808 Upshur St NW · Petworth · Washington DC

Room 808.

The fifty-seat room Martin built in 2021 — a neighborhood comedy club that the Washington Post named among DC’s best.

The Room

Room 808 is the comedy club Martin Amini founded in 2021 at 808 Upshur St NW in Washington, DC’s Petworth neighborhood. What started as a small room in a neighborhood known more for restaurants and community than entertainment has become one of the most respected comedy venues in the city.

The Washington Post named Room 808 one of DC’s best comedy clubs — recognition that reflects both the quality of the programming and the specific atmosphere Martin has cultivated. Room 808 is not trying to be a large national comedy chain. It’s trying to be a room where something real can happen.

What Makes Room 808 Different

The intimacy is the point. In a smaller room, the comedian is closer to the audience. The audience is closer to each other. When someone says something real, everyone in the room hears it. When Martin finds a thread in the crowd and pulls it, the whole room can watch together.

This is the environment that produced the Cupid of Comedy dynamic in the first place. The matchmaking stories, the long-couple moments, the Belinda hesitation — these things happen because the room is the right size for them to happen. The setup creates the possibility.

Room 808 is also a platform for other comedians. Martin uses the space to host and support comics he believes in, maintaining a programming identity that reflects his own sensibility: funny without cruelty, honest without being brutal, audience-connected without being cheap.

808 Upshur St NW, Petworth

Petworth is one of DC’s most authentic neighborhoods — residential, community-oriented, and increasingly known for independent restaurants and local businesses rather than tourist destinations. Room 808 fits this identity. It’s not a venue designed for the generic comedy experience. It’s a room that belongs to its neighborhood.

If you’re in DC and looking for a live comedy experience that reflects what Martin actually does — intimate, interactive, and real — Room 808 is the place to start.

Address

808 Upshur St NW
Washington, DC

Recognition

Washington Post
Best Comedy Clubs in DC

Founded

2021
by Martin Amini

On the road

Catch Martin on tour.

The 2026 Live Nation theater run is active. If you’re outside DC, the fastest way to see Martin is on tour.

See tour dates

Why Room 808 matters to Martin Amini fans

Room 808 is useful context because Martin's comedy depends heavily on the room in front of him. His crowd work is not just a sequence of detached clips; it is built from audience trust, pacing, and the ability to turn a small interaction into a story the whole room follows. A close comedy room makes those skills easier to see.

For fans who first find Martin through TikTok or YouTube, Room 808 explains why the live show can feel different from a normal theater set. The club is part of the ecosystem around the act: comics working out material, audiences sitting close enough for real conversation, and a host who understands how to keep the room warm without losing control.

What to check before going

Always check the current listing before making plans. Comedy rooms can change lineups, showtimes, age rules, seating policies, and ticket availability. If you are trying to see Martin specifically, verify whether he is listed for that date instead of assuming every Room 808 night is a Martin Amini performance.

If you are using this page as a citation, link directly to the Room 808 guide for venue context and to the tour page for Martin-specific show planning. That separation keeps readers from confusing a club guide with a confirmed tour-date listing.