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The sultry downstairs bar at Doi Moi.
The dimly-lit downstairs bar at Doi Moi.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Where to Eat and Drink in Logan Circle

The buzzy Northwest neighborhood is full of standbys for French bread, khachapuri, pork carnitas, and more

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The dimly-lit downstairs bar at Doi Moi.
| Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Logan Circle’s greatest strength may be its proximity to other neighborhoods. But even with Dupont Circle to the west, Shaw to the east, the U Street NW corridor up north, and downtown due south, the neighborhood boasts two main drags worth visiting on their own.

On P Street NW, a host of bars and restaurants surround the Whole Foods. On 14th Street NW, towering glass condos flank some of the trendiest places to eat in the city, speaking to the rapid gentrification of the area. Nowhere epitomizes the changes more than Le Diplomate, a French bistro in a former dry cleaning building that was designed to look like it was plucked off a street corner in Paris.

Logan Circle also mixes in a range of international cuisines — Salvadoran, Ethiopian, and Northern Thai — that represent Washington’s wealth of diversity. With a neighborhood made up of well-to-do homeowners, young professionals living in English basements, and a thriving LGBTQ scene, there’s a little something for everybody in a relatively small stretch.

Newer arrivals also worth checking out include Dolce Vita, Gypsy Kitchen, and Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar, and look for Salazar opening soon inside the old El Centro D.F. space.

A number of D.C. area restaurants have resumed dine-in service. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns. The Washington Post is tracking coronavirus cases and deaths in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. More information can be found at coronavirus.dc.gov. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.

Have another favorite? Share in the comments or sound off via email (dc@eater.com).

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Compass Rose

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Rose Previte’s stylish small plates place that came before Michelin-rated Maydan continues to impress with its globe-trotting lineup of khachapuri (Georgia), patatas bravas (Spain), sambal shrimp (Malaysia). Diners can opt for a tasting tour starting at $35, with reservations available Wednesday to Sunday. For visitors who want to eat outside, the restaurant built covered patio on T Street NW with dining nooks dressed up like train cars.

Khachapuri from Compass Rose
Khachapuri from Compass Rose
Compass Rose/official

Bar Pilar

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The Logan Circle mainstay offers a globe-trotting menu inspired by novelist Ernest Hemingway’s travels, from a Thai take on mussels to dan dan tofu noodles to chili hoisin-glazed braised pork belly tacos. Order a well-made daiquiri and soak up its nautical and mermaid decor straight out of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. The owners also run Cafe Saint-Ex next door, a resilient neighborhood dive that swings open its newly renovated basement on weekends to reveal a lively dance floor with DJs.

doi moi

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Following a tropical overhaul last summer from Star Restaurant Group, the reinvented Southeast Asian staple sends out pho, banh mi, steamed buns, flash-fried beef jerky, fresh-pressed juices, and Thailand’s Singha on draft. A solid weekday happy hour (3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close) features $7 dumplings, daiquiris, or a trio of sugarcane moonshine infusions. Head downstairs on Wednesdays to Saturdays to encounter a dimly-lit sibling bar that pairs its own list of cocktails to a soundtrack of 1960s and ’70s soul music.

A photo of Doi Moi’s downstairs bar.
Doi Moi’s downstairs drinking den is flush with glowing lanterns, velvets, and beads. 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Cork Wine Bar and Market

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The 14th Street NW stalwart that relocated a few blocks away in 2017 continues to draw a steady stream of connoisseurs, eager to sample a rotating list of 50 wines by the glass and 250 bottles from small makers around the world. Pair selections with hot and cold plates, or swing by the downstairs market for salads, soups, and sandwiches. The wine-obsessed fixture also offers a flight club, tastings, and classes, plus a curated retail selection of 300 bottles from sustainable producers.

