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    Proper Bar

    4.2 (53 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

    Proper Bar Photos

    PROPER BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Proper Bar

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    Leslie S.

    Stumbled upon Proper Bar on a Sunday late afternoon after the brunch crowds already dissipated. The vibe was quiet and very intimate, and we LOVED it! The drinks were the star of the show!! The food was just as great and the service was lovely. The art inside the restaurant is also so appealing and adds to the high class vibe. I would definitely add this to my list as an impressive DC spot!

    Maxine J.

    GORGEOUS establishment. Opulence on a 1,000! Young people and their champagne taste, malt liquor money. Here for my baby girl's 27th birthday dinner; Sat., 6/6/26. When did ice cream cake and your fav meal from mommy not be enough? All jokes aside, this was definitely an experience for my 58 year-mortgage-having- work-everyday-countdown-til-retirement self. Shout out to our top tier bartender, Eddie! My Mom and I were on time so we enjoyed perfectly delicious espresso and dirty martinis while we waited. Our party of 8 had top tier service from Ari and dined on top tier seafood in the midst of top tier elegance. I can't rave enough. (They even bought a round of complimentary bubbly to toast the birthday girl!) Hope you enjoy Proper Bar as much as we did!

    Lobster Mac
    Brooke S.

    To start, we sat for a while without being acknowledged, we were about to leave when our server came over and filled our water. Eventually the manager came over and apologized for our wait and gave us complementary corn bread. Aside from the miscommunication on the restaurant/ servers, food (lobster Mac, and smash burger with fries) and drinks were good.

    Darien C.

    Proper bar is so classy from the furniture to the elegant bar, to the piano laid out perfectly. The food was really good be challenged my pallet in the best way. Service is good, Ethan helped me out and was great. Definitely a good place to go for happy hour or a nice dinner.

    Meka M.

    Proper Bar in DC is an absolute gem! From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere feels inviting and lively, making it a perfect spot for a night out with friends or a casual dinner. The food here is truly spectacular. If you love dill, their pasta is an absolute must-try, full of flavor, perfectly cooked, and unlike anything else you'll find around the city. Every dish I've tried has been thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented, showing they really care about quality. The drinks are amazing too. Creative, well crafted, and perfectly balanced, they pair effortlessly with the menu and really elevate the whole experience. Overall, Proper Bar hits all the marks: incredible food, standout drinks, and a vibrant yet welcoming atmosphere. Definitely one of the best spots in DC, and I can't wait to go back!

    Marry Mae
    Jamie B.

    I visited Proper Bar with a group of 7 for a 5:30 PM Saturday happy hour, and it ended up being the perfect time to go. It was still pretty empty, so we had room to relax, take photos, and really enjoy ourselves. The atmosphere here is so beautiful, intimate, and cozy. The interior design is immaculate. It's swanky and intentional with perfect lighting and attention to detail. It feels upscale but still warm and inviting, and it's absolutely the kind of place you'll want photos in. The food and cocktails were just as impressive. I tried the Patatas Bravas (potatoes with lemon aioli, smoked paprika, and brava sauce) and the Gambas Al Ajillo (shrimp with garlic, fresh herbs, and lemon). Both dishes were absolutely delicious. I think I could have eaten three orders of the Patatas Bravas all on my own--they were definitely a crowd pleaser. Service was prompt, warm, and attentive throughout. Overall, such a great experience! I'd definitely come back next time I'm in D.C.

    Resturant inside
    Shinada P.

    My first visit was for a New Year's dinner, and I absolutely loved the ambiance. The lighting, décor, and overall aesthetic were beautiful -- dark, calming, and relaxing. The atmosphere alone makes you want to stay awhile. Even though they were hosting large parties and preparing for a New Year's holiday event later that evening, we were seated quickly. The staff was communicative about the upcoming events, which we appreciated, and we still had a wonderful experience. My food was really good -- no complaints. The bread was delicious, and while the Smashburger was a bit messy to eat, it was still flavorful and satisfying. The drinks were also well done. I'll definitely be back to try other entrées and would love to explore their happy hour options as well. Overall, a great experience and one I would recommend.

    Menu
    Ama A.

