The Fountain Inn DC

For Top-Notch Drinking Snacks, Swing by Georgetown’s Reborn Fountain Inn | Eater DC

"A reborn Georgetown tavern with roots dating to 1783—when clockmaker John Suter’s original Fountain Inn counted Thomas Jefferson as an early customer—this elegant, two-story cocktail bar was resurrected in 2022 by whiskey aficionados and now stocks 700 spirits, rolling out its first bonafide food menu under executive chef Greg Heitzig (a Pineapple & Pearls alum). Candlelit lanterns glow over a cozy, 20-seat dining room where you can go a la carte or opt for a five-course seasonal tasting menu ($89). Bacon sneaks into toothsome cornbread, umami-packed butter arrives as a spaghetti-like accoutrement (a playful nod to Heitzig’s stint at Grant Achatz’s now-shuttered Aviary in NYC), and roasted foie gras with toasted pistachios is as decadent as it gets (and relatively affordable at $28). You’ll want to ask for seconds of the highly dunkable “A1” sauce served with a sliced row of Roseda Farms strip loin; the soup of the season (honeynut squash) embraces honey-poached cranberries; and the towering “Innkeeper’s” Humboldt Fog-and-Swiss burger lands on brioche under a cartoon pickle-topped toothpick ($25). To drink, the Spice Trade Sour features Indonesian Batavia Arrack Van Oosten, chai syrup, and orange juice. Regulars dripping in diamonds and Chanel and Georgetown parents on date night settle in, and on a recent Wednesday a steady stream of whiskey buffs sauntered down the wooden stairs after a flight tasting (a regular happening), while back-lit lockers showcasing customers’ liquid loot frame both floors. Insider tip: its affiliation with the Bourbon Concierge means plenty of pricey pours for the rare Pappy Van Winkle connoisseur." - Tierney Plumb