Dirty Bar

Dupont Circle, Washington, DC –

A 21st-century twist on the cabaret clubs of the 1920s, Dirty Bar is where DC’s international club kids and trendy socialites go to see and be seen – and maybe hang out in a giant birdcage.

A discreet door adjacent to the entrance of lounge/restaurant Dirty Martini leads up three stories to this little burlesque-styled hotspot, where sultry Prohibition-era glamour draws dapper young revelers to indulge in flirty chit-chat and a bit of (dirty) dancing.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the cityscape provide the perfect backdrop for patrons sipping specialty absinthe-infused drinks like the Billie Holiday, while a mix of exposed brick, wire-framed lights, and tufted wall hangings add to the retro ambiance. A wooden swing – when not occupied by house performers swaying to the beat of DJ-spun house and Euro-trance tracks – serves as a sexy perch for stiletto-heeled guests in need of escape from the small dance floor.

Across from the feather-topped bar, velvet curtains cordon off the VIP area, where suited-up gentlemen lounge on leathered velvet couches as they watch more performers, staff and guests alike, shake their two bits inside a giant cast-iron aviary.

Considering this space is the former home of Spank – an upscale VIP lounge where patrons could reserve a bed with their bottle service – maybe it’s fate that the latest incarnation still boasts a conspicuously naughty vibe…and that Dirty Bar embodies its notorious repertoire with the tagline “Feel good being bad; feel even better being dirty.”