The Gibson

The Gibson is one of U Streets best kept secret… let’s keep it that way! Truly a hidden gem.
If you want to go grab an amazing cocktail in a romantic, cozy place head on over to Gibson. I went here on a date and it was by far one of my best dates!
The drinks are exceptional! I absolutely love how this place is hidden away. Also, there is no standing room everyone has to sit down which is amazing.
This place is the PERFECT date night!

The draw of this place is the exclusivity. The door is unmarked. Even then, when you enter, there is a second metal door stationed with a doorman who will not let you through unless you have a reservation. There is no standing room inside, so no one is on top of each other (yay).
The other major selling point is the ambiance. It reminded me of the The Red Room from 50 Shades with the red tones, black wood, and glass paneling. Very dark and illuminated with candles.
I was on a Laphroaig kick all night, and the 3 cocktails I ordered featuring it (Keep It/​Sell It/​Burn It/It’s Yours, The Truth, Scorched Earth) did not disappoint. My fiancé also had the St. Thomas (featuring Old Tom Gin), which was tasty. There were other drinks that did not stand out, but the only drink I was actually not a fan of that night was the Butter Beer (a bit cloying).
Waitress was average – nothing memorable.

The door is unmarked – there was no bouncer, so we just opened it and walked right up the stairs and into the dimly lit lounge.
Awesome speakeasy. Very intimate and cozy, a great place to bring a date. They have a long list of craft cocktails as well as some snacks.

Awesome place and hidden gem. I walked past it a couple of times, and didn’t realize there was a nice bar underneath. When I walked in it felt like I discovered a secret and it’s an awesome feeling to have.
Bar tender was friendly and very meticulous in making cocktails. The drinks were out of this world. The ambiance was incredible. I will totally recommend this place to my friends and anyone who is reading this. It is pricey, but worth it.
Cheers!

These reviews do not lie!
I am in love with this place. The ambiance, the drinks, the lighting, the music, it’s a great place to go on a date or just hangout with a few friends.
Definitely make a reservation and try their unique drinks!

The ambiance is cool. It’s a dark quaint bar that’s not too noisy– perfect for a first date. The bartenders are really nice and won’t hesitate to remake your drink if you don’t like it… That being said, I don’t think their drinks are good– they have a very long list of complex cocktails most of which don’t make any sense and seem like they’re just throwing the kitchen sink in there. Order at your own risk and best to stick to classic cocktails (and even then direct them if you don’t want it to be too sweet).

My favorite bar in DC! A bit pricey but the service, atmosphere, and drinks are AMAZING. Every time I go, I don’t even look at the menu — I just tell the bartender or server the kind of thing I am in the mood for and they bring me the perfect drink. They really know their stuff.
I would recommend always making a reservation in advance when you can — especially on weekends because it gets crowded fast! Especially late at night.

An absolute favorite drink of mine now, called the Calvinball! A mixture of what I love and a taste both complex and simple. Wild Turkey, Domaine de Canton, lemon, ginger ale, snap, and hellfire bitters

the good: the drinks here are delicious. there’s something for everyone (unless you are strictly a beer person.)
the bad: snooty servers.

I’m on a speakeasy/​cocktail bar kick right now and Gibson is one of the bars I’m glad to get off my checklist. It’s kind of in the cut behind a door and you’ll find a hostess who will help you find a seat. The ambiance is speakeasy aka on the darker side, lit by candles and free of televisions.
It’s a great place to grab a drink, have a conversations about the world, aliens, and music. I was able to get a seat at the bar and the bartender poured me a glass of water (no ice) and gave me a drink menu. I can’t remember the bartender’s name but I told him I had recently had a watered down old fashioned and he said «I’ve got something for you». He gave me a Old fashioned with a little twist in the recipe. It was a really good old fashioned that wasn’t watered down (he used a minimal amount of ice) and had a subtle sweetness to it. My second drink was another twist on a Old Fashioned that used maple syrup and a floral note to it. Very good!
No complaints about service from me.
This is a nice little «hidden» gem on 14^th street and a great place to have good intimate convo with a well made cocktail. I wouldn’t recommend it for those that live on their phone simply because you’ll ruin the ambiance. If you’re cool with paying dc prices for a cocktail you might as well enjoy one that’s well made.
*I’m torn between reviewing these places and trying to keep them on the low…

