My spots in DC

There are lots of great places to eat & drink, and plenty of fun & interesting things to do in DC – this list is my personal recommendations on where I find myself going to over and over again.

This list is heavily bias and nowhere near comprehensive.

Photo by me @ Malcom X Park

Eat

• Caruso's Grocery

  • classic red sauce italian dishes, done right

  • try the in-house amaro and/or limoncello

• Reveler's Hour

  • upscale italian with excellent wine menu

  • my personal favorite

• Little Coco's

  • neighborhood italian spot, go here if you want something solid and you're in the area

• Retrobotegga

  • neighborhood italian spot, go here if you want something solid and you're in the area

• Menya Hosaki

  • best ramen in town, go early or plan to wait

  • get the karaage

• Toki Underground

  • super cool ramen spot with excellent cocktails

• Omakese

  • excellent sushi if you want to be uber fancy

• The Diner

  • local chain, surprisingly good basic diner food

• Izakaya Seki

  • japanese spot tucked into a row house on a residential street

• Honeymoon Chicken

• Andy's Pizza

  • local chain, best NY pizza around

• Lapis

  • Afghan cuisine, check out the cocktails bars downstairs

• So's Your Mom

  • classic deli, cash only

• Garden District

  • beer garden with good food, great location

• Marx Cafe

  • low key neighborhood spot, solid, nothing special

• Maketto

• Thip Kao

• Old Ebbitt Grill

  • oldest restaurant in town, across the street from the White House, it's a vibe

  • Pop down the street for a drink at the Round Robin Bar for the whole old school DC experience

• Martha Dear

  • neighborhood wood fire pizza, good wine

  • get ice cream from the spot upstairs for dessert

• Bagels Etc

  • classic, cash only

• Timber

  • neighborhood wood fire pizza

• Florida Ave Grill

  • classic, low scale grill – do not go in the middle of summer

Drink

• Red derby

  • best dive in town, surprisingly good food

  • tell them I sent ya and get a shot of fernet

• OKPB

  • pretentious speakeasy with very good cocktails, excellent happy hour 5 - 7

• Suns Cinema

  • small indy theatre with a bar and great cocktails

• Ivy & Coney

  • Michigan sports bar

  • get a pizza and shot of malort

• Grand Duchess

  • underrated dive on a normie and obnoxious street

• Thirsty Crow

  • sports bar, decent cocktails, pool tables

• Bedrock Billiards

  • classic pool bar

• All Souls

• Snappy's Small Bar

  • low brow dive

• Death & Co

  • fancy cocktails

• Copycat

• The Pug

  • arguably the only real dive bar in the district, get a drink here while you wait for a seat at Toki Underground

• Midlands

  • good sports bar for a group

• Looking Glass Lounge

  • go downstairs and sit in the back

• Showtime

• Dewdrop Inn

• Morris Bar

• Round Robin Bar

  • old school classic hotel bar by the white house – birthplace of the mint julep

  • get Tem's negroni

Coffee

• The Coffee Bar

  • my favorite

• Elle

  • also has good food and cocktails

• La Colombe in Blagden Alley

• Emmisary

Museums and Such

• Udvar Hazy Air & Space

• Hirshorn

• Portrait Gallery

• National Building – not free

• Renwick Gallery

• Post Office Clocktower

  • behind the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, best view of the city besides the washington monument

• Walk the national mall from the Capitol to the watergate steps at night, detour through the constitutional gardens

Misc Notes

• biking is the most efficient way to get around and cabi bikes are great

• you can get a metro card on your phone through the wallet app

• walk left, stand right on the escalators

• metro buses are great and use the same cards as the trains