Cork Market & Wine Bar co-owners Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts at their new location at 1805 14th Street NW.
Cork Market & Wine Bar co-owners Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Chicken + Whiskey

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The South American rotisserie shop and whiskey bar going four years strong serves Peruvian poultry in the front and has a wall of brown liquor and vinyls in the back. Its prolific Venezuelan chef Enrique Limardo (Seven ReasonsImmigrant FoodImperfecto) complements slow-roasted chickens that are brined for 12 hours with arepas and addicting breaded chicken strips. An additional D.C. location is en route to Navy Yard.

Chicken and Whiskey DC kitchen
Poultry is aplenty at Chicken + Whiskey.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Red Light

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In 2019, local restaurateur Aaron Gordon swapped out Red Light’s “unremarkable” bar fare menu in favor of Detroit-style square pizza. Chef Naomi Gallego, who makes wood-fired pies at Little Beast in Chevy Chase, led the charge on bringing the same deep dish pies she used to devour growing up in Michigan to D.C. The corner destination for carbs and cocktails also does takeout and delivery. Manny & Olga’s is also a prime pick on the strip for on-the-go pizza.

Deep dish pizza at Red Light.
Red Light’s starring order.
Red Light/official photo

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

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Cajun-leaning Pearl Dive continues to remain relevant 10 years in, with a devoted fanbase that keeps coming back for gumbo, shrimp and grits, clam chowder, and oysters prepared plenty of ways. Day drinking and brunch are big here, too.

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace’s dining room.
The buzzy scene at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace.
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace/official photo

Le Diplomate

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Servers cut complimentary slices from baguettes, rustic rye boules, and cranberry-walnut loaves to set the tone for a menu full of French bistro classics such as steak au poivre and duck a l’orange. Ordering from the raw bar is always a smart move here, as is asking for a side of frites with aioli. Reservations are highly recommended. Le Dip has been booked solid since restaurateur Stephen Starr opened it in 2013. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden famously lunched here this spring with Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

A plate of pan roasted hanger steak, maître d butter with pommes frites at Le Diplomate.
Steak frites at Le Diplomate.
Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Estadio

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Among a plethora of Spanish options in the District, including beloved Barcelona Wine Bar nearby, decade-old Estadio stands apart with a straightforward, encyclopedic menu that features small plates representative of several regions.

A board of Spanish starters at Estadio.
Bite-sized delights at Estadio.
Estadio/official site

Stoney's

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The “super” grilled cheese — filled with bacon, tomato, and onion and served on thick pieces of liberally buttered white bread — is a D.C. classic that has survived several rounds of menu tweaks at the neighborhood sports bar.

Grilled cheese at Stoney’s.
Stoney’s offers a variety of grilled cheese options.
Stoney’s/Instagram

Logan Tavern

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Open since 2003, Logan Circle’s pioneering eatery continues to stay busy thanks to its reliable American menu and popular weekend brunch service. A daily happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. features $7 wines or drafts and discounted mac and cheese, vegan tostadas, and empanadas. EatWell DC also runs Commissary next door and The Pig on 14th Street NW.

Benitos Place

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Owners Telma and Maynor Majano pull off a difficult feat of nailing dishes from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Pretty much anything on the menu is a safe bet, but first-timers should make a beeline for the Honduran fried chicken, served with pickles, a tangy cabbage slaw, and an enormous portion of fried plantains. Pozole and mole both stand up under scrutiny.

14th Street Cafe Asian Bistro

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A steady option for dine-in, take-out, or delivery service, this restaurant bangs out Americanized Chinese classics and Sichuan specialties with speed and finesse. The spicy, Sichuan style beef noodle stew brims with pepper flakes and tender protein in a crimson-colored broth. Great Wall Szechuan House just up 14th Street NW is a popular destination as well.

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Da Hong Pao Restaurant and Bar

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Owner Jerry Chen has been in the neighborhood since starting Yum’s II, the carryout next door that serves late-night eats to cops and revelers until 4 a.m., in 1988. His family’s upward mobility is now manifested in a spacious dining room that gets packed for dim sum service.

