Diosa. 1610 14th St., NW.
The 14th Street corridor has a new bar, and it is obsessed with two things: mezcal and music. Diosa, which opened Friday, takes over the subterranean space formerly occupied by jazz club Sotto.
“If people ask me, ‘What is it?’ It’s not a lounge. It’s not a bar. It’s more like a music venue, a cocktail bar with music,” general manager Leo Fernandez says. The dim space fits around 200 people but has limited seating, including bar stools and cushioned benches by the stage. Latin dance classes are planned for Thursdays, Fridays bring Latin DJs, and Sundays will feature the occasional drag show or DJ set.
Diosa is located below its sister restaurant, the Mexican dining room MXDC. Diosa offers a snackier menu: guests can graze on Argentinian-style empanadas, chicken croquetas, and yucca fries. It also serves sushi. Fernandez’s favorite is a gussied-up shrimp tempura roll with avocado and seared tuna doused in chipotle and eel sauce.
While MXDC boasts more than 100 tequilas, mezcal is the liquor of choice downstairs. There are 20 mezcals offered by the one-ounce pour, and the spirit appears in a cocktail made with lychee, Red Bull, and watermelon. Latin flavors show up in other drinks too, like the coqueta, an egg white-topped mixture of pisco, maraschino cherry liqueur, blackberry syrup, and lime juice. Diosa also offers bottle service, ranging from an $80 cava to a $650 Don Julio (the cocktails max out at $16).
Fernandez, who was born in Bolivia and lived temporarily in Argentina, says his inspiration for the lounge came from an Argentinian compliment: “Eres una diosa” (translation: “You are a goddess.”). He says he wants the bar, with pink lighting and a massive mural of a woman in a gold warrior helmet, to exude “feminine power.”
“It’s very sexy, very attractive, very upscale,” Fernandez says. “We’re bringing the Latin flavor for sure.”
Open Thursday from 8 PM to 2 AM; Friday and Saturday from 9 PM to 2 AM; and Sunday from 6 PM to midnight. It also plans to offer rotating events on Wednesdays, including comedy shows and open mic nights.
