bartenders are just there to MAKE MONEY, not to give you an experience. As such, they are soooo overly concerned about whether they are being tipped and how much. For instance, in my situation, it would have been significantly better had they come up to me and asked: "how am I serving you? is there any concern about my service? I ask because I noticed you haven't tipped and I just wanted to make sure I am providing you a good service." THAT SIMPLE. But when they approach you instead with: "we work for tips, do you know that?" it just makes me want to leave the place immediately. MANAGEMENT HAS A LOT OF TRAINING TO DO. In addition to the rudeness, the only drink bartenders seem to be able to make are mojitos. Yes, they are very very good because they use fresh ingredients. Under-pouring is another issue there. And to make things worse, they use crushed ice. They don't seem to understand that ice plays a crucial role in drink-making --especially at their price point. Of course, crushed ice melts much more quickly, which waters down your drink, which, in turn, makes you drink much more drinks. And I'm fine drinking more, but who wants to drink a water down cocktail for which you paid $10-$12 --and especially when you ask for a premium product. All in all, #9 is just a facade. If you are from out of town and want to have a good time (versus fighting with rude bartenders who don't know how to make money), I recommend Nellies. Bartenders at Nellies have a personality and all the qualities I talked about above. If you want to dace, go to Town. Since you don't go to Town to chat with the bartenders, they don't matter. But if you think that #9 is going to be a warm, welcoming, bar/lounge where you can hang out and have a great time --think twice. If you still want to go to check this place out, I recommend you bring a healthy group of friends and keep interactions with bartenders to a minimum. Yes, so sad for such a nice-looking place --but the truth must be told. read more

The staff, the crowd, the atmosphere and of course the drinks (happy hour!!) I might fall in love with this place.

Wow so upsetting! Was super excited to come here tonight, being my first time to Number 9 since I moved to Dc about two years ago. I've always heard it's a great place and tonight was nothing shy of that! I ran into an old friend and we talked the entire night. Being super excited to see someone you haven't seen in forever is always amazing. We were upstairs the entire night and came downstairs to close out around closing. Decided to have another drink before we left. We were enthralled in conversation and yes excitedly a little loud at times, when the bartender or actually bar back proceeded to tell my friend to basically keep it down and that no one wants to hear her (there were maybe 5 other people in the bar at this time). I've never been told to be quiet at a bar lol and we were DEFINITELY not being obnoxious to the point where someone needed to tell us to basically shut up. Things escalated quickly and the other bartender called me a C U N T. Completely unnecessary! They just turned an awesome night into something out of today's news. I felt so poorly treated over such a minuscule issue. Not one person apologized to us and we continued to be taunted as we left... THIS IS DISGUSTING! I should be able to go out to a bar, spend my hard working money and not be harassed by the staff. GET IT TOGETHER! I'll be sure to mention this experience to everyone! read more

I really like getting a drink here. With the upstairs area, the bar is large enough to hold a good number of people. I have always had good drinks here as well and it's just a fun place to people watch. read more

I decided to try Number Nine for the first time last night around 6ish. The bartender downstairs - very friendly and nice. I decided to go upstairs hoping to enjoy my 2 for 1 beers while watching the football game on one of the 6 or so t.v.'s. 2 sets showing the news, 2 sets showing Brtiney Spears videos (same channel), one set showing a rerun of a tennis match from the summer. I asked the bartender if it was possible to change the tennis match (which nobody was watching) to the football game on channel 5. He mumbled something that I couldn't hear, I said it's on channel 5, then he said who is playing (wondering why that mattered since I specified the channel), I told him. He again mumbled something and then walked away from the remote control that was 1 foot from us, down to the other end of the bar to help other customers. Fine, take care of the customers first. I'm cool with that. But, after about 10 minutes, it was apparent that he basically just blew me off. So, first time there, negative experience. I won't be back. If the owner is reading this, please fire the unic who tended bar up there (dark beard, baseball cap) and hire someone more like the bartender downstairs. read more