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Trouble Bird’s answer to a colada is styled up with a triple-citrus blend. 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

18 Essential Bars in D.C.

Head here to sip the finest beers, wines, and cocktails around town

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Trouble Bird’s answer to a colada is styled up with a triple-citrus blend. 
| Rey Lopez/Eater DC

D.C. is a drinking town through and through. A work-hard, play-hard ethic is pervasive across a city full of young professionals that can be found unwinding with craft beer, natural wine, and complicated cocktails just about every night of the week. Whether a drinker’s preference is to splurge on futuristic cocktails at Minibar, sip espresso martinis at party-starting Bar Chinois, or indulge in a frozen, minty hard lemonade at Green Zone, there’s no shortage of standout bars around the District.

Essential bars on this list have been open for at least six months. Prefer to bend the elbow at the latest “it” destination? Check out the bar heat map. For a list of D.C.’s most lovable dive bars, go here.

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The Thirsty Crow

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Don’t stress if there’s a wait for one of the pool tables at this subterranean Columbia Heights sports bar. The kitchen’s tasty Malaysian menu and the bar’s creative cocktails are more than worth a visit. Head upstairs to sister restaurant Makan before or after for a full-on dinner.

Alegria

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Situated in Edgewood’s shiny new Bryant Street Market food hall since this spring, Alegria Bar builds on the success of 14th Street NW’s agave standby Tequila & Mezcal. Its 26-seat offshoot in Northeast showcases more than just margaritas and Mexican spirits, looping in Latin flavors like hibiscus, various fruits, and cacao to make an espresso martini. A draft and bottled beer list swings from Mexican brews like Pacifico to local favorites like Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. in Hyattsville, and a canned cocktail system lets patrons to take the party to-go. In lieu of traditional happy hour, a “martini hour” lets drinkers at the L-shaped setup sample dirty and pineapple martinis in mini portions. The same family also imported their popular Columbia Heights taco spot Taqueria Habanero to the food hall.

Banana Clarified Punch (Giffard’s Banane Du Bresil, regionals rums, roasted bananas, cinnamon and brown sugar, and milk clarification). 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

The Green Zone

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Middle Eastern ingredients go into the cocktails at this Adams Morgan bar born out of a long-running pop-up. The frozen lemonade brimming with fresh mint and vodka (or gin) is a can’t-miss. A menu of snacks like Syrian muhamarra or Lebanese falafel go well with any beverage. Lots of reggae helps foster a fun, loose atmosphere.

Vodka and mint lemonade from Green Zone
Vodka and mint lemonade from Green Zone
Green Zone [official]

Jack Rose

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This multi-faceted Adams Morgan bar and restaurant boasts a whiskey list with literally thousands of options. An open-air roof deck sprawls across the third floor, which serves draft beer and allows for good views of bustling 18th Street NW below. The food menu features Southern comfort fare such as deviled eggs and crispy chicken skins. Jack Rose’s beloved basement bar Dram & Grain recently resurfaced under next-door sibling spot Imperial.

The wall of whiskey at Adams Morgan, with bottles and bottles stacked in rows behind the bar Jack Rose/official photo

Service Bar

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Service Bar was recognized as one of the top 50 bars in North America for its inventive cocktails and friendly, knowledgeable staff. It’s no surprise the small stalwart that just turned 7 draws a consistent crowd of regulars, visitors, and bar industry friends to U Street NW. The drink menu is arranged by spirits and makes use of seasonal ingredients wherever possible. Fried chicken remains a fan favorite, as do the $7 happy hour specials that include Old Fashioneds and classic daiquiris. Co-owners Glendon Hartley and Chad Spangler also run Amazonia in Shaw, a pisco-fueled paradise p their newly-Michelin-starred tasting room Causa.

McClellan's Retreat

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Named after a gentle Civil War general, this dim, date night staple in Dupont Circle has amassed a loyal following for barrel-aged cocktails and an eponymous Manhattan. Bar manager Brian Nixon’s seasonal menus include tropical tipples and D.C.’s classic Rickey.

