SAX

I attended my girlfriend’s 40^th birthday party dinner and I wasn’t impressed at all. I’m never a fan of restaruarants that require you do do a contract for dinner,

1^st time here after passing by so many times. Celebrated a friends birthday. Great dinner show, loved the salmon and the DJ was awesome. Will be back.

Excellent place for a GNO/​Bachelorette! The vibe is sexy, sleek and upbeat. The décor almost reminded me of one of my favorite burlesque lounges in Vegas (Rose. Rabbit. Lie). We reserved a table on the balcony with open bar, complete with a personalized menu. Everything was great, other than the terribly slow service. Not cool when you’re on a timed open bar schedule.
I enjoyed watching the performances. They mixed it up with different types of dances/​routines. I thought it was nice how they surprised us with a gift bag and a complimentary dessert.

My bridesmaids threw me my bachelorette party at Sax. It’s really an ideal place for a Bach — fancy décor, cool performances (think cirque du soliel and burlesque), and great music as well. We did the 3 course dinner package with 2 hour open bar which was so much fun. Our table had a super cozy couch and I received a gift bag and was impressed with all it came with — a glass champagne glass, wine stopper, gold compact mirror and a bunch of $ 10 gift cards I could use at sax in the future for food or drinks. They also gave personalized menus, a bachelorette sash and feather boa.
It was a saturday night so the place was super busy. Drink service could have been a bit faster but every table was also filled. My friends and I were impressed with the performances — there were plenty of them and a lot of variety which kept it interesting. I had the shrimp and scallops both which were tasty. My only complaint was the pink boa they gave me leaked color onto my white dress which was a bummer. I would still absolutely recommend Sax for a bachelorette party! They made me feel very special on my night and my girls and I had a blast.

Went here for a friend’s birthday. I would not recommend this place for dinner. The food is subpar and cost more than it should for the quality. When it comes to the drinks, they are great. The «Goodbye to Paris» was delicious and something I would recommend. The entertainment and décor were my favorite things about the venue. The only thing worse than the food was the service. The door man was the nicest person in the whole place. Our server wasn’t very friendly, nor was the hostess. I wouldn’t recommend this place for anything other than the drinks and show.

A few friends took me here after my birthday dinner for drinks and dessert. I personally really enjoyed the shows that occurred every 15 mins. If you reserve a table for a group be prepared to meet the minimum purchase per person for groups larger than 5 which is pretty pricey. The food and drinks here are a but overpriced, but it’s a tradeoff for the show and entertainment you see. Later in the night the DJ turns up the music and it’s a regular dance bar. I had fun.

We went to Sax for my friends bachelorette party. The décor is absolutely beautiful. The food was great.
had the shrimp appetizer which has a nice spice kick to it. Also had the french dip fondoe which was ok. My entrée was sea bass was really good. Seemed like it was cooked in a bit to much oil, but it was flavored well. They gave us an appetizer on the house for the bachelorette party, which was absolutely delish. Portion sizes are small in comparison to many other restaurants however i prefer smaller portions, do i thought it was perfect.
The dancing was a great experience. They had a lot of little shows with talented people every 15 – 20 mins. We all would stop to watch the show since they were all different. Would have liked if the place was also condusive for dancing too.
One negative, they reminded us that it was a $ 75 minimum we had to meet per person, which was a little annoying.
I definately recommend this place!

