Zola has a secret identity. Known to most in DC for its hip and powerful crowd, it’s also believed to have ties to the International Spy Museum next door—a first-of-its-kind attraction dedicated to the history of espionage. It features exhibits on everything from the Trojan Horse to FBI traitor Robert Hanson.

While there’s no crime in being a museum restaurant—especially for the hordes of customers it provides—Zola does quite well on its own. Since opening in 2002, it’s become one of the hottest restaurants in the sizzling downtown area known as Penn Quarter. Intelligence indicates the restaurant’s "straightforward American cuisine" has garnered rave reviews. Locals tend to come more for lunch and dinner than cloak and dagger.

But Zola acknowledges a bond—a subtle bond—to the Spy Museum. The restaurant’s name honors a noble figure in the infamous French spy scandal, the Dreyfus Affair. In addition, there are small windows at several tables that let you spy on the kitchen staff. Another portal on the floor allows for reconnaissance into the museum’s gift shop. There’s a drink called a Spytini, and another called the Goldfinger. Don’t ask if they’re shaken, not stirred. Even without a few stiff ones, many visitors have a hard time maneuvering a revolving Get Smart-like wall that doubles as the door to the restrooms.

Is Zola successful because of its see-and-be-seen clientele, or due to its undercover links to the museum? We know, but if we told you we’d have to kill you.