“I Painted A Picture Of A Butterfly” with Republic Restoratives Civic Vodka, cranberry honey shrub, cinnamon syrup, and prosecco.
McClellan’s Retreat/official photo

The Passenger

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The Passenger is the move for a straightforward (and damn good cocktail) without the over-the-top gimmicks and tricks. Drink specials are scribbled on a chalkboard menu and the bartenders are happy to mix up just about anything from the impressive bottle selection. There’s a beer list with a handful of local picks, and Puerto Rican is available from Qui Qui upstairs.

Astoria DC

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A tight Sichuan menu pairs with creative and well-made cocktails at this Dupont outpost from the Copycat Co. team. Try chili wontons, fried rice with lump crab, and mapo tofu alongside classic cocktails like daiquiris or creative drinks like a Chartreuse swizzle with tarragon, lime, green chartreuse, pineapple, and cacao. Over on H Street NE, Copycat’s bar menu schools customers in the history behind classic cocktails such as Manhattans, martinis, smashes, and mules. Chinese dumplings and grilled meat skewers are also available alongside textbook dry martinis.

The Little Gay Pub

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A cute Logan Circle corner formerly home to the Commodore got a new life in March as a stylish new gay bar outfitted with leather seating, an elegant marble bar, and eclectic artwork serving a selection of snacks and cocktails. The Little Gay Pub’s founders Benjamin Gander, Dito Sevilla, and Dusty Martinez have a combined 30-year hospitality career working at places like Number Nine, Trade, and the bar under Floriana. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) staged a surprise visit this fall and snapped a selfie in the gilded bathroom with its own Instagram handle.

Serenata

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Beverage director Andra “AJ” Johnson is the managing partner at this pan-Latin cocktail bar at the center of La Cosecha market. The varied drink menu has a particular focus on tequila, mezcal, rum and other ingredients from around South and Central America.

An Amazónica cocktail from Serenata
An Amazónica cocktail from Serenata
Maya Oren/For Serenata

Bar Chinois

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It always feels like a party at Mt. Vernon Triangle’s high-energy hangout for Frenchified cocktails, Champagne, DJs, dumplings, and industry regulars since 2021. Popular cocktails include a Calvados daiquiri and the “Big Pink” with tequila, Créme de Cassis currant liqueur, and Q grapefruit soda and a Calvados daiquiri with lime and simple syrup. The French beverage program the bar is known for will make its way over to 14th Street NW in early 2024, when the team debuts a stylish new izakaya called Bar Japonais in the old Estadio.

Bar Chinois stocks a variety of French whisky, cognac, and vermouth, as well as a Sichuan peppercorn amaro from Baltimore Spirits Co. 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Silver Lyan

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Acclaimed mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, known as Mr. Lyan, chose Washington and the posh Riggs Hotel as the location for his first U.S. drinking establishment that was named the best hotel bar in the U.S. at Tales of the Cocktail last year. The red plush underground lounge surrounded with silver trophies is fit for a luxe night out. Its latest daring menu introduces ambitious ingredients like distilled emu neck and smoked bee larvae.

The zippy and aromatic Superman 2 (Hendrick’s gin, oak wine, oolong, flinted strawberry, green pea). 
Caitlin Isola

Dubliner

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This family-run Irish pub near Union Station has been in business since 1974 and still serves perfect pours of Guinness. The iconic bar also boasts a proprietary Irish whiskey that goes down smooth, along with about 100 other Irish whiskeys to sample. Nightly live Irish music is back on the schedule, and traditional dishes like corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie fill out the menu.

The wooden bar with dozens of bottles lined up in front of it at The Dubliner
The wooden bar with dozens of bottles lined up in front of it at The Dubliner
R. Lopez/Eater DC

Barmini

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There’s something dreamlike about the setting at José Andrés’s Barmini, which is outfitted in striking white with wild accents like a cactus couch. Reservations and a deposit are required to access the lengthy menu featuring more than 100 classic and experimental cocktails. There’s the option to choose a flight. Part of the fun is watching bartenders use cutting-edge technology and general wizardry to craft drinks right in front of patrons. Some change color, others arrive still smoking, and cotton candy may very well be an ingredient. A carved-out apple filled with bourbon is also a possibility. Small snacks that appeal to gourmands are also available.

