7 speakeasies in Washington DC, editor-picked by TableJourney. All Washington DC nightlife.
Allegory ★ 4.6
penn-quarter · 1201 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Allegory hides behind an unmarked door in Eaton DC's Progress Library, with an Erik Thor Sandberg mural retelling Lewis Carroll's Alice through the eyes of Ruby Bridges.
Tip: Walk-in only, no reservations, wait up to two or three hours on weekends. Eight to a party max; bigger groups must book the full buyout.
Silver Lyan ★ 4.6
penn-quarter · 900 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Silver Lyan sits in the former Riggs National Bank vault below Riggs Washington DC, Ryan Chetiyawardana's first U.S. bar, with the hidden Dishonesty Bar tucked deeper inside.
Tip: Reserve through SevenRooms; valid 21+ ID after 19:00. The Dishonesty Bar runs three seatings Friday and Saturday at 18:00, 20:00 and 22:00.
Death & Co ★ 4.7
shaw · 124 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001
Death & Co's DC outpost opened 2023 in the former Columbia Room space inside Blagden Alley, the New York bar group's third location with a back-garden patio and a multi-level main bar.
Tip: Reserve through SevenRooms or walk in to the main bar. The Garden patio runs Friday and Saturday from 19:00, first-come-first-served only.
Round Robin Bar ★ 4.5
penn-quarter · 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Round Robin at the Willard InterContinental has run a circular mahogany bar with oak panels and political-portrait walls since 1847, the Conde Nast Traveler called Oval Office of Bars.
Tip: Mint Julep is the historic order, brought to Washington at this bar by Senator Henry Clay. Late-night small bites Friday and Saturday from 22:00.
Off the Record ★ 4.4
penn-quarter · 800 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
Off the Record below the Hay-Adams across Lafayette Square from the White House pours classic cocktails under red velvet and cartoon-portrait walls of presidents and justices.
Tip: Manhattan and Old Fashioned are the order. Light fare until 22:30; the bar runs daily 11:30 to 23:30 every night of the week.
Quill ★ 4.5
dupont-circle · 1200 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Quill at The Jefferson is the literary cocktail lounge with parquet floors patterned on Monticello and 18th-century maps of Jefferson's wine routes on the walls, walk-in only.
Tip: First-come, first-served seating, no reservations. Bar runs 11:30 to midnight; the kitchen closes 23:00 weekdays.
Black Jack ★ 4.3
logan-circle · 1612 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Black Jack sits above Pearl Dive Oyster Palace on 14th Street, a pinball-and-cocktail second-floor room with a hidden speakeasy cocktail menu you order by name.
Tip: Ask the bartender for the speakeasy menu by name; the printed list runs the standard cocktails. Pizza from the wood oven runs through close.