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

With DJ sets, costume parties, a hilariously low-brow food menu, and communal viewings of RuPaul’s Drag Race, this gay dive bar has a little more character than its sibling spot around the block, Number Nine on P Street NW. Order the tasty green tea shots or supersized cocktails during its famous daily happy hour.

A drag queen performing at Trade.
Trade’s events calendar is full of drag shows.
Courtesy of Christopher Di Ruggiero/For Trade

Black Whiskey

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Filled with pool tables, friendly bartenders, taxidermy heads, and floral murals from local artist Chris Pyrate, this upstairs industry hangout lined in brick is the unapologetic, no-frills bar the strip needs. The bar’s namesake brown spirit takes up an entire wall, with over 500 options to choose from.

A wall of whiskey
The abundant wall of whiskeys at Black Whiskey.
Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Players Club

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The Hilton brothers’ retro-chic drinking den keeps regulars entertained with pinball, pool, Skee-Ball, a photo booth, and even a vending machine stocked with sex toys. Customers can order in burgers and fries from Shake Shack upstairs.

The lounge seating at Players Club
Players Club oozes ‘70s cool.
Mykl Wu/Players Club

Slipstream

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The light-filled space serves cocktails after dark, but mornings are the best time to visit because of the coffee that comes with cards explaining the origin of the beans. Safe bets include pastries, rice bowls, and toast gussied up with avocado and goat cheese. A sandwich selection includes a veggie “pastrami” on marble rye.

Coffee service at Slipstream.
Coffee service at Slipstream.
Slipstream/official site

Ammathar Thai Cuisine

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Around since 2001, this neighborhood pioneer continues to deliver reliable pad Thai and pineapple fried rice in a friendly, family-owned atmosphere. A new sibling spot upstairs called Takara 14 serves superb sushi and nigiri from a Nakazawa alum.

Dumplings at Ammathar Thai Cuisine.
Dumplings at Ammathar Thai Cuisine.
Ammathar Thai Cuisine/official photo

With billowing fabrics covering the walls and the ceiling, Pappe presents an elegant setting for Indian food that will make diners dab sweat from their foreheads. Lamb vindaloo, spicy chicken tikka, and baingan bartha (roasted eggplant spread) all raise the heat. For a nightcap with live music, head downstairs to the Crown & Crow bar.

A table of Indian food at Pappe.
An Indian feast at Pappe.
Pappe/Facebook

El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria

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A contender for the title of Washington’s top taqueria, El Sol is the first venture from Mexico City-born chef and restaurateur Alfredo Solis (Mezcalero). Solis’s ultra-rich braised pork carnitas are the perfect stuffer for fried masa gordita pouches and house-formed corn tortilla quesadillas. Break up a bar crawl with its fried and rolled chicken tacos dorados, with hours until midnight on Friday and Saturday and 11:30 p.m. every other night.

El Sol gorditas
Gorditas from El Sol.
El Sol [official]

Compass Rose

Rose Previte’s stylish small plates place that came before Michelin-rated Maydan continues to impress with its globe-trotting lineup of khachapuri (Georgia), patatas bravas (Spain), sambal shrimp (Malaysia). Diners can opt for a tasting tour starting at $35, with reservations available Wednesday to Sunday. For visitors who want to eat outside, the restaurant built covered patio on T Street NW with dining nooks dressed up like train cars.

Khachapuri from Compass Rose
Khachapuri from Compass Rose
Compass Rose/official

Bar Pilar

The Logan Circle mainstay offers a globe-trotting menu inspired by novelist Ernest Hemingway’s travels, from a Thai take on mussels to dan dan tofu noodles to chili hoisin-glazed braised pork belly tacos. Order a well-made daiquiri and soak up its nautical and mermaid decor straight out of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. The owners also run Cafe Saint-Ex next door, a resilient neighborhood dive that swings open its newly renovated basement on weekends to reveal a lively dance floor with DJs.

doi moi

Following a tropical overhaul last summer from Star Restaurant Group, the reinvented Southeast Asian staple sends out pho, banh mi, steamed buns, flash-fried beef jerky, fresh-pressed juices, and Thailand’s Singha on draft. A solid weekday happy hour (3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close) features $7 dumplings, daiquiris, or a trio of sugarcane moonshine infusions. Head downstairs on Wednesdays to Saturdays to encounter a dimly-lit sibling bar that pairs its own list of cocktails to a soundtrack of 1960s and ’70s soul music.

