Church and State

Very cool and chill place to drink and actually have a conversation with whom ever you are there with dim lit and quite and the drinks are exceptional go thursday and the bartender can’t remember her name can mix up a drink that’ll make you beg for more! this is a cocktail lounge i think theres 3 choices of beer so don’t expect to go and have a beer you’ll miss out on great mixing

Having just come from a bar one block away that was packed with people and killing it, I was shocked at how slow, inattentive and amateur the service was at this sparsely populated «cocktail» bar. Drinks here strive towards mediocrity — and its clear that the seemingly friendly bartender has not spent much time behind the bar. In a town packed full of craft cocktail spots you should save your pennies and your time and look elsewhere.

This is one of my favorite places to take out of towners or just pals who haven’t been — it’s a hidden little gem upstairs from Atlas Arcade (which is itself a fun little video game bar.)
Church and State is dark and conspiratorial, with church pews, stained glass and even a few confessional booths you can sit in with groups. And the cocktails are wonderful. They aren’t cheap but are really well made, and I’ve always had a great experience with the bartenders. They’ll also make something else off-​menu if you’re interested. I’m a big fan of the Chuck Yeager, and they rotate seven cocktails for the deadly sins.
It’s small, so best to come with only a few friends, or call ahead to reserve the confessional booths, which are awesome.
My friends I bring are always blown away — «I can’t believe I never knew about this place!» It’s good for dates, too.

Went for a couple of cocktails after a show at the Atlas. Very cozy and dark. We sat at the bar around 9:30 on a Friday night and it was pretty empty, but filled up nicely by 11.
A lot of good bourbons and whiskeys here, but full bar is available. No food to be seen, but we didn’t need any.
Had a good time chatting with the bartender and perusing the whiskey menu. Will come back another time.

Haven’t been here during the day but its an awesome and discreet little nook of H Street nestled above the barcade. The cool and mellow ambiance of this place makes it an interesting spot as it’s strewn with stained glass and church pews. They make a great cocktail if you like the all time favorites like martinis and old-​fashion, or a tom collins. It is very much DC priced and a couple cocktails will run you upwards of $ 25.

Let me join the choir of Church & State supporters. I’m definitely a fan. Understand, this spot isn’t for everybody. It’s small, has a small staff, no food and features very adventurous drinks. But that’s why you love it. It’s a easy place to sit down, chat with your friends (or… a stranger?) and relax. It’s a strong contrast to a vast majority of the bar scene on the increasingly kinetic H Street. Yes, it can be lively at times but is almost never hectic or very loud. It is true, the drinks are not cheap but they are on par with a specialty curated drink list. I particularly love the variety of spirits and the drink list that challenges even the most knowledgeable drinkers. If you’re looking for a more low-​key, intimate, fun bar experience. I highly recommend coming in with an open mind and a thirst for adventure. You’ll definitely see the light.

If I could, I would give this place a zero zero star. My classmates and I came from Seattle and randomly came across this bar. We only wanted to peek our heads in but the kind waiter kindly greeted us! We went in with just curiosity… that’s okay right? Well since everything in DC is way more expensive than Seattle, my college classmates tried a $ 15 drink while I sipped on water since I was on medication.
Anyway, this place was really different for us and we just tried to enjoy it while we experienced a new drink. Out of no where, the bartender pops his head in and rudely says, «Only one of you five ordered a drink? Well, that is not okay».
I totally understand how that may seem cheap and stingy but we really didnt plan on coming in, we were just exploring the area dude!!!
We immediately apologized, tipped, and left.
What assholes, yeah you can think that in your mind, but as a business, YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY THAT.

Since the last time I was here the cocktail menu has changed completely, and not for the better. I only found one cocktail I really like, the chuck yager, and ordered that all night. The bar is very small and we had a larger party (7 people). At first the waitress refused to seat us because we were too large. Then we were able to talk to someone else who agreed to seat us separately, and when another party left we were able to sit together. Also, since the group was over 6 people, we were told after we sat down that we could only split the check 3 ways and there was an automatic 20% gratuity. I think 20% for bar service is high. Especially this bar service. I don’t know what goes into making these cocktails but it takes forever.
Our group had a great time but it wasn’t due to the service or the drinks, it was just us having a great time together … probably will not be back.

Came here recently while waiting for dinner at Toki. The weather was not awesome so it was just us, the bartender, and her roommate. I essentially just asked the bartender to make whatever she liked the best, and was extremely happy with what she whipped up. Having only American products definitely seems like a challenge, but they have risen to it. We will definitely be coming back here.

Take me to church!
True H-​Street Character meets elegantly hand crafted cocktails. This place is all about detail and it shows all the way through every drop of their drinks. Definitely recommended when wanting to play chess in dim lighting, or have an intimate heart to heart with a friend.
Cocktails:
Ricky ($ 10): B
Your average Ricky in a great atmosphere.
The Chuck Yeager ($ 12): A
Gin, Michigan (my homestate) Cherry Liqueur, and Lavender bitters make this something to write home about just from the ingredients. A unique and tasty way to start off a conversation.
Wrath ($ 13): A (+)
Hard to justify the $ 13, though I have to say this is one of the most unique cocktails I’ve ever had and it may have just earned it’s price. Local vodkas, basil, and sriracha pack a punch that keeps you sipping for a good half hour.
I’ve been back thrice, and will definitely be back to repent soon.

