Discover the newly renovated Round Robin Bar, a beloved historic bar rooted deep in the history of Washington, D.C. Located in the Willard Hotel.
Since 1847, the circular oak bar at Round Robin has heard it all: toasts and debates, deals and confidences, stories that shaped a city. Those echoes still fill the room. Today, a renewed Round Robin Bar carries that legacy forward, with a refreshed design, new cocktails and the same spirit of conversation that has always defined it.
Every great story here started with someone taking a seat. Yours is next.
Known as the “Oval Office of Bars,” Round Robin Bar at Willard InterContinental has been at the center of Washington life since 1847. Walt Whitman, Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln all passed through its doors. It is also where, as the story goes, Kentucky senator Henry Clay introduced Washington to the Mint Julep.
Today, it remains one of the most storied bars in Washington, D.C., and the drink that made it famous is still made the traditional way.
“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which
strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.”
At the heart of The Willard, Round Robin Bar has welcomed generations of guests since 1847. Pull up a chair, order a classic, and become part of the story.
1847
Round Robin Bar opens its doors as Henry and Edwin Willard welcome guests to their hotel on the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks from the White House. It is here that Kentucky statesman Henry Clay introduces Washington to his Southern-style Mint Julep, made with Kentucky bourbon instead of rum or brandy. It becomes the bar’s signature cocktail, still made to his recipe today.
