Recess

Late night review only.
Came in on a Saturday night around midnight and originally thought this place is going to be wack. It was near empty but I guess this is just a late arriving crowd because it filled up rather quickly and by the end of the night the place was wall to wall people.
The place is small, it doesn’t take much to fill it up as there is only one main dance area surrounded on both sides by couches for lounging and I guess considered the VIP area. One bar across the front wall with more than enough bartenders so you don’t have to wait forever for a drink.
DJ was good, nice mix of old and new school music, he was pretty good with keeping the party going and didn’t throw on too many songs that would kill the mood of the night.
Bartenders made some quality drinks even though they were on the pricey side but this is downtown DC so it is to be expected.
They have a bathroom attendant, I hate bathroom attendants especially when the bathroom is really small. There is only a urinal and one stall, not really enough space for people trying to use the bathroom and also a guy just standing there the entire night taking up space.
Decent place to spend a night if you want to party a little bit but nothing spectacular.

This is a great happy hour spot!
The tapas are delicious and the bottomless sangria add to the flavor. :-) I love dinning here with my girls, especially during the summer. The outdoor seating makes for decent people watching.
Be sure to check their website for weekly specials. The service is friendly and you get a lot for your money. Parking is not ideal but there is street parking and a garage only one block away.
The calamari, lomo and wings were most memorable.

Tapas were mostly delicious. Lacked consistency, however. We asked for the lomo twice, the second time it came with rice, but not the first time
White sangria was deeeelicious

Firsf of all, this is certainly the best Groupon deal ever! That said, this is a great restaurant with or without a discount. We arrived early, which was probably a good idea on a Thursday night, because this place was packed and hooping by 7:00p. At that point, I think recess could have used at least two more servers. I am not sure our service would have been as excellent as it was had we arrived later.
The food at this quaint little place is original and outstanding, and the location is incredibly convenient for those visiting the Mall. Not to be missed!

Used a groupon deal at about 830 pm and the restaurant was dead.
Maybe if we would have sat on the patio, it would have been better, as they were transitioning to being a nightclub, meaning moving chairs and tables, and really not making us feel welcome.
Food was good, shared a few small plates and had a cocktail each. The server was slow on the uptake and we didn’t really feel like sticking around for another one whenever she felt like coming back.
It could be a nice place for a group or when it was busy, maybe then the server would pay attention to something other than telling the bartender about her stupid boyfriend.

A great restaurant! Got the Groupon for bottomless sangria and 4 tapas for 2 people/​$ 30. It was such a great deal. The tapas were huge. By far the biggest tapas I’ve ever seen… like 3 times what you get at La Tasca and Jaleo. And everything that we tried was delicious :
Lomo Saltado
Chorizo with plantains
Plantain stuffed with beef (huge)
Tilapia (a meal in and of itself)
Sweet plantains– perfectly fried and just ripe enough without being soggy.
White peach sangria-​tasty and strong but not too strong and with plenty of fruit!
Loved this place. I’d be down for coming back without a groupon. So glad we came.

We decided to have sangria and tapas outside, a block away from the White House, and were enticed by a coupon. The service was very nice, though only one waitress was available for the outdoor seating, which delayed the food and drink arrival. And being on 15^th street, dinner was accompanied by the sounds of construction directly in front of our table, a bicyclist rally, and staffers leaving work having intense conversations on their headsets…
The alternative was to move inside, though my friend thought the bar area looked like an 80s Madonna video, so we stayed outside.
The food was quite nice, all in all. The scallops on risotto were huge, evenly cooked, and tasty. The corn cake with grilled cheese was very comforting, sweet, and paired well with salty cheese. Lomo saltado had good flavor, if not chewy. And the peach sangria was easy to drink, though one note — not a bad thing, as it was very easy to drink.
Next time, I will want to dress with greater intentionality and appeal… and maybe try for an earlier time.

