The Manor

Initially I wasn’t too enthused about frequenting this lounge/​club. It literally took teeth and nails to persuade me, in this cold weather, honnnn-​T, no! But I’m sure glad I did get out the house after being buried in snow for a week!
I’m one of those Southern Belles that turns into another creature when I go out and hear some good music, combined with other folks having fun. I love a good time… who doesn’t!?? We were there with some other friends and although there was some misconstrues with the private table we had reserved I still had a BLAST! I would like to mention that one of the bartenders (female type) either doesn’t know how to count or thought that she deserved a $ 12 tip. After some back and forth with said bartender she ended up not getting a tip at all. Lol. Dishonesty will get you nowhere honeeeeey!!! Lol. And too bad because the drink was actually really good!
We arrived around 11:30pm and they closed at 3am. No cover charge or body/​cavity search! Hahah. The restrooms were decent and there was even an attendee assisting the patrons. The venue is not that big, but does have an upstairs VIP area as well. The camera guy for the club stayed in particular area the entire night, so I’m sure he has some bland pictures. He needs more practice.
There were some drunkies (women) in the establishment, to be expected (so not cute), and some even bumped into me a few times. I did the «adult» thing and let them have the spotlight. Working on my patience because a few years ago…
I throughly, throughly enjoyed my night. I haven’t had such a good, genuine time in I don’t know HOW long. Would definitely re-​visit!

Was ok for first couple hours. Burlesque didn’t happen until well after midnight, neither did good music. Just saying.

Good music!
The place looks a little shabby and old from outside but the atmosphere is decent inside… The dance floor is big enough for a group event. The shots and cocktails were little pricey

I went with friends during a less crowded time. We waited almost an hour for our food and when it came some of the order was incorrect. Also, the ice bucket that we received for our Mimosas had mold in it. Very Gross!!!

We went there on Halloween night, after about half an hour waiting in the line a Lebanese guy came and ask for our credit card and wanted to charge us $ 60 before we get in. We didn’t accept and they didn’t let us in. Avoid. Thieves.

The overall atmosphere was kinda chilling and I really like the upstairs set up they have going but what really ruined it for me was the terrible service of the bartender, idk her name but I came In on Sunday when they did the happy hour/​day party for HU Homecoming weekend, which I though was a great idea .now let me first say I myself am a server/​bartender in the Dupont area myself And I have been serving in general for a while now I completely understand how crazy it is when you are in the weeds but I have never and should never see anyone throw the check at, roll there eyes at, and and be verbally aggressive and rude to a guest. I literally heard her tell my friend if he had tipped her better she would be refilling his bottomless mimosas more often and that just blew my mind seeing as though the one thing any Veteran and or new person in the service industry should know and understand completely is that it is up to the patron to tip us. There is no law, there is no rule, there is no person you can call if they don’t, so when they don’t you have now right to decrease the amount of service you give them and honestly it makes the Establishment itself just look ridiculous for allowing someone with that to continue making their guest feel so under appreciated.
Will I ever go back? Not likely because of my negative first experience
Would I recommend it? Yes and no, yes because I think without the terrible bartender I might have actually enjoyed my experience because I was actually looking forward to coming back and trying the food until all of the negativity from her kinda ruined It for me which takes me back into the No side of this answer.

This is due to the miscommunication between the owner & the host of a large party. A party of a minimum of 30 persons were scheduled and reserved to have an event here. Upon arrival, we can dress casually. There was no expression or statement on the website of a dress code.
Upon speaking with the owner, we spoke to him & the owner was very non excepting. After speaking with the manager Juan, he told us that we were able to come in but then after the rest of the party came to join, they were denied entry after coming in casual clothing.
The host of the party approached the owner wanting an answer as to why. Then «King», the alias of the owner, was very disrespectful & hindered any progress that could have taken place for them to receive a large party of persons.
This place shall not be supported by persons who want great service. This place did not make aware of the requirements upon entry anywhere on there website nor social media. It was a disappointment to choose this company to host an event for.
VERY UNFRIENDLY SERVICE!
As an employee who works in the industry as well as a person who has worked at several restaurants & bars in DC & Virginia. This place does not know how to treat customers nor has an owner who knows how to communicate well to its clientele of its requirements to enter its establishment. This place will be receiving a letter from the Better Business Bureau.

The Manor is a lot nicer inside than expected. The one flaw is they need more bathrooms… IDK how they manage late night. The food is very good. The Manor burger is one of the best I have had, the lobster grilled cheese was delicious as well.
I think with some advertising, this place could do pretty well.

The Manor has a brick and chandelier focused interior with two micro stages for enthusiastic dancers and drunk patrons to steady themselves on. Apparently if you look hard enough in the dark you’ll also find a second tier platform that patrons can stand on as well. The DJ on Saturday night spun a mix of house and top 40’s. There were moments when the house and EDM conglomerate were a bit repetitive but still very danceable. Nice sound system.
It felt like a classy joint in the dim lighting, but really it was hard to tell. What I can say is my group had fun, the drinks were easy to order from the bartender, and the crowd was not too rowdy. I would come back.

