Ugly Duckling

We got the chance to try a few menu items and I'll say without a doubt the lamb kofta meatballs are AMAZING! They are very well flavored, and the right portion, as they pack a punch. We also indulged in the Gullywarsher, the Tom Collins and some olives, all met and exceeded our expectations. Senora was a great bartender, she took very good care of us and was very hospitable

Friendly staff, creative drinks both on menu and that they'll make off menu, insane happy hour deals, and competitive prices overall. The vibe is great and it's nice to hang out there along or with friends. Playlist is fun and eclectic. In 2 weeks, I've visited 4 times and will continue returning regularly, especially as weather improves

I celebrated my birthday here and had a reserved corner for the occasion. I invited about 15 people, and the staff ensured that everyone had plenty of space and felt comfortable. They reserved both the small room and a section of the bar for us, which I really appreciated. I loved how they set up the space—the additional seating (compared to the old bar) made it feel even cozier! Communication with the manager, both over the phone and via email, was excellent—especially considering I planned everything on short notice within a week. I should note that my birthday fell on a Wednesday, which likely made reservations easier.

Loved our happy hour at Ugly Duckling! Really interesting cocktails and small plates all for reasonable prices (by DC standards at least) made for a lovely evening. Especially loved the Gullywarsher cocktail and the meatballs and stuffed mushrooms. Also had the whipped feta, speck, and fiddleheads which were all very good. The bartenders were warm and helpful. Will definitely be coming back and hope to make this a regular spot!

Great atmosphere, excellent cocktails. Really good wine selection and good beers to choose from. The snacks here are delicious. Get the carrots and the salmon crudo, but you can't go wrong with the charcuterie.

This place is amazing.... the drinks were fire. The food was fire.... The vibe was fire....the lamb meatballs with lebnah was crazy.

Had an awesome time! The people are great! Our bar man Cory made cocktails that were delicious and unique! Great time had by all!!!

Really enjoyed my time at Ugly Duckling tonight. We came in for cocktails and grabbed a seat right away on a comfy chair by the window. Had two whiskey drinks, one from the menu, and one classic cocktail, both were very well made and well presented. The service itself was very friendly and efficient. We also had the whipped feta, which was delicious. I look forward to coming back.

A great new gem and cocktail bar in the lower Shaw area! We came on a Monday around 6:30pm and easily grabbed seats on thr couches on the corner. I broke a glass almost immediately and staff were so friendly and gracious I felt so bad! We each tried a different cocktail and were extremely pleased with them all. The pandan cocktail is a true star with a wonderful buttery vanilla taste with hints of lime and coconut. Each cocktail was extremely well balanced and not too expensive considering their quality. I even had a mocktail that wasn't yet on the menu but was absolutely fabulous with enough complex flavors to feel like something special. Our server was so friendly and attentive and even had us try a dish they were testing which we all loved! Their menu is fairly limited at the moment but it sounds like they're still in their soft launch and will have additional food options including brunch. We shared a cheese board and especially liked the lamb carpaccio. The aestetic was nice and dark, great for a date or friends, and the music was loud enough to hear but not so loud you couldn't talk. Overall a great little cocktail bar and welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Ugly Duckling recently opened and is such a gem. A great spot for wine, cocktails, and heavy apps. We had Dennis as our waiter and he was truly fantastic - made some great wine and cocktail suggestions for us when we all gave our likes and dislikes. He also sold the cheese and charcuterie platter by having a deep knowledge of each of the products and talking about why he liked them. The bar is open, moody colors, and perfect for a cozy night or cocktails with friends or on a date! Looking forward to coming back and trying HH there!!

solid new addition to 7th st. the opening week menu had various small bites (we didn't try any), and a list of 6 or so interesting cocktails. The two we tried were good, not perfect but they were unique and they're priced well. service was friendly and quick. they have a pretty extensive wine menu especially by the glass, nothing super high end just a menu that should have something for everyone

Believe the hype around this new bar. The cocktails are so imaginative with ingredients Ive never heard before. They had an all night happy hour for New Year's Eve with a popcorn flavored cocktail and an excellent manhattan. The service was really fast and attentive and they had a lot of cute seating areas so you had your pick between a cozy couch area, hightops, or the bar. I didn't try any of their snack foods, but I did try the dessert cake and while it was a little dry, I appreciated that it didn't taste sugary and was a good palette cleanser.

Excellent service and very cool and cool ambience. Drinks are impeccable, super tasty unlike anything I've had in dc. Food is tasty love the various small plates, the salad is a regular sized portion!