ThinkFoodGroup/official photo

Tiki TNT & Potomac Distilling Company

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Nationally recognized mixologist Todd Thrasher’s massive endeavor on the Southwest Waterfront attracts tourists, locals, and service industry types alike. The multi-level tiki bar and happy hour spot offers cheeky, frozen rum and Coke in a can, classics like a Zombie or Mai Tai, and an extremely potent T.N.T. Problem Forgetter (bourbon and Thrasher’s spiced and overproof rum, apricot liqueur, coconut cream rum, honey, and lime). A recently retooled food menu features fabulous waterfront snacks like pork-topped nachos and spice bomb-blasted ramen.

The upstairs bar at Tiki TNT
The upstairs bar at Tiki TNT
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Show of Hands

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Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s hotly anticipated, low-ABV bar inside Capitol Hill’s the Roost started pouring its first drinks last fall. The 12,500-square-foot culinary clubhouse’s cocktail-driven centerfold opens with a strong showing of herbal liqueurs and brown spirits to go along with 20 cocktails split across three categories: “refreshing and low-ABV”; “full proof and playful”; and “spritzy cocktails for late fall.” NRG spirits director Nick Farrell spearheads the homemade spirits haven. Beer director Greg Engert shapes the suds menus across the group’s beer stalwarts Bluejacket and Churchkey.

Trouble Bird

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Open since February, Navy Yard’s 40-seat cocktail nest has quickly amassed a neighborhood following for its shimmering shooters and frozen tiki drinks. D.C. sommelier and restaurateur Brent Kroll turned to disco balls and the cocktail prowess of Silver Lyan alums Justin Cara-Donna and Andrew Hurn to transform his Maxwell Park wine bar into Trouble Bird. The inaugural “Breakfast for Dinner” drink theme features “flapjack” bourbon-and-mezcal Old Fashioned stacked with brown butter, maple, and buckwheat bitters to a crowd-pleasing “Everything Bagel Sazerac” coupe comprised of sesame aquavit and chive gomme. Over in Shaw, Kroll runs Maxwell Park wine bar and bubbly-fueled Pop Fizz.

The “Cosmo Swizzle” is adorned with a mountain of crushed ice and fresh mint.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Solace Outpost Navy Yard

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Fresh brews and waterfront views (with plenty of outdoor seating) make Solace Outpost an ideal stop while exploring Navy Yard, game day or not. Born out of Northern Virginia, the beer menu is heavy on IPAs, with a couple lagers and seasonal picks sprinkled throughout. There are even a few “beer-tails” on the menu, including a fruity, fizzy twist on the Hurricane. The kitchen’s menu features typical pub fare like burgers, brats, and tots, alongside some healthier options.

The Thirsty Crow

Don’t stress if there’s a wait for one of the pool tables at this subterranean Columbia Heights sports bar. The kitchen’s tasty Malaysian menu and the bar’s creative cocktails are more than worth a visit. Head upstairs to sister restaurant Makan before or after for a full-on dinner.

Alegria

Situated in Edgewood’s shiny new Bryant Street Market food hall since this spring, Alegria Bar builds on the success of 14th Street NW’s agave standby Tequila & Mezcal. Its 26-seat offshoot in Northeast showcases more than just margaritas and Mexican spirits, looping in Latin flavors like hibiscus, various fruits, and cacao to make an espresso martini. A draft and bottled beer list swings from Mexican brews like Pacifico to local favorites like Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. in Hyattsville, and a canned cocktail system lets patrons to take the party to-go. In lieu of traditional happy hour, a “martini hour” lets drinkers at the L-shaped setup sample dirty and pineapple martinis in mini portions. The same family also imported their popular Columbia Heights taco spot Taqueria Habanero to the food hall.

Banana Clarified Punch (Giffard’s Banane Du Bresil, regionals rums, roasted bananas, cinnamon and brown sugar, and milk clarification). 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

The Green Zone

Middle Eastern ingredients go into the cocktails at this Adams Morgan bar born out of a long-running pop-up. The frozen lemonade brimming with fresh mint and vodka (or gin) is a can’t-miss. A menu of snacks like Syrian muhamarra or Lebanese falafel go well with any beverage. Lots of reggae helps foster a fun, loose atmosphere.

