Clubs in Olney

An old-fashioned ambiance reigns in The Carlyle Club, expressed in an art-deco design scheme, frequent visits from respected jazz musicians, and guests’ predilections for saying “horse feathers.” Tall palm fronds back cushy leather booths and elegant marble tables loiter near the bar, all within sight of the intimate, blue-curtained stage. A bow-tied wait staff completes the back-in-time vibe, as do vintage posters and the intricately patterned wallpaper.

Evocative aromas ascend from swirling chalices at Veritas Wine Bar, a brick-walled lounge where sommeliers pair more than 70 wines by the glass with a menu of cheese and charcuterie plates. Grape-infused elixirs gush from a temperature-controlled tap system, ensuring uniform sips unmarred by sudden climate shifts or clumsy fire breathers. Reds and whites from Italy, South Africa, and New Zealand slosh into individual glasses or join forces to create flights. Globetrotting artisanal cheeses fall under four categories—blue, cow, goat, and sheep—and deliciously mingle with charcuterie selections. Sippers can scrawl an appetizing epilogue across the evening’s feast by noshing on chocolate morsels laced with slow-cooked caramel or pistachio butter, which silence petulant sweet teeth without preemptively donning a bedtime retainer.

Baltimore Comedy Factory has nonviolently busted guts with nationally sourced joke-slingers for nearly three decades. Several nights a week, the club schedules sets by stars pulled onto the stage fresh from appearances in blockbuster comedies and hit TV shows. Tucked within the Power Plant Live complex, the club’s expansive new location finds room for comfy table seating, a beach-themed bar pouring sodas and cocktails, and an ample supply of super-size prop sunglasses.

With the clink of glasses and fizz of champagne barely audible beneath the danceable beats of top-flight DJs, Mosaic Nightclub and Lounge sets an electrifying tempo for its chic clientele. Beers and cocktails emerge from the bar as bottles of top-shelf liquors alight upon tables reserved for VIPs such as former presidents and future presidents. An outdoor seating area allows groups to commune beneath the stars and cool down after frantic hokey-pokeying sessions.

A belly dancer moves to the rhythms of an entrancing song as plumes of fruit-infused smoke drift from the lips of revelers lounging on ottomans and plush sofas. This scene is typical on a Friday night at Zeeba Lounge, dubbed "the city's swankiest spot for puffing flavored tobacco" by Baltimore Sun writer Sam Sessa. Patrons can blow smoke triangles with more than a dozen flavors of shisha, each releasing flavors such as mint, chocolate, or pomegranate. The hookah's water filters the fragrant smoke, removing tar for a pure taste. Zeeba Lounge pairs its smoky specialty with a menu of Mediterranean tapas such as curried meatballs or saffron-infused shrimp and a BYOB policy.