During the first week of December, I'll be at a conference at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in D.C. (1330 Maryland Ave. SW). I'm trying to put together a little meet-and-greet for members of a listserv I run. Does anyone familiar with D.C. know of any good bars within walking distance of the hotel? I'd prefer middlebrow Irish pub-type places over "where the power elite meet and eat!" kinda fancy places.
Thanks in advance...
Oh, and you're welcome to join us, if you don't mind a bunch of tipsy fair housing advocates grousing about their respective circuits' approaches to the statute of limitations in design and construction cases. Fun!
Don't know if this is what you're looking for, but there's a pretty good micro-brewery right next to Union Station called Capitol Hill Brewing Company. It's not faux-Irish, but it's fun, and the beer is better than what you'll get even at most faux-Irish pubs.
Actually, I've been there - it's a way cool place with good beer and food. That's definitely a possibility but a little farther away from the hotel than I'd like.
Just watch out for the Talon Company around the capitol. Those guys are dicks.
I think even Talon Company goons would think twice before messing with tipsy and disgruntled fair-housing advocates. These people just survived eight years of the Bush administration.Originally Posted by salwon
Where is this hotel? 1300 Maryland Ave SW? That's about 13 blocks from the Capitol Building, right?
On the south side you have Bullfeathers on 1st just a block from the metro. Or if you go to Penn Ave you have Hawk and Dove, Capitol Lounge (kind of a staffer place), Pour House (the same). If you are looking for a dive bar, right next to Hawk and Dove is Tune Inn. Cheap beer, all booths. Those are all on the 200-300 block on Penn Ave SE.
I'm not sure what's right by your hotel. Is that near the waterfront? There are several restaurants down there. Phillips Seafood has seating for 1500 or so. I actually spent 8 hours in there once drinking whiskey and beer and eating enough seafood to feed Vietnam with a bunch of guys who all played Combat Mission. Unfortunately, the weirdest/coolest (IMHO) place in SW closed down a few years ago . . . Market Inn.
And yeah, watch out for Super Mutants!
You're a genius. Here's a trickier one...About how far from the Capitol is 3400 I street? How long have you lived in the DC area again?
The hotel is in the middleof nowhere Ie: Treasury, FBI, L'enfant plaza. I wouldn't say it's near Capitol Hill at all. They're as close to Metrocenter/Gallery Palace/Chinatown to the Hill. So I'd expand your options from Cap. Hill.
Jeri: You can look at bars on the water front in walking distance or take the metro/cab to Gallery place. There's an Irish pub (fado) and a few other places around there. Just google Gallery place bars. Gallery place is nice because if you walk to the l'enfant metro you can take the green or yellow 2 stops to gallery place. Or you could take orange/blue line to cap hill metro.
If you're on cap hill though, Hawk N dove/Tune Inn (Tune is the best hangover place around) is the place to be unless you like the Hill rate scene. Cap City is nice on the Senate Side and is convenient to the metro.
:"Does anyone familiar with D.C. know of any good bars within walking distance of the hotel?"... You're a mile + walk from all the good bars just so you know. Metro/cab especially if going to cap hill...the hill is pretty steep. Although on cap hill you can walk past Top Chef Spike's Hambruger joint, good stuff eatery, which is solid.
Damn, acrimony much? Is this fallout from Guapo's stance on the Ft. Hood shooter?
H.
My father still raves about the crab cakes at the Tune Inn, though it's been 25 years since we left DC. It was his hangout when he worked on the Hill, and he still makes the pilgrimage back there when in town for business.
Oh oh oh! Oh oh oh! I know this one! Teacher! Me! Me!
34 blocks!
Yeah!
(yes, I know 1300 Maryland is not near Capitol Hill, that's the point I was trying to get across to jerri . . .)
... you humorless lesbian. :)
I wish I lived in a place where I could tell how far away I was from somewhere just from the street name. Although ludicrous historical names are fun too. How far is Poultry from The Strand, fact fans?
Not a bar-goer myself, but you might want to check out the Washington Post's reviews of bars and the like. Last week they talked about where to find cask ale. Or you could just stay in the Mandarin: CityZen is a very awesome (and very pricey) restaurant; Sou'Wester is new and more casual (and cheaper), but got a disappointing initial review.
Just to echo what's been said above, the Mandarin Oriental is a fabulous hotel, but it's really in one of DC's "dead zones" in terms of nightlife. The only things nearby are other office buildings, I-395, and (if you stretch it) the waterfront and Jefferson Memorial. You're pretty much out of luck if you want to stay extremely local.
That said, there are plenty of options at Gallery Place or Capitol Hill, many of which are suggested above. Cabs are plentiful and not particularly expensive.
Have a great time!
Crap - I was led to that conclusion by something on the hotel's web site.
Anyhoo, thank you, everyone, for all the suggestions. Very helpful.
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