clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Where to Eat and Drink in Park View

The Northwest strip is brimming with bagels, square pizza, and Old Fashioneds

View as Map

By now, most D.C. food enthusiasts have likely ventured to Park View to stand in line for a loaded bagel sandwich from the original Call Your Mother outpost, one of the neighborhood’s most popular dining destinations. Even so, people who stick around will discover the quiet residential neighborhood north of Howard University has more to offer than bagels and lox.

Along the main drag on Georgia Avenue, trendy new restaurants continue to pop up alongside decades-old establishments. Visitors and neighborhood residents can now find everything from fried fish to CBD cocktails and vegan mac and cheese. There’s no shortage of outdoor options as well, with multiple outdoor drinking gardens and spacious patios at several places. Here’s a guide to where to eat and drink in Park View right now.

Read More

With a small selection of Asian food items for sale, this charming neighborhood spot doubles as a restaurant-meets-mom-and-pop-shop. The menu features a mix of Thai and Japanese dishes, ranging from drunken noodles to miso ramen to an assortment of sushi rolls and sashimi. There’s seating both inside and outside, where a small patio is dotted with several tables.

Reliable Tavern

Copy Link

This hole-in-the-wall bar has a relaxed, laid-back vibe complete with a billiards room in the basement. Menu highlights include classic cocktails, wines at $9.50 a glass, and bar food — like wings, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings — served in collaboration with Shawarma Hut, conveniently located next door. Plus, the bar occasionally hosts trivia and comedy nights.

The Looking Glass Lounge

Copy Link

The old-timey vibe and sweet outdoor patio have made the Looking Glass Lounge a favorite neighborhood watering hole. Take advantage of bottomless mimosas during brunch, extensive happy hours, and pub games like trivia and bingo.  

Mr. Braxton Bar & Kitchen

Copy Link

A new addition to the neighborhood, this American bistro has plenty of variety, from sandwiches and wings to mussels and composed entrées like a rack of lamb. Plus, the bar is mixing CBD-infused drinks and other creative cocktails.

Fish In the Hood

Copy Link

Fish in the Hood is a Park View staple that has served fried or broiled fish and other types of seafood to neighbors since 1998. The menu also includes chicken wings, pork chops, and sides like candied yams and collard greens. 

Smitty's

Copy Link

At this Park View spot, a cozy interior meets a spacious back patio, providing seating options no matter the group size. The dimly lit bar is set against a rustic exposed brick wall, where guests can enjoy happy hour drinks daily from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. One of its signature drinks, the Cardamom Old Fashioned, comes highly recommended.

Cane & Coconut

Copy Link

For vegan fare, head to this spot on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Park Road NW. Formerly the old Mister Rotisserie, Cane and Coconut is known for its refreshing, made-to-order coconut water and sugarcane juice. On the food front, the curry cabbage, buffalo cauliflower, and sunfried plantains are standbys.

Hook Hall

Copy Link

This gigantic cafe, bar, beer garden, and event space can accommodate a day of teleworking or a private party. There’s coffee, booze, private cabanas, an astroturf lawn, giant patio games, and rotating food vendors. 

The outdoor space at Hook Hall
The outdoor space at Hook Hall
Hook Hall [official]

The Midlands Beer Garden

Copy Link

This 6,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor beer garden boasts plentiful seating and TVs; 26 taps for craft beer, cider, wine, and cocktails; and a food selection including sandwiches, nachos, and giant pretzels. Four-legged guests and the under-21 crowd are also welcome.

Call Your Mother

Copy Link

This “Jew-ish” deli, one of Eater’s 16 Best New Restaurants in America for 2019, has helped Park View blow up. The wood-fired bagels here draw lines down the block. Opt for a creative sandwich like the Mila, with hummus, seasonal veggie salad, and spicy sunflower seeds on a za’atar bagel, or mix and match toppings. Save room for latkes.

Billed as D.C.’s first fast-casual restaurant for Georgian food, Tabla serves items like Khachapuri and Khinkali, the stuffed bread and soup dumplings that helped popularize Georgian cuisine. Plates are presented family-style, making it an ideal place to gather and try different dishes. Both indoor and outdoor seating options abound; don’t miss the chocolate-walnut truffles for dessert.

A smattering of offerings at Tabla.
Tabla/Facebook

Heat Da Spot Café

Copy Link

Welcoming service and the popular Ethiopian breakfast plate are a winning combination at this family-owned cafe. Guests can get cozy and linger over breakfast or lunch on one of many couches. Bottles of house hot sauce have been known to go missing.

St. Vincent Wine

Copy Link

This sprawling spot is a hybrid destination, combining a wine shop with a large outdoor garden and an indoor bar and deck. Reserve a table out back and order appetizers for the table, including pimento cheese, duck fat latkes, and truffled deviled eggs. On the weekends, take advantage of the brunch menu from noon to 3 p.m., boasting dishes like Nutella-stuffed French toast and chai tea overnight oats. “Chicken Sandwich Sundays” is now a weekly thing.

Sonