10 New Washington Venues for Spring 2019 Meetings and Events

In January, restaurateur Ashok Bajaj transformed his power-dining favorite Penn Quarter American brasserie Nopa Kitchen & Bar into a new Mediterranean restaurant called Olivia. The name and cuisine is inspired by an “olive tree," drawing on the flavors of Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, and Greece with dishes like spicy merguez meatballs, braised short rib tagine, and roasted carrot hummus. Martin Vahtra of Projects Design Associates of New York gave the space a new look, with string lights and greenery. Olivia seats 160 diners, with 38 seats at the bar and lounge and three rooms for private dining. The Gallery Room features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking F Street, audiovisual capability, and a working fireplace. This room seats 40 guests or holds 60 for a standing reception. The private LeDroit Room also includes floor-to-ceiling windows and can accommodate 12 to 20 seated guests or 35 guests for a reception. For smaller gatherings, the Adams Room seats 12 guests and is equipped with a 42-inch HD flat screen television.

Luxury hotel Conrad Washington, DC, from Hilton, is opening later this month as the flagship hotel for downtown development CityCenterDC. The hotel will boast a restaurant from chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio called Estuary, in addition to a 1,980-square-foot rooftop event space with city and monument views. The hotel boasts numerous spaces for meetings and events with two pillarless ballrooms, three meeting rooms, and two boardrooms. A 3,300-square-foot Conservatory Ballroom is divisible into three spaces and can accommodate 320 guests for receptions or 270 for banquets. The 7,626-square-foot Grand Ballroom is divisible into four spaces and seats 850 for theater-style events or holds 760 for receptions. The Canvas room holds about 35 for receptions or theater-style events, the Mosaic room holds 30 for receptions or for theater-style events, and the Motif room holds 38 for receptions or seats 42 in a theater-style setup. The Terrace Boardroom and the Veil boardroom each seat 12.

On K Street, Moxy D.C. took over a circa-1870 historic building and built a modern 14-story tower next door, bringing a fun, art-filled hotel to downtown D.C. after its November opening. The 200-room hotel features garage-style doors that bring the outdoors into its airy lobby with polished concrete floors, decorated with touches like a Metro-inspired accent wall and a D.C.-theme mural from artist Michael Crossett. Whimsical decor includes foosball and ping-pong tables and even a ride-on pony. Upstairs, a mezzanine space known as the Library includes semiprivate space for meetings and events with room for 68 standing guests. The downstairs Living Room lobby space can accommodate as many as 185 standing guests. This year, the hotel is slated to open a glass-enclosed rooftop bar with downtown views and food and drinks from Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group.

New York-based ping-pong social club Spin officially opened up in downtown D.C. in January as the concept’s eighth location in North America. Spin's Washington outpost spans 12,000 square feet with 12 Olympic-style ping-pong tables and its own full-service restaurant and horseshoe bar. The food and drink menu includes items like crispy shrimp bao buns and its own take on a White Russian. For events, the playful underground space includes two private rooms with room for 70 standing guests, with customizable catering options and drink packages available for groups. Events can also be coordinated with enhancements like communal games; custom paddles, balls and decals; or the services of a ping-pong pro to organize tournaments.

5. Boqueria Penn Quarter: The second Washington location of popular tapas bar and restaurant Boqueria opens in early March in Penn Quarter. The restaurant joins locations in Dupont Circle and in New York. Restaurateur Yann de Rochefort and executive chef Marc Vidal's new Boqueria Penn Quarter includes a large open kitchen with a rotisserie for spit-roasting whole meats and a 12-seat chef’s counter along with a 30-seat bar. Designed by D.C.-based architecture and design firm 3877, the restaurant incorporates materials like white oak, blackened steel, and marble. The private dining room seats 18 guests in an enclosed white oak-clad room with a custom ebonized oak dining table, statement lighting, and a concealed flat-screen TV.

New York's Meatball Shop opened a location on 14th Street in October, bringing its build-your-own-meatball bowls, meatball sandwiches, plates of spaghetti and meatballs, and more comfort food to Washington. The decor includes cheeky signage and photography of produce along with painted white brick and wooden furniture. The restaurant is available for buyouts, with room for 80 seated guests or 120 standing guests. Semiprivate rooms include the Attic, which can hold 20 standing guests or 16 seated guests; the Pantry, which can accommodate 20 seated guests or 35 standing guests; and the Cellar, with a cozy room with ceilings below seven feet and seating for 20.

The Fairfax at Embassy Row unveiled an extensive renovation of its ground floor common areas in December, with a fresh look courtesy of the Rockwell Group. The hotel's light-filled open areas include warm walnut wood elements, D.C.-theme artwork, and an emerald green color scheme. A glass wall separates the lobby from the Sally restaurant and lounge, which is outfitted with dark wood floors and a marble bar with zinc accents. With a menu of American small plates, the Sally's capacity is 50 diners. Another new space is the Nook, a private game and conference room with space for 28 people. The Nook's decor includes a pool table, fireplace and sectional couches, and antique mirrors. The Market, a café and pantry with grab-and-go-options, accommodates 70 people.

Bobby Van’s Grill unveiled the Atrium at Bobby Van’s, a renovated space that accommodates 220 seated guests or 330 standing guests for private events, in October. The space boasts a 12-story glass atrium, a private bar, and an elevated platform for speakers or a band. It can be used for private functions after 5 p.m. on weekdays and throughout the weekend. The steak house also debuted six newly renovated boardrooms. They seat from 24 to 65 guests each or, when combined, hold as many as 150 guests for receptions. Boardroom 6 seats 24 guests and includes its own private entrance so that V.I.P. guests can arrive discreetly without walking through the main restaurant. All of the boardrooms are adjacent to a private 40-foot-long bar which can be used for private events.

Punch Bowl Social: Ballston's new Punch Bowl Social can hold a crowd: The entire 25,000-square-foot restaurant, bar, and entertainment destination can accommodate groups of as many as 1,000 people. Spanning three stories, this location of Punch Bowl Social includes bowling, ping pong, skee-ball, shuffleboard, foosball, darts, bocce ball, vintage arcade games, and more. There are two private karaoke rooms, a lounge called the Holiday Lodge with a fireplace, a third-floor diner with a 360-degree bar, and two patios for outdoor seating and a bocce ball court. D.C. design touches include patterns that mimic Metro station architecture and the nearby Pentagon along with "Virginia is for Lovers”-theme decor. Buyouts are available, or the venue will work with planners to find the gaming area or lounge that best fits their group.

For an island-inspired getaway in Northeast D.C., head to the colorful new Coconut Club near Union Market. Poke, Spam patty melts, and soft-serve ice cream are on the menu at the pink-hued restaurant, which boasts social media-friendly details like a botanical mural and swinging chairs. The restaurant seats 80 or holds 120 standing guests for receptions, with room for another 20 outside on nice days. Coconut Club is available for full buyouts.