A superb bespoke cocktail menu paired with top tier service. Everyone was friendly, made sure my friend and I felt comfortable and unhurried, and the cocktail selection absolutely lived up to the hype.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Britton Burdick (Britton T. Burdick)
At this point, it feels appropriate to add an “Inc.” to the company’s name. With locations in Los Angeles, Denver and Melbourne, a series of cocktail recipe books and bar guides (which I own), and paid social media campaigns asking retail investors to become shareholders — Death & Co. DC feels a bit commodified and commercial.
The drinks are good (sometimes even great) and the bartenders are knowledgeable and passionate, but it is missing the magic that made the Manhattan location among the best bars in the country and that helped usher in the American cocktail renaissance.
The DC location is a high volume (of drinks, of people, of tables, of voices) cocktail bar and feels a bit mass produced. The new proprietors kept the mural of the Columbia Room, its predecessor, but to cram as many tables as physically possible into the reworked floor plan, I fear they had to remove its soul.
The two-hour limit on tables does not help. It’s hard to feel cool when you’re just a number. (A Deloitte consultant has a deck analyzing the average stay and ideal turnover ratio somewhere. This may be that consultant’s favorite bar.)
There’s no shame in finding success and trying to replicate it, of course. Death & Co. D.C. will likely stay on my list of potential places to show friends from out of town, albeit not near the top and only so long as they’re visiting from cities with less well-established cocktail scenes.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
NottieDottie Martin
Listen… this little hidden gem really tried to sneak up on me, but baby, it succeeded. My friend and I were just minding our business, looking for a place to sip a cocktail and chill, and suddenly—boom—best surprise of the night. The staff came through with recommendations like they had something to prove, the vibes were a whole 10 out of 10, and honestly? I’m already planning my return. Again. And again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Djavan Wharton-Lake
I cannot speak more highly of the service, hospitality, and quality of drinks/food that comes with an experience at Death and Co D.C. I threw my wife a surprise 40th birthday here, and I was astounded at the professionalism and the willingness to collaborate with my requests throughout the entire process. A huge thank you to Cory and Josh, who both were instrumental in curating such a beautiful party. The drinks were amazing. The vibes were unmatched. It was everything we could have imagined and more. Each guest had nothing but great things to say about the service. Thank you to the team at Death and Co D.C. for everything! We really appreciate it! -Dj and Lauren
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Colton Simmons
Definitely not as well established or as efficient as the other Death and Co locations… we liked our time there as it was easy to get bar seats and the vibe is awesome. But the bartender messed up our food order which took a half hour to get, and all the drinks were a bit sloppier than we’ve experience at D&C LA and NYC. Again, still love the venue and menu, but execution is a bit lacking.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
J Pat
I agree with the review saying there’s a lack of knowledge and attentiveness here. The server we had did not have appropriate knowledge of the cocktail menu and came off as aloof. We later asked him to recommend another type of drink and after giving us vague descriptions, he dropped the drink off without telling us what it was. I’ve been to high-end cocktail bars in London, DC, New York, and New Orleans. That should not happen. I called him back to the table to ask him what we were drinking. At the price and reputation of this place, the servers should be both well-versed on the menu and eager to talk about the drinks and mixology. We had gone to Troublebird in Navy Yard the night before and were very impressed by the server’s in-depth knowledge and personableness, so this was a letdown in comparison. We enjoyed the music and atmosphere, but I wouldn’t return due to the service. I didn’t like my first cocktail recommended by the server; I found it unbalanced. The second one was good but nothing to return for.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 1
Fiorella M
Best cocktails in DC!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
wendy barker
Very poor service! If I could give negative stars I would. Rude and disrespectful!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Tiana Medical Solution Center
Staff was awful and rude. Don’t want to work even though online closes at 2 they close at 1. Refuse to serve our group shots because they don’t wanna work till close. Attitude from the guy “manager” smartass facial expressions. Don’t go here
I had an amazing experience here :) the food was phenomenal & service was top tier and very accommodating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chaeyohan Kim
You already know
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jonathan Dean
Excellent spot. The atmosphere is calm but alive , dim lighting, great music, and the kind of attention to detail that makes you slow down and notice it. Cocktails were precise and creative without being pretentious, and the staff actually seemed to enjoy what they were doing.The experience feels deliberate and worth it. Perfect place for a quiet conversation or to end a night on a high note.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Sturm
I’ve tended bar for over 20 years she’s I’ve recently read the 3 Death & Co. books, so when I found out we were traveling near DC and there was a Death & Co. there, there was no question we’d be visiting! Eric was our server, he was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. He was ready with water refills, table clearing and suggestions, but it never felt like he was hovering, or rushing us along. The place is classy, but without being pretentious. Alex was behind the stick, we didn’t interact much, but he delivered a couple drinks to the table and they were expertly made. I did stop up to the bar, just to check out their prep a little bit, and he was very friendly and accommodating and willing to show me around and chat about the cocktails. I appreciated that! We got a few of the bites, and truly I wasn’t expecting much, Death & Co. is known for its cocktails, not its food - BUT the flavors were fantastic. The seasoning on their fingerling potatoes transported me back to a PoBoy I had in New Orleans, so that was a delight. Portions weren’t huge, but we loved every bite. We had a friend join us mid-way through the evening, and they were very cool about having a joiner, they even moved us to a larger table, even though we could have made it work at the smaller one. Every drink was delicious and thoughtful, some we liked better than others, but there were no duds. Top notch all around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TALIA FOSTER
Death & Co. is a more upscale bar, offering great food and drinks providing a darker candle lit ambiance. Great for a pre date night activity, before dinner reservations. I would recommend having your own reservation as the space may fill fast and if you decide to sit at the bar it may be a bit tight if you go on a weekend night (Which we did). But overall a great experience I would recommend to anyone.
