Columbia Room
Address: 1021 Seventh St., NW, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-0336
Neighborhood:
Downtown
Nearby Metro Stops: Mt. Vernon Square/7th St.-Convention Center
Website: Click here to open in new window.
For proof of how far Washington’s craft-cocktail scene has come, reserve a spot at this ten-seat lair. The bookish Derek Brown offers a three-course cocktail tasting menu ($64; two drinks are set, one custom-designed) and a small food pairing—as well as bits of his vast mental compendium of liquor-related data. He approaches drinks as a great chef does: Ingredients change with the seasons, he’s fanatical about detail (you’ll see an assistant hand-carving ice), and recipes are based on—but not tied to—tradition.