Not a good experience.
Made a reservation on Open table for 2pm 8÷9÷13. I got there and said, «I Have a 2pm reservation». The waiter responded, «okay,» and proceeded to go serve 2 of the 4 customers in the place. I stood there expecting to be led to a table to wait for my friend to arrive, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, nothing. there were 3 staff that looked at me and offered no assistance. I then said, «excuse me, can I be seated?». Waiter responds, «yeah sure,» and then says, «sit where ever you want.»
He then brings over the menus and fill the water glasses and says to me, «you have a Groupon or something?» Clearly he didn’t expect me to be there without a discount. I texted my friend and told her that we needed to figure out another place. When she arrived, i told her what happened and she didn’t want to stay, so we left. The waiter looked up at us and continued counting his tips as we left.
Don’t treat your customers like crap because you think they’re there because of a Groupon, I shutter to think about how they treat people that are actually there to use a Groupon or Living Social. Clearly they could use the business because there were four people there at 2pm
RUDE STAFF, POOR SERVICE!
Never again!
in the words of Lauren Hill, «You just lost one»…

Was skeptical about this place because it turns into a club later in the evening, but the food is actually really good! The Groupon deal for bottomless sangria and four tapas can’t be beat. Nice find — good location, though off the beaten path from DC’s heavily trafficked dining areas. Recommend!

I believe the Groupon deal is a complete steal. 4 tapas and 1 bottomless sangria for $ 29. Although bottomless sangria shows up as $ 35 on the menu, it’s only charged as $ 20 on the final receipt. The tapas go from $ 6-​$ 12. We had a reservation at 8:30 and was seated immediately. However, it took the waitress about 15 minutes to come and get our order! They are either very very understaffed or their staff was just inefficient. Once our order was taken however, the rest of the night went pretty smoothly. Our sangria was refilled right after it was finished (3 times). We had a wrong empanada bought to us, but wasn’t charged for it. I got the scallops– perfectly cooked, didn’t smell fishy, and very sweet and tender. I also got the garlic shrimp, with loads of flavor, but nothing unique about the flavor combination. The fiancée got the chorizo with fries– i mean anything fried is delicious, but at least this came with 3 different dipping sauces. The fiancée also got the Lomo Salito, which was flavorful but once again lacking the umph. For food, this was probably a 3 spot, but for an affordable date night (with groupon) & bottomless sangria, it totally deserves the extra star.
ps: this place turns into a club at around 10, so you will see them start putting the tables away around 10ish– but no one ever forced us off our table.

CLUB REVIEW
Ever heard the expression ‘getting crunk in the club’? That’s the best description that I can give Recess. I came here with fellow Unilocaler, Lemon Cakes for a night out. This was our last stop to conclude our night after club hopping for about 3 hours. It was wild! When you first walk up to the venue, you do not see anyone as it roped off and outside of a building where you can’t see or hear the music or people. You walk in the building after having your ID checked, ascend down some stairs and that’s when you step into the night haven.
We came around 1:30am when the place was packed. There were several birthday parties going on and lots of bottle service. It was not hard to miss because every time bottle service came out they had sparklers on the bottles being brought out by the scantly clad hostess.
DJ rocked the house spinning primarily R&B and rap tunes from early 2000s to present. It has a large dance floor along with a full service bar towards the entrance. Bathroom was surprisingly clean which I can appreciate, but not many bathrooms at all.
I’d come back for sure. It is certainly fun and very urban.

I’ve been to Recess before they started serving food and a couple times now after. The dive scallops shouldn’t be missed. They are tender and well seasoned. The pesto risotto they are played on could use less oil. The clam shells they are served on are a fun visual twist. Do not order the crab cakes. Kind of seawater tasting and generally blah. The sauce adds nothing and they are tiny little parties with a crusty outside. The calamari is really good as are the platanitos with avocado mousse. The lamb is recommended but it is also a really small portion for $ 14, even if this is a tapas place. I would order the lamb over the crab cakes though.
The drinks are expensive and the happy hour menu while cheap is very brief. The décor is pretty swanky though and the closeness (due to size) makes it a cute, fun place to go. Now that the weather is nice there is outdoor seating (!!!). My servers here have generally been really gregarious, but neglectful and slow. One told me and my group of coworkers that we couldn’t order flavored sangria on a groupon. Even typing it out it doesn’t sound like it makes sense. Did I mention its the same price as the regular sangria? This last time, I waited 30 min for a drink and an extra 15 for the check after not getting my drink. Also, the boxed my hot bread pudding and cold ice cream together in one take away box so I had a soupy mess by the time I got home. All in all, a place I would go if someone else wanted to, but I wouldn’t go out of my way or suggest it myself.
Note about parking: impossible before 6:30 and there’s no valet during happy hour. Do yourself a favor and metro to McPherson. It’s 2 blocks away.