    My night started in the back at a private birthday party, and we eventually made our way to dinner, best decision. Even though they were short-staffed, the team worked seamlessly together and communicated well, so nothing felt chaotic or dysfunctional. For dinner, I had the Pesto Campanelle, and it was so effortlessly good I could've easily ordered a second portion. Absolutely delicious. The ambiance here is spot-on: perfect lighting, not too loud, and close seating that still feels comfortable. You can actually have a conversation without feeling awkward. A great all-around experience. I'll definitely be back.

    Tyquain M.

    I came with a friend to celebrate us graduating with our masters degrees/my birthday. This place is beautifully designed and customer service was excellent. Our server, Marian (spellcheck) gave us great suggestions to try as first timers. Because of her we ended up trying Patatas Bravas, Confit Tomato & Cucumbe, Gambas Al Ajillo, Pappardelle Bolognese, Tiger Prawn Tagliatelle and everything was soooo delicious. We ended up meeting the owner, Will who was gracious enough to talk with us and offer us dessert on the house. Truly worth trying!

    Happy hour
    Victoria M.

    I've been wanting to try this bar out for a while, so decided to pop in on my way home. I set up the bar, and I really took in the decor. It's a very cool spot. They paid a lot of attention to the design concept. I wouldn't say it's super dark in there, but it's definitely a more dim lit place that pushes you to unwind a little bit more and allows. You to relax. Even walking in, it definitely feels like a cooler, more relaxed spot. The service was spot on. As soon as I sat down on the bar, the bartender greeted me within the first few minutes and provided me menus. I do love that they have happy hour every day of the week. The options are pretty good too, with some wine and cocktails. I ordered a glass of wine, and then ordered their version of a coffee based martini. Both were very delicious and served very nicely. Overall, the ambience is very nice. I would definitely return. This is a spot where you can go in and grab a drink by yourself, or with a smaller group of friends. If the latter, I would make a reservation. Also, while I did not order any food, the man next to me had ordered a few bites and everything looked and smelled amazing. The food when I looked at the menu looked to be more Spanish influenced based.

    Ren R.

    Amazing service, great drinks, great food (the fries!!), cute interior. Was nearly empty on a Saturday night but nice that it wasn't too loud.

    Wagyu smash burger
    Rachel R.

    Came here with 3 of my friends while I was visiting DC from out of town and it ended up being the perfect spot to celebrate two of our birthdays. It was a newer restaurant so they had adjusted the menu/food a bit from what I saw online but everything was incredible. Katelynn was our waitress and she was the super sweet and made the whole experience feel easy and special. Food and drinks were all really good, and they gave us free champagne to celebrate and then they decorated the dessert we ordered to make the celebration even better. Overall a fun night with amazing food and ambiance!

    Kailee B.

    The food was fantastic 10/10, the service was well done my waitress Maddie was great. The space was beautiful with a old school charm i appreciate it.

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    Ask the Community - Proper Bar

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    4.4(1.2k reviews)
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    Absolutely loved our meal here. Everything was a knockout. I ordered the chicken and was pleasantly…read moresurprised at how good it was. You'd assume there's not many ways you can innovate fried chicken but there's was amazing! Other highlights of our meal were the biscuits, the broccoli, the watermelon salad, and the ribeye steak. The service was great and we loved the dark, moody cabin-inspired ambience as well.

    Visiting DC and swung by this establishment for dinner with a group of friends…read more Overall enjoyable, but there are definitely some items which are hits and other misses. Before getting to the food, I'll first rate the interior excellent. It's big and open, and has a modern yet rustic design, which makes it an excellent atmosphere. They had an impressive list of wines and cocktails, but the draft beer selection was limited. Could use a bit more variety on tap, but I enjoyed the Imperial IPA nonetheless. As for the food; all of it was on the pricey sized given the quality and quantity served, but the salmon collar was by far my favorite -- followed by the chicken, although the chicken was a bit less meaty than I expected. The gem salad, the carrots and the steak fries were all very "meh," and the bisques seemed like small ciabatta buns rather than actual biscuits. All that aside, the biggest disappointment was unfortunately the ax ribeye - it wasn't cooked properly (despite asking for med-rate, depending on the bite, it ranged from medium to very rare), and it was really stringy and fatty - a major disappointment for a steakhouse. Deserts were delicious, I really enjoyed the ice cream cake and thought the peanut butter pie was good. Service was great, prompt and friendly. So I definitely wouldn't recommend this place as a statehouse based on my experience, but would consider coming for the salmon.

