Originally Published 11/04/99

Where: 1900 M St., N.W.
Crowd: upper twentysomethings
Getting In: as usual, need ID at the door
Prices: a bit on the expensive side – a bottle of Miller Lite hits you up for $3.85 and a mixed drink drains $4.40 from your pocket
Food: full menu until 10 p.m.
Dancing: yep
Pick-ups: of course
Pluses: a more mature crowd, places to sit, not overly crammed
Minuses: can feel really young and sort of out of place

The Bar Belle’s second trip to Rumors proved more successful than her first. Last spring, the Bar Belle traveled to Rumors for happy hour. The happy hour prices weren’t anything special, compared to other area bargains. And, the Bar Belle felt young. The we-want-to-be-yuppies crowd dominated. For women, manicured nails were a must and the men slicked their hair back. Not exactly the Bar Belle’s favorite scene.

Despite the initial trip to Rumors, the Bar Belle returned. The second time around definitely was sweeter than the first. The beer was flowing. The crowd was younger. And, more importantly, the dance floor was grooving. Keep in mind, the Bar Belle hit this spot during a bar crawl, which probably helped to account for the younger crowd. Yet the Bar Belle got the feeling that Rumors has its fun nights.

The Bar Belle sat on the deck the first time and missed seeing the dance floor. On top of that, there’s ample seating so you can rest your tired piggies after a few dances. Although the bar definitely was jammed, the Bar Belle never felt claustrophobic. Instead, the Bar Belle had room to dance, socialize and move to and from the bar with ease.

While Rumors may appeal to an older, more sophisticated crowd, don’t strike it from your list of possibilities when looking for a night of fun. It has a prime location. And if it turns out that Rumors isn’t your cup of tea (or beer), you always can go to Mr. Day’s, the Madhatter or Sign of the Whale, which are only a few steps away. Or you could do as the Bar Belle did and just go to all of them.