I went to Sax over the weekend as a part of my friend’s bachelorette festivities. When I entered the restaurant, I literally gasped; everything in Sax screams opulence and decadence. Every corner of this place is covered in a deep oxblood, and accented with the perfect amount of gold and marble – the décor is very Moulin Rouge, and I was so
. I liiiive for a beautiful chandelier, darling and Sax had that and so much more.
My friend who organized the dinner constantly stressed the need for everyone to be early/​on-​time as our party would not be seated until everyone was there. This policy is definitely common in most restaurants, but Sax was pretty flexible and sat about half of our party to wait for the rest of the group to arrive. During the few minutes that we did have to wait to be seated, a few of us were offered to sit at the bar where we were greeted warmly and offered glasses of water with lemon. Once we were all seated at our table, our waitress came over and gave us menu suggestions, and told us what to expect from the burlesque performances. Everyone was aware that each of us were expected to spend a minimum of $ 75 per the restaurant’s requirements. I was a little taken aback when I was initially informed of the requirement, but after viewing the menu it was obvious that $ 75 covered a cocktail, dinner, and maaaybe a dessert. The menu was a little disappointing. As a lady who loves a good libation, even I was surprised to find that a majority of the menu was the cocktail and wine list. The food menu only offered about 6 choices, all of which were a bit pricey for what we actually received. Our party included about 15 people, so we decided to try an array of different appetizers and share them tapas style. We ordered the Truffle fries, French Onion fondue, and charcuterie plate – the truffle fries were easily the best (but, how can anyone really mess up French fries?). For my personal meal, I ordered the seared scallops and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty they were. My friend and I swapped out our meals, and I was able to try to the asparagus ravioli that was also made perfectly.
I have to say that the best part of my experience at Sax were the performances. Never in my life have I seen 15 ladies shut up so fast! As soon as the lights flashed on, we were immediately transfixed on each of the dancers. Each and every one of the dancers were on point and executed each step flawlessly. If I don’t recommend Sax for anything else, the performances alone are worth visiting.

I have mixed feelings about Sax. My date booked a reservation for a Saturday night at least two weeks in advance for evening dinner, and he told me they mentioned at least three times to him that there would be $ 75.00 per person price minimum for dinner and drinks.
Finding the place took a couple of spins around the block because the restaurant/​nightclub did not have it’s name displayed outside. Valet parking was a plus and so was the coat check. Upon arrival I noticed the waitresses were dressed in black corsets with silly ballet tutus. I guess they were aiming for Cabaret? Who knows.
Once we were seated, I felt rushed through the entire dinner experience, which really put a damper on it. We were told we had two hours to have dinner because they get busy. I’m sorry, but I have never been told in any restaurant that there would be a $ 75.00 minimum per person on dinner and that we would have to hurry up and limit our experience to two hours, regardless of the fact that we had reservations. You’re going to charge that much and tell us to hurry up? Excuse you, SAX DC. I also couldn’t help but to notice how they want to come across as high end, but then they place the dinner and drink prices on the menu.
The waitress immediately started suggesting bottles of wine to start with. She also went through the dinner specials rather quickly, so I only heard some of what she had said. We ordered the Artisan Cheese Platter, which was okay, and we both had the Seared Scallops. Overall the meal was alright and cooked well, the presentation was decent, the portions were small — nothing impressive.
The dancing was probably the best part, but then you can get that experience without having dinner. So, I suggest going somewhere else for dinner and then hitting the nightclub downstairs for drinks afterward.
As for the entertainment that was probably the best part of the evening. I thought the entertainment was tasteful burlesque with a Cirque du Soleil feeling to it. I have to say though, the belly dancing routine the dancers performed that night was pretty stupid. They did this «Walk Like an Egyptian» choreography in cheap belly dance costumes to Bollywood music! Give me a break. Belly dancing to traditional music can be beautiful, but you ruin the experience with this «Bangles» crap. As a belly dancer it had me shaking my head the entire time. I felt embarrassed for them.

When I envision the potential Trump presidency «Making America Great Again» I picture a nation full of places like Sax — all the decadence that downtown DC can handle. The burlesque shows run regularly and the gold leaf and red velvet are strong in this place.
They have subtly improved the setup and furniture from a while ago — the upstairs booths where one could catch his shirt on loose staples is now an upstairs bar with plenty of space for pretty DC people to profile.
The food is still good, but this is a place where atmosphere comes first and everything else comes second. A good place for a night out whether you are a group of 2 or 20. I’m happily upgrading my review because the owners have this place running well. It has my vote for the best restaurant/​nightclub transition in DC — go early, stay late and enjoy.

The ambiance is amazing with dimly lit lighting that’s topped with sultry aerial performances. The food was pretty good as well. Nice for group parties or an intimate dinner. On Thursdays you get a pre-​selected full course meal for simply $ 35 which makes dinning more than affordable especially for special occasions and large parties.