A photo of Doi Moi’s downstairs bar.
Doi Moi’s downstairs drinking den is flush with glowing lanterns, velvets, and beads. 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Cork Wine Bar and Market

The 14th Street NW stalwart that relocated a few blocks away in 2017 continues to draw a steady stream of connoisseurs, eager to sample a rotating list of 50 wines by the glass and 250 bottles from small makers around the world. Pair selections with hot and cold plates, or swing by the downstairs market for salads, soups, and sandwiches. The wine-obsessed fixture also offers a flight club, tastings, and classes, plus a curated retail selection of 300 bottles from sustainable producers.

Cork Market & Wine Bar co-owners Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts at their new location at 1805 14th Street NW.
Cork Market & Wine Bar co-owners Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Chicken + Whiskey

The South American rotisserie shop and whiskey bar going four years strong serves Peruvian poultry in the front and has a wall of brown liquor and vinyls in the back. Its prolific Venezuelan chef Enrique Limardo (Seven ReasonsImmigrant FoodImperfecto) complements slow-roasted chickens that are brined for 12 hours with arepas and addicting breaded chicken strips. An additional D.C. location is en route to Navy Yard.

Chicken and Whiskey DC kitchen
Poultry is aplenty at Chicken + Whiskey.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Red Light

In 2019, local restaurateur Aaron Gordon swapped out Red Light’s “unremarkable” bar fare menu in favor of Detroit-style square pizza. Chef Naomi Gallego, who makes wood-fired pies at Little Beast in Chevy Chase, led the charge on bringing the same deep dish pies she used to devour growing up in Michigan to D.C. The corner destination for carbs and cocktails also does takeout and delivery. Manny & Olga’s is also a prime pick on the strip for on-the-go pizza.

Deep dish pizza at Red Light.
Red Light’s starring order.
Red Light/official photo

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

Cajun-leaning Pearl Dive continues to remain relevant 10 years in, with a devoted fanbase that keeps coming back for gumbo, shrimp and grits, clam chowder, and oysters prepared plenty of ways. Day drinking and brunch are big here, too.

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace’s dining room.
The buzzy scene at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace.
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace/official photo

Le Diplomate

Servers cut complimentary slices from baguettes, rustic rye boules, and cranberry-walnut loaves to set the tone for a menu full of French bistro classics such as steak au poivre and duck a l’orange. Ordering from the raw bar is always a smart move here, as is asking for a side of frites with aioli. Reservations are highly recommended. Le Dip has been booked solid since restaurateur Stephen Starr opened it in 2013. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden famously lunched here this spring with Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

A plate of pan roasted hanger steak, maître d butter with pommes frites at Le Diplomate.
Steak frites at Le Diplomate.
Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Estadio

Among a plethora of Spanish options in the District, including beloved Barcelona Wine Bar nearby, decade-old Estadio stands apart with a straightforward, encyclopedic menu that features small plates representative of several regions.

A board of Spanish starters at Estadio.
Bite-sized delights at Estadio.
Estadio/official site

Stoney's

The “super” grilled cheese — filled with bacon, tomato, and onion and served on thick pieces of liberally buttered white bread — is a D.C. classic that has survived several rounds of menu tweaks at the neighborhood sports bar.

Grilled cheese at Stoney’s.
Stoney’s offers a variety of grilled cheese options.
Stoney’s/Instagram

Logan Tavern

Open since 2003, Logan Circle’s pioneering eatery continues to stay busy thanks to its reliable American menu and popular weekend brunch service. A daily happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. features $7 wines or drafts and discounted mac and cheese, vegan tostadas, and empanadas. EatWell DC also runs Commissary next door and The Pig on 14th Street NW.