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    The Hamilton - District Wings

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    It's been YEARS since I've been to The Hamilton. A recent trip to DC and a free gift card is what…read morebrought me here. I went for brunch, but was in more of a lunch mood. I sat outside on the patio. To start, I got the calamari appetizer. Yall! Their calamari is so freakin good! The remoulade sauce that comes with it just takes it to the next level. I got the crab cake entree and it was just what I needed. I recommend replacing the tartar sauce with their remoulade sauce. The Tea Time mocktail was very refreshing. The service was good. The only downside is that there was an issue with the gift card that I won from their social media page. After some back and forth, they eventually honored it and all was well. But this experience was definitely better than my past experience, so I'm adding a star.

    As part of the Clyde's restaurant group, we were excited to try this since we love Old Ebbitt…read more However, we were a bit let down from the food. My girlfriend got the steak and eggs which she thought was good but on the saltier side. I got the crab cake benedict but my eggs were way overcooked and not runny whatsoever. My server was nice and apologetic about it. The sushi was surprisingly good and fresh. I was skeptical at first about sushi at an American restaurant but was happily surprised. Overall, a bit disappointed about the restaurant but may have been an off day. Would love to comeback and try their signature burger. Apps: Paradise Roll Entrees: Steak and Eggs and Crab Cake Eggs Benedict

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    Ted's Bulletin 14th

    Ted's Bulletin 14th

    4.0(2.4k reviews)
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    Large group friendly
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    Always our first stop when visiting home in DC. Excellent breakfast menu and food preparation…read morealways on point. Ted's homemade "Pop Tarts" are a must. Comes w/ Big Mark Breakfast choice. Service is good, and the vibe is all D.C. Like the bottomless coffee. Check out the monster size Cakes and the Cinnamon Roll feeds 4 but weekends only.

    ​The food here genuinely hit the spot, but the surcharge and tipping setup at the end left a bit of…read morea sour taste. ​We ordered a solid spread across the table: ​Steak Frites: Cooked just right, tender, and the herbaceous chimichurri sauce added great flavor. The fries were hot, golden, and crispy. ​Chicken Pasta: Rich, creamy sauce balanced nicely by the capers and fresh lemon squeeze, with generous portions of chicken. ​Caesar Salad: Crisp romaine, plenty of parmesan, and crunchy croutons--classic and refreshing. ​Ted's Tart: The nostalgic rainbow sprinkles with whipped cream made for a fun, sweet finish to the meal. ​The real frustration came with the check. Between the added service fee/surcharge and the prompt for standard tipping on top of that, the final bill felt disproportionately high for casual neighborhood dining. Hidden fees stacking up on top of regular menu prices takes away from what would have otherwise been an easy 4- or 5-star meal. ​Great kitchen output, but management really needs to rethink the fee creep.

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    Ted's Bulletin 14th
    Ted's Bulletin 14th
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    Chloe - Spice Roasted Chicken

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    4.5(768 reviews)
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    The food at Chloe was absolutely delicious. So good in fact that I stopped in twice during my time…read morein DC. Both times I ordered the Crudo which was absolutely amazing. Additionally, I tried The Who fish and the gem salad which both are spectacular. Cocktails are made to perfection and the service and ambiance are great.

    Food 8/10 Atmosphere 9/10…read moreService 3/10 Came here for DC Summer Restaurant Week and unfortunately left pretty disappointed, especially for the price point. First off, there seemed to be only one waiter handling around 7-8 tables. Tables on both sides of us were visibly getting frustrated with how slow the service was. We came to enjoy ourselves and weren't in a rush, so we didn't mind waiting as much, but the service was noticeably slow. Interestingly, the actual dishes came out fairly quickly, but everything else--ordering, drinks, checking in, and getting things we needed--took a long time. For a restaurant at this price point, I was also expecting the overall experience and atmosphere to feel a little more elevated. It didn't really feel particularly upscale or special, and the bathrooms were noticeably dirty, which was surprising and definitely took away from the experience. Overall, the food was decent, but between the understaffed service, cleanliness, and atmosphere, I didn't feel the experience matched the price. Restaurant Week is usually a great opportunity to try a higher-end restaurant and want to come back, but unfortunately I don't think I'd return at the regular menu prices.