So I was expecting shitty food and an entertaining show… and instead I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the food is… but disappointed by the dancing. Some of the individual dancers that did the bar top hanging from ceiling dance were fine, but most of the group dances were horribly choreographed and some of the dancers simply can’t dance! Two stars for the show.
Food on the other hand was excellent, four stars (hence averaging three stars on Unilocal). I had the seared shrimp to start, delicious. Chilean sea bass was divine! And my husband’s short rib was a huge portion and tender and just how we like our short rib cooked. I would go back for the food alone! And I have no prob with the $ 75 minimum spend as I definitely can spend that on some yummy dishes.
We were there for a bday party, the service was fine, the drinks took a little long to get considering we had two hour open bar and the place was not busy at all. But our waitress was pleasant and helpful.
The space is not huge, so all the seats allow you a good view of the show. But again, I wouldn’t go back for the show, but I would for the food!

Speaking exclusively for this place as a party venue, SAX is a treat.
As you may be able to tell from the photos on here, SAX is absolutely phenomenally beautiful. It’s dark and sort of ornately beautiful in a sexualized way, which is precisely the image it seems to aspire to. This place is worth checking out exclusively for its décor, which is just absolutely out-​of-​this-​world excellent.
SAX is somewhat well known for having shows, which are pretty good. What I saw in terms of a burlesque show was talented and interesting, and frankly not something I imagine many people would find outright offensive. The dances seemed to be peppered throughout the night, which made for great conversational breaks and offered something quite cool. I’m not quite qualified to opine on the outfits (which became increasingly skimpier throughout the night), but the choreography was impressively together but perhaps a little simple. There was also a rope dancer suspended on top of the bar at one point — I found him incredibly skilled but perhaps lacking in tricks that impressed the audience (though he came later in the night, so our crowd may have been a bit burned out by that point). Needless to say, the entertainment here is leaps and bounds above anything offered by other bars in the area.
On a more pragmatic note, the drink selection here is plentiful, so this is a decent option should one want to drink. Prices are high, but that’s obviously subsidizing the image.
I find it hard to recommend this place because it makes me sound like some sort of outright pervert, but I’ll do it anyway: check this place out. I can’t vouch for the food, but the image is worth the price of admission.

This is a very unique spot that must be experienced, if only once. Here are some highlights:
+ Burlesque style performances pop up every ten-​fifteen minutes behind the giant stage above the downstairs bar. It’s all very tasteful, though.
+ The best part is the variety. You’ll get a sexy female pole dance followed by a singing act followed by an all-​male hip hop dance, etc. If you hang around all night, you won’t see the same thing twice.
+ The bar is quite nice to sit at, but it’s directly below the stage, so you don’t have a great view.
+ The real let down: the drinks are absurdly expensive. I guess that’s what you can expect when you get free entertainment, but still, it’s not a sustainable place to spend an evening. $ 14 for Jack on the rocks. Ouch.
+ Not bad for dinner. Seared scallops are solid.
+ Bonus points for the free coat check.
+ The place is PACKED with bachelorette parties, for what that’s worth.
And one random story: when we came for dinner, the waitress asked if it was for a special occasion. I was already nodding no when my girlfriend blurts out, «it’s our anniversary.» Not sure what came over her, we had a good laugh over dinner, but then they brought us a complimentary glass of champagne with the bill. Fun times.

