The Wells has plenty of ambiance and gin on offer, but service and the overall beverage program are lackluster. And that is a shame, because the Wells is the type of cocktail lounge I want to like.
The concept — a gin bar in a world of whiskey and bourbon bars, tucked away behind a nondescript door that one must ring a bell to enter — is intriguing. The space is curated and comfortable.
The service is hit or miss. The cocktails? They are simply not that good. It is jarring to realize after a few visits that you’ve never really enjoyed a drink there, but you keep coming back because you want your friends to experience what you wish the Wells were.
Unfortunately they, like you, only get to experience reality. And the reality is disappointing.
Ultimately, the service is inconsistent and drinks subpar. It may be that the Wells is trying too hard to make their drinks sound interesting and not putting in enough effort to make them taste good.
You can still get a solid martini and have your pick of gin for a G&T. But when you’re shelling out dozens of dollars drink, I expect something more.
After several unimpressive visits, I am saying farewell to the Wells.
Food: 2
Brad
Great ambiance. Service was friendly, but exceptionally slow. We arrived on time for our reservation and were seated immediately. We then sat unattended for 25 minutes before someone came to take our order. Drinks took about 10 minutes after the order, which seemed reasonable given the number of customers. Pricing is very high - it almost appears as if they initially priced drinks to provide a living wage (e.g., built in ~20% margin to pay staff), then flipped to a tip-based model without downward adjusting the menu prices. The end result is it feels like you're paying a premium for what is arguably a very nice cocktail, but without the associated premium service.
Lorena Roque
We were very disappointed with our experience. I made a 4 person reservation weeks before, so we got a nice table and yet the staff proceeded to ignore us every time they walked by. We loved the atmosphere, and the architecture but it was so hard to catch staff to get a drink. We had to fight to get their attention. Very disappointed. Not what I have experienced at other craft cocktail bars in dc. I suggest 600T for gin martinis or silver Lynn for more creative & quality drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Monet
My waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the tequila selections. The wagyu sliders were delicious! Will return
Clark
Drinks are good quality but a bit overpriced (just a couple bucks), but they were terribly understaffed for a weekend night. I felt bad for the few staff they did have who were running around like crazy, but when you autograt you've gotta have some QC.
Opentable Diner
from a Gin drinker.. love this place. the staff knows their Gin. its a small place reservation are needed.
Brooke
Had an amazing after dinner cocktail here. The space is beautifully decorated and refined. The service was impeccable and the drinks are some of the best I've had in the city. I'm not a gin drinker typically and would encourage others who are not to come here and give their drinks a try. I'll definitely be back.
Kelly Foley
I really wanted to love The Wells—it’s got a great vibe, and the drinks are well-crafted. However, the service was noticeably slow, and our experience took a disappointing turn when we were presented with our bill and told our time was up, despite seeing other customers who had been there longer continuing to enjoy their drinks undisturbed. It was hard not to feel singled out, especially since one of us is brown. I hope this was just a misunderstanding, but it left a bad taste in an otherwise promising visit.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Catherine
This cocktail bar is great! Gin focused, which we knew about and is one of the reasons we came here. The space and service were really nice. It was a bit noisier than I prefer, but it's popular. Not a ton of food options, but this is a bar not a restaurant, and the food they do have was DELISH!! Lovely choice for date night.
Alanna Schetty
I had a reservation for 8 pm and because of unanticipated delays on the metro, I arrived at 8:17 pm. While on the way, I tried to call the restaurant to inform them of the delays, but there is no number listed. I saw that they had an Instagram listed, so I sent them a DM. However, when we arrived the host let us know that since we were 2 minutes past the reservation time, it was impossible to seat us. It's fine if that's your policy, but it doesn't say that anywhere on the website or on Opentable when I made the reservation. Also, there was no one else waiting for a table and multiple open seats, so I'm not really sure how it was impossible to seat us. Unlikely to return.
Incredible atmosphere and drinks. We felt very taken care of by Sarah.
Rylynn
Cocktails were good. Staff was knowledgeable on menu. Service was very slow. Strongly the door was locked so you had to request someone from the staff to let you in/out of the building.
Jennifer
I loved my drinks, appetizers, and the atmosphere. Our server was knowledgable and friendly and it was a great experience.
Dark side
After many years of service here im saddened that they had the audacity to fire their beverage director and best bartender a couple of days before Christmas, but hey, Hollis is changing the game while doing the same things. Shame on her.
Zamir Johl
We were asked if we had reservations, and turned away at 8:00 because they were "completely booked". Out of curiosity we checked if reservations were available online, and there was availability 8:15 or any future time slot.