More than five months have passed, and I still hate how The Manor treated my party of 13 people on NYE.
Shortly after the ball dropped at midnight, three of my friends and I walked onto the open balcony above the dance floor of The Manor. With no signs, bouncers, or any indications that this was a special VIP area, we stayed for 10 minutes, until a group that evidently was VIP angrily told us to get out. That same group accused us of drinking their alcohol, which we did not. We stood there and danced and checked out the view as we held the drinks we had brought up from the floor below.
Despite the openness of the supposed VIP section, we immediately left after the group confronted us. I went back downstairs to check on my coat I’d put near a table (seeing as the coat check we had all paid for was «no longer available»). I turned around to see bouncers shoving and grabbing one guy from our party. Utterly confused, I followed my friend out of the entrance, where one exceptionally nice bouncer tried to provide an explanation. A larger (and incredibly rude) bouncer told the nice guy to go back inside and that our group was out and to forget about us. We never got a real explanation that night, and because we wanted to stay together, all 13 of us walked out… after having been there 30 minutes.
On January 3, the person in our group who was kicked out called The Manor asking for a refund and explanation. Supposedly, a girl in the VIP area (I’m assuming the one who thought we drank her stuff?) had accused my friend of «assaulting her» and «punching her in the face.» Not only was this girl’s story entirely false, I was mostly upset that The Manor did not bother on the night of the incident to take the time to actually speak to any of us, who paid $ 30 apiece to be there. Instead of showing our group any respect, The Manor let one lying girl single-​handedly end the night for 13 people.
Side note: Assault is a serious crime. To lie about a topic that important for the sake of getting your drinks compensated… What a petty and twisted notion. Drunk or not, that kind of behavior on her behalf was/​is inexcusable.
The Manor refused to refund our group after this incident, though they did suggest we return for free drinks on them. Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll take my time, money, and friends anywhere but The Manor after what happened on NYE.

Just not a huge fan of the overall vibe of The Manor. I came in recently for happy hour and this place was pretty much a ghost town, in an area packed with bars that are usually full during the after work time this is a clear sign of something being a miss.
When I first arrived I just kind of set there as the bartender was nowhere to be found and the other staff appeared to be having some kind of meeting in the corner of the bar and were much too occupied to tend to their solitary guest. When I finally was served the lady was friendly but it just took a minute to get my drink.
Bartender finally arrived and he was a nice enough guy but just wasn’t as aware as I need wait staff to be. He didn’t realize the kitchen was out of buns while he was up selling me on a burger. After I ordered said before he lets me know 5 or so minutes later there are no buns. My friend luckily suggested he ask the kitchen for an alternative bread source since he wasn’t going do it on his own.
Luckily the kitchen staff was able to find a bread source and I got the burger, I’ll admit it was the best part of the visit, nice and juicy and well cooked, a tad greasy but what good burger isn’t. Accompanying fries were pretty much worthless though as they were fried hard enough and lacked any quality flavor even though they were covered in truffle oil.
While The Manor could have some potential as it is nice to look at and with huge open windows gives you great views of downtown, they really need to work out a lot of kinks before I can give them a ringing endorsement.

Soooo … where do I start. I was there for their karaōke night — had a good time with friends. Their cocktails were served in extra small glasses. Their tortilla chips were stale. However, the good news is their pomegranate glazed wings were delicious, and their sweet potato fries with accompanying dipping sauce were surprisingly good. The waitress was extremely friendly and provided great service.

I came to this place a little after 7pm so I missed Happy Hour :(I had trouble finding the place driving for some reason… but you walk up a flight of stairs to get in.
There are a tables you can sit at. The bar has seating. After a certain hour I wanna say 9ish the chairs are removed and the place transitions into a lounge/​club type of spot. I had fun dancing, eating and drinking. The crowd was mixed and ranged from mid 20’s– late 30’s age wise.
I ordered the Margarita Pizza which was awesome ! I mean this pizza was crunchy and just damn good hell! I want a slice now. I’m curious to see how brunch is (I read they have it) I’ll be back. I’m also curious to see how this place is on the weekends too!

This review is for their Happy Hour:
I came to this place with a group of friends. When you first enter, you walk up a flight of stairs and this is the first level. There are a few tables, a couch or two and some other chairs within the place. The bar is on this level as well and there are bar chairs you can sit on too. The second level is not really a level. It is next to the DJ Booth, but it is more like a few seats to sit on and then you can look down at folks on the first level.
Happy Hour here is Tuesday to Friday from 3pm to 7pm. The food section of their Happy Hour is called «Happy Bites». For the prices they charge which range from $ 3 to $ 10, you get more than just a bite (don’t think mini as it is quite the opposite). I ordered the Margherita Pizza (the size of it looked like a medium). The pizza was okay, but the crust was a bit hard, so it was hard to eat the pizza at times; the drinks were good for HH prices and were not watered down. One of my friends got the Grilled Chicken & Avocado Club sandwich (not from the HH menu) and it was a very large portion that she could not finish (she took it to go).
We went to this place during a weekday afternoon and the place did not seem busy at all. If I make it back here, I want to try their Pomegranate Glazed Chicken Wings — the name itself catches my attention, but I am curious to see if the taste will do the same.
Extra:
This place is located almost across the street from the Dupont Circle Metro (take the South exit).