As visitors to DC, we were blown away with this meal.
We came here to try out the Unilocal deal, otherwise we would have never looked for the restaurant tucked beneath the street.
The food was creative, inspired, and an incredible value. The calamari was delicious, tons of flavor and a nice twist on a classic dish. Their paella had bright, vibrant flavor, and the empanadas were incredible! We also got two desserts to take home.
I have nothing but great things to say about this restaurant, it is definitely somewhere I will return.
Enjoy!

Ok I dig Recess. I don’t care how small it is, i’m a fan. My friend was in need of a place to do a lowkey but fun bday celebration so I went ahead and RSVPed myself and some of her friends for their Friday guestlist. When I got to the front entrance, the lady informed me that she did not see my list. She was very nice/​helpful and even got the manager to come to the door where I proceeded to show him my email and other proof.
After that was handled I was able to walk in with no problem (or cover charge, granted it was before 12). Now since NBA playoff games were down to the wire most of the crowd was stalkin the bar area for tvs and nobody was on the dancefloor, but by 12 it was on and poppin! The DJ (Harry Hotter i believe) was perfect. Just enough ratchet mixed with some 90s jams and shoutouts to the bday gal convinced me Recess is just swell with me.
Just a reminder if you don’t get on that guestlist they will try to charge 20 (and I like Recess, but not $ 20 before 12 worth)

My partner and I went to Recess Tapas Lounge because we had somewhat of a prix fixe menu that we got on Groupon. Overall, we felt that the food was pretty good but the vibe was a bit off.
First, scheduling was kind of an issue because this place is not open on Sunday or Monday. If I were tourist in DC, this would be a well-​situated place because it’s right next to the Treasury and the White House in downtown DC. At the same time, it’s in a part of the city I don’t often find myself for those precise reasons — because it’s right next to the Treasury in the middle of office buildings.
Actually, Recess Tapas Lounge is in a basement, and walking into it I felt that I was entering a club that just had tables set up until the music started. The walls are lined with elevated tables, and then there is a «pit» with a few tables in the center. The space is actually very small for restaurant, which is probably why they call themselves a «lounge.» I just did not like the layout of the restaurant and it seemed very cramped. Everyone could see everyone, so there is no privacy if you are thinking of having a romantic night out.
Not know what the food was going to be like, we got the Groupon because it came with unlimited sangria and four tapas. We got: the tuna fillet, which actually had a good flavor combination with the salad and guacamole; the coconut shrimp which, when you think of coconut shrimp you think that they’re going to be breaded and fried, but this is more in a milky cream sauce with coconut, and it was delightful; the steak au poivre, which is a bit overcooked but still tender; and the chorizo, which was tasty but not enough of a portion to validate a $ 8 price. But to be honest, the best dish was one that we got separately apart from the deal, and that was the Cuban sandwich empanada. Very very tasty, and all their empanadas looked good.
Overall, we actually really liked Recess Tapas Lounge. It seems very touristy and kitschy, but the food was good and it would lead me to recommend trying this place out.

I bought a Groupon for Recess a few months ago and it was expiring soon, so I figured I should check it out. I was VERY surprised at how amazing the food was at this place (a lot of groupons are for restaurants that NEED the business). Very fresh, flavorful seafood dishes, perfectly cooked risotto, and great ambiance. It is a great place for a romantic dinner, or a night out for dinner and drinks with friends. The only things I would complain about were the plantains (overcooked and tasteless) and our server. She was good but very quite and didn’t seem very nice. The other servers there were very energetic and nice.
Overall, I would highly recommend this place and will definitely be back!
OH and the bottomless sangria… SOO GOOD!

The tapas and sangria clearly met Unilocal’s standard for two stars: I’ve experienced better. The scallops were fine. The garlic shrimp were in a roasted pepper cream sauce, but had no obvious garlic flavor. The salteado lomado had an «au jus» straight from a can. The caesar salad’s dressing tasted like Kraft’s creamy italian. The sangria was a cheap red wine with diced apples and orange.
Dark, kind of dismal space for dining. The service was fine.

