Home The Washington Diplomat February 2013 Civil-ized Partnership: Civil Cigar Lounge is Rare Treat

Civil-ized Partnership: Civil Cigar Lounge is Rare Treat

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Civil-ized Partnership: Civil Cigar Lounge is Rare Treat

dining.sidebar.civil.storyPhoto: Jennifer Berman
Co-owner John Anderson recently opened Civil Cigar Lounge next door to Range.

Also See: Voltaggio Migrates to Chevy Chase With Emporium of Specialties

With a confections counter, trays teeming with desserts and a coffee bar, there are plenty of ways to cap off a meal at Range. The only thing that might be missing is a cigar lounge if you want to savor a nice long smoke.

Oh wait, there’s that too.

Actually, Range doesn’t own the recently opened Civil Cigar Lounge tucked away right next door in the Chevy Chase Pavilion, but it’s partnered with the expansive lounge and retail shop to offer a small plates menu developed exclusively by Bryan Voltaggio that incorporates ingredients from all of Range’s nine kitchens.

Civil is owned by John Anderson and Matt Krimm, the proprietors of W. Curtis Draper, the oldest full-service tobacconist in D.C. and the third oldest in the United States. And just as Range is a treat for Washingtonians who don’t feel like trekking to Frederick, Md., to sample Voltaggio’s cuisine, Civil Cigar Lounge is a rare treat for Marylanders, offering up one of the few premium cigar lounges in the entire area.

That clubby, upscale lounge features banquette seating, plush leather chairs and cozy nooks. It’s complemented by rows of humidified, cedar lockers (available for annual leasing) and a 500-square-foot retail section offering cigars from Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

And while the space is appropriately dark and intimate, it’s also surprisingly spacious, with 93 seats and a sizable bar stocked with all the whiskies, scotches and spirits you could imagine.

In fact, the bar, sleek and modern, is a great destination in its own right, even for nonsmokers — because Civil is equipped with a state-of-the-art ventilation system that filters and replaces all of the air every two minutes. The space is also a creative choice for parties, with a glass-encased private room on tap for private events.

Above all, Civil — whose motto is “drink, smoke, eat” — caters to both cigar aficionados and novices, with approachable staff willing to teach you the finer points of lighting up. It’s all, well, quite civilized.


About the Author

Anna Gawel is managing editor of The Washington Diplomat.

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