OFF THE RECORD

Once in the lobby of the Hay-Adams Hotel, you still have to go down one more level to get to one of the "coolest bars in the world", according to Forbes. A subdued atmosphere, candelabra, large armchairs and red sofas: it's like being in a speakeasy bar, at the time of the Prohibition. Decoratively speaking, the place is made in the original with many caricatures depicting American presidents. Off the Record cocktails are among the most inventive in D.C.