The circular mahogany bar where Henry Clay is said to have introduced the mint julep to Washington political life has reopened inside the Willard InterContinental, its historic counter intact but its surroundings transformed with a deeper hunter-green palette, illuminated bottle displays, and new murals that guests can bring to life with their phones. Round Robin Bar has operated since 1847, and the hotel says the newly completed restoration was built to honor that legacy while keeping the space relevant for a new generation of visitors.
A Designer's Careful Balance of Old and New
The project was led by Washington, D.C.-based designer Maggie O’Neill, according to Luxury Travel Magazine, which reported that the restoration retains the bar’s circular counter and craftsmanship. O’Neill’s own site describes how the redesign preserved the character of the iconic circular, oak-paneled bar while introducing a deeper hunter-green palette, illuminated bottle displays, updated artwork and furnishings, per Maggie O’Neill. That same account notes the newly refreshed Round Robin reopened in September 2026.
The timeline gets a bit more specific from the restaurant press: Eater DC reported the bar reopened on September 11, following a two-month renovation. The outlet also offered a number that underscores just how central the mint julep remains to the bar's identity — Round Robin has served around 20,000 of the bourbon cocktails to date, with the drink served in a silver cup for $27. The Willard’s own description of the bar calls it a lively meeting place for Washington’s political and social elite since it was established in 1847.
Murals and an App That Brings History to Life
Among the most distinctive additions is a set of murals by Nicole Bourgea, a Washington, D.C.-area artist who created works depicting defining moments in the Willard’s story — including the renowned opera singer Jenny Lind’s celebrated 1850 visit, the 1859 Peace Convention hosted at the hotel, and the building’s Beaux-Arts interior, according to the same restoration announcement. The hotel says the murals are the first permanent artworks by a female artist within its interiors.
The murals aren’t purely decorative. An augmented-reality experience developed with Strax Networks lets guests point their smartphones at the artworks through the StraxAR app to access one of 12 original short films tied to the bar’s past. The restoration also includes original murals and portraiture alongside a refreshed food and beverage program, layering historical storytelling directly onto the physical redesign.
Portraiture plays its own role in that storytelling. Round Robin Bar mixologist and artist Raydel Blanco created two acrylic portraits — one of Henry Clay and another of Helen Herron Taft, whose portrait references the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial, a nod to her championing of Washington's cherry blossom trees.
A Hidden Mezzanine Called The Nest
Above the bar, the restoration carved out The Nest, a 900-square-foot event space on the mezzanine level formerly known as the Ladies Lounge and Old Tea Room. The space features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue, original chandeliers, a fireplace, antique mirrors, and wood and marble accents.
The bar restoration follows a separate, larger hotel project: the 2025 unveiling of 335 restored guest rooms and suites at the Willard. It's not the first time the bar itself has been refreshed, either — a prior restoration project led by designer Neal Prince, working with Sarah Tomerlin Lee of Tom Lee, Ltd., once restored the lobby, Peacock Alley, the Crystal and Willard Rooms, the Ladies Lounge, the Robin Bar, and the oval suites including the Presidential, according to a project record from Neal Prince’s archive.
Cocktails Rooted in Presidential History
The bar's cocktail program draws inspiration from the figures, events, and traditions that shaped Round Robin over the decades. The William H. Taft Barrel Manhattan pays tribute to the nation's 27th president and frequent Willard guest, featuring Woodinville Whiskey’s exclusive Willard InterContinental single-barrel bourbon finished in Sauternes casks from Bordeaux, France.
Another drink, The Diplomatic Visit, is inspired by the 1909 meeting between U.S. President William Howard Taft and Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, built with Yuu Baal Mezcal Joven, Ancho Reyes Verde, housemade tamarind shrub, and chocolate bitters. The Last Word, the bar’s interpretation of a Prohibition-era classic originally created in Detroit, includes Nolet Gin, Faccia Brutto, fresh lime, maraschino liqueur, and blue borage, and can also be made with Nolet Reserve. The food menu now includes Petrossian caviar and chips, a miniature Willard lobster roll, truffled deviled eggs, braised short rib crostini, and panko-crusted lamb chops, with the culinary program directed by executive chef Gyo Santa.
Markus Platzer said the restoration preserves the bar’s craftsmanship and honors its legacy while keeping it a destination for future generations, according to the original announcement. Over nearly two centuries, Round Robin has welcomed presidents, diplomats, writers, artists, and Washingtonians alike — among the names tied to the Willard and its social spaces are Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Woodrow Wilson. With the United States marking its 250th anniversary this year, the bar's reopening lands at a moment when its own origin story — Henry Clay is credited with introducing the bourbon-based mint julep to Washington during Willard visits in the 1840s — feels newly relevant to the city it has long served.
