Bar 515 Unveiling

We waited all summer, and the newly remodeled J and G Steakhouse at the W Hotel was finally unveiled on Wednesday night. Located directly across from the Treasury at 515 15^th Street, N.W., J and G’s new space is designed for elegant dining, as well as a chic drinking venue.

The bar space revolves around marble high-top communal table giving J and G a fresh, energetic, social feel. The new cocktail menu features new concoctions created by the mixologist Domingo, priced from $12-14 dollars. I tried the light and refreshing French 515, with a base of sparkling rose, 515 Catoctin Rye, and garnished with a lemon twist.

In the dining area, the old high-backed chairs were replaced with eloquent red and grey armless chairs. The plain white walls were painted dark plum with white accents, upon which hung enormous abstract paintings of the Capitol dome. The brilliant new light fixtures hang from the vaulted ceilings giving the large space an intimate and stylish dining experience.

Bar 515 continues downstairs into a more low-key space below, featuring a fireplace, secluded nooks, and two-top tables for a an intimate hide-away.

The outside patio had plenty of tables, white light strands hanging from the trees, and plush seating around three gas fireplaces. This patio is a fantastic place to enjoy the cool fall season with friends, coworkers, or even a date.

The patio is equipped with a half-bar, as well as a martini cart that will roll around the restaurant offering chilled gins, vodkas, and all the garnishes you could want: blue cheese-stuffed olives, roasted red peppers, and cornichons, to name a few.

I am new to the concept of a cocktail cart, but it makes the experience of ordering a drink much more interactive, and sipping my dirty martini was the perfect way to enjoy the jazz trio playing underneath the backdrop of the Trasury building.

As for the food, a new bar bites menu features a range of dishes from $15-$30. The steak tartar sliders, crab cakes, and the classic J&G steak were all flavorful, and I cannot praise the Beef Carpaccio enough: a thin slice of beef, served with black truffle morsels, grated Parmesan, olive oil, and flat bread.

The fried onion classed up a traditional finger food, served with heirloom tomato salad and Russian dressing.

Finally, the American caviar was presented atop a dollop of crème fraîche on a crispy russet potato wedge, making a bourgeois dish entirely appetizing to a common palate such a mine.

The new look and feel of J and G Steakhouse is incredible, and I will definitely be taking friends back to Bar 515 for an evening drink in the near future.

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