After a restful Saturday afternoon, Smouie Kablooie got ready to hit the town for a little late night partying in celebration of some good friend’s birthdays.

Our hosts for the evening reserved some private space at eyebar – a self described "high-concept DJ lounge with the energy and sound of a night club in a smaller more intimate setting."

so many people love eyebar

Don’t know why I’ve never taken the time to check the place out before, but I have to say the owners achieved their goal of creating a place filled with the young and beautiful of D.C., but without the attitude of some of the other local bar/club/lounges. Drinks were expertly poured by a group of great bartenders who knew how to manage a large crowd. The visual aesthetics of eyebar’s design are also quite compelling – it’s a great minimalist design with a lot of comfortable seating. They even have square posts hung to the wall with just enough space to put your drink if you feel like talking/dancing without trying not to spill anything.

The only complaint I have is with regards to that sound system. The DJ on the first floor (never made it to the second) played a lot of great music. But the volume was turned up just a bit too high for such an "intimate setting." The design aesthetics only add to the problem by creating a room of hard surfaces reflecting (if not somehow amplifying) the levels.

But, I would recommend eyebar overall. The look and feel of the place create an atmosphere that more than compensates for the loud volume and increasingly crowded setting as the night goes on.