The Mpire Club is a high-end...

The Mpire Club is a high-end nightclub that happens to have nude dancers. The club has been open less than a month, and for now does not have a day shift (my usual); this review is a first impression from a brief visit Friday evening.

Mpire is at 1819 M St. NW, two doors east of Camelot, in the "business" section of DC--close to K St., the Mayflower Hotel, and many professional offices, shops, and restaurants. The new owners seem to have solved the problem of getting a new license for a strip club from the City Fathers by renovating the location of the former Joanna's 1819 club, which has been closed for about a decade. And the renovation is impressive. Mpire utilizes all three stories of the narrow building. It's sleek and beautiful, with high-end furnishings, state-of-the-art lighting and sound, and a modern feel. The stages are "high concept" materials (including a glass floor), equipped for shower shows. The overall layout is unlike the typical DC strip club (see reviews of Camelot and Archibald's); stages use the high ceilings so that, from the main floor bar, the dancers appear to be overhead. Interesting effect, but the positioning and sight lines made it feel like a go-go bar instead of a strip club (if you're old enough to know what I mean). Overall, the atmosphere was luxurious, and I saw more couples than the usual crowd at Camelot.

The club has a full bar and food service, but be prepared for sticker shock. Beer is $10, draft or bottle; cocktails are $14. I did not order food, but they are offering tapas (small plates), again with big prices--$14-18, and you'll need to order more than one if you're hungry. The food I saw looked good, but I did not partake. Overall, service was efficient and friendly, reinforcing the nightclub vibe.