I will be the first to admit, I am a cocktail bar snob. So I wanted to love this place. But the cocktails my fiancé and I had here for my birthday tasted like we were at a Ruby Tuesday’s.
A good cocktail should primarily taste like the key spirit in the cocktail while the other ingredients accent the flavor. Here it was the opposite — the whiskey drink was overpowered by vermouth and the other was far too citrusy.
The waiter (service was solid, and earned the second star) recognized our displeasure and brought a new cocktail. He didn’t say what it was, just that it was bartenders choice. Based on the taste (again citrus overpowered the flavor), we think it was vodka based (never a good sign for a cocktail bar to be making vodka cocktails!) and it was no better than the other menu cocktails we tried.
Hopefully we were just there on an off night, but there are far better cocktail bars in the city to spend time in.

It’s been a year since my last visit to one of my favorite cities, and after 3 bars, it was time to take my group to my favorite bar, The Gibson.
We stepped up to the nondescript door, BUT people were milling around. I was nervous that there would be a long wait and stepped up to inquire about a table for 5. While standing there waiting for the lady in front of me to put in her name, I noticed that the upstairs was closed. Uh oh, fewer seats.
One of the great «features» is the good looking men. James was taking the reservations at the door. He’s friendly and attractive and I crossed my fingers when I asked for a table. He had one available immediately. WOW! Yep, I still love this place.
Our group was seated at a table in the corner affording us some privacy. Nice! Add the dim lighting and it’s such an intimate spot. Server was quick to take our orders.
3 in our group had Hemingway daiquiris. 2 of us had an artisan special made vodka cocktails. Even better, when they brought our specialty cocktails, he lit them on fire. Yes, I’m a sucker for cocktail theatrics! Plus, everyone drank their drinks quickly cuz they were spot on.
For 3 members of our group, this was the first visit. Did they like it? Yep. Hubby and I cut out of there early, but the rest of the group stayed.
Another fantastic evening at The Gibson.

Awesome drinks and staff. Love it. Will come back over and over. (I recommend reservations on a weekend night.)
What a great place. Take a date, meet friends, stop after work, whatever. This place fits the bill. The Gibson is about cocktails, and it doesn’t disappoint. They have wonderful creations and they can also come up with variations to meet your whim. But frankly, everything I’ve ever tried off the menu has been very good. Drinks are a tad pricey, but well in line with what you’ll pay at any upscale DC bar for cocktails. Seating is very comfortable.
The staff is great, too. Everyone I’ve had as a waiter has been incredibly friendly and, just as important, *knowledgeable* about the ingredients in the cocktails. What on earth is zucca? They know. What does it taste like? THEY KNOW. You never have to order a cocktail blind unless you’re too proud to ask and too lazy to google.
A final note: the manager is incredibly friendly and professional. I tip my hat to him as a gem onto himself.
I’d offer two suggestions to this fine establishment:
1. The music should be a little more mellow, maybe jazzy, rather than upbeat or tempo. Particularly on a week night, that doesn’t blend with the surroundings and atmosphere.
2. Perhaps one or two more food options on week nights. If you’re hosting people at 6 or 7PM, and they’re coming from work, a little more than nuts or olives could be useful (like bread with a hearty spread).

my first speakeasy! the gibson was not very difficult to locate (just a few blocks up from U street station). we were seated right away because we made a reservation at their opening time (6pm), but around 6:45pm the space started getting real crowded. I liked my order, the grapefruit blossom, but it was extremely boozy — the booziest out of all cocktails my party ordered — and a little too much for my taste. they had a few exciting creations that include egg whites and absinthe. the bar is small but provides a plenty of booths, the décor is very intimate and hip and even the bathrooms are extremely nice! excited to come back to try more cocktails.

