Harold Black

Almost got a perfect rating which means, I'll have to come back a few more times to decide!

A good friend of mine took me here. Hidden, yet not so hidden upstairs from Acqua you don't enter the posh Italian restaurant. Instead, you deflect to your left, and go in the unmarked wooden door, up the stairs, and through the sliding door to your left. Dark tones, book cases, leather booths and a seductive bar make for the perfect atmosphere for cocktails and bacon-jam.....DID HE JUST SAY BACON JAM!!!!! Yes....but first...let's talk drinks!

D.C. is no longer a stranger to hand crafted drink menus; but in my opinion, what entices me about a speakeasy bar is that the bartender is free to craft and create from customer to customer. A small menu of drink options exist but I shun them and ask the bartender to go bourbon with a bang! He delivers. Citrus powerful, sweet bourbon up front, smooth all the way down....a winner! My friend sticks to the tried and true menu. Nothing disappoints but nothing makes you want to slap-yo-mama either! I've been blown away by drinks at PX and Columbia Room, so I'll have to come back here and sample some more; definitely top notch and 4-strong-stars cocktails!

Now, that bacon jam......crispy bacon bits immersed in caramelized onions and a brown sugar slurry sooo perfectly sweet and savory you could wear it on the Red Carpet...but instead we spread it on crispy toast......BOOM! I'm going to try to repeat that success at home!

Harold Black....I'll Be Back!!!

Cool atmosphere.  Great service.  No real food though.  More like a very light snack.  Definitely deserves a second visit.

Very fun bar! It's a legit speakeasy where you not only have to enter through an unmarked door, but you also walk past/ behind a restaurant and then snake your way up the stairs. when you get to the top of the stairs, you knock on a wood paneled door that slides away to reveal the bar. To the undiscerning eye, this looks just like a dead end.
We ordered both drinks from the menu and off the menu. The drinks were all delicious! Really well balanced. The bartender is very knowledgeable. The decor is hip (hipster), rustic and amusing. Great place!