Crimson Diner, the first piece of the Pod Hotel’s three-pronged strategy to own the Chinatown hospitality scene, is now open for business. The 3,500-square-foot eatery is designed to be “that comfortable spot hotel guests can find their way into,” nightlife guru Ian Hilton told Eater.
Day drinking is encouraged; boozy shakes include the Tennessee Transplant (vanilla ice cream, Jack Daniel’s, peanut butter, cola syrup), while an eponymous Old Fashioned includes bourbon, sugar, and bitters. Dining options range from fried chicken-and-pickle sandwiches to corned beef hash with poached eggs and hollandaise. An embedded coffee bar features select java from Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Company in Richmond, Va., and is meant to appeal both to hotel guests and passersby.
The 245-room micro hotel from Modus Hotels, which has two locations in New York City (under BD Hotels), opened in April; now that Crimson Diner is up and running, the plan is to focus on the 9,000-square-foot subterranean Crimson Whiskey Bar, which is expected to open in the coming weeks.
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Crimson View — a rooftop bar with a view of the Chinatown archway and beyond — is projected to open later this summer.
Status: Certified open. 627 H Street NW; website.