Restaurant bars are uneven. Some are great places to tip one back, while others are glorified waiting rooms full of eager would-be diners. Recently we had the pleasure of learning that the bar at Zola falls into the former category.
Adjacent to the International Spy Museum, Zola features a modern, cool interior that only nominally follows the theme of subterfuge. Walls are decorated with various lines of what we think was code, either in Cyrillic, English, or some unidentifiable alphabet. Though the space is cramped — barely five feet separate the bar from the dividing wall into the restaurant — it fits the bar well, and a larger seating area at the front lets lucky patrons sit in comfort while enjoying the specialty cocktails.
Those cocktails? They really sneak up on you. We had a few of them and enjoyed them all, but the best of the bunch was the mysterious looking “Black Tie Bawl.” It’s an odd, greenish black color, looking like something brewed up by Slughorn and not something one should drink — but it tastes delicious. If cocktails aren’t your thing, there are also several wines by the glass, as well as Pilsner Urquell, Bass, Stella, and Sam Adams on tap. The music went from downtempo lounge to Heavy D and the Boys over the course of the evening, and the bartenders were uniformly attentive despite the unexpected Wednesday evening crowd.
When we used to hear “Penn Quarter” and “restaurant bar,” we’d immediately think of the much praised IndeBleu. But there are other places in the neighborhood to enjoy quality cuisine and fancy drinks, no trenchcoat required.
Zola
800 F St. NW
Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown
