DC Openings 2013

Once a former television studio, the Huxley now is a 4,600-square-foot nightclub and event space. Its ballroom boasts a seven-foot, gold-plated grand chandelier, a hardwood dance floor, raised DJ booth, and banquette-style seating with leather-tufted cushions and an elevated dance platform behind each table. It has a 200-person capacity. The Study, a lounge with space for as many as 80 people, has six elevated table alcoves, its own DJ booth, and an independent sound system. The Huxley will be available for private and corporate events and has an on-site catering kitchen.

Range, Top Chef alum Bryan Voltaggio's latest restaurant, opened in December in Chevy Chase Pavilion in Friendship Heights. The 14,000-square-foot restaurant seats 300 and features an open kitchen design that features the charcuterie, bakery, raw bar, rotisserie, and wood-fired hearth, plus the dessert, candy, and coffee bar. Private rooms with full audiovisual capabilities are available.

The National Children's Museum has planned a two-fold opening with a December debut for its 18,000-square-foot indoor space followed by its 60,000-square-foot outdoor space next May. The museum has partnered with the Sesame Workshop, which will integrate its characters through interactive exhibits and educational video segments. Meetings and private events can be held in the program rooms and performance space.

Opened in mid-January, Powerhouse is a raw event space with 30-foot ceilings in Georgetown. A brick-and-steel structure originally built in 1917, the structure now has a 6,500-square-foot interior and 3,000-square-foot patio

Ivan Iricanin is opening his new Balkan concept restaurant, Ambar, this month in Capitol Hill. Ambar will span two floors in 3,000 square feet and have a 700-square-foot outdoor patio on the second floor. Ambar will offer buyouts of the entire space or by level.

Opening in February, Table is a new concept from chef Frederik du Pue in the Shaw/Logan Circle neighborhood. Originally an auto repair space, it is now envisioned as a minimalist space with an open kitchen. The space has 28 seats on the first floor and 16 on the second. Seasonal patio seating accommodates 16 guests for communal dining, and a rooftop offers an additional 28 seats.

Also from Chef Frederik du Pue this winter, Azur will serve sustainable seafood in the former Café Atlantico space in Penn Quarter. The 6,000-square-foot restaurant has a contemporary design featuring ocean hues and handcrafted furniture. The bar/lounge on the ground floor seats about 50 guests, with an additional 90 guests on the upper dining levels.

Mari Vanna just opened its second U.S. location with a 6,500-square-foot eatery downtown. With interiors that resemble an old-time babushka parlor, the three-level restaurant offers home-style Russian cuisine and more than 70 varieties of house-infused vodka. The space also offers a private cocktail lounge.

Nage DC has renovated, creating a new dining room and bar for the modern American restaurant. It also has three private dining rooms for events of as many as 125 people and a pre-function foyer used for buffets and receptions for as many as 80 people.

Located inside Old Dominion Brewhouse near the Washington Convention Center, 9th & Beats opened in December with a 2,000-square-foot room that hosts 240 for receptions. It features live music and revolving art installations that showcase local and East Coast emerging talent.