When Tiffany bought me a hot lather shave from The Grooming Lounge for my birthday last year, I said, “Wow! Awesome!” and then promptly never got around to scheduling the appointment. With our vacation upon us, I figured, what better way to start a grand adventure with a good shave?
I made my appointment on Friday last week, and marched into the Grooming Lounge just after noon. Their well appointed lobby looks more like an upscale drug store featuring all manner of shaving gear, from mortar and brush to razors to all manner of lathers and creams and aftershaves and colognes. The dark wood panelling and leather appointments are reminiscent of so many Washington backrooms, it feels immediately upscale, and the very attentive staff wants to make sure that you’re comfortable.
The hot lather shave is the crown jewel of the Grooming Lounge’s repertoire, even if they offer a full suite of other services including manicures and pedicures and barbery. Give them 30 minutes, and they’ll run through the whole experience. Hot towels, face wash, and an amazing shave by a man who’s been a barber since 1970. Paul took amazing care of me, giving me the best shave I’ve ever had. Sure, it cost $50 plus tip, but boy was it worth it. My face hasn’t ever been this smooth.
Make sure to double check your appointment, though, there was some confusion about when I was supposed to be there, even though I had the appointment confirmed by phone the day before. They did get things straightened out, but it was a bit of a distraction. If you don’t have the desire to go in for the full experience, they do offer their line of beard and shave products and grooming tools via their online store.
The Grooming Lounge (DC)
1745 L St NW, DC
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