This place is Ooozing… with «SAX» appeal!
SAX won me over from the moment I walked through their doors!
For my 100^th review milestone, I decided to take a Unilocal pen to the clean version of my voyeur side and write about a unique, PG exhibition experience last Friday. SAX definitely sets a standard and adds a change of scenery to the nightlife-​dining options in DC. I came here for the first time for a good friend’s birthday dinner party. We had about 15 people which wound up being a good thing and made the experience even more fun.
THE SCENE
Wow is all I can say! To best describe this place & vibe in a nutshell… it’s sort of on the cusp of old world French 20^th Century «Moulin Rouge»…meets «Akasha — Vampire Chronicles» a.k.a «Queen of the Dammed!» First, the entrance to this place is unassuming. Being a Burlesque kind of spot, there is no major Marquee, billboard or signage. You come to a door, your greeted by a guy that looks like a secret agent… your ID is check and you enter. Once you step foot into this place, the vibe turns into a cool-​dark seductive world. The restaurant lounge space is impeccable in design, dramatic details, sexy and romantic all together… somewhat like a underworld scene…((vampires not included)). The interior is designed to reflect the original style of the cabaret and Moulin Rouge.
THE SHOW
The show delivers fun, various themes, spunky dancing ladies, and Cirque du Soleil ‘like’ variety acts. I was prepared to make it rain but apparently it was not that kind of show! lol Nevertheless… The girls were really pretty and talented. The acts were first class. All the show routines were choreographed very well and professional. We were seated in the balcony with our very own row. The shows were entertaining and what you’d expect to see at a burlesque show (minus the nudity… bummer. lol). Just kidding. Seriously, everything about SAX’s appeal is top notch. The show’s main stage stands out the most and is the highlight of your entire experience while there. It is a really cool, dramatic glass encased shadow box that is built-​in above the bar. It can be viewed from any angle of the restaurant and no seat in the place is blinded from the show or by distractions. The show blends several group numbers and solo performances that are very audience interactive. There was even an aerial silk rope dancer act that was amazing! The various acts and floor dances were all good and done intermittently, every 20 mins. or so.
THE FOOD
The food was great overall; but nothing to get too overly ecstatic about. As a large party we shared several plates of Fondue, grilled shrimp, scallops, and lamb chops. They were all good and A-​OK in my book! The drinks were pricey but at least strong. BUT… the highlight of them all was the… Grilled Rib-​eye Steak! It was «RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!!» It was so tender, juicy and seasoned to perfection… served along with this scallop potato square that had me craving for more!
THE VERDICT
Thumbs up! A first-​class act and classy spot! In all, we had a blast at SAX. Although on the pricey side… the food, drinks and entertainment was all well worth it. The service was spot-​on and flawless. The staff at SAX made the birthday celebration everything! The acts were creative, sexy, hip, funny & spicsaaay… while at the same time engaged the crowd. Definitely a great place for that special occasion, ‘1on1’ date or large groups; given the really cool, romantic vibe of this place. I would def return or recommend to those looking to do something unique… or a change of pace from the typical dinner scene while hanging around downtown DC.
I could go on, but you get it by now. Sexy variety, class acts, and dancing burlesque babes! OPRAH… put this ‘ish on your ‘Favorite Things’ list!
Overall, 4 ½ Stars! My only problem and ½ star deduction with this place is… I couldn’t find the opening to the shadow box to make it rain… so I threw it in the suggestion box! Ooop! :-P
TIPS
1) Dress code in effect and reservations suggested. 2) This place was a dinner/​show scene early in the evening; but quickly turns over into a nightclub scene around 11pm. I think this is when the vampires do come out to join in on the fun! lol

SAX for Valentine’s Day… Racy choice as a surprise but it worked well for us! (Lucky him my dress was on the sexier side tonight) Once again my boyfriend is probably responsible for one of these five stars!
I was an Irish/​ballet/​all of the above dancer growing up so the burlesque dancers that appeared above me in the glass 2^nd floor stage were less shocking and more nostalgic.
They did an excellent job for Valentine’s Day. Prefixed menu. $ 400 something total towards the end.
Onto the fun stuff
They greet you in their dark lobby with smiling faces. There’s oversized furniture to start with the «drama» theme. You are lead through heavy curtains into the two/​three story high dining hall and your senses are bombarded. Music from
Above you, bar tenders speaking and juggling to your right– center stage– couples nestled into their awesome big semi private booths lining the wall, the smell of the food is immediate and welcoming.
Then we get to the stairs towards the back of the restaurant there’s an option to head down or up. We went up and walked back toward the front. Wouldn’t you know my boyfriend had already been here and arranged everything as usual! The corner table overlooking the dancers and bar was set up with comfy pillows and a huge bouquet of flowers courtesy of my boyfriend. I give SAX credit for helping maintain the ambiance my boyfriend so perfectly set for the evening, they intentionally make Valentine’s Day special.
The prefixed menu was so so, the drinks were great though! There were dancers walking around topless on stilts! It was quite a night. Lasted several hours. The tables are on top of each other but luckily I had a wall of pillows :)
Highly recommend you check out this unique establishment in DC.