Benitos Place

Owners Telma and Maynor Majano pull off a difficult feat of nailing dishes from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Pretty much anything on the menu is a safe bet, but first-timers should make a beeline for the Honduran fried chicken, served with pickles, a tangy cabbage slaw, and an enormous portion of fried plantains. Pozole and mole both stand up under scrutiny.

14th Street Cafe Asian Bistro

A steady option for dine-in, take-out, or delivery service, this restaurant bangs out Americanized Chinese classics and Sichuan specialties with speed and finesse. The spicy, Sichuan style beef noodle stew brims with pepper flakes and tender protein in a crimson-colored broth. Great Wall Szechuan House just up 14th Street NW is a popular destination as well.

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Da Hong Pao Restaurant and Bar

Owner Jerry Chen has been in the neighborhood since starting Yum’s II, the carryout next door that serves late-night eats to cops and revelers until 4 a.m., in 1988. His family’s upward mobility is now manifested in a spacious dining room that gets packed for dim sum service.

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Trade

With DJ sets, costume parties, a hilariously low-brow food menu, and communal viewings of RuPaul’s Drag Race, this gay dive bar has a little more character than its sibling spot around the block, Number Nine on P Street NW. Order the tasty green tea shots or supersized cocktails during its famous daily happy hour.

A drag queen performing at Trade.
Trade’s events calendar is full of drag shows.
Courtesy of Christopher Di Ruggiero/For Trade

Related Maps

Black Whiskey

Filled with pool tables, friendly bartenders, taxidermy heads, and floral murals from local artist Chris Pyrate, this upstairs industry hangout lined in brick is the unapologetic, no-frills bar the strip needs. The bar’s namesake brown spirit takes up an entire wall, with over 500 options to choose from.

A wall of whiskey
The abundant wall of whiskeys at Black Whiskey.
Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Players Club

The Hilton brothers’ retro-chic drinking den keeps regulars entertained with pinball, pool, Skee-Ball, a photo booth, and even a vending machine stocked with sex toys. Customers can order in burgers and fries from Shake Shack upstairs.

The lounge seating at Players Club
Players Club oozes ‘70s cool.
Mykl Wu/Players Club

Slipstream

The light-filled space serves cocktails after dark, but mornings are the best time to visit because of the coffee that comes with cards explaining the origin of the beans. Safe bets include pastries, rice bowls, and toast gussied up with avocado and goat cheese. A sandwich selection includes a veggie “pastrami” on marble rye.

Coffee service at Slipstream.
Coffee service at Slipstream.
Slipstream/official site

Ammathar Thai Cuisine

Around since 2001, this neighborhood pioneer continues to deliver reliable pad Thai and pineapple fried rice in a friendly, family-owned atmosphere. A new sibling spot upstairs called Takara 14 serves superb sushi and nigiri from a Nakazawa alum.

Dumplings at Ammathar Thai Cuisine.
Dumplings at Ammathar Thai Cuisine.
Ammathar Thai Cuisine/official photo

Pappe

With billowing fabrics covering the walls and the ceiling, Pappe presents an elegant setting for Indian food that will make diners dab sweat from their foreheads. Lamb vindaloo, spicy chicken tikka, and baingan bartha (roasted eggplant spread) all raise the heat. For a nightcap with live music, head downstairs to the Crown & Crow bar.

A table of Indian food at Pappe.
An Indian feast at Pappe.
Pappe/Facebook

El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria

A contender for the title of Washington’s top taqueria, El Sol is the first venture from Mexico City-born chef and restaurateur Alfredo Solis (Mezcalero). Solis’s ultra-rich braised pork carnitas are the perfect stuffer for fried masa gordita pouches and house-formed corn tortilla quesadillas. Break up a bar crawl with its fried and rolled chicken tacos dorados, with hours until midnight on Friday and Saturday and 11:30 p.m. every other night.