The Arcade

Inside the Buzzy New Arcade, a Next-Level Lounge for Downtown | Eater DC

"Stepping into the Arcade last weekend felt like being transported to circa-1970s Tokyo: a sprawling, neon-soaked lounge hidden in a back-alley courtyard within Midtown Center off L Street NW (1100 15th Street NW), open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. The ambitious, speakeasy-style spot pairs high-ticketed table service and world-class DJs with an obsessively sourced aesthetic — cedar wood paneling from the Akida forests, a blinking wall of Pachinko machines, street vending machines, a ceiling of retro doors, a prominent bonsai on the terrace, supersized manga art, a ceiling dotted with graphic novels, vintage boomboxes, stacked TVs and a 360-degree bar — and even bathrooms accessed by shaking a steel hand, stocked with mirrored TVs and rows of 3D good-luck trinkets. Cocktails starring Japanese spirits cost about $25 and include gamer-themed drinks like the Sonic (Roku gin, Nigori sake, lychee, lime) and Pikachu (Haku vodka, sakes, passion fruit, yuzu, lime); the bar features a customizable LED light show and plans for an in-house bottled cocktail program. The format discourages photos (staff place black stickers on phone lenses), requires a mandatory, digitally tracked coat check, limits seating to 35 red-leather banquette tables (there’s no dedicated dance floor), and can be pricey — table service starts around $475 for spirits like Nikka’s vodka or gin, many bottles hover near $1,000, and a $35,000 30-year Macallan is offered; covers can surge above $100 for top DJs. Entry is largely by private invitation, the concept will evolve toward a membership model, and food is limited to candy and gummy bears paired with premium bottle service." - Tierney Plumb