In yet another sign of the District's apparent immunity to the global recession, our city has seen an unexpected influx of upscale resto-lounges (gourmet restaurant by day, posh nightclub by night) in recent months. The Penn Quarter’s new Stir Lounge deviates a bit from the winning formula developed in New York and Miami, noticeably distinguishing itself from its well-known parent restaurant, Indebleu. In fact, the lounge doesn’t actually serve food - and it has and entirely separate entrance - so its connection to Indbleu is more a matter of publicity than anything else.Stir instills some much-needed energy into a neighborhood dominated by sports bars, stodgy restaurants and corporate retail establishments. After the luke-warm reception of the former Tantra Lounge, Stir intelligently concentrates on VIP service and exclusivity. The lounge foregoes the silly thrills and nighly specials of many other "upscale" clubs in the city, appealing to Washingtonians that take pride in their appearance and are willing to spend a pretty penny for a memorable downtown club experience.
Sure, there's something to be said about any club that has to openly publicize its exclusivity (a tad counterintuitive, no?). But at the very least, Stir serves an elusive niche in today's D.C. club scene: a simple, elegant and service-oriented nightspot for those who can somehow still afford a VIP table and $200 bottles of Grey Goose.
http://dc.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/bar_review/shaken-by-the-economy/1077723/content
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