After our serendipitous dinner at Ambar recently, our friends decided we had to cap the evening with a visit to the "speakeasy" across the street from Eastern Market. And truly, neither the outside door nor the door to bar itself ("knock for service" was all it said) gave any indication there was a bar.
Good thing, because it was hard enough to get into. The relatively small space was just the right combination of chic and cozy. Sitting at the small square bar with a view into the lounge was the perfect perch to enjoy the energy in the place. My cocktail of barrel-aged gin and bitters was a complex and satisfying drink, though perhaps too medicinal for some. The Finch Brewery Fascist Pig beer they served in a can was outstanding.
The bar is attached, at least by the staircase and interior entry, to the restaurant Acqua al 2, which our friends say is an excellent Italian. We were able to conjure an entry into the speakeasy because our friend, having ascertained that Ralph, the manager, was present, used his name freely. However, it is possible to reserve a table through cityeats.