A superb bespoke cocktail menu paired with top tier service. Everyone was friendly, made sure my friend and I felt comfortable and unhurried, and the cocktail selection absolutely lived up to the hype.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
At this point, it feels appropriate to add an “Inc.” to the company’s name. With locations in Los Angeles, Denver and Melbourne, a series of cocktail recipe books and bar guides (which I own), and paid social media campaigns asking retail investors to become shareholders — Death & Co. DC feels a bit commodified and commercial.
The drinks are good (sometimes even great) and the bartenders are knowledgeable and passionate, but it is missing the magic that made the Manhattan location among the best bars in the country and that helped usher in the American cocktail renaissance.
The DC location is a high volume (of drinks, of people, of tables, of voices) cocktail bar and feels a bit mass produced. The new proprietors kept the mural of the Columbia Room, its predecessor, but to cram as many tables as physically possible into the reworked floor plan, I fear they had to remove its soul.
The two-hour limit on tables does not help. It’s hard to feel cool when you’re just a number. (A Deloitte consultant has a deck analyzing the average stay and ideal turnover ratio somewhere. This may be that consultant’s favorite bar.)
There’s no shame in finding success and trying to replicate it, of course. Death & Co. D.C. will likely stay on my list of potential places to show friends from out of town, albeit not near the top and only so long as they’re visiting from cities with less well-established cocktail scenes.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Listen… this little hidden gem really tried to sneak up on me, but baby, it succeeded. My friend and I were just minding our business, looking for a place to sip a cocktail and chill, and suddenly—boom—best surprise of the night. The staff came through with recommendations like they had something to prove, the vibes were a whole 10 out of 10, and honestly? I’m already planning my return. Again. And again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I cannot speak more highly of the service, hospitality, and quality of drinks/food that comes with an experience at Death and Co D.C. I threw my wife a surprise 40th birthday here, and I was astounded at the professionalism and the willingness to collaborate with my requests throughout the entire process. A huge thank you to Cory and Josh, who both were instrumental in curating such a beautiful party. The drinks were amazing. The vibes were unmatched. It was everything we could have imagined and more. Each guest had nothing but great things to say about the service. Thank you to the team at Death and Co D.C. for everything! We really appreciate it!
-Dj and Lauren
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Definitely not as well established or as efficient as the other Death and Co locations… we liked our time there as it was easy to get bar seats and the vibe is awesome. But the bartender messed up our food order which took a half hour to get, and all the drinks were a bit sloppier than we’ve experience at D&C LA and NYC. Again, still love the venue and menu, but execution is a bit lacking.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I agree with the review saying there’s a lack of knowledge and attentiveness here. The server we had did not have appropriate knowledge of the cocktail menu and came off as aloof. We later asked him to recommend another type of drink and after giving us vague descriptions, he dropped the drink off without telling us what it was. I’ve been to high-end cocktail bars in London, DC, New York, and New Orleans. That should not happen. I called him back to the table to ask him what we were drinking. At the price and reputation of this place, the servers should be both well-versed on the menu and eager to talk about the drinks and mixology. We had gone to Troublebird in Navy Yard the night before and were very impressed by the server’s in-depth knowledge and personableness, so this was a letdown in comparison. We enjoyed the music and atmosphere, but I wouldn’t return due to the service. I didn’t like my first cocktail recommended by the server; I found it unbalanced. The second one was good but nothing to return for.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 1
Best cocktails in DC!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Very poor service! If I could give negative stars I would. Rude and disrespectful!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Staff was awful and rude. Don’t want to work even though online closes at 2 they close at 1. Refuse to serve our group shots because they don’t wanna work till close. Attitude from the guy “manager” smartass facial expressions. Don’t go here
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Rude people
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
I had an amazing experience here :) the food was phenomenal & service was top tier and very accommodating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You already know
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent spot. The atmosphere is calm but alive , dim lighting, great music, and the kind of attention to detail that makes you slow down and notice it. Cocktails were precise and creative without being pretentious, and the staff actually seemed to enjoy what they were doing.The experience feels deliberate and worth it. Perfect place for a quiet conversation or to end a night on a high note.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve tended bar for over 20 years she’s I’ve recently read the 3 Death & Co. books, so when I found out we were traveling near DC and there was a Death & Co. there, there was no question we’d be visiting! Eric was our server, he was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. He was ready with water refills, table clearing and suggestions, but it never felt like he was hovering, or rushing us along.
The place is classy, but without being pretentious.
Alex was behind the stick, we didn’t interact much, but he delivered a couple drinks to the table and they were expertly made. I did stop up to the bar, just to check out their prep a little bit, and he was very friendly and accommodating and willing to show me around and chat about the cocktails. I appreciated that!
We got a few of the bites, and truly I wasn’t expecting much, Death & Co. is known for its cocktails, not its food - BUT the flavors were fantastic. The seasoning on their fingerling potatoes transported me back to a PoBoy I had in New Orleans, so that was a delight. Portions weren’t huge, but we loved every bite.
We had a friend join us mid-way through the evening, and they were very cool about having a joiner, they even moved us to a larger table, even though we could have made it work at the smaller one.
Every drink was delicious and thoughtful, some we liked better than others, but there were no duds. Top notch all around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Death & Co. is a more upscale bar, offering great food and drinks providing a darker candle lit ambiance. Great for a pre date night activity, before dinner reservations. I would recommend having your own reservation as the space may fill fast and if you decide to sit at the bar it may be a bit tight if you go on a weekend night (Which we did). But overall a great experience I would recommend to anyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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