Vodka and mint lemonade from Green Zone
Vodka and mint lemonade from Green Zone
Green Zone [official]

Jack Rose

This multi-faceted Adams Morgan bar and restaurant boasts a whiskey list with literally thousands of options. An open-air roof deck sprawls across the third floor, which serves draft beer and allows for good views of bustling 18th Street NW below. The food menu features Southern comfort fare such as deviled eggs and crispy chicken skins. Jack Rose’s beloved basement bar Dram & Grain recently resurfaced under next-door sibling spot Imperial.

The wall of whiskey at Adams Morgan, with bottles and bottles stacked in rows behind the bar Jack Rose/official photo

Service Bar

Service Bar was recognized as one of the top 50 bars in North America for its inventive cocktails and friendly, knowledgeable staff. It’s no surprise the small stalwart that just turned 7 draws a consistent crowd of regulars, visitors, and bar industry friends to U Street NW. The drink menu is arranged by spirits and makes use of seasonal ingredients wherever possible. Fried chicken remains a fan favorite, as do the $7 happy hour specials that include Old Fashioneds and classic daiquiris. Co-owners Glendon Hartley and Chad Spangler also run Amazonia in Shaw, a pisco-fueled paradise p their newly-Michelin-starred tasting room Causa.

McClellan's Retreat

Named after a gentle Civil War general, this dim, date night staple in Dupont Circle has amassed a loyal following for barrel-aged cocktails and an eponymous Manhattan. Bar manager Brian Nixon’s seasonal menus include tropical tipples and D.C.’s classic Rickey.

“I Painted A Picture Of A Butterfly” with Republic Restoratives Civic Vodka, cranberry honey shrub, cinnamon syrup, and prosecco.
McClellan’s Retreat/official photo

The Passenger

The Passenger is the move for a straightforward (and damn good cocktail) without the over-the-top gimmicks and tricks. Drink specials are scribbled on a chalkboard menu and the bartenders are happy to mix up just about anything from the impressive bottle selection. There’s a beer list with a handful of local picks, and Puerto Rican is available from Qui Qui upstairs.

Astoria DC

A tight Sichuan menu pairs with creative and well-made cocktails at this Dupont outpost from the Copycat Co. team. Try chili wontons, fried rice with lump crab, and mapo tofu alongside classic cocktails like daiquiris or creative drinks like a Chartreuse swizzle with tarragon, lime, green chartreuse, pineapple, and cacao. Over on H Street NE, Copycat’s bar menu schools customers in the history behind classic cocktails such as Manhattans, martinis, smashes, and mules. Chinese dumplings and grilled meat skewers are also available alongside textbook dry martinis.

The Little Gay Pub

A cute Logan Circle corner formerly home to the Commodore got a new life in March as a stylish new gay bar outfitted with leather seating, an elegant marble bar, and eclectic artwork serving a selection of snacks and cocktails. The Little Gay Pub’s founders Benjamin Gander, Dito Sevilla, and Dusty Martinez have a combined 30-year hospitality career working at places like Number Nine, Trade, and the bar under Floriana. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) staged a surprise visit this fall and snapped a selfie in the gilded bathroom with its own Instagram handle.

Serenata

Beverage director Andra “AJ” Johnson is the managing partner at this pan-Latin cocktail bar at the center of La Cosecha market. The varied drink menu has a particular focus on tequila, mezcal, rum and other ingredients from around South and Central America.

An Amazónica cocktail from Serenata
An Amazónica cocktail from Serenata
Maya Oren/For Serenata

Bar Chinois

It always feels like a party at Mt. Vernon Triangle’s high-energy hangout for Frenchified cocktails, Champagne, DJs, dumplings, and industry regulars since 2021. Popular cocktails include a Calvados daiquiri and the “Big Pink” with tequila, Créme de Cassis currant liqueur, and Q grapefruit soda and a Calvados daiquiri with lime and simple syrup. The French beverage program the bar is known for will make its way over to 14th Street NW in early 2024, when the team debuts a stylish new izakaya called Bar Japonais in the old Estadio.