This speakeasy bar lives up to its theme– mysterious, quiet and low-​light. So 5 stars for location and mood.
For the drinks, the menu is quite diverse. They also mix drinks in an unusual way so that’s really cool. Check out the photo I just posted with all the descriptions. I tried their gin drinks and were delicious. A bit strong, but no complaints here.

Chances are, you’ve passed by here and didn’t even know it. Yep, you read that right.
+ Awesome cocktails (some get lit on fiyah!)
+ Knowledgeable bartenders
+ Nice change up from the usual bar scene
It’s a cool place, but it’s worth nothing that it isn’t as traditional as other Speakeasies. Sometimes it feels like it’s crossing the line into the club stratosphere. I don’t mind loud music and loud conversation, but if I wanted those things I wouldn’t be heading to a Speakeasy.
However, it is a nice place to bring a date, to sit outside on a warm summer night, or to have a drink inside with friends. There’s something really «cool» about being able to come to a place that makes you feel like you left the hustle & bustle on U Street… am I right or am I right?
P. S. Make a reservation if you can. It will do you wonders! :)

We were extremely lucky to get two seats at the bar without reservations. Do yourselves a favor and plan in advance, at least for a weekend night, to have reservations.
The staff was fun and of course, knowledgeable. Their drink making was more like watching a dance.
Throughout the night, the music (which was more pop) got super loud. I got annoyed. We left.
I think that if you know what to expect from a DC «speakeasy», which is just a dark bar apparently, you will like this staple.

Perfect 5 to me!
Because of the following reasons.
1. The way the entrance looks gave me a suspense, and thrilling feeling when I opened the door. ;)
2. As soon as I opened the door for my friends, two young male staff inside greeted us and one of them went into the bar to check availability for us.
3. They have a nice courtyard as well as the nicely dimmed bar area.
4. The signature cocktail «Bittered Rye Sling» was so good!
5. Open nice and late.
6. Totally different world from outside the door.

A swanky speakeasy? Yes, please! I’ve heard a few others drop the name of this place as a laid back, sort-​of-​elitist, chill place to have some cocktails, and have wanted to try it out. Last night I finally got the chance and was pretty pleased with it!
The exterior was indeed as sketchy as described, but that just added to the experience. First off, I was surprised (and excited!) that they let the two of us in without a reservation. Right away we were escourted inside and given a choice between inside and their cute little outdoor patio area. Since the weather was sublime, we chose the patio, but looking back, I wish we’d sat inside. The décor/​feeling of the interior is much more of the speakeasy ambiance than the outdoor, but both are quite nice.
Normally, I’m a light beer drinker (yes, I know this makes me a terrible person), but «when in Rome»… So, I chose a cocktail — I think it was called the French 46? It had champagne in it, and was quite lovely — nothing like the harsh cocktails I’ve come to know and hate. The only downside was it’s pricetag at $ 16 for a champagne glass full.
All and all, really enjoyed this place and would come back, but strictly for the unique ambiance (and maybe just ONE drink to avoid the hit on my wallet).

Tagging along on my friend’s Coffee Meets Bagel date (he brought a +1 too!), I was excited to check out The Gibson. When we got off the U Street Metro, we walked around the block and saw the boys. They waved at us, we shook hands, and the bagel opens a not-​so-​obvious door in the wall.
Thoughts going through my mind at this point:
1. Uh, where are we going?
2. This door leads to a small hallway…
3. Oh crap, are they going to kill us?
4. I should’ve called my mom and told her I loved her!
When a lady opened the door into the actual speakeasy, I sighed with relief.
Like most speakeasies I’ve been to, this place is dark and romantic. We were seated in a booth and handed menus. Most of their drinks are about $ 12, and they have a few bar food (nuts, olives, etc). Reservations are highly recommended! And you can chill at your reserved table for 2 hours.

Definitivamente, el mejor lugar para tomar un buen covktail en DC, encantado de la originalidad de los tragos y el lugar!