Banana Leaves takes private events of up to 80 guests in its Asian restaurant and sushi bar in Washington, DC. The official site lists corporate events, conferences, seminars, banquets, weddings, bridal events, reunions, graduations, anniversaries and birthdays, with a full bar and an in-house kitchen.
Seminars and company events
The venue page names corporate events, conferences and seminars among the occasions the restaurant plans. A team can book a dinner, a banquet or a working lunch in the dining space, with food and drinks served by the restaurant itself. The site does not describe projectors, microphones or a separate meeting room, so a day-long seminar with presentations should be discussed with the team before any decision. A company dinner, a farewell, an end-of-project celebration or a client reception fits the offer more naturally.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings, bridal events and anniversaries appear on the same list. The restaurant states that it can help plan the event, and that a deposit is required to confirm a booking. The venue page does not mention a ceremony space, a dance floor or accommodation, so the format here is a seated reception or a banquet dinner for a group of moderate size.
Rooms and capacities
The venue page gives three booking formats. A per-event format covers 1 to 60 attendees. A per-person format covers 35 to 80 attendees. A per-hour format applies from a single guest upward. The site states that the pricing structure is the same for every type of event, and that a deposit is required. The largest group stated anywhere on the page is 80 guests. The site does not name individual rooms or give a seated and standing split, so layouts should be confirmed on request.
Catering
Food is the strength of this address. The kitchen serves dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia, and the restaurant describes a menu of more than 50 signature dishes covering rice, soup, noodles and sushi. It says it uses some organic vegetables and a healthy cooking style. A separate catering page exists on the site for groups that want food delivered elsewhere.
The bar offers cocktails, vodkas, whiskies, wine, beer, Asian drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. The site mentions tropical cocktails such as the Mai Tai, the Cosmopolitan and the Appletini, which can be served before dinner.
Getting there
The restaurant is at 2020 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009. The official site gives a phone number and an email address for event requests, and asks organisers to say what kind of event they are planning, the date and the number of guests so that the team can propose the matching format.
How to choose between the formats
Choose the per-event format for a group of up to 60 that wants the space for a set time. Choose the per-person format when the group is between 35 and 80 and the menu drives the budget. Choose the hourly format for a short gathering, such as a drinks reception before a dinner elsewhere. In every case, ask the team to confirm the date, the menu, the bar offer and the deposit terms in writing before the event is announced to guests.
