Helix Lounge - Lets chill.

1430 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20006
Local: 202-462-9001
I had seen the hotel that houses the Helix Lounge several times from the street.
There is a striking 6+ feet by 5+ feet painting on the very front of a man holding his briefcase on one hand facing the deep Blue sky and yet loosing his hat in the wind. Really there is nothing more memorable than that, other than the bright neon lighting at the front that gives it a Palm Beach feeling to it all.
For directions purposes the painting at front is a big eye catcher.
Well, I want to plan my friend's surprise birthday there. I called in weeks earlier and the VIP booth was going to set me back $500, the booth could not be guaranteed past 10, but they would have named their house martini after my friend. Like I really wanted that? Plus prior to 10 is a first come basis so why shell out $500 even though it goes toward your bill.
The place is literally like out an Austin Powers movie, in fact next time I should dress up as him with the crooked teeth and all. The place is entirely white with fluffy seating and mental home type wall that is vinyl padded homes. This hip place hosts a very hip urban crowd; the Paris Hilton's wanna bees of downtown Dc. A good looking crowd with a few token very good looking gay men in the scene.
The fairly dark ambiance features changes in light color every so often and at least in our area we had a nice secluded alcove that could be closed off with shear white curtains. The seating wasn't quite as comfortable as it appeared; in fact the only way to seat was to lounge, literally. So that almost put me to sleep.
Drinks were a bit wimpy, not with a very high content of alcohol that is, but they definitively have a nice selection of martinis.
Many of my friends ordered some appetizers and since I did not try any of them, I was told they were actually ok and when I arrived (see Rosa Mexicano) I saw some of their orders and they look quite appetizing. The waitress was extremely nice and definitively eye candy, and even though this wild group of 15 very crazy people kept her on her toes she kept a nice smile.
The main attraction to this place is the fact that you are able to have a conversation here. It is not a club, so you are not yelling to the person next to you. The music wasn't very loud, yet audible mind you, and it definitively did not muffle our conversations.
Definitively a place to go and "lounge"!
Our bills, ummmmm4 tabs put together approximately upper $300-400.
We drank a lot. I would definitively go back and chill here again.
My rating= for a lounge a 7.5, since the drinkie were to week and would have been treated like a celebrity. 8)