The Round Robin Bar at the Willard InterContinental quietly reopened on Friday, September 11, after a two-month renovation that gave Washington’s oldest continuously operating bar a new look and its own private label bourbon.
The Willard made no formal announcement, yet word of mouth filled all 20 bar seats and the nearby tables within days!
DC Designer Maggie O’Neill Led the Refresh of the Historic Room
Designer Maggie O’Neill reworked the space while keeping its clubby, wood paneled character intact, according to Eater DC’s Tierney Plumb. The once egg white walls are now a deep hunter green that makes the gold leaf ceiling pop, and new LED lit rings showcase bottles at the center of the circular bar.
A newly installed acrylic portrait of Henry Clay, the Kentucky senator credited with introducing the Mint Julep to Washington, now hangs above the bar, while older framed drawings of figures like Buffalo Bill and Woodrow Wilson were relocated to the walkway leading in.
An Exclusive Woodinville Bourbon Now Anchors the Mint Julep
The signature Mint Julep, poured in a silver cup with sugar, mint, and crushed ice, now runs $27 and is built on a single barrel bourbon that guests cannot find anywhere else, Plumb reported. Forbes contributor Jillian Dara reported that the Willard partnered with Woodinville Whiskey Co. on the proprietary pour, which also appears in the bar’s barrel aged Old Fashioned and can be ordered neat or on the rocks.
Luca De Marchis, the hotel’s director of food and beverage, told Forbes the goal was to translate the bar’s history into something guests can taste, noting the Round Robin has served more than 20,000 Mint Juleps to date.
The Bar Has Anchored Washington Political Culture Since 1847
The Round Robin has been a gathering place for the city’s political and social elite since it opened in 1847, and the Willard’s own history credits Ulysses S. Grant with coining the word lobbyist to describe the people who cornered him in the hotel lobby.
The reopening follows Stephen Starr‘s revival of the Willard’s storied restaurant, the Occidental, which Washingtonian’s Ike Allen reported opened on March 5, 2025. Together, the two projects mean two of the hotel’s most historic rooms have been refreshed within about eighteen months, a signal that the Willard is investing in the parts of its building that carry the most Washington lore.
Before You Visit the Round Robin
The Round Robin Bar sits just off the lobby of the Willard InterContinental at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. Hours run from 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday and from 1 p.m. to midnight on Saturday.
The signature Mint Julep costs $27, and other menu pricing is not publicly listed, so guests should expect it to vary. Reservation policy was not publicly listed either, and with only 20 seats at the bar, arriving early is the safer bet.
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