Midtown is a new club / lounge in the Dupont Circle area that is basically a 2.0 version of Play. They turned the venue around pretty rapidly and my sense is that the Michael Romeo group are looking to capitalize on the growing demand for more of an upscale lounge environment with table service that has been taking place in DC. Whether they have actually created a sustainable venue remains questionable but it is worth mentioning that in it’s infancy, Midtown is drawing some serious numbers and already generating a buzz as one of the next hot spots in DC.

Cost – $$

Service – C
My impression of the service is that it is good but I do want to note that one of the promoters invited us to the venue this past weekend and then would not let us in despite the fact that he invited us. That’s pretty unprofessional but I don’t want it to taint my general impression that the Romeo Group door and wait staff have been generally good. They strike a balance between creating an exclusive environment and not being complete dicks about it. You can’t argue with results – they have already built a pretty substantial following at both FUR and Tattoo.

Food – ?

Decor – C
This was the one gripe I had about the venue. I felt that the checkered green pattern on the far wall of the venue was outdated and the flooring and paint job seems as though it was rushed. I think Romeo could have benefited from more consideration put into the general design and decor of the place.

Feel – A-
I was there during opening week so the crowd and ambiance may be a bit skewed. It will be interesting to see what sort of crowd settles in once the initial rush has faded. As I mentioned previously, my perspective is that Tattoo and FUR have created consistent crowds mostly based on Romeo’s shrewd selection of promoters. Some of those same promoters are now doing parties at Midtown so I think that, combined with Midtown’s great location on the Dupont Circle club circuit (which now includes Current and Fly) should ensure a pretty solid balance sheet for the club for at least the next couple years, and a good crowd to boot.

Midtown is located at 1219 Connecticut Ave. Promoters include Nightlife Agency.

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