10 New Venues in Washington for Spring 2020 Meetings and Events

New Penn Quarter restaurant Cranes riffs on Spanish and Japanese cuisine, using ingredients from the Mid-Atlantic. The 12,000-square-foot restaurant is from chef and co-owner Pepe Moncayo, who comes to D.C. after opening Singapore's Bam Restaurant in 2013. Opened in February, the restaurant’s design channels Japanese aesthetics with a sake lounge next to the 175-seat main dining room. Shown here is the private dining room that can seat up to 25.

A design-forward hotel that opened in February, Riggs Washington DC bowed in Penn Quarter's historic former Riggs National Bank building. The roof deck of the hotel features 2,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Inside, the space can be divided with flexible sliding wall partitions. The entire rooftop can accommodate up to 230 for receptions or 120 seated. The 1,347-square-foot Atrium South can accommodate 130 for receptions and 80 for banquets, while the 1,131-square-foot Atrium North can accommodate 100 for receptions and 40 for banquets. On the ground floor, Café Riggs (pictured here) flaunts a curtained-off, semiprivate dining room with room for 30 seated guests. A private dining room can accommodate 18 guests seated or 27 reception style.

Meeting- and workspace-provider Convene officially opened a new location this March. Convene Hamilton Square is situated in downtown D.C. and boasts almost 80,000 square feet of co-working, meeting, and event space one block from the White House. The design-forward venue is available for small meetings and full buyouts for as many as 300 guests. There are six meeting rooms, including the Forum, and a divisible space that can accommodate up to 259 guests for theater-style events and 156 classroom style. The Hamilton Boardroom can seat 14, while Gallery East can accommodate 150 for receptions and Gallery West can accommodate as many as 120 guests. The South Hub can hold 134 for theater-style events, the North Hub can accommodate 124 theater style, and the Central Hub can accommodate 104 theater style.

Dive into some friendly competition at Kick Axe Throwing and Throw Social DC, which both opened in February in Ivy City. At Kick Axe Throwing on the first floor, find 12 axe-throwing ranges with wintry, lodge-theme rustic decor, as well as a full kitchen and bar. Together, the two venues span 22,000 square feet across two floors and revolve around fun games; each floor can accommodate 200 guests or 450 guests combined.

On the second floor is Throw Social DC, where five curling rinks and six FootBowl (think football meets bowling) fields are decked out with neon signs and Palm beach-theme decor. As a bonus, the bowling platforms can be removed for an additional 3,600 square feet of space, and 10-person cabanas are also available for rent.

The team behind D.C. boutiques Salt & Sundry and Little Leaf debuted event venue the Sun Room. The 2,500-square-foot minimalist space in D.C.'s Eckington neighborhood features lots of natural light thanks to an oversize skylight, bright white walls, high ceilings, and glass garage doors. There's room for as many as 150 guests seated or reception style. Tip: Decor like pillows, furniture, and plants can be rented from Salt & Sundry and Little Leaf for events.

New waterfront restaurant the Grill—which opened in February—gets its name from the charcoal and wood-burning Josper Basque Grill in its open display kitchen. Knead Hospitality & Design worked with D.C.-based design and architecture firm 3877 on the design of the restaurant. Stand-out design elements include terrazzo floors, tropical murals, and a rose gold-colored custom LED chandelier. The modern restaurant boasts 108 seats inside, as well as 82 seats outside on its enclosable wrap-around outdoor patio.

D.C.'s arcade and bowling lounge the Eleanor opened up a new outpost in Silver Spring in February. Expect five bowling lanes in the colorful restaurant and bar, which serves up entrées like eggplant Parmesan and spicy fried chicken sandwiches. The Eleanor Silver Spring can accommodate 165 seated guests or 330 reception style.

Thompson Hotels planted its first location in D.C. this January with Thompson Washington D.C., located in Navy Yard. The 225-room hotel incorporates architecture by New York-based Studios Architecture and interiors by Parts and Labor Design. Floor-to-ceiling windows look toward the Anacostia River and Nationals Park, while the hotel's interiors are mid-century mod-inspired with industrial patterns and textures. There's more than 7,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space. Meeting rooms include the 840-square-foot Eight Bells, which accommodates 32 for receptions or 30 boardroom style, and the 918-square-foot All's Well, which holds 61 guests reception style or 45 classroom style. The hotel's restaurant, Union Square Hospitality Group's Maialino Mare, is also open for events, as is upstairs on the rooftop at Anchovy Social’s rooftop bar, which can be fully commissioned to accommodate 200 people.

Chef Michael Rafidi opened his restaurant Albi in Navy Yard in February, serving Middle Eastern food with a modern twist, along with a wine list from sommelier Brent Kroll. Decorated with wood tones and colorful tile, Albi is available for full buyouts for 50 seated guests or 100 guests reception style. A private dining room seats 16 guests or accommodates 30 for receptions, while a hearth table with a view of the open kitchen seats up to 10 guests.