The Alex

Since we had a dinner reservation a little later than we'd planned to go out for the evening, we stopped by the Alex for pre-dinner drinks. They have a good cocktail menu for a speakeasy. It's big enough that there's more than one option to suit any taste, and it has a nice mix of classic standards, twists on standards, and more adventurous mixology. I usually go for the most creative options, and I was very happy with both drinks I had in that department, but my wife wanted something simpler where she'd know what she was getting and they had that on the menu and executed simplicity well. The service we got was also great. One often goes to these sorts of places for some intimacy in conversation, and so it was great that I never noticed our waitress when I didn't need her and couldn't even find her when I looked, but within thirty seconds of my first glance around for her, or my glass running empty, etc., she would appear smiling as if my thought that I'd like her assistance instantly summoned her there out of the mist. It turned out that we were there on one of the many nights when they have a live jazz performance. I can't say for sure whether every jazz performance there is like this, but the jazz duo performing got the style and, importantly, the volume exactly right for the setting. It was good enough, interesting enough, and loud enough to pull you in and make you want to let your heart and mind vibe and float along with the music, hearing it very clearly, but also not so loud or funky as to infringe in the least on your ability to easily converse at your table. My wife and I were able to effortlessly drift between breaking our conversation to savor the music and then drift back to conversation when we wanted. They sell the speakeasy concept fairly well. To enter, you need the secret code for the keypad on an unmarked door in the lobby of the Graham. The front desk attendant will give it to you if you ask. You then go downstairs to a basement space that feels, as it is, literally underground, where they've used decor and lighting that say *hush hush* and luxury, but that are made more real by the fact that it really is a small basement room where they've used decor can't hide certain pipe joints entering the space. It's not super high concept beyond that (there's definitely not anything like an Allegory-style Rosa Bridges meets Alice in Wonderland theme), but it sells that it could have been a hidden prohibition-era joint. Every part of our experience was good and I won't hesitate to return whenever it next makes sense to do so.

The speakeasy is located in the basement of The Graham Hotel, and you can ask the front desk for the access code. I visited for a post-work social on a Tuesday evening, and they were accommodating for a party of six where it usually can be more difficult to manage during weekends or busy periods.My drink was the Champs-Élysées, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The balance between the rye with the chartreuse hints and cognac paired well for a refreshing, but bold flavor. I also thought the fries were very light, which was a pleasant surprise to standard ones with a more crunch. Their signature spicy mayo was also a great dip.Service was superb--we were attended to often, and our server gave excellent recommendations for our drinks when choosing between which would be best depending on flavor preferences.Given the bar is in Georgetown, I'd come with the expectation that drinks will be on the pricier end (i.e., $20-25). I didn't try any entrees, but the atmosphere is excellent and come prepared to spend a bit when dining and drinking.

We went to the Alex Speakeasy and it was cool. The receptionist at the hotel gave us a code to get into the speakeasy. The vibe was older, semi formal, and Gatsby-esque. We ordered the Violette Times and it was delicious. The egg white foam on top was creamy and the flavor was sweet but not overpowering. We saw other people get their gin and tonics in a little bathtub and thought that presentation was very neat.Taking off a star because the drinks are very expensive. Like $30-$40 per drink.

Let me start with the ugly and the bad, then finish with the good! The ugly was is was 90 degrees outside and Air Conditioning was busted and they had the two back doors in the basement opened. The bad was the food which was only French Fries, but some unmelted cheese sprinked on it. The good was that the Elotes which were served on a corn husk was pretty tasty, but lacking something that I cannot put my hand on. Other than that, the drinks were hitting!

I went here for drinks with friends after dinner in Georgetown and had a great time. The atmosphere was very mellow. The drinks were good and the service was great.I definitely recommend going here if you're looking for a place to grab drinks.

Exclusive drinks review: Courtesy of StormSister Shirley: 10/10 (twist on Shirley temple - no liquor)Kiwi Tequila Sour: 10/10 (sweet drink)Espresso Martini: 9.5/10 (made with chocolate rum)Passion fruit tequila mule: 9/10 Long story short: storm was storming!!!!Ambiance: Speak easy all day vibes so small and intimate.

Located in the basement of The Graham, three of us went here on a Friday night. We were early for our 9 PM reservation and were told to come back at 9 as they were packed. We returned at 9 and were seated right next to the live jazz band, which deserves a separate 5 star review, if only bands could be rated. Our server was very friendly, but she was up front about the real possibility of having to kick us out at some point. It turns out that never happened as the crowd started to empty out after the band finished at 10. The drinks were expensive (~$20), but good. The Gin in the Bath stands out, and not in a good way. It's a gin cocktail in a little ceramic bathtub. They may as well have served it to me in a toilet.

Located in the basement and has jazz on Thursdays.We're only here for Storm. He's very talented, full of charisma and very fun to hang out with!! Drinks never disappoint, and you can tell Storm what you like and he'll make something for you... to be honest I'm not quite sure what's on the drink menu here since I always let him decide for me.We've tried some food, they're okay but we prefer the drinks. After all, it's a speakeasy/cocktail bar.

Does not close at 1am like advertised. Was told last call was at 11:30pm on a Friday, by Jennifer who is a tart. She totally ruined our anniversary. I asked other patron's about her and they had stronger word choice than tart... We don't like Jennifer.

Great location and ambiance. The rest is terrible. Service was slow (there were maybe 10 tables and it took 20 minutes to even put our drink order in). Food was poor quality and clearly just re-heated frozen meals. In fact, the beef we got was still cold. Drinks were weak and had a poor taste. Horrifically over-priced for what you're getting. 2 drinks, 1 flat bread, fries, and a some beef tenderloin tips came out to $110 (with auto included 20% service charge). Frankly, you can get better food at McDonald's and make your own G&T for a fraction of that price. The telltale sign that even the servers know it's not great is they don't ask "how did you like your meal?" they just quietly give you your check and move you along. They know it's garbage too. I remember this place being great years ago, so maybe we hit it on an off night but it was terribly disappointing this go around.