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    ChurchKey - Tots, fries, mushroom flatbread and a glimpse of chicken sando

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    3.9(1.5k reviews)
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    Great local bar with large rotating craft beer selection. Highly recommend for any beer…read moreenthusiast. They have wine and cocktails as well. They are happy to recommend beer for your taste, and let you sample. It can be very busy and difficult to get a seat at the bar or get a table on a Friday or Saturday evening. We ordered food, and were expecting elevated bar food. The tater tots were a huge disappointment- they were very large squares , bland, and not crispy. The wings were okay. The cheeseburgers were the best- from the restaurant downstairs- mallard. Huge burger, done perfectly medium.

    Here's a review written as part of a visit to both Churchkey and Birch & Barley (the downstairs…read morerestaurant -- together they form the "2 Enjoy Everything" concept by Neighborhood Restaurant Group): A DC Gem That Delivers on Every Level If you haven't made it to Churchkey on 14th Street yet, move it to the top of your list. I visited as part of the full experience -- dinner downstairs at Birch & Barley, then up to Churchkey for drinks -- and honestly, it's one of the best evenings I've had in DC. Churchkey itself is everything a great bar should be. The beer selection is absolutely unreal -- hundreds of carefully curated labels spanning every style, region, and flavor profile you can imagine. What sets it apart is that the staff actually knows the menu. Our server walked us through a few options based on what we liked and landed us on perfect picks both times. That kind of genuine expertise is rare. The tavern pizzas from the wood-fired oven were a wonderful surprise -- thin, crispy, and the perfect companion to a cold draft. The smash burger also deserves a mention: simple, well-executed, and hits the spot. The vibe is warm and lively without being overwhelming. Great for a date, a group, or even just sitting at the bar solo with a good beer and good conversation with the bartender. This place has earned its reputation as one of the best beer bars on the East Coast -- and then some. Highly recommend making a full night of it with both floors. You won't regret it. Feel free to adjust the tone or add any personal details from your actual visit!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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    The Capital Burger - Our namesake burger is served French onion-style with caramelized onions, Wisconsin Grand Cru gruyère and shallot aioli.

    The Capital Burger

    4.3(1.2k reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    This place is sooo good! Perfect ambiance, the vibe is kind of a modern pub without being dark and…read moredreary, big comfortable booths, plenty of space to not feel like you're part of someone else's conversation. Honestly we were so pleasantly surprised by how good the burgers are! I had the Capital Burger which had such incredible flavor and the burger itself is thick and juicy. Despite having just had a big dinner somewhere else, as I write this, my mouth is watering. My daughter had the wild mushrooms burger and she loved it -- the aioli had the perfect tang to go with the mushroom and Swiss, both burgers were cooked perfectly medium as requested. The old fashioned was just your typical old fashioned with a slice of candied bacon attached to the outside of the glass. We were hoping for something smokier and a little different but it was still a very good Old Fashioned. We shared the chocolate mousse and it was perfection. Yum! If I lived here this would be my new regular spot.

    A rather nice restaurant, typical DC expensive, the food was good, with nice atmosphere, good…read moreservice, clocking in at about $42 before tip for a burger and milkshake. I had the blue cheese and black truffle cheeseburger, with bacon, and it was good. . Very good. I could not identify or really pinpoint where the black truffles came in, but the beef was well seasoned. The additions were a dollar too expensive across the board so I skipped those. The fries were sort of stereotypical, nothing really fancy about those. I debated about having the truffle fries, but didn't really wanna pay the extra three dollars. Bless my server, he didn't know what black truffles were, either. The Reesie's peanut butter cup Skrewball milkshake was quite good. Good use of Skrewball. Could've done with a little more alcohol, but what a great combination. Good taste. Vanilla ice cream and peanut butter all the way through. My only .. concern.. were the pickles. There's this NoVA chain restaurant that serves POPCORN before the meal, which I think has to be the most depressing, unappetizing, lazy and cheap way to start a meal. Capital Burger servers sliced sweet pickles in a jar. That.. is a step up from popcorn, but not by much... If I was in the mood for a burger and boozy milkshake, this would be on the list, but not my first choice.

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    The Capital Burger - Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

    Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

    The Capital Burger - Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

    Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

    The Capital Burger - The Capital Burger offers signature burgers, handcrafted cocktails, local brews and award-winning wines.

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    The Capital Burger offers signature burgers, handcrafted cocktails, local brews and award-winning wines.

    Proper Bar - bars - Updated September 2026

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