Dirty Martini Loses Liquor License Over $115K Owed in Injury Case

Dirty Martini in Dupont Circle was forced to give up its liquor license after it failed to pay $115,000 to a man who suffered injuries at its upstairs bar in 2013, according to court documents.

The U.S. Marshals Service seized the bar’s liquor license and handed it over to D.C. alcohol regulators yesterday, said ABRA spokeswoman Jessie Cornelius.

According to a court filing, a visitor to Dirty Martini’s Dirty Bar suffered “a concussion, facial injuries, fractured ribs, a kidney laceration and other injuries” as a result of a violent incident on March 10, 2013. The bar — which is owned by the Michael Romeo Group and located at 1223 Connecticut Ave. NW — was ordered to pay the injured man $115,000 last October, but has so far failed to do so.

The company’s liquor license was seized yesterday after months of not paying up, the court documents read.

Though a representative for Dirty Martini declined to comment on the seizure, they said that the company is “taking care of the problem,” and did not plan to close.

This is not the first time a person has been injured inside Dirty Bar. A man’s fingertip was bitten off during a fight that occurred there on New Year’s Eve, according to police.