The Wells has plenty of ambiance and gin on offer, but service and the overall beverage program are lackluster. And that is a shame, because the Wells is the type of cocktail lounge I want to like.
The concept — a gin bar in a world of whiskey and bourbon bars, tucked away behind a nondescript door that one must ring a bell to enter — is intriguing. The space is curated and comfortable.
The service is hit or miss. The cocktails? They are simply not that good. It is jarring to realize after a few visits that you’ve never really enjoyed a drink there, but you keep coming back because you want your friends to experience what you wish the Wells were.
Unfortunately they, like you, only get to experience reality. And the reality is disappointing.
Ultimately, the service is inconsistent and drinks subpar. It may be that the Wells is trying too hard to make their drinks sound interesting and not putting in enough effort to make them taste good.
You can still get a solid martini and have your pick of gin for a G&T. But when you’re shelling out dozens of dollars drink, I expect something more.
After several unimpressive visits, I am saying farewell to the Wells.
Food: 2
Great ambiance. Service was friendly, but exceptionally slow. We arrived on time for our reservation and were seated immediately. We then sat unattended for 25 minutes before someone came to take our order. Drinks took about 10 minutes after the order, which seemed reasonable given the number of customers. Pricing is very high - it almost appears as if they initially priced drinks to provide a living wage (e.g., built in ~20% margin to pay staff), then flipped to a tip-based model without downward adjusting the menu prices. The end result is it feels like you're paying a premium for what is arguably a very nice cocktail, but without the associated premium service.
We were very disappointed with our experience. I made a 4 person reservation weeks before, so we got a nice table and yet the staff proceeded to ignore us every time they walked by. We loved the atmosphere, and the architecture but it was so hard to catch staff to get a drink. We had to fight to get their attention.
Very disappointed. Not what I have experienced at other craft cocktail bars in dc. I suggest 600T for gin martinis or silver Lynn for more creative & quality drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
My waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the tequila selections. The wagyu sliders were delicious! Will return
Drinks are good quality but a bit overpriced (just a couple bucks), but they were terribly understaffed for a weekend night. I felt bad for the few staff they did have who were running around like crazy, but when you autograt you've gotta have some QC.
from a Gin drinker.. love this place. the staff knows their Gin. its a small place reservation are needed.
Had an amazing after dinner cocktail here. The space is beautifully decorated and refined. The service was impeccable and the drinks are some of the best I've had in the city. I'm not a gin drinker typically and would encourage others who are not to come here and give their drinks a try. I'll definitely be back.
I really wanted to love The Wells—it’s got a great vibe, and the drinks are well-crafted. However, the service was noticeably slow, and our experience took a disappointing turn when we were presented with our bill and told our time was up, despite seeing other customers who had been there longer continuing to enjoy their drinks undisturbed. It was hard not to feel singled out, especially since one of us is brown. I hope this was just a misunderstanding, but it left a bad taste in an otherwise promising visit.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
This cocktail bar is great! Gin focused, which we knew about and is one of the reasons we came here. The space and service were really nice. It was a bit noisier than I prefer, but it's popular. Not a ton of food options, but this is a bar not a restaurant, and the food they do have was DELISH!! Lovely choice for date night.
I had a reservation for 8 pm and because of unanticipated delays on the metro, I arrived at 8:17 pm. While on the way, I tried to call the restaurant to inform them of the delays, but there is no number listed. I saw that they had an Instagram listed, so I sent them a DM. However, when we arrived the host let us know that since we were 2 minutes past the reservation time, it was impossible to seat us. It's fine if that's your policy, but it doesn't say that anywhere on the website or on Opentable when I made the reservation. Also, there was no one else waiting for a table and multiple open seats, so I'm not really sure how it was impossible to seat us. Unlikely to return.
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible atmosphere and drinks. We felt very taken care of by Sarah.
Cocktails were good. Staff was knowledgeable on menu. Service was very slow. Strongly the door was locked so you had to request someone from the staff to let you in/out of the building.
I loved my drinks, appetizers, and the atmosphere. Our server was knowledgable and friendly and it was a great experience.
After many years of service here im saddened that they had the audacity to fire their beverage director and best bartender a couple of days before Christmas, but hey, Hollis is changing the game while doing the same things. Shame on her.
We were asked if we had reservations, and turned away at 8:00 because they were "completely booked". Out of curiosity we checked if reservations were available online, and there was availability 8:15 or any future time slot.
Service: 1
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