H Street Martini Lounge
With all of the nouveau-grit bars and pubs dropping into the beaten buildings of H Street, there was bound to be a place that yearned to be a little more polished, a little more posh. H Street Martini Lounge is out to fill that niche, offering a sweet spot to sip a cocktail or four.

Arriving stone sober, with a healthy dose of sunshine beaming in through the front window, one can see the attempts to make a grubby place a little more refined. Clever martini-themed furniture and warm, exposed brick do their best to distract from cracked concrete floors and a fair share of dings here and there. It’s a visible struggle to add some glitz to an un-glitzy room, much like the dissonance between the place itself and the street it sits on. But after a drink or two down the hatch, with a little sunset and low light, the place starts to look pretty slick.

Sitting at the bar with my favorite bar-testing cohort, Heather, we pored over an enormous menu dedicated entirely to Bond’s favorite cocktail and its various offspring, deciding which to try. With my fondness of the fruity and her daring jaunts into the world of gin, we figured we could cover a lot of ground.

The menu is serious without taking itself too seriously. Martinis range from the classic to the newfangled, and come with an array of witty names. The 007 – Bombay Sapphire gin, Stolichnaya vodka, dry vermouth and a twist of lemon – satisfies those with traditional tastes, while those with a sweet tooth would be delighted with a Flirtini – champagne, Grey Goose vodka, Cointreau and pineapple juice.

Despite the cutesy names, all are made with top shelf liquors, save for those found on the limited happy hour menu. Prices start at $9 and top out at $14, while happy hour refreshments come in at $5. The latter will certainly do for an after-work pit-stop, but the good stuff is definitely on the regular menu.

Our plan was to order one each, maybe two, so we could cover our bases. And cover them we did. I started off with Key West pink lemonade, (I’m a wuss,) while Heather opted for a dirty gin.

Soon feeling the tug of those drinking munchies, we grabbed the food menu, which includes three kinds of wings, a variety of wraps, a couple of salads and snacks like the unexpectedly delicious basket of chips and salsa we ordered. This combo was all about the chips – normal corn tortilla chips – that came out wonderfully toasty and salty. They almost tasted like popcorn, our favorite snack, which is probably why we ended up ordering another helping.

Seeing as how those drinks were so darned tasty, and we found ourselves a little thirsty from those chips, Heather and I were forced to try more than our planned two each. You know…for research.

I went on to try the Lemon Drop, a drink ordinarily so strong (delicious, but strong) that I end up sipping for what seems like forever. Sam, bless his Eritrean soul, has a penchant for picking up recipes on The Food Network, and mixes his Lemon Drop “the way Oprah [Winfrey] likes it.” Rather than the traditional straight citron vodka (sometimes mixed with lemoncello), Winfrey chooses citron, a squeeze of fresh lemon and a pinch of mint, all topped off with a sugared rim. Wow. No hour-long sip fest involved here. Man, does that one go down easy…

The Hot & Dirty – a mix of Absolut Peppar, dry vermouth, olive juice, jalapeno and pimento-stuffed olives and a dash of pepper – was Heather’s top choice, and holy *#&@, you’d think she was drinking the juice of the gods. She liked it so much, in fact, that she gleefully ordered it again.

Forging on with our research, a little more giggly and a little slumpier in our stools, we checked out a few more. First was the beachy Hollywood, then a taste of the delightfully (I never use that word, but it’s so fitting) refreshing H Street Lemonade. We were a little put off by the too-sweet French, but licked our lips over the Fuzzy Martini.

As luscious as those drinks were, the martinis were served with straws, woefully aggravating one of my biggest pet peeves. Absolute heartbreak. I ask you this:

Can you see James Bond, with his crisp tux and that gorgeous vixen on his arm, sipping his martini with a tiny, bright green straw? I didn’t think so.

We were pleased to see a decent selection of bottled beers including Heineken, Heineken Light, Amstel, Sam Adams, Guiness and Corona. It may not be the stockroom for Oktoberfest, and there’s no draught to speak of, but if you really can’t muster up the courage to balance a martini glass all night, it should do.

There is an upstairs with tables, another bar and a stage, where you can often find live bands and other live entertainment, and where Tuesday night karaoke rock stars can do their thing. Friday nights the upstairs plays host to DJs, which is why if you happen by after 9, you’ll be faced with a somewhat steep $10 cover. Otherwise the place is open on both floors, with monthly events posted online.

Shy as I am, it was quite a feat for the staff to make me feel so totally comfortable. The warmest “welcome” I’ve ever heard in DC, doled out by owner Cliff, was what ushered us in, and Sam was attentive and fun to talk to without being too involved.

All in all, we really enjoyed ourselves. It was a comfortable space with friendly people and truly good drinks. What more could we have asked for? ...except maybe another martini…

H Street Martini Lounge, located at 1236 H St. NE, can be contacted at 202-397-3333. Their Web site, www.hstlounge.com, has full food and drink menus as well as a full event calendar.