Best of 2011: Washington’s Most Notable New Event Venues

The United States Institute of Peace got a new permanent headquarters last month with the opening of its 150,000-square-foot building on the National Mall overlooking the Lincoln, World War II, Korean, and Vietnam memorials. In addition to office space, the building has 14 event spaces, including two atriums for 200 and 325, a 230-seat theater, a plaza accommodating 275 for pre-event receptions, and a rooftop terrace that can host 200 people. There is also a meeting center with six conference rooms seating groups of eight to 30 as well as an executive boardroom for 20. On-site parking is available.

Top Chef All-Stars runner-up Mike Isabella has left his post as the executive chef of Zaytinya in favor of opening his first restaurant, Graffiato. The 5,000-square-foot, bilevel space opened on June 23 in Chinatown. The industrial-style space features exposed brick walls and wooden booths on both floors. The first level can seat 21 in its dining area with an additional 13 at the main bar. The steel-covered wood oven is the centerpiece of the space, surrounded by a cinder-block pizza bar with seating for 11. An additional 89 guests can be seated amid the wooden four-tops and booths. The floor can also be booked for private receptions for 125.

One of the most coveted private rooftops in Washington, the Top of the Hay at the Hay-Adams Hotel underwent a multimillion-dollar, five-month renovation before reopening in late January. The all-new, L-shaped space features floor-to-ceiling windows, a wraparound terrace, and five separate rooms that host groups of 15 to 300; those rooms all offer panoramic views of the White House and downtown Washington. Designed by interior designer Tom Pheasant and architectural design firm Hartman-Cox Architects, the updated decor boasts a new palette and mosaic tiles, marble floors, and custom-designed carpets.

Sax brought a bit of French culture to the district with its opening in Penn Quarter in May. The 9,700-square-foot lounge specializes in live music and cabaret performances nightly. The bilevel space features white walls adorned with gilded picture frames, granite columns, and antique chandeliers. A 20-foot stage, the venue's focal point, is surrounded by dinner-theater-style seating for 150 amid red tufted banquets and chairs.

Opened early in March, the Renaissance Arlington Capital View is the latest hotel in the portfolio of the JBG Companies. The 300-room hotel has 17,354 square feet of meeting and event space. The grand ballroom is the largest event area, with room to host as many as 900 people within its 10,164 square feet of unobstructed space, which can be separated into seven smaller rooms accommodating 60 to 85 each. The meeting rooms range from about 700 to about 1,500 square feet and feature glass walls overlooking the Potomac River and Washington. On-site Italian restaurant Socci can seat 96 in its main dining room or smaller parties of 14 in its chef's tasting room.

On May 5, restaurateur Richard Sandoval opened El Centro D.F. Mexican restaurant with more than 200 varieties of tequila and two event spaces for private events. For outdoor parties, the rooftop terrace has two tequila bars and can host as many as 100. Inside, the dimly lit tequileria in the basement has its own bar and accommodates 50 seated or 100 standing. The main floor has additional seating for 115 or as many as 275 for receptions, with rustic exposed brick walls and an open kitchen.

The Hilton McLean Tysons Corner is in the second phase of a three-part, $40 million renovation to its public spaces, dining options, guest rooms, and meeting space. Completed in April, on-site restaurant Härth can seat 110 in its main dining room and has a semiprivate space for 20. There is now 31,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 67-seat amphitheater, 15 breakout rooms, a grand ballroom that can accommodate as many as 1,300 people, and a new 3,000-square-foot junior ballroom that can be divided into three spaces. Upgrades to the 458 guest rooms include new motion-detector lighting, all-white linens, and a lighter palette. The renovations are expected to be completed in the fall.

A new entertainment outpost opened in Maryland with the September debut of the Fillmore Silver Spring. The Live Nation-operated performance space has regular music programming and three spaces for events. The main level’s music hall can seat 200 with a theater setup or host as many as 650 for receptions. The balcony can host an additional 520. There is also a V.I.P. space for receptions of 50 or seated events for 40. The lobby can be used as prefunction space as well, and buyouts are available for groups as large as 1,200.

Chinatown dim sum restaurant Ping Pong Dim Sum expanded its operations to Dupont Circle in August with the opening of its second Washington-area location. The 9,000-square-foot restaurant has six dining areas, including one private and one semiprivate, bringing the chain’s total event spaces to 11. The corner outpost is just one block off Dupont Circle and can seat 292 in total. The private dining room at the back of the restaurant can host 54 people for dinner or as many as 100 for receptions. Larger parties of 150 can use the semiprivate bar and lounge, which can be sectioned off from the dining rooms. Buyouts are available for groups as large as 600 inside, with additional standing room for 200 on the patio.

The Four Seasons opened its newest location in November just a short jaunt from Washington in Baltimore's Harbour East. The 256-room property has 20,000 square feet of meeting space, the majority of which overlooks Inner Harbor. There are two ballrooms that seat 240 and 400 people each as well as six function rooms and a boardroom for seating meetings of 18 to 100 on the second floor. The fourth floor has an additional five salon areas for groups of 60 or fewer. There will also be two restaurants, Wit and Wisdom from chef Michael Mina and Pabu, with private seating options.