Is there anyone who doesn’t find an underground bar intriguing? Maybe people who don’t like bars at all. Last week, I met an awesome food friend, Marguerite, for a drink and a snack around Chinatown, so we decided to check this place out!
I will say, Denson is one of those spots that can’t accurately be captured with pictures. The vibe is very 50s, with black and white tiled floors, black leather quilted seating, and lots of wire accents. The bar is beautiful, with sliding door liquor shelves with hundreds of bottles. Oh, the bathroom! The toilet had a pulling lever and instead of paper towels, had individual terry cloth towels for each use. The vibes are really cool!
So, we stopped by for happy hour around 5:30, and there was still plenty of seating. For drinks, they have a select few cocktails for 9$, three wines, and two beers for 6$ each. They do have an extensive drink menu at regular prices, with a variety of cocktails around $14 and a huge liquor selection.
I chose the Optimal Prime, a beer cocktail, which I had never tried before. It started with aperol, lemon, grapefruit, honey, and was topped with Optimal Wit, a witbier from Port City, local brewery out of Alexandria, VA. I like this beer on any given day, not surprisingly, I liked it in this cocktail too! It was fruity from the juices with the back end hint of a light ale. Because it was a beer cocktail, it wasn’t terribly strong. However, the Optimal Prime was definitely a refreshing and unique choice.
Marguerite got the Fuzzy Wuzzy Navel, made with vodka, peche de vigne (peach liqueur), lemon, orange, and cherry bitters. This was also a nice citrusy drink with a little kick, and she really liked it!
Denson’s Happy Hour deals on food are limited to oysters, 10$ for a half dozen and 20$ for a full dozen. I like oysters because they’re fun, and I do not have a palate of what oyster variety of geographic location I prefer. Simply, it is a more tasty and less painful version of taking shots. We decided to get a half dozen, with two of each selections, Barren Island in Eastern Shore, MD, Rappahannock in Topping, VA and Blue Points in Norwalk, CT. They were all tasty and incredibly beautiful!
Next, we had the pickle pot, which was probably the cutest appetizer i’ve ever had in my life. Served in an itty bitty cast-iron skillet was a variety of pickled vegetables: red onions, celery, pearl onions, carrots, and of course, cucumbers, all topped with chives. I could eat two full pots of these, they were so tasty and fun to snack on! Each of them had a little different flavor, but the briney/vinegar taste was a good palate cleanser. I desperately need to learn to make these at home, if anyone has recipes, send them on over!
Lastly, we had the Artisinal Spreads and Crostini. This dish was plated on a wooden board, with three little slots for each of the spreads, Kalamata Olive, Smoked Salmon, and Carrot Ginger. On the side were five pieces of buttery, crispy, grilled bread. This was a fantastic choice, such an interactive dish. The carrot ginger spread was reminiscent of an asian carrot ginger dressing, but heaver on the sweeter carrot side and not acidic, a good mild choice. The smoked salmon dip was my favorite, creamy, fishy, and chewy, like it should be! Last was the kalamata olive, which was really overpoweringly strong. This was one we couldn’t finish, all we could taste was brine. We were being sparing with our spread to bread ratio…but then ran out of bread with a lot of spread left, and the waiter kindly brought us moooore bread! My suggestion is to serve it with 7-8 slices from the beginning!
At the end, they gave us house-made mints with our check!! The picture was blurry (ugh) but they were two cute meringues topped with chocolate dust! A unique and refreshing way to end the meal!
The aesthetic of Denson is really fantastic and unique, coupled with the fantastic service (ask for Ross!) and food. I would say the drinks could be a tad stronger, and a few components such as the kalamata spread could be executed a little better. I had a great time here and would definitely come back for another adventurous happy hour in the future!
The Bottom Line
Beautiful aesthetic with unique drinks and food to match! A ~classy~ spot!
Cone Rating: 4 Cones 
Price: $$($) (Around 20-25 a person)
Location: Chinatown, Washington, D.C.
aditi eats 