A rare speakeasy in DC. Right above Arcade bar; no sign, same owners. Tania and Tammie are the main bartenders and they really know their stuff. A rarity in bars in DC, Church and State makes their own and shrubs and syrups plus all the spirits are purchased only in the United States. The Seven Deadly Sins drinks are changed seasonally and custom. And don’t forget the décor. Design as a small little chapel complete with stain-​glass windows, handmade pew benches, complete with the confession booth. My favor

Worst place I’ve been in DC thus far. Horrible service… Server had absolutely NO knowledge of any of the American spirits they carried which was VERY unimpressive.
Overall, if you want to have fun and try something new, skip this place and go anywhere else on H st. This is a waste of time & money… save yourself. (again…worst service I’ve experienced in a really long time)

Went in for one of their drink classes. The instructor was great though we would have liked it to be more hands on (she shared she is working on this). Learned A LOT about basic cocktails (the course we took) and got to try a lot of delicious drinks. The only reason I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the price — thought it was quite expensive for 4 half drinks and without the opportunity to learn to make them ourselves.
Will definitely be back to check this bar out on the weekend though!

It’s definitely a unique setting and I think that’s where the allure ends. The few times I’ve been there, the drinks have been subpar. Just not very good mixology … And I know absolutely nothing about mixology. I’m just an expert drinker.

Came for a mint julep with my boyfriend. We loved the mint juleps but shuddered at the price considering how small they were — $ 12 each felt like too much for a drink that is primarily crushed ice.
The ambiance was great, and despite being there on a Saturday night it was super relaxed and quiet and there was lots of space. I would go back for a drink to get some romance time before heading downstairs for the arcade (which was packed to the brim, and had much cheaper drinks)

A unique and intimate bar with a great selection of craft cocktails!
Went on a Wednesday night around 10 with some friends who were visiting from out of town. It was not very busy and we were able to sit in the confessional. We were really impressed with the décor and liked the privacy of the room. The bartender was very attentive and friendly. She took our order from the sliding window and would pop in from time to time. They have cocktails that range from $ 11-​$ 13, including cocktails named after the Seven Deadly Sins. I ordered the Vanity, which I really enjoyed. It packed quite a punch and I only needed one. The guys liked «Sloth» but it wasn’t popular with the girls. Lust and an orange moscow mule were also ordered and enjoyed.
Will definitely bring more out of town guests here for the experience AND the drinks. Also will be coming with the boyfriend next time we wait for a table at Toki Underground!

Love, Love, Love this place!
We love it so much that I kind of don’t want to tell you about it. It is a speakeasy type establishment themed upon church motifs. We are not religious (at all), but the décor (stained glass window, pews and even a confessional) is lovely. The ambiance is wonderful, the drinks are always fantastic! It is dimly lit and the confessional (if you are lucky enough to snag it) is so dark you can hardly see yourself. There is a confessional window through which you order your drinks. They do not have food, so fuel up before or after coming here, but please do go here. If you go slightly earlier in the night, you should be able to find a seat no problem. The later you wait, the harder it might be (but that is most places). This place is tiny but the service is always great and we always have a wonderful time here. We love H Street.

I really, really enjoy this bar. Its location is the only bad part.
I love the themed drinks as they’re always inventive (right now, there’s a ‘popped’ cherry in the bottom of the Lust drink — hahaha). They’re always delicious — expensive but it makes sense.
Try the confessional booth! It’s super cool!
It can be dark in this place but otherwise, it’s a nice little spot.

Clever, boarding on kitch-​y idea, but the drinks are delicious! The place is pretty quiet, so it’s super chill (although there was a big group of what looked like summer interns there initially). I believe the switch up their drinks seasonally too, which makes it all the more fun to go back and try new things!
It’s a great low-​key spot, even on weekends!

I wouldn’t bring a date to C&S if I wanted any T&A. I’m sorry to say that, given how much I appreciate Wisdom and Fruit Bat.
Tucked upstairs behind a red curtain, and the few girls that were lounging around left a foul taste in my mouth with their bad manners. Not docking them for this obviously, since there’s no helping the nature of the clientele you attract. Interior decorations are one of the few reasons it’s even getting 2 stars. The cozy lounge area that our Rapture party took over was pretty enough, though I question the point of the bronze stag. Low ambient lighting sets the mood, and I’m sad to have missed out on the confessional room. Music was turned super low (or was it trickling up from downstairs?), but okay tunes from what wisps I could hear. As our unrepentant crowd filled the pews, we discovered that tucked into a side table was a jigsaw puzzle with large enough pieces to dissuade drunk people from eating them.
Out of all the cocktails I sampled that night, only one was worthy of a repeat performance: the Orange Moscow Mule. I appreciated the fruity twist and it was a welcome change from my far less impressive daiquiri. Mint julep also fell short of passing marks. The Rooster certainly tasted of sriracha, but suffered from a lack of both alcoholic content and flavor nuance to justify the cocktail’s price point. At one point we were just passing around drinks to each other to sip disinterestedly until some mouthful struck our fancy. I will forever remember Amanda B summarizing one taste as «lavender douche water.»
Don’t get me started on service. Fairly friendly, too sporadic, and they clearly weren’t prepared for a reasonable customer volume since we only got an appropriate amount face time when they started running out of drinkware. Even standing at the bar I kept getting passed over until I said something bordering on rude. Bleh. If the drinks were fixed, this would actually be a pretty neat bar.