The Next Whisky Bar — Restaurant in Washington

This is as close to the dictionary definition of style over substance as you can get. You can tell why more people probably eye this place up than its bar/restaurant counterpart 100 feet away in the Watergate lobby area - it has a very social media friendly wall/entrance area composed of glass bottles that manages to look bougie instead of tacky because it IS in a five-star hotel after all - and just has more of a unique vibe than the Kingbird, which for all of its positives DOES just look like a generic high-end establishment. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I actually tried to go in here immediately when we got to the Watergate earlier in the afternoon but we were told that it wasn't open until later (so it also has the exclusivity edge). Since it took us forever to walk to the Lincoln Memorial, we actually ended up returning here later than anticipated after it had finally opened so we decided to sample more of the Watergate wares before heading off on more adventures. Eh.

Given that this place very obviously touts itself as a whiskey bar, I was disappointed that they didn't have more mainstream bourbon options. They DO have a barrel-aged cocktail section, but it was a little TOO high-end for my taste this early on - everything in that section was $35. Mileage may definitely vary there. It's a nice hotel so I think there's an expectation that you're going to be paying a pretty penny for almost anything, but I think $35 for most of the bourbon offerings is egregious. I went with the Virginia Ave from the $25 section of the menu, and was not a fan (so I may have dodged an additional $10 bullet). It was insanely sweet with no kick whatsoever, and the most egregious part of it for me was the inclusion (see attached picture) of a large cucumber peel that took up a decent chunk of the glass. Cucumber is actually one of my least favorite foods/tastes and there's no mention of it in the drink description. Huge miss for me.

The one highlight for me was the Maryland Crab Dip. We ended up splitting that as an app even though it was listed in the entree section, and both of us really enjoyed it. The crab dip gold standard for me is still at the Cloverleaf in Caldwell, NJ, but this was probably in the tier right below that. Very cheesy (maybe a little too much because it slightly drowned out the crab), but really good, and the toasted bread was on point. Would get it again in a heartbeat, and arguably the best bang for the buck we encountered in the Watergate.

The service was very good as well; from the minute we walked into this hotel, every single staffer was on their game, and it effortlessly translated from the initial doorman to random employees we happened to walk past by the restrooms, to the bartenders. A huge tribute to the Watergate, as they've clearly trained these people well (in hindsight, I was probably completely and utterly surrounded with school of hospitality graduates beyond simply my chum). It didn't completely cancel out a substandard element of the experience but it definitely smoothed it out a bit.

Neither of the bar/restaurants we tested out here blew me away and honestly I'd choose the Kingbird over this just based on the quality of their drink. But if I DID come back to this one? I might have to hold my nose and hang out in the $35 section of the...

This review is for the Igloo experience. Main takeaway: It is a complete disappointment. Don't waste your money. Book at La Vie. My experience at La Vie last year was infinitely better in every way. The Watergate has offered igloos in the winter for many years so I was shocked at how low budget the experience was. They purchased cheap plastic igloos that can be found on Amazon. The furnishings inside the igloo were basically extra chairs from the patio area that they threw a fuzzy blanket over. The igloo was freezing when we arrived. Had they attempted to preheat the igloo they would have realized earlier that the heater was not functional. It stayed freezing for about an hour (despite informing them) until finally they accepted that the heater was broken and supplied a new one. There was no radio on the igloo for us to play music. It is impossible to modify the reservation online. I called the phone number provided to modify the number of guests and to arrange something special for my boyfriend. Whoever I spoke with stated someone would return my call. No one ever did. Also the igloos are on the ground floor near valet instead of the rooftop. There is zero view. Positives: The servers were nice and professional. The manager (I think) that evening was kind and did her best. The drinks were good. Overall, the igloo experience at The Watergate Hotel is not worth your...

The Watergate Hotel and the Next Bar used to be one of our favorite places in DC. We have a tradition of having several staycations there every year and decided to do it again this year, even though the pandemic is still quite present. We wanted to support the hotel and bar that we love so much.

This turned to regret as soon as we checked in and decided to go the bar. First glance at the menu, it was clear that looked their main goal was to price gouge and exploit their clientele. Cocktails that were $15 a year ago were now $25-35. A glass of wine was $25. And a bottle of Jameson that you can buy from a liquor store for $20 was - I kid you not - $325. Oh and not to mention the fact that they require you to pay $27+ for an appetizer before you can order drinks. A $25 appetizer that would cost $7-12 elsewhere.

We promptly stood up and left. Not because we could not afford the menu, but because they are clearly exploiting their loyal customers who choose to give them business during a pandemic. We understand the hotel and bar are in the high-end but come on, exploiting your most loyal customers to this degree during a pandemic is just as low as you can get.

We are completely turned off from this experience and won’t be giving the bar, nor the hotel, our business...