bar pilar

...gave us the chance to try out three different drinks. we ordered a sparkling wine drink for al, an apple gin and tonic for myself, and adrienne tried her first blue motorcycle, that came with a flaming lime on the side....

bar pilar is something out of the 1920s, and definitely has a speakeasy sort of vibe.

fit for foodies. i came here with friends and was able to sample lots of the dishes. favorites were morel mushrooms, lamb belly bolognese gnocchi, halibut ceviche. service was friendly and on point.

sort of rude bartenders around here. food was substandard. but i like the decor ! i really do. not cool for date nights. but yeah if you just go with your girlfriends and want to try make merry (read, chirp about aloud) this place ain't so bad !

offensive service, tasteless drinks. my friends and i went to bar pilar tonight hoping to have a nice, mellow night of catching up before the holidays. despite positive intentions, our night turned into a horrible experience. not only was the waitress rude and unhelpful, she also added a 20% gratuity tip to the bar tap bill because we were "seated." seated is a large exaggeration since chairs were only provided for half of our group, and we were refused seating at a larger table despite our willingness to wait. while 20% gratuity for a party of 8 is customary for a restaurant, none of us had ever experienced this practice at a bar, especially when no food was ordered to accompany drinks. we asked to speak with the manager to address the issue, and he impatiently told us that it was "all over the website and social media." when we pulled up social media and the website to show the manager that it was not mentioned anywhere, he brushed it aside and claimed work is being done on the website. he offered to take a few percentages off the gratuity, completely misunderstanding our frustration not with having to pay 20% tip, but with having a "customary" practice forced upon us with no warning on the menu, walls, or online. are we so cheap that we can't pay $3 in tip? no. in the spirit of the season, we were hoping to tip more. are we offended by the rude service? absolutely. needless to say, none of us will be returning and none of us will be endorsing this establishment.

on a side note - their drinks are watered down and tasteless.

here's a few things i learned from my experience at bar pilar. one, that you should never order beer with what i consider breakfast foods. i've always enjoyed abita products when i ordered them and this one was quite good by itself. but when you eat some bacon, some bits of the pancake sandwich then it becomes a bit unappetizing. my head was screaming coffee but my heart was all about the beer. sometimes the heart isn't always right. the pancake sandwich was as decadent and heart-stopping as you would think. i'm told that this is what a mcgriddle is from mcdonald's but i can't imagine that being this good. after you put butter on the pancakes and some maple syrup, the combination was surprisingly coherent. the fluffy eggs and the slightly fluffy pancakes all worked together. sweet and savory with the salty coming from the bacon. i just wish the bacon was a bit more crispy but it was bacon so it can be forgiven.

i stopped into try some new dishes upstairs at bar pilar and was blown away. chef justin out did himself with the most amazing menu. jonathan fain walked us through his "periodic table of cocktails."

there are a few restaurants in d.c. that have this mysterious allure to them simply because they maintain a low key décor with incredible buzz that never seems to die.  bar pilar is one of those places in the district that has garnered attention for its consistently fulfilling and ever-changing brunch menu.  my anticipation was at its max when i visited for the opening of the second floor of the restaurant.  as small and intimate as the first floor is, i am almost positive that i would still be waiting on a table for sunday brunch the way i am still waiting for a table at toki underground. 

... i am actually proud of myself, as i join the throng of mostly twenty-somethings, urban professionals, and city dwellers. bar pilar has been on my list for a long time.

if bar pilar wanted to call itself a speakeasy, it could. outside, there is only a tiny sign. inside, it is dimly-lit, cozy, with exposed brick and wall sconces. there is gold, bronze and wood accents, like a throwback to decades past. people a

this saturday, we were able to check out bar pilar’s vintage décor in the sunlight—including the authentic helm of hemingway’s boat, pilar, the namesake of the restaurant and the female protagonist of for whom the bell tolls.

stopped in with friends for some drinks and a bite before a show at the 9:30 club. definitely enjoyed the decor at bar pilar, but everything else didn't impress. service was extremely slow. wine list, as of last night leaves much to be desired. the calamari dish was excellent. calamari was perfectly grilled and the accompanying sauce was ok. could have used a little more spice. brat(worst) well cooked, but had absolutely zero flavor. waitress acted as if i were an idiot when i asked for dijon mustard or anything that may have made the brat somewhat palatable. overall, unimpressed with food and menu, but the the space was beautiful.

bar pilar is a very popular pub with increasingly well regarded pub fare so we were hoping a snowstorm was finally our chance to score a table. while we were not able to order from the usual small plate menu, the brunch menu is interesting enough for a la

everything was delicious and the atmosphere made for a nice warm haven on a rather chilly december afternoon. my pancake sandwich was the perfect blend of traditional breakfast items, and his chicken salad sandwich even sounded good. seriously, the crunch

food is amazing. only sad thing is that they lost their bartender earlier this year so the inventiveness and consistency of the drinks has decreased. check out peasant tuesday specials where 2 people eat very good, very large meal for $40. themes change every week, from bbq to russian to argentinian.