11 New Venues in Washington, D.C. for Summer 2022 Meetings and Events

A mini golf experience for grownups opened in Penn Quarter in June with the debut of Puttery. The 19,000-square-foot entertainment complex from Drive Shack Inc. is located in the former International Spy Museum site, and the D.C. location of Puttery joins the brand's portfolio, which includes outposts in Dallas and Charlotte. There are three courses, each with nine holes and an over-the-top theme, such as the Art Museum course, the mind-bending Illusion, and the green-clad Conservatory. Puttery offers several comprehensive event spaces that can accommodate groups of all sizes—from small gatherings of 10 to a venue buyout for up to 400. Lounge spaces accommodate 10-30 guests while the F Street Bar accommodates 100-200, and dedicated private event rooms can host anywhere from 12-30. And come hungry, because margaritas, mascarpone and mushroom pizza, and sous vide pork belly are on the menu.

Logan Circle's recently opened Viceroy Washington DC hotel debuted Dovetail in May, a new restaurant and bar with indoor/outdoor appeal. The first-floor space includes a year-round, covered outdoor patio (pictured) with faux lawn and topiary that gives the space an atmosphere reminiscent of a garden oasis. Indoors, large windows look out toward the patio, and the concept from EDG Design includes a chef's table, blue mosaic floor tiles, yellow upholstery, and a blue tile-accented bar. Chef James Gee focuses on seasonal ingredients, with dishes like barbecue-spiced pork rinds, fennel-crusted tuna crudo, and New York strip steak. Dovetail can accommodate 52 seated or 75 standing indoors, and 40 seated or 100 standing outdoors.

Selina Union Market opened in June as the seventh stateside hotel for Selina. The D.C. outpost boasts 106 rooms and is decorated with a four-story, custom mural by Stencil Network and Sergio Stuff. Visitors will also find original screened artworks from Washington-based artists Veronica Barker-Barzel and Victory Dance Creative. The artsy hotel includes multiple options for events: On the lobby level, Meeting Room A can seat 18 or accommodate 25 standing guests, while Meeting Room B can seat six or accommodate eight. The 2,608-square-foot restaurant/coworking/lobby area can host 60 seated or 149 standing eventgoers, while Seating Area A can accommodate 10 seated or 15 standing. The Den Level features a 186-square-foot cinema, and there's also a 178-square-foot library—each can accommodate 10 seated guests or 20 standing guests. Selina Union Market's rooftop is home to three additional event spaces: The 1,010-square-foot interior that can accommodate 25 seated or 60 standing guests, the 1,305-square-foot exterior rooftop for 60 standing guests, and a 574-square-foot wellness room to host 20 seated or 35 standing guests.

An unmarked hot pink door and a neon sign leads to Alias on 14th, a “secret” social club that opened in April in Logan Circle. The eclectic space—a product of the partnership between Mike and Christal Bramson of B Social Hospitality and Med Lahlou of Lahlou Restaurant Group—is located within Lahlou’s Dolce Vita restaurant. Alias on 14th is decked out with velvet sofas, graffiti art, and floral, patterned wallpaper. And on-site beverage director Evan Cablayan curated show-stopping cocktails, such as the smoke-topped Bubblicious drink with citrus vodka. To accompany libations, snacks are provided courtesy of Dolce Vita’s Meze menu, which boasts scallop crudo, Caprese salad, and spanakopita. Alias's standing capacity is 200 and seated capacity is 100.

Hip Flask opened in May as Bethesda's first and only high-rise rooftop bar. Located atop the 12-story Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ, the bar takes advantage of sweeping city skyline views with floor-to-ceiling windows and an expansive terrace. The interiors incorporate shades of deep blue to evoke the nearby Potomac river and low, velvet seating gives a swanky feel. To elevate the guest experience—literally—there's an elevator in the lobby dedicated solely to Hip Flask. And in addition to craft cocktails, the bar menu includes pimento deviled eggs as well as meat and cheese boards. Hip Flask has 70 seats inside in a mix of bar and lounge seating, and 60 outdoor lounge seats.

