Swanky spot! Located inside the Hay-Adams hotel. Cool atmosphere and good menu. Love the little political cartoon coasters. The first martini on the menu (pear/pineapple) was frankly way too sweet and not really good, but they made a great cosmo read more

Off The Record - Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came to Washington, D.C. for my 21st birthday! I wanted to go to a chill, relaxed, and nice bar. I found Off The Record on yelp and it was the best find ever! The ambiance of this place was exactly what I thought of when I saw photos of the place. Loved the food, which I got was the OTR Burger with fries. For a drink I got a vodka sprite with water. Would highly recommend the OTR Burger with the fries. The service was amazing as well as the food was. 10/10 would recommend this place to anyone visiting Washington, D.C.!! read more

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Quite a special spot, hiding downstairs. Epic political satirical art. Cozy yet sophisticated ambiance. Wonderful bar service. We had a lovely afternoon refreshment! read more

Visiting from out of town. Cute bar filled with people in suits and loud conversations. We were a walk in and found seats within minutes. The bar is old fashioned looking with cartoons of politicians on the walls. The service the day we went was slow, but friendly to be expected with the crowd that was there. I got the pear martini which was delicious. The free bar snacks were tasty too. read more

Loved this place. Vibe was super cool. Cocktails were outstanding and food was delicious. Service from Nestor was top notch. Highly recommend! read more

This bar is at the bottom of the hotel and is a lot of fun. When you walk in you will see a wide array of political cartoons. It's cozy inside and I can tell it can be hard to get a seat at times. We got lucky and got the last two seats at the bar. The bartenders were attentive and our cocktails were quite nice. They give you some bar snacks to munch on. The wasabi peas are a nice pop of spice. read more

A friend recommended this secret joint to me, in the basement of the historic Hay Adams Hotel - just steps from the White House. I had lunch there mid-afternoon. The service from the hotel door to every single server was first-class. Superb. This bar has the feel of an old-fashioned speak easy, as you will see from pics. Take your time and look around - love the 'break the glass' pic and the cloth towels in the bathroom. My food was pricey, but plentiful and very good. It was a DC experience! read more

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Loveddd this place. The political caricatures and ambiance are great and we loved the drinks too. Bar snacks are top notch, don't see wasabi peas at many other places. It's pricey but I do think worth it! read more

Off The Record - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a MUST when in DC We had a cute booth, nice cozy ambience. Clean bathrooms and the staff was friendly. Excellent drink and food selection. read more

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10/10. My favorite bar. The best cocktail in DC (pear martini) Fun atmosphere. Incredible drinks. Pricy. Bring a friend and have a good evening. read more

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Pretty good! I had one drink called the low Rider which is a meso cow drink It was actually pretty good had a strong vibe to it nicely crafted. Here are some of the things we got to try for food wise Flatbread was excellent Dumplings were pretty good a little on the mushy side The one thing that I didn't really care for was our server. He was very nervous and anxious and kept hounding us for ordering things Plus I asked him for soda water from the bar but he made it a point to bring a bottle of fever tonic club soda which of course was charged to the account. I just didn't like the forced upselling on the part of the server. This is located inside a hotel It has a very nice ambience and a great place to chill out we sat in one of the tables and it was a good place to people watch I like their bar and they have a pretty good seating distance so you can see the TV. Service was overall good aside from our waiter. Parking is available on the street and it can be tough to find if you're coming at a certain time of day. Prices arevery expensive .I mean it is just a stone's throw away from the White House so what do you expect Overall I think I would come back! read more

Great drinks and cool vibes. Service is good too, can be a hit or miss sometimes if the bar is really full. But overall recommend.

