Last night I was entertaining a buddy who just moved to town and we were looking for a laid-back venue where we could have a few good drinks.  A close friend who lives in the U Street area had been raving about The Gibson, a speakeasy-esque lounge surreptitiously located directly next to Marvin, so we decided to give it a shot.

Cost – $$

Service – A-
We knocked on the unmarked door and the host greeted us wearing a 1920’s prohibition-style outfit.  He politely took our name and phone number and then texted us when a table became available.  He was an absolute gentleman.  Our waitress (who had a slight tinge of a French accent) came over and ran through some of her favorite drinks on the menu and offered a recommendation off of it, which happened to be a fantastic recommendation.

Food – B+
We actually didn’t have anything to eat but I figure it is worth mentioning that The Gibson has a growing reputation for the best cocktails in Washington, DC and from my experience, the reputation is deserved.

Decor – B+
The Gibson is a well designed and executed establishment.  It feels like some similarly themed venues in Manhattan and London and they didn’t skimp on the interior one bit.  In fact, this is one area they could have probably cut back but didn’t.

Feel – A
After spending the past few months at the K-Street nightclubs I’ve been looking for something a little different and The Gibson definitely qualifies.  It is a mature venue for a mature crowd and because they create an ambiance of tasteful exclusivity (in contrast to the crudely imposed exclusivity you get at some DC night clubs) patrons feel more inclined to be social with one another.  The one potential shortcoming about the place for some would be that the overall calibar of talent may not be what you’ll find at the K-Street venues but I’m at a point where that doesn’t matter a great deal.

The Gibson is located at 2009 14th Street in the U Street area.  They can be reached at (202) 232-2156.

What’s the Buzz:

February 19, 2009 – Gibson: Secret Cocktails in U St. (Capital Spice) – Ring the bell, if you can find it. It’s about three feet to the left of Marvin’s front door and barely marked. Try turning img_6579the handle if no one is outside. The rule of thumb is if the door is unlocked, they have room for walk-ins. If it’s locked, they do not. You can try getting on the guest list…but good luck.  Full Article…

November 13, 2008 – The Gibson (A Jigger of Blog) – Last night I went to The Gibson, DC’s newest cocktail bar, for their soft opening. The Gibson is a project of Derek Brown of the Museum of the American Cocktail; I haven’t gotten a full run-down of who else is involved, but clearly the bar is a labor of love for all involved. Full Article…

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