Try for a hole in one while looking out over Tysons Corner at Perch Putt, a new mini golf course that opened in May. This 18-hole rooftop course is located 11 stories above Capital One Hall and adjacent to The Watermark Hotel. Mini golfers can get a bite and a drink at three on-site, retro food trucks where the likes of Los Dos Carlos is serving tacos from a converted Greyhound bus, and Grandpa Hank’s Jamaican Kitchen is housed in a vintage British double-decker bus. On another truck, Rhum Roost acts as a tiki bar with drink service available on the course. Perch Putt can host private events for anywhere from 10-400 guests by utilizing the putt putt course, the food truck and bar area, and the Great Lawn, which is located directly adjacent to the Perch Putt course.

In May, restaurateur Jeanine Prime of H Street's acclaimed Cane restaurant brought modern Caribbean fare to 14th Street with the opening of St. James. The menu includes callaloo soup with coconut milk and lump crab meat, as well as pepper shrimp and a platter with paratha bread and an assortment of duck, beef, and vegetable curries. It's all inspired by the food that Prime grew up eating, as translated by Cane culinary veteran Emma Hernandez and St. James executive chef Alfredo Romero Contreras. The decor is equally as unique and eye-catching—the dining room is outfitted with black and white photography from Trinidad, a chartreuse tiled bar, tropical plants, whitewashed exposed brick, and brass lighting. There are 67 seats, plus a 14-seat bar, and a 12-seat seasonal patio.

The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection's opened Tolson in February 2020, which closed two weeks later due to the pandemic. Early this summer, Tolson reopened as a private function space. It's named after Clyde Tolson, the protége of J. Edgar Hoover, who dined at the hotel daily for 20 years. The historical event venue is tucked behind the restaurant's Edgar Bar & Kitchen and boasts a main dining room designed for gatherings up to 60. Decor includes a neon sign reading "Very truly yours," the sign-off that Hoover and Tolson would use in correspondence, as well as a colorful bookshelf, open shelving, and bright-white walls. And to make the space even better, a private dining room is hidden behind the bookshelf and can accommodate up to 20 seated guests.

The two-story arcade bar Penn Social reopened downtown after a pandemic pause, and since transforming into a music hall, event venue, and coffee house—all under one roof. Little Penn Coffee House is on the top level, with a 10,000-square-foot private space located below. Penn Social can accommodate 499 standing guests for cocktail-style events, 300 for theater-style events, and 200 guests seated at round tables. And new amenities include a custom-tuned PA system and digital video distribution system, three mechanically activated projection screens, an expandable stage, theatrical lighting, and Ketra house lighting. Food options range from buffets to passed hors d'oeuvres, food stations, or a seated fixed menu.

Bottles Wine Garden is meant to feel like a secret, rosé-fueled garden, completely hidden within West End's extended-stay hotel 2500 Penn, a Placemakr Experience. Sommelier Erika Parjus has put together a list of more than 40 bottles and six by-the-glass options, with a focus on low-intervention winemaking from female winemakers. The outdoor patio is decorated with lush greenery, umbrellas, string lights, and swing seats. Inside, find wine-inspired art (including a neon light that says "Stop & Smell the Rosé"), velvet sofas, and walls decorated with wine bottles. The food menu includes snacks like flatbreads, ceviche, and hummus and crudités. Bottles Wine Garden's maximum capacity is 120, with 70 seated outside, 50 seated inside.

Looking to improve your swing without leaving downtown D.C.? CitySwing, founded by BIPOC Harvard grad and ex-Tesla executive Tari Cash, opened July 7 with golf simulator suites available for rent. The indoor golf experience offers an accessible golf experience complete with lessons and league play. CitySwing provides the perfect team-building activity, and catering options from local restaurants range from Surfside tacos to quesadillas, pastries, and sandwiches from Tatte bakery and cafe. The destination can accommodate up to 75 standing guests across the entire venue. There are 34 seats, including in the golf simulator suites.