Just a note for starters that I am reviewing Recess for dinner, not for the nightclub.
We came here late on a Friday night for dinner and drinks and were surprised about how good our experience was. There were certainly a few draw-​backs, but overall we enjoyed our meal here and would absolutely come back to try their food again.
The décor is what you would expect from a place that doubles as a nightclub: groovy lighting, very prominent bar, not a whole lot of tables and a bit dance floor area in the middle that can be easily cleared out, that kind of thing. There is one really frustrating aspect to the set-​up, which is that anyone sitting in the tables next to the hallway from the entrance have to deal with a freezing cold blast of air (in the winter, that is) every single time somebody opens the door. It creates a legit wind tunnel, so many people in that area had their jackets on throughout the entire meal. If you have any choice in the matter, I suggest requesting not to be seated there.
I started out the meal a bit concerned, because the sangria (we went with a Groupon for four tapas and two bottomless sangrias) really lacked depth and flavor. To be honest, it tasted pretty watered down, and I hated that they put so much ice in it. But then the food started coming and all hope was regained. My boyfriend had two seafood dishes: the scallops with pesto risotto and the coconut shrimp. He was completely enamored with both of them and wanted several more plates of both of them when he was done. For my part, I had the patatas bravas (potato strips with a spicy tomato sauce) and the berenjenas (eggplant rolled with queso fresco and a tomato sauce). Both were absolutely addictingly delicious. Even my boyfriend, who doesn’t normally like eggplant, kept wanting to take bites of the berenjenas again and again.
So, for me the bottom line is almost always: was the food good? And in this case, I can definitely say that everything we ate was delicious. There were some disappointing elements, but the food itself was so good that we will definitely be back!

LivingSocial threw a happy hour here on a Monday night and I was pleasantly surprised (although mildly disappointed that the concept didn’t have anything to do with Disney’s show «Recess»).
What in the name of Lincoln’s beard are they doing putting an upscale rathskeller in a nook so tiny even Google Maps can’t find it? I work in the same building as this place and seriously got lost looking for it. It’s an amazingly convenient location, however, for people who know about it, and they deserve your cocktail allowance, so please spread the word. Don’t force them into nonelective ineluctable speakeasiness.
The bartenders did not treat me like shit (despite my lack of breasts) and obliged with a creative and delicious cocktail when I couldn’t think of anything more intelligent to say than to describe my ideal libation as one parasoled. One bartender recreated POG (the Hawaiian juice cocktail of my youth and of tiddlywink fame) perfectly (indiscernibly hooch-​laden). Another made me something bright red called «Black Snapper» that tasted like whiskey. I think they should rename it the «psych!» and serve it to people who ask for Cape Cods.
No idea whether the food is good, but if they put as much attention into it as the interior decoration and cocktail list, it’s probably not too shabby.
I don’t think I’d like to be in the small lounge when it’s crowded, but if you can sneak in when it’s not, particularly if you already have a date, you should.

Recess is open! It’s time to play!
The fab new lounge/​club is a welcome addition to the swanky restaurants that line 15^th Street.
If you don’t know what you’re looking for, Recess may be hard to spot from the street. It was easy for me to recognize only because I was aware that I had to walk down the stairs in front of a computer store for entry. Additionally, the night I went there was a red carpet, valet and some bouncers to I knew exactly what I was doing. Not entirely sure if this is always the case.
Recess is a small, one room dance lounge that reminds me of something out of a Madonna video. There are no disco balls or strobe lights, but the central lighting fixture is this funky, redish — maze looking piece. Very different.
Also, the DJ booth is front and center but slightly hidden by a giant piece of natural wood. There is plenty of lounge seating as well.
Right now, Recess is only open from 10pm-​3am. Come here to dance! Not sure what kind of music they will play, but it’s definitely a dance club/​lounge type of space.
They also have some awesome signature cocktails. I tried the Spa Cooler with honey, citrus, basil, and vodka. It was delicious and very refreshing. Only thing is, specialty cocktails will run you around $ 12 but they are well made.
Looking forward to seeing what Recess will evolve into, but from what I can tell it has a ton of potential.