Bar Chinois stocks a variety of French whisky, cognac, and vermouth, as well as a Sichuan peppercorn amaro from Baltimore Spirits Co. 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Silver Lyan

Acclaimed mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, known as Mr. Lyan, chose Washington and the posh Riggs Hotel as the location for his first U.S. drinking establishment that was named the best hotel bar in the U.S. at Tales of the Cocktail last year. The red plush underground lounge surrounded with silver trophies is fit for a luxe night out. Its latest daring menu introduces ambitious ingredients like distilled emu neck and smoked bee larvae.

The zippy and aromatic Superman 2 (Hendrick’s gin, oak wine, oolong, flinted strawberry, green pea). 
Caitlin Isola

Dubliner

This family-run Irish pub near Union Station has been in business since 1974 and still serves perfect pours of Guinness. The iconic bar also boasts a proprietary Irish whiskey that goes down smooth, along with about 100 other Irish whiskeys to sample. Nightly live Irish music is back on the schedule, and traditional dishes like corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie fill out the menu.

The wooden bar with dozens of bottles lined up in front of it at The Dubliner
The wooden bar with dozens of bottles lined up in front of it at The Dubliner
R. Lopez/Eater DC

Barmini

There’s something dreamlike about the setting at José Andrés’s Barmini, which is outfitted in striking white with wild accents like a cactus couch. Reservations and a deposit are required to access the lengthy menu featuring more than 100 classic and experimental cocktails. There’s the option to choose a flight. Part of the fun is watching bartenders use cutting-edge technology and general wizardry to craft drinks right in front of patrons. Some change color, others arrive still smoking, and cotton candy may very well be an ingredient. A carved-out apple filled with bourbon is also a possibility. Small snacks that appeal to gourmands are also available.

ThinkFoodGroup/official photo

Tiki TNT & Potomac Distilling Company

Nationally recognized mixologist Todd Thrasher’s massive endeavor on the Southwest Waterfront attracts tourists, locals, and service industry types alike. The multi-level tiki bar and happy hour spot offers cheeky, frozen rum and Coke in a can, classics like a Zombie or Mai Tai, and an extremely potent T.N.T. Problem Forgetter (bourbon and Thrasher’s spiced and overproof rum, apricot liqueur, coconut cream rum, honey, and lime). A recently retooled food menu features fabulous waterfront snacks like pork-topped nachos and spice bomb-blasted ramen.

The upstairs bar at Tiki TNT
The upstairs bar at Tiki TNT
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Related Maps

Show of Hands

Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s hotly anticipated, low-ABV bar inside Capitol Hill’s the Roost started pouring its first drinks last fall. The 12,500-square-foot culinary clubhouse’s cocktail-driven centerfold opens with a strong showing of herbal liqueurs and brown spirits to go along with 20 cocktails split across three categories: “refreshing and low-ABV”; “full proof and playful”; and “spritzy cocktails for late fall.” NRG spirits director Nick Farrell spearheads the homemade spirits haven. Beer director Greg Engert shapes the suds menus across the group’s beer stalwarts Bluejacket and Churchkey.

Trouble Bird

Open since February, Navy Yard’s 40-seat cocktail nest has quickly amassed a neighborhood following for its shimmering shooters and frozen tiki drinks. D.C. sommelier and restaurateur Brent Kroll turned to disco balls and the cocktail prowess of Silver Lyan alums Justin Cara-Donna and Andrew Hurn to transform his Maxwell Park wine bar into Trouble Bird. The inaugural “Breakfast for Dinner” drink theme features “flapjack” bourbon-and-mezcal Old Fashioned stacked with brown butter, maple, and buckwheat bitters to a crowd-pleasing “Everything Bagel Sazerac” coupe comprised of sesame aquavit and chive gomme. Over in Shaw, Kroll runs Maxwell Park wine bar and bubbly-fueled Pop Fizz.

The “Cosmo Swizzle” is adorned with a mountain of crushed ice and fresh mint.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Solace Outpost Navy Yard

Fresh brews and waterfront views (with plenty of outdoor seating) make Solace Outpost an ideal stop while exploring Navy Yard, game day or not. Born out of Northern Virginia, the beer menu is heavy on IPAs, with a couple lagers and seasonal picks sprinkled throughout. There are even a few “beer-tails” on the menu, including a fruity, fizzy twist on the Hurricane. The kitchen’s menu features typical pub fare like burgers, brats, and tots, alongside some healthier options.

Related Maps