Been here once before. I was reminded the second time why it took so long for me to go back…How they run their waitlist is silly. I came before 5 or so other people but they were all seated before me because they were part of parties of 2 or more and I was just 1 so I had to wait. Once inside (after waiting an unreasonable amount of time while they let everyone in before me), I proceeded to spend $100 on drinks and automatic tip. I should’ve been lit up like a Christmas tree, but I wasn’t even close. Literally like I was drinking really expensive lemonade. Service was mid. It’s difficult to hear the bartenders because of the music volume. I can go to a neighborhood bar and get solid drinks without the extra drama and cost. Food got one star but I’ve never had it here, so rated based on drinks.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
mike allen
Alice in Wonderland themed. Low lit nice ambience. Drinks very sophisticated. Food was tasty but overpriced for the portions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Will Vandenberg
A group of New Yorkers and their DC friends just found Allegory and loved it. Good drinks, great service (shoutout to Jillian at the bar), a DJ playing throwback favorites, and one of the most unique bar themes ever all made for a fantastic and unexpected night of cocktails in DC.
Two of us found Allegory earlier in the evening and entered right away through the hidden library door. We sat at the bar, enjoyed drinks and light appetizers, and read the beautiful menu/book - organized as a fantastical narrative where Ruby Bridges, the iconic 6 year old who desegregated New Orleans schools, meets Alice in Wonderland.
We brought a group back later for more fun and drinks, that throwback DJ and singing along, and some photos of the beautiful wall murals that bring the story to life.
Allegory is not cheap, the late evening wait was an hour, and the hostess was rather sour, but everything else made for a great time on an otherwise sleepy, pre-holiday DC Friday night.
Recommended drinks: Eden, Beat of the Drums, Looking Glass, Eyes of Flame, Crow from Tobago.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Eyes of Flame, Beat of the Drums
Neeha Mian
Definitely hard to get into- but atmosphere and drinks are totally worth it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
XY Yuan
Don't get the hype. Cocktails tasted watery and like children's soda with unnecessarily flamboyant presentation (if that's what the service fee is for I'd rather being left alone). A long long way to go in terms of menu & interior design.
Diallo Bushongo
Ok so I just left there and I'm going to be honest. If you go as a party of 2, you should be ok. But more than that... I'd choose another place where you can make reservations. We waited over 1.5hrs on a Friday night. You can't make reservations so it was too frustrating. The kitchen closes at a certain earlier time so that makes it even worse. Drinks were decent but I'd say don't go with a party. Go elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
Jackie Cullinan
Amazing vibes- great date spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrea Buchwald
Beautiful speakeasy with gorgeous murals, great cocktails, great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Popcorn
Amber Keyser
Been before but tried to go recently and was turned away at midnight. We were told that we wouldn't get a spot before they closed even though they close at 2am. Staff was very rude
I had heard some great things about this place so we were pretty disappointed with the service we received. The woman at the front desk seemed like she was having a miserable day and not interested in talking to us. Then we get in to the bar and our waiter seems to also be having a horrible day and basically says nothing to us. The story of the drinks ends up feeling more uncomfortable than a learning experience and more of a profit making tool for the bar than an opportunity to give back (there is no mention of any proceeds going to the foundation). It feels very odd to pick drinks based on a terrible experience for a young girl. The drinks are decent and so is the food but it’s all put off by the service. Then when a friend orders a drink that happens to come with bubbles the waiter gives him the most patronizing “congratulations you have a cocktail.” We had no idea there was a bubble gimmick. We can understand that that probably feels stupid to do for a waiter but it’s on the menu. Then on top of that there’s a required 22% service charge. That’s truly the most offensive part of the evening. No one who we encountered there deserved a 22% tip. I don’t understand why DC restaurants believe this is appropriate. I won’t be coming back to this place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Big Art
The bad first. My daughter was so excited to take her parents to this amazing place. She will never go back. We eat dinner and come here for after dinner drinks and conversation. We arrived at about 9:30. We were told it was an hour wait. We all were fine with that. After waiting for about two hours, my wife and daughter asked if we were skipped. The doorman stated that people just don't want to leave from inside. We got in at midnight. This modern speakeasy was just not to my liking. My daughter and I discussed Alice in Wonderland decor. We both were in agreement that it was interesting but underwhelmed. The good. While waiting to get inside the speakeasy. I read the reviews. A good amount of reviews stated the music was too loud for conversation. We found this not to be so, at least for this time. The drinks we were looking to get were not sold out. I couldn't see myself going back. My daughter is 24, and as the young, like the hottest and newest. She learned it doesn't equal the best.
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Amber Ketelhut
This was a fun place to visit. Beautiful artwork! The huckleberry drink was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Aidan Howard
Amazingly creative cocktails, don’t think I’ve ever been out of my depth like that but the flavor combos might have even been too much for me. That’s about the best compliment I can give, go here if you want to have your mind blown.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Benjamin Johnson
Awesome little speakeasy. Great craft cocktails and outstanding artwork. Try to go every time I’m in DC. Highly recommended!