*Review for the dance area — not restaurant/​food*
The EDM/​techno music here warbled with bad ear worms and was not exactly bumping. I dug the décor and clean bar area, but was not impressed with the DJ set. Folks on the dance floor weren’t into it either and joined me in on the people-​watching too. (Cue in everyone staring at each other but not making moves. Was this a middle school dance?!)
By the bar area, one of the bartenders put on a show by juggling a tall, fired-​up vodka bottle! He would blow the flames every few seconds and it would heat and light up the entire bar. A mood pick-​up, thank goodness! Don’t come here for the music. But if you want a clean, newish bar in the Dupont area, The Manor will be your place.

Strange checking this place out after so many visits to fiesta back in the day. They have fancy, Victorian décor, but it’s kind of shabby looking. Cheap furnishings maybe. But whatever, you’re coming to drink, not to get swept away by romantic ambiance. They offer expensive mixological cocktails, so we got a beer — $ 6, nothing wrong with that, but the options were fairly limited. They had 3 beers on tap during our visit. At the end of the day the selection is too limited to keep me interested in coming back, but we had a fine time.
The highlight of the short trip: at one point the bartender lit a wick inside a liquor bottle and started flipping it around and juggling it — then swigged some liquor straight from another bottle and blew a flame by spitting it into the wick. It was completely random, and he ended up with some blackened skin in the hands. Gotta love that commitment.
There was also a bday party going on — at one point they started singing a version of the bday song I’ve never heard all in unison like a freaking choir or something, probably 30 people hitting every note on point. Did they rehearse for this gig?

Bad, good, and ok:
Bad:
Theft is common! There are 2 guards standing around watching the venue at all times, yet neither saw my friend’s coat get stolen during the 1 minute we had our eyes turned.
Good:
Small venue, but very upper class. The overall design is very catchy and modern. There is a nice seating area on one side, with the bar on the opposite side. The bathrooms even have hired help to distribute towels and such. (love that kind of service!)
OK:
The dance floor is really tiny though, which is strange since the bar mostly played EDM music. Not exactly what I want to be listening to in a room built for sitting and standing.

I was invited to their new menu tasting event. To be honest, I was only expecting overpriced, bar food coming in. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation and quality of every dish I sampled!
«Sampled» probably wasn’t the correct term. I was served more than a full dinner –Earthy edamame hummus, gooey gourmet lamb pizza, refreshing Ahi tuna nacho, saucy BBQ pulled pork + mushroom truffle sliders, jumbo shrimp & cheesy grit, pan seared salmon + pillowy gnocchi, and who can forget? — juicy lamb chop with tangy tzatziki sauce!
Definitely not your typical club/​bar venue — I can’t wait to return to sample the rest of the menu!

To say they serve good food is an understatement. I came here with an open mind not knowing what to expect. Most bar/​lounges I have been to and had dinner at usually do not serve the highest of quality food. Usually at best it is mediocre with a poor attempt to offer something with posh pricing — totally not the case here at the Manor.
I came here last night for a food tasting event. Like Wing C., we tried many different things on their menu. We aren’t talking about small bites — we’re talking going back for seconds and thirds without any problem per person. We indeed did have a full dinner.
Some of my favorite items were the following:
— the edamame hummus sampler which comes with 3 different types of hummus and their take on pita bread
— pulled pork and mushroom truffle sliders
— cheddar truffle popcorn
— ahi tuna nachos (probably my favorite)
— the lamb pizza
There were a ton of others things too. We really were spoiled at this event.
Happy hour was great — they offered $ 3 beers, and $ 4 – 5 mixed rails. Having an Angry Orchard on tap sold was the cherry on top for the night! I did have a vodka cran. It was a very heavy pour which I am never going to complain about.
The venue itself is very Victorian and aesthetically pleasing. I love the wall paper in the place and all the chandelier. The fire place was a nice added touch.
My only complaint is the bathrooms. They’re more or less communal. Women do have their own designated bathroom as do the men, but with shared sinks and women having 2 restrooms — guys having 3 restrooms — I think that could get really crowded on a weekend night with 5 other restrooms to my assumption designated to employees. Add one of those employee bathrooms to another woman’s restroom to help with crowd control, and I think it would be perfect. This being a really small factor to the place doesn’t affect the rating in my opinion. Simply a suggestion that might help with utilizing your space better.

I’ve only dropped by once and this was before their «official» grand opening weekend. But what I saw had great potential.
A friend of mine was meeting a few people here for drinks and asked me to come along. To my surprise, the venue was operating at what seemed to be full speed although it was obvious word was not yet out that it was open. (You could tell promoters were not involved yet, but all of the bar staff were on top of things.)
If you like the vibe and décor of Josephine’s then you’ll love Manor’s aesthetics. If you love the more intimate space that Kabin provides, then you’ll enjoy the layout and size here as well. It basically reminds me like a combo of both.
Soon (if not already) I’m sure this place will be packed with tables bought out nightly fairly quickly.
I’ll definitely return sometime soon to see what’s to come. Staying tuned…