Anne Hathaway may have subsisted on nutrients from her own tears to lose weight for
Les Mis, and co-star Hugh Jackman reportedly stopped drinking liquids altogether. So much
sacrifice, just so that you can watch them—plus a lot of other pretty people—this
Sunday while slugging Champagne and stuffing your face. Whether you’re into deluxe
parties or laid-back bars, there are a number of great options for watching the awards
in Washington. Don’t see your favorite restaurant or watering hole among the seven
spots below? Plenty of places are hosting viewing parties or screening the big show on their flat screens—check with your usual barkeep.
Drink Oscar-themed cocktails
The place: Commissary
The enticements: A viewing party with Oscar-inspired cocktails and small plates, plus ballots and
popcorn and four giant screens.
The details: Get there at 5 PM for all the red carpet action. The regular menu is available, but
you can opt for a $40 prix-fixe with two cocktails and small plates.
Party in your pajamas
The place: US Navy Memorial Burke Theatre
The enticements: DC Shorts ditches formality for a pajama jam with an open bar and drinks from Buffalo & Bergen, Whole Foods snacks, and the show
on a two-story HD screen.
The details: The party starts at 6
PM, with both regular and VIP tickets ($50 and $100 respectively). Both include open
bar, food, and swag, but VIP-ers get more cool stuff, like a Snuggie.
Get fancy
The place: The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
The enticements: Art Soiree hosts a glamorous black-tie affair at the Ritz complete with a red carpet, specialty cocktails, discounts on pre-event
beauty treatments, live entertainment, and more.
The details: Tickets start at $40 for general admission, and $75 for VIP. Get to the red carpet
by 7
PM for photographs.
Get film-y
The place: Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse
The enticements: The DC Film Society throws its 21st annual party,
hosted by film critics Bill Henry and Tim Gordon. Trivia contests, a silent auction
with cinema-related prizes, and Drafthouse eats and drinks are all part of the laid-back
fun.
The details: Doors open at 6:30
PM, with tickets available at entry ($20 per person). Online ticket orders must be completed
by Saturday.
Eat pastrami
The place: Carving Room Kitchen & Bar
The enticements: While not officially a party, this new boozy deli does happy hour on Sunday evenings,
so you can make it one. Belly up to the bar where the Oscars are shown on overhead
TVs, order a discount brew, growler, or $4 rail drink, and order a piled-high pastrami
sandwich.
The details: The eatery is open until midnight daily, and runs happy
hour deals from 4 to 7
PM (i.e. prime red carpet time).
Glitter it up
The place: Town Dance Boutique
The enticements: The DC Center’s eighth annual viewing party with a raffle, entertainment by drag queens, and passed hors d’oeuvres.
The details: Doors open at 7
PM. General admission starts at $15, but eats are part of the $45 package.
Channel celebs
The place: Bourbon Steak Lounge
The enticements: Nothing official, but this Four Seasons hot spot is often a prime place to spot celebs.
Chances are they’re all in a little town called Hollywood, so you can make do at the
bar with the show on TV, terrific cocktails, and a prime burger.
The details: No timeline, but the place can fill up so always best to get there early for a seat.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