Been here once before. I was reminded the second time why it took so long for me to go back…How they run their waitlist is silly. I came before 5 or so other people but they were all seated before me because they were part of parties of 2 or more and I was just 1 so I had to wait. Once inside (after waiting an unreasonable amount of time while they let everyone in before me), I proceeded to spend $100 on drinks and automatic tip. I should’ve been lit up like a Christmas tree, but I wasn’t even close. Literally like I was drinking really expensive lemonade. Service was mid. It’s difficult to hear the bartenders because of the music volume. I can go to a neighborhood bar and get solid drinks without the extra drama and cost. Food got one star but I’ve never had it here, so rated based on drinks.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Alice in Wonderland themed. Low lit nice ambience. Drinks very sophisticated. Food was tasty but overpriced for the portions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
A group of New Yorkers and their DC friends just found Allegory and loved it. Good drinks, great service (shoutout to Jillian at the bar), a DJ playing throwback favorites, and one of the most unique bar themes ever all made for a fantastic and unexpected night of cocktails in DC.
Two of us found Allegory earlier in the evening and entered right away through the hidden library door. We sat at the bar, enjoyed drinks and light appetizers, and read the beautiful menu/book - organized as a fantastical narrative where Ruby Bridges, the iconic 6 year old who desegregated New Orleans schools, meets Alice in Wonderland.
We brought a group back later for more fun and drinks, that throwback DJ and singing along, and some photos of the beautiful wall murals that bring the story to life.
Allegory is not cheap, the late evening wait was an hour, and the hostess was rather sour, but everything else made for a great time on an otherwise sleepy, pre-holiday DC Friday night.
Recommended drinks: Eden, Beat of the Drums, Looking Glass, Eyes of Flame, Crow from Tobago.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Eyes of Flame, Beat of the Drums
Definitely hard to get into- but atmosphere and drinks are totally worth it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Don't get the hype. Cocktails tasted watery and like children's soda with unnecessarily flamboyant presentation (if that's what the service fee is for I'd rather being left alone). A long long way to go in terms of menu & interior design.
Ok so I just left there and I'm going to be honest. If you go as a party of 2, you should be ok. But more than that... I'd choose another place where you can make reservations. We waited over 1.5hrs on a Friday night. You can't make reservations so it was too frustrating. The kitchen closes at a certain earlier time so that makes it even worse. Drinks were decent but I'd say don't go with a party. Go elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
Amazing vibes- great date spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful speakeasy with gorgeous murals, great cocktails, great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Popcorn
Been before but tried to go recently and was turned away at midnight. We were told that we wouldn't get a spot before they closed even though they close at 2am. Staff was very rude
Service: 1
Fun cocktail
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beat of the Drums
Restaurantji Recommends
I had heard some great things about this place so we were pretty disappointed with the service we received. The woman at the front desk seemed like she was having a miserable day and not interested in talking to us. Then we get in to the bar and our waiter seems to also be having a horrible day and basically says nothing to us. The story of the drinks ends up feeling more uncomfortable than a learning experience and more of a profit making tool for the bar than an opportunity to give back (there is no mention of any proceeds going to the foundation). It feels very odd to pick drinks based on a terrible experience for a young girl. The drinks are decent and so is the food but it’s all put off by the service. Then when a friend orders a drink that happens to come with bubbles the waiter gives him the most patronizing “congratulations you have a cocktail.” We had no idea there was a bubble gimmick. We can understand that that probably feels stupid to do for a waiter but it’s on the menu.
Then on top of that there’s a required 22% service charge. That’s truly the most offensive part of the evening. No one who we encountered there deserved a 22% tip. I don’t understand why DC restaurants believe this is appropriate. I won’t be coming back to this place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
The bad first. My daughter was so excited to take her parents to this amazing place. She will never go back. We eat dinner and come here for after dinner drinks and conversation. We arrived at about 9:30. We were told it was an hour wait. We all were fine with that. After waiting for about two hours, my wife and daughter asked if we were skipped. The doorman stated that people just don't want to leave from inside. We got in at midnight. This modern speakeasy was just not to my liking. My daughter and I discussed Alice in Wonderland decor. We both were in agreement that it was interesting but underwhelmed. The good. While waiting to get inside the speakeasy. I read the reviews. A good amount of reviews stated the music was too loud for conversation. We found this not to be so, at least for this time. The drinks we were looking to get were not sold out. I couldn't see myself going back. My daughter is 24, and as the young, like the hottest and newest. She learned it doesn't equal the best.
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
This was a fun place to visit. Beautiful artwork! The huckleberry drink was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Amazingly creative cocktails, don’t think I’ve ever been out of my depth like that but the flavor combos might have even been too much for me. That’s about the best compliment I can give, go here if you want to have your mind blown.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Awesome little speakeasy. Great craft cocktails and outstanding artwork. Try to go every time I’m in DC. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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