The recession may be officially over, but that doesn't mean holiday parties will be bouncing back immediately. With that in mind, here are some lively and casual venues that won’t break the bank.
1. The Mandarin Oriental recently made over the Asian-inspired MoZu restaurant into the contemporary Sou’Wester, which has an American menu with a southern lilt. For small lunch or dinner gatherings, the 3,500-square-foot venue has a 12-seat communal table in the main dining room and a 14-seat semiprivate room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stellar view of the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial. The homey menu, created by award-winning chef Eric Ziebold of the Mandarin’s CityZen restaurant, includes sautéed pork belly with pickled watermelon rind and chicken with dumplings.
2. A water view is also the attraction at the retro-furnished District Lounge SW, which opened in October in the fully renovated Capitol Skyline Hotel in Southwest. Massive windows give a view of the venue’s competition-size outdoor pool and deck. For a cocktail reception, the space holds as many as 75 guests, with spillover possible onto the pool deck in fair weather. The most popular items on the menu are the popcorn shrimp with citrus romoulade and the pulled pork sliders.
3. Outfitted with games such as indoor miniature golf, Skee Ball, and shuffleboard, H Street Country Club opened in May and offers traditional Mexican fare in an Art Deco space. With exposed brick walls and concrete floors, the 6,700-square-foot venue has a bar on the ground floor, as well as a 15-seat lounge area called the Locker Room and a private room that seats 12. Upstairs is a 65-seat dining room with wide booths, 1950s metal tables and chairs, and a nine-hole mini golf course. The entire venue holds 300.
4. At the cozy bilevel Eola, which opened on P Street’s busy restaurant row in October, the 30-seat dining room on the second floor is available for buyouts. The rustic interior has exposed brick and butter-hued walls decorated with travel and botanical photographs as well as Mission-style oak tables and chairs. From the kitchen of chef Daniel Singhofen comes a wide range of seasonal vegetables to dress plates with the likes of Carolina grouper and roast pork.
5. Open since August, Midtown Loft is a cavernous 3,300-square-foot lounge with brick walls, tile floors, and a brown and red palette. Accommodating up to 260 guests, the front of the space is a raised platform that can be used as a stage, while the central area has a 26-foot bar and DJ booth. There is a gaming area in the back with foosball, billiards, and shuffleboard tables.
6. Pan-Asian dishes and dramatic decor are the draw at Zentan, which opened in June on the ground level of the Donovan House Hotel on Scott Circle. The 110-seat venue has two circular 10-sea semiprivate tables, each with a massive candle-like chandelier. For a cocktail reception, Zentan’s private room holds 50. In addition to sushi, passed hors d’oeuvres include Singapore slaw, crispy garlic chicken, and marinated skirt steak.
7. Opened in August in Columbia Heights, the relaxed restaurant, lounge, and wine bar Social is housed in two combined row houses. Groups of 10 to 20 may reserve the cellar, furnished with comfortable leather couches and ottomans. Guests may munch on shareable menu items, such as lamb lollipops topped with cilantro-pecan pesto, barbecued shrimp, and mahimahi tacos—all available in three portion sizes.
8. On the lower level of his Sesto Senso restaurant near Dupont Circle, restaurateur Osmar Nunez-Vilches opened Spot Lounge in June. The narrow 2,200-square-foot space has blue-lit black walls and hologram-like photos of runway models. A custom wood bar topped with white acrylic stands opposite a line of gray ottomans, and there is a raised area for dancers. There is a DJ booth in the rear, and the venue accommodates 160.
