The Bluebird Cocktail Room - A Proper Cocktail Bar in Hampden

[monsterriffs]

Hampden recently got a proper cocktail bar, the Bluebird Cocktail Room, which took over a former art gallery space that sits above the De Kleine Duivel Belgian beer hall. 

The space itself is extraordinary. To enter the establishment, you walk through the heated patio that has been outfitted with bench swings for those longer, summer days, up a flight of stairs and through a hallway at which the space opens up in front of you. Marble tables anchor the center of the room, while a long marble bar features to the left of the space and cushioned benches ring the remainder of the room.

Cocktails here vary from poor to outstanding, but there are more misses than hits. The price point is, dare I say, far too tied to DC prices and should really come down a couple of bucks across the board. Nevertheless, the liquor selection is excellent, but lately, I have stuck to the Old Fashioned because it is potent and delicious, and is something the bartenders can consistently produce.

Bar snacks are also not an afterthought here, and some of the more noteworthy items from the kitchen have been a merguez sausage and a salmon crostini. A batch of fries recently, however, was forgettable.

I'm happy to have this space here, but I'd like to see less silliness and more consistency across the board with regard to the drinks.