The rapidly redeveloping Dupont Circle 14th Street corridor gained another dining venue last week with the opening of the 7,666-square-foot trilevel restaurant and lounge Policy. Owned by entrepreneur Omar Miskinyar and designed by omnipresent Washington-based architectural firm CORE (which also oversaw Potenza), the venue's interiors vary on each level.
The ground floor 64-seat Love dining room and adjoining 16-seat bar, for instance, are an edgy interpretation of a classic diner, with red vinyl booths and banquettes and a black ceiling and walls. The overriding design element is an assortment of ultra-modern light fixtures in the entry area, which also has low lounge seating in red and black vinyl.
The second-floor 64-seat Liberty lounge has 1950s-style modern bench seating and four semiprivate spaces with gold-colored banquettes for groups of 12 to 30. The lounge also has a 10-seat bar and a DJ booth. Liberty's walls are covered in graffiti, while exposed duct work and crystal chandeliers mingle overhead. A 733-square-foot outdoor terrace adjoins the space, which also has a private entrance and elevator access.
Formerly of restaurant L’Auberge Chez Francois, chef Brian Murphy has devised a menu of small plates emphasizing regional ingredients that includes lamb sliders with Gorgonzola cheese and mint pesto as well as grilled short ribs with miso-mustard glaze.
The lower-level Truth private dining room and bar, will seat 120 guests amid modern black and royal blue decor when it opens this summer.
