Mayflower Club Is Dupont’s New Dinner, Drinks, Dance Den

Dinner and drinks inevitably leads to dancing at Dupont’s newest hotspot, the Mayflower Club.

In fact, this is the second iteration of a Mayflower Club at this location — albeit some 90 years apart. And the current one is definitely more public than the Mayflower Club of the past.

In the 1930s, the 4th floor of the building at 1223 Connecticut Ave. NW was one of DC’s most famous speakeasies serving wealthy Washingtonians during Prohibition. Proprietor Zachariah (“Zebbie”) Goldsmith actually operated a 30 foot bar here before he was raided and arrested for a series of illegal activities.

In 1998, the building was gutted and renovated to become a nightlife venue once again, named MCCXXIII (1223) and later Dirty Martini, offering pricey bottle-service and VIP lounging. But now Antonis Karagounis has his hands on the property, and if his list of successful spots (Decades, Ultrabar, Rewind, Lima, etc.) is any predictor, this place is primed to be a phenomenon.

The brand new Mayflower Club is a three-tiered restaurant and nightlife concept that returns the venue to its flashy and flourishing heyday. With five bars and a rooftop lounge — Zebbie’s Garden named in honor of the man who gave the club its original cool — Mayflower Club is both a playground for sips, hookah smokes, and other sensualities as well as a perfect place to start the night with fine dining.

If you’re tempted to fast-forward to the late night festivities and head upstairs to lounge straightaway, you would be missing out on some serious supper club standouts. Opening night menu highlights included the larger-than-life tuna crudo, a beautiful filleted branzino, and a gold-topped strip steak that’s melt-in-your-mouth marvelous.

One of our local favorites AJ Johnson also helms the Mayflower Club cocktail menu rotating in masterpieces that prepare you for… wherever the night takes you.

Because while it’s no longer prohibited to drink and dance in DC, missing out on the city’s newest hotspot with excellent eats would absolutely be a crime.

The Mayflower Club is now open at 1223 Connecticut Avenue, Washington D.C. Fridays and Saturdays 9pm – 3am.