Nice place to grab a drink in a quickly and dive bar feel of a place. A good amount of seats and standing room at the bar later in the night. The food is mainly bar snacks but overall pretty
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Salim Fayeq
Very happy to have discovered this local spot. Grand Duchess mixes funky and intimate bar vibes in a quasi elegant way, and the bartenders are always kind and friendly, add knowledgeable too. Great for friend hangs, a date night, or just to enjoy a beer solo!
Gus May
This bar is one of the city’s hiding in plain sights gems. On what can be a crowded and chaotic strip on 18th, it’s a welcoming haven of chill vibes, excellent cocktails, and the food is low key fire for a divey/ish bar. Treat the bartenders nice and you might get a shot or two on the house.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thrisha Mohan
Very chill bar especially on a weekday when we went! Great drinks and the bartender was great! Nice spot to have a quiet drink with some friends, I got a delicious French 75.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erin McDermott
One of my favorite bars in DC. Very chill atmosphere and the bartenders are just awesome people.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isabel Albee
Unfortunately — as I have been going to Grand Duchess for years and loved the vibe — I will not be returning. Last night 9/23 I was with a group of friends when our friend joined us. Within 10 seconds he was racially profiled by an apparently inebriated bartender, who proceeded to approach him and guide him towards the door as our friend was told to “stop harassing them” (our table). Extremely upsetting for all involved - and no apology or anything after the fact. Huge bummer.
Susan Duke
The food and drink here were amazing! I was surprised to have the best gnocchi I’ve ever eaten at this little place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Antoninette B.
really fun bar/restaurant! it's an upscale dive bar, mostly focuses on drinks and cocktails, but also has great food/snack bites, and the service is really great. they have a happy hour every day starting at 5, when they open, and it's rotating drinks so ask the server. on sunday when i went there were deals on beer and seltzers. they have a pretty big food menu, especially for a cocktail bar. i got the old bay fries for a snack and really liked them ($10 for them but honestly it was a large basket of them). most wine was $10+, beer around $7, and cocktails were a solid $14+ so pretty average for the city if not on the cheaper side. the interior is really pretty, we say in front of a huge open window so the vibes were great. they also have outdoor seating; it was be a good spot to go with friends. our server was also super lovely! i highly recommend!
Duke Law Firm, P.C.
The food and drink here were amazing! I was surprised to have the best gnocchi I’ve ever eaten at this little place!
Visited as a result of the Guide to Imbibe. When it was presented, I was provided a lower level of service than when I was originally greeted. I ordered a frozen Pina Colada for my friend and I. The drinks were great. The bar was dive-like.
Greg Kamp
Best pasta ever, anywhere!
Thomas V.
Love this place! Inside has a dive bar vibe but the cocktails they're serving up are top notch. Joaquin's Negroni is my go-to, but the other cocktails I've tried on the menu have all been stellar. To top it off, the bartenders are super nice and attentive. I haven't tried the food yet, but am definitely going to try some next time!
RJ C.
Subpar service. Definitely a dive bar. Dive bar ambiance. I ordered the meatball rigatoni and the sauce tasted like it was 3 days old, meatballs like they were reheated in a microwave and not all the way through, and pasta was fine. My fiancée had the creamy chicken rigatoni. That tasted a lot fresher and the whole dish was uniformly hot. I'd come here for a drink but I'd say pass on the food. If I don't get food poisoning I will count it as a win.
Lilianna W
+35% service charge on a pretty mid cocktail. Grouchy bartenders. Not going back.
Fun bar with a good vibe! Zach is the best!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice place to grab a drink in a quickly and dive bar feel of a place. A good amount of seats and standing room at the bar later in the night. The food is mainly bar snacks but overall pretty
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Very happy to have discovered this local spot. Grand Duchess mixes funky and intimate bar vibes in a quasi elegant way, and the bartenders are always kind and friendly, add knowledgeable too. Great for friend hangs, a date night, or just to enjoy a beer solo!
This bar is one of the city’s hiding in plain sights gems. On what can be a crowded and chaotic strip on 18th, it’s a welcoming haven of chill vibes, excellent cocktails, and the food is low key fire for a divey/ish bar. Treat the bartenders nice and you might get a shot or two on the house.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very chill bar especially on a weekday when we went! Great drinks and the bartender was great! Nice spot to have a quiet drink with some friends, I got a delicious French 75.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my favorite bars in DC. Very chill atmosphere and the bartenders are just awesome people.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unfortunately — as I have been going to Grand Duchess for years and loved the vibe — I will not be returning. Last night 9/23 I was with a group of friends when our friend joined us. Within 10 seconds he was racially profiled by an apparently inebriated bartender, who proceeded to approach him and guide him towards the door as our friend was told to “stop harassing them” (our table). Extremely upsetting for all involved - and no apology or anything after the fact. Huge bummer.
The food and drink here were amazing! I was surprised to have the best gnocchi I’ve ever eaten at this little place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
really fun bar/restaurant! it's an upscale dive bar, mostly focuses on drinks and cocktails, but also has great food/snack bites, and the service is really great. they have a happy hour every day starting at 5, when they open, and it's rotating drinks so ask the server. on sunday when i went there were deals on beer and seltzers. they have a pretty big food menu, especially for a cocktail bar. i got the old bay fries for a snack and really liked them ($10 for them but honestly it was a large basket of them). most wine was $10+, beer around $7, and cocktails were a solid $14+ so pretty average for the city if not on the cheaper side. the interior is really pretty, we say in front of a huge open window so the vibes were great. they also have outdoor seating; it was be a good spot to go with friends. our server was also super lovely! i highly recommend!
The food and drink here were amazing! I was surprised to have the best gnocchi I’ve ever eaten at this little place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Visited as a result of the Guide to Imbibe. When it was presented, I was provided a lower level of service than when I was originally greeted. I ordered a frozen Pina Colada for my friend and I. The drinks were great. The bar was dive-like.
Best pasta ever, anywhere!
Love this place! Inside has a dive bar vibe but the cocktails they're serving up are top notch. Joaquin's Negroni is my go-to, but the other cocktails I've tried on the menu have all been stellar. To top it off, the bartenders are super nice and attentive. I haven't tried the food yet, but am definitely going to try some next time!
Subpar service. Definitely a dive bar. Dive bar ambiance. I ordered the meatball rigatoni and the sauce tasted like it was 3 days old, meatballs like they were reheated in a microwave and not all the way through, and pasta was fine. My fiancée had the creamy chicken rigatoni. That tasted a lot fresher and the whole dish was uniformly hot. I'd come here for a drink but I'd say pass on the food. If I don't get food poisoning I will count it as a win.
+35% service charge on a pretty mid cocktail. Grouchy bartenders. Not going back.