Came here on June 26 for my anniversary and it was just wonderful! I bought their anniversary package deal (definitely worth every $$$$), Wonderful Tomorrow, which includes:
Cake
Champagne Toast
3 Course Pre-​fix Meal
Gift bag (wine glass, shot glass, a coaster, and two gift cards)
2 hour of VIP bar service
Personalized menu
We arrived at 6:30pm and no one else was there (I guess I reserved early for a Friday night) but turned out great for us! We were able to walk around the venue and take pictures without bothering anyone and it was like we had the whole place to ourselves. The staff was very attentive and friendly, especially our waitress, Shantel (thank you!). Our seating gave us a perfect view of the shows and we were able to see 4 in our 2-​hour time.
Food was on point! My boyfriend and I ordered something different so we could try different dishes. Their cocktail Bombshell in Bloom was fruity and is a must try! We ordered:
Preview:
Shrimp
Blackberry Mesclun Mix (perfect amount of vinaigrette)
Main Attraction:
Braised Beef Short Ribs (very tender, the fork just pulled off the meat)
Chilean Sea Bass (cooked to perfection)
The Finale:
Le Chocolat (not too sweet, very delish)
Carrot Cake
All in all it was a beautiful experience and venue to spend my anniversary.

Once I stepped into Sax, I felt like I was transported to a Russian gilded palace room. Our group of 40 was ushered to the upstairs corner with some booth seatings for small to large groups. We had our own corner but still could view the glass enclosed performance playboy above the bar and the robe aerialists.
The performance was going on the whole night. We still can enjoy the conversation and view it if we wanted to.
Our group had a prefix menu with a drink. The food is better than expected. I chose Blackberry Mesclun Mix salad which is a vinegary sour and sweet balsamic base dressing. Then followed it with Chilean sea bass. It had a mixed of flavorful ingredients that I didn’t recognize. The pasta like is pretty enjoyable. I cleaned up my plate.
The food portion is perfect for women but for some gentlemen it may be too little. By the time the chocolate mousse cake rolled in. I was too full.
The waitresses worn revealing ballet like black costume which drew attention from my male colleagues. It’s like our own entertainment to watch them. We were also able to mingle and dance around in our corner. It was a fun night with a little political statement.
Sax commissioned a big painting of President Obama, President Putin of Russia, and Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un of North Korea taking selfie together in front of the White House. It’s soooo DC.

Brunch— wasn’t impressed. Had to keeping telling myself that for $ 50 fixed price that I was basically paying for the show. And the show had some high points but not as entertaining at times. It’s basically a bunch of spaced out acts. They start out slow…
The food is nothing I would rave about. The smoothies shooters are not bad. A little on the plain side… but I guess its a smoothie. The little muffins are good and the spreads were delicious.
For my main, I had the lobster benedict. Not a fan. Little chunks of lobster with breading that could have used more sauce and flavoring. Probably needed some salt. The french toast was better and not too sweet. The butternut soup was good but as they did warn me-​it was candy sweet. The dessert that day was chocolate mousse. That was good…
I probably wouldn’t come for brunch again… maybe another time…

Sax definitely a unique restaurant/​lounge in DC. Perfect spot for a special occasion. Bachelorette party, birthdays, girls night…
What makes this place unique is the entertainment and décor!!! They have this window above the bar where these talented ladies dance! I call it a classy cabaret style but it is a Burlesque show… It happens every 10−15minutes.
décor is gorgeous and intimate!
Food wise is not good! I’ve eaten here 3 times. I even got sick once from their food! The food is horrible here! I didn’t like anything! From appetizer to dessert. They really need a great chef to compliment sax restaurantI. Also very pricy for what you get! So basically yes, you are paying for the show! But really you don’t have to dine there to enjoy the show. You could just get drinks. That’s what I do.
Customer service is excellent! The staff are very professional, patient and friendly.
Another thing I don’t like and i really hope they work on it. if you call for reservation… They actually charge between $ 75-​$ 120pp for 3 disgusting courses! they wouldn’t reserve anything for you unless you give them your credit card., and I think they charge you a certain percentage if you decide to cancel… That’s why just go to the bar so you don’t have to deal with that!