Ugly Duckling

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!

Great spot for craft cocktails and wine. Food menu is limited to some creative light bites and traditional wine bar fare. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the space is dark and sexy with music on the louder side. Feels like a nice place to spend an evening where you can feel like an adult without breaking the bank.I'll be back!