D.C.’s Panda-Themed Bar Has Arrived

Woodley Park’s pint-sized gastropub Duke’s Counter pays homage to its cute new neighbors which are lastly prepared for his or her close-up. The Bamboo Bar at Duke’s Counter, situated proper throughout from the Smithsonian Nationwide Zoo’s entrance, opens indefinitely tonight with loads of leafy nods to the cuddly creature’s favourite meals, themed cocktails, large stuffed pandas sporting Duke’s-branded vests, and memento metal mugs (3000 Connecticut Avenue NW).

D.C.’s practically year-long panda drought ended final fall when China’s two large pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, landed at Dulles Worldwide Airport. Members of the zoo get a primary look of the lovely cubs at the moment rolling within the snow beginning at present (January 10-January 19) forward of the exhibit’s public reveal on January 24. That dearly missed panda cam goes reside this month, too.

Bamboo Bar’s themed cocktail menu ($13-$15) features a Bamboo Mule with ginger-chile syrup, “Bao-zy” sizzling chocolate spiked with bourbon and “Panda-Colada” with rum, coconut, and lime. The “Don’t Overlook the Crimson Panda” nods to its distant relative already on the zoo that eats bamboo, too. Topped with purple neon mud, the drink options lychee and raspberry liqueurs, Crimson Bull watermelon, and a Champagne float. Take residence glassware for choose cocktails for $15.

The Duke’s household loves theme. Duke’s Grocery in Navy Yard went all in on Narnia for its vacation pop-up bar final yr, and the identical design crew put collectively the Bamboo Bar’s look. The East London-styled pub with a best-selling burger and different D.C. areas in Dupont and Foggy Backside enters the Maryland market this winter.

D.C. is a panda-obsessed city, so the anticipated homecoming is an enormous deal. When the zoo’s former furry associates flew away on a FedEx “Panda Categorical” airplane to China in late 2023, the restaurant world mourned with all kinds of goodbye specials.

The Watergate

The pandemonium across the new arrivals doesn’t cease in Woodley Park. In Foggy Backside, the historic Watergate lodge presents an in a single day “panda bundle” now by means of March 16 with panda-themed desserts and pajamas units for youths, a cuddly souvenir from the zoo, and round-trip transit to see the beloved pandas in actual life.

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Rooster commemorates the comeback with panda doughnuts that includes a black cherry jam filling, cream cheese glaze, and Oreo cookie panda faces ($5.25). Out there on-line and in-store from January 24-31. (For now, Astro celebrates the playoff-bound NFL Washington Commanders with these football-themed spheres.)