What to try next
Curated from Eater, the Washington Post, Washingtonian, Michelin, Bon Appétit, Resy, and r/washingtondc, plus the spots I've been to myself.
Updated June 2026Restaurants to try
Cuisine tags
Chai Pani
$$Beautiful and vibrant, and the food lives up to the room. Just don't come expecting an intimate dinner, because it isn't that kind of place
via Jenn
Balos Estiatorio
$$$Stunning, and built for the photos. Just know a Greek salad runs $28, which should honestly be illegal
via Jenn
Maketto
$$A dessert I genuinely still think about, in a really cool space. The only catch is the trek out on H Street
via Jenn
Mandu
$$Hated it, honestly — cheap interior, bad music. The silken tofu soup was the one redeeming thing
via Jenn
Via Sophia
$$$My pick for a work happy hour, mostly for the patio across from Franklin Square
via Jenn
Sababa
$$Love the spreads and the bread, though I've got complicated feelings about going back
via Jenn
On my list next: Elmina, contemporary Ghanaian on U Street from Top Chef's Eric Adjepong.
Bars by neighborhood
15 spotsSilver Lyan
A bar in a historic bank vault, from Mr Lyan and the Riggs Hotel
Must try: The signature cocktails
Service Bar
An unpretentious craft-cocktail staple since 2016
Must try: Happy-hour daiquiris and the Savory Sour
Eebee's Corner Bar
A lived-in, Cheers-style neighborhood bar
Must try: A martini and the burger
Press Club
A vinyl record bar with a serious cocktail program
Must try: Cocktails cued to the night's records
McClellan's Retreat
A cozy, low-key neighborhood craft bar
Must try: Seasonal craft cocktails
Allegory
A hidden speakeasy in the Eaton Hotel, themed on Ruby Bridges' story
Must try: Narrative, nostalgia-driven cocktails
Been here: The interior and the service both stuck with me.
Death & Co
The NYC speakeasy's DC outpost, with a deep menu and a patio
Must try: Bartender's choice from an encyclopedic menu
A pisco-forward rooftop above the Michelin-starred Causa
Must try: Pisco cocktails on the roof
The Green Zone
DC's Middle Eastern cocktail bar — warm and loud
Must try: Arak- and amaro-driven Levantine drinks
Riff Raff Room
An intimate zebra-print speakeasy above Johnny Pistolas
Must try: Zero-waste riffs on the classics
Jane Jane
A tiny, stylish classics bar with a great happy hour
Must try: The martini, or the punch of the day
La' Shukran
A Levantine-funk rooftop from Albi's Michael Rafidi
Must try: Levantine-spiced cocktails on the terrace
Florería Atlántico
A Buenos Aires import — a flower shop hiding an underwater-blue cocktail den
Must try: The Tide Water Martini, with a crab-stuffed olive
L'Annexe
A low-lit Georgetown cocktail bar and restaurant
Must try: A spirit-forward classic, in candlelight
Been here: The dark-academia mood inside is the whole draw for me.
Copycat Co.
A two-story Asian-influenced cocktail bar with dumplings, open late
Must try: Bartender's choice by spirit and flavor
Last updated June 2026