We're staying at the Hay Adams for the night, so stumbled upon Off the Record before heading to dinner and our show. However, I'm so obsessed with this bar, I'll be coming back several times, even if not staying in the hotel again. The vibe is sooooo cool, feels like an underground speak easy, but you have the added fun of all the political caricature drawings around the room and on the coasters. My husband and I got a kick out of walking around and figuring out who was depicted in each photo. And the drinks! Omg let me tell you, these are legit. They are delicious, with a pour that's worth the month you pay. The bartenders answered all our questions about the drinks there were making, so we'll be going back today to try another round before we head out. Awesome bar! Will see you again, I hope very soon! read more

Off The Record - Air Force Two - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Cute hidden gem in downtown with some fun and delightful cocktails. The bartenders were super friendly amd the atmosphere was very chill. Great spot for a night cap. read more

Tonight, I checked a good one off the bar life list - Off the Record. It's a politico speakeasy in the basement of the historic Hays Adam's Hotel. This haunt is a place of political past where American power would make deals over bar snacks just across the park from the most important house in the country: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. My cocktail was a perfect blend of new and old - an old fashioned with Uncle Nearest, salted caramel syrup, bitters, twist, and a toasted marshmallow. Like so much of DC, this town has a foot grounded in the past, with the other foot sliding into a new, exciting future. Have I ever told you how much I love this city? The range of snacks and cocktails is delightful. There is lots of cozy, comfy seating and nice service. This town tends to read the table so if you keep gabbing they will not come back. A quick nod gets better service and patiently waiting for your turn for service. read more

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Classy and fun with political cartoons and lots of inside the beltway puns for the cocktails. The atmosphere is classy, but casual and you have to try their cocktails. It can be intimidating to get in, but go through the main entrance and head forward and left and there is a set of stairs to go down. Enjoy! read more

Even though I live in the local area, I have never been to this Washington iconic place for drinks. This place exudes Washington with political caricatures on the wall and on coasters. A good place for a drink or two. Not more as it can break the bank. Service was good. read more

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This is a great high end bar near the White House. We arrived around 5pm on a Saturday and we're seated in booth surrounded by caricatures of politicians. The service was excellent and the food and drinks were delicious. We tried the octopus, flat bread, lamb meatballs, and lobster roll. This may be the best lobster roll I have ever eaten! The reason I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is due to extremely high pricing of the cocktails. They were $28 and up! For one drink. They were tasty but wow, those are crazy prices. read more

Off The Record - Octopus and lobster roll - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I like Off The Record. I've been going for 10 years. But the price to quality/service ratio has gotten a bit out of control. My wife and I went for a nightcap tonight, and the bill - for one old fashioned and one martini, no special requests for a particular liquor - was $54 before tip (see photo). If it were the best Old Fashioned in the city, that might be one thing. Still expensive. But it's not; it's just okay. Ridiculous. read more

Off The Record - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This bar was amazing! Got there early enough before it got loud and crazy. I was really impressed with the cocktails and desserts but mostly I liked the vibe, decorations, paper coasters with politician caricatures, etc. read more

Skip it, over priced tourist trap with poor service. Drinks were fine, but after two visits it's clear they stay in business based 100% on location and nothing else. read more

We sometimes stop by this bar after our dinner nearby in DC. Lighting and ambiance is cool. Drinks and service is good. Sometimes hard to find the seat depends on the night and noisy level gets high. Love their fun coasters! read more

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My partner and I stopped by Off The Record one late Wednesday evening for drinks and appetizers and wow, the place was busy for a weekday! We were clearly underdressed given that we had explored DC during the day, but we didn't let that deter us from visiting the joint. My partner and I ordered a beer and mocktail accompanied by their lobster roll appetizer and 1/2 dozen oysters. Everything was great! Cannot recommend this place enough and we look forward to visiting Off The Record again in the future. read more

Off The Record - Food and Partial Drink Menu | May 2022 - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Relaxed sophistication for the discriminating traveler. This subterranean bastion of privilege in the Hay-Adams Hotel offers light fare and tremendous cocktails. Service is impeccable and unhurried. Great place for a quiet lunch. read more

Really cool place. Drink were really good and the art is pretty incredible throughout.

This is a fine hotel bar. The ambiance is nice and the coasters are very cool. The cocktail list is on the short side of really good cocktail bars. Totally fine for the standards but not what I might have hoped for given the Forbes commentary around best hotel bar. Check out the Donovan Bar in London or the Carlyle in NY for those. read more

Very fun place to come for atmosphere, downstairs area of the hotel, red velvet booth vibe going on. The complimentary snacks that come with your drinks are great, olives, crunchy chick peas & mixed nuts. Cocktails are awesome, hysterical names, full of political satire, and are very well done. Dinner was good, Cobb salad, very fresh, lots of chicken, eggs, avocado, but maybe a little boring. Totally recommend coming here. read more

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Cool spot in a fancy hotel. Bar was packed and seating first come first serve. We lucked out on Sat night. They have compl snacks olives and peanut things to munch on. The food selection was great to go with drinks. We had the maine lobster rolls and shrimp cocktail. Yum Will be back read more

Off The Record - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Classy & elegant! A true downtown Washigtonian establishment. They have a fantastic reputation for their wine and cocktail list read more

Off The Record - More wine please - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a really cool spot with a chill atmosphere and great bar service. Nestor and Martine do a great job. It's also a fun place sometimes as it had some fun people here the other day. read more

The bad: Pricey, even by DC standards (cocktails about $25 each) The good: Everything else. Clubby room with a gorgeous wedding-cake ceiling and comfy chairs at the bar with a variety of table and seating arrangements around the rest of the room. It's just below street level, so it has a delightfully old-school vibe. The bartenders are great craftspeople. My favorite drink was the Emperor's Dragon, a wonderfully citrusy rum concoction. There's an entrance off H Street and also a tucked-away door in a corner of the Hay-Adams lobby that leads down a short set of stairs to the entrance. A classic hotel bar feel that gave me all the feels that one of those institutions should. read more

Located in the basement of Hay Adams Hotel right across from the White House. This is a nice and cozy hidden place here in the city. We visited during the day for lunch and there weren't many people there. It tended to get more crowded and louder around 3pm. We had meatballs, the burger and the short rib grilled cheese. Food was good and well priced. The drinks are as pricey as everyone has commented lol . Maybe around $28 - $30 or more for a cocktail. The food was actually cheaper so be prepared for that. I enjoyed myself and the art on the walls are great. Not a place I would go to on a regular basis because of the high prices but it is definitely something to experience every now and then. read more

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Very interesting atmosphere. Friendly vibe from staff and people. Very tasty sandwiches and good drinks. Also open late.

I came here expecting something awesome. I came to the bar and order a dealers choice using Tito's vodka. So the bartender mentions he wants to Google something to make. He proceeds to pour 5 shots of Tito's into a chiller. Then pours it into a martini glass and puts two olives in it... He literally made the easiest drink he could. Granted "dealers choice" is whatever he wants to make, but come on. When you're at a fancy bar you'd expect some kind of special drink. Not just 5 shots of vodka and call it a day... He remade it, and made a simple pear martini. But I didn't come here to order 5 shots of vodka. And probably get charged $90 for a crappy basic martini. The ambiance is amazing. It looks like a really old school, classy place. But the drink making experience, or lack there of, gives it the low rating. It's not a 1-star because I like how it looks. read more

Unique bar in the basement a historic building and hotel. Speakeasy vibes with spirit forward cocktails and great selection of whiskey and scotch. Drinks are served with bar snack and seasoned nuts. Great presentation and place to enjoy a craft cocktail around the White House. read more

Off The Record - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nice spot for a night cap and cozy bar feel. Drinks were well poured and on the pricey side, but you pay for the location and ambiance.

Great service. Quiet, fast, and super close to the White House met friends for lunch and could not ask for a more attentive wait staff.

Tucked away in The Hay Adams hotel this "secret" spot provides an upscale, fun feel with political caricatures, classic woodworking, and red walls. Service is efficient and unobtrusive. The sandwiches are enough for 2 meals and are accompanied by delectable sweet potato fries or onion rings. read more

A delightfully swanky underground bar with amazing food and drinks. While on the pricier side, the drinks are well worth it and get the job done. The environment leans casual but sophisticated. Worth a stop if you're out visiting D.C. read more

I LOVED IT!!!! I couldn't find it!! I kept passing a hotel (the hay wood ) and didn't realize it's really hidden in the "basement" The ambiance is everything! The staff is wonderful and so helpful Our son has a nut allergy and they were so accommodating. We had the lobster rolls and prime rib sandwich -excellent! We also had the lamb meatballs which were crazy spicy. For dessert we had the cookies which were lovely: I hope to stay at this hotel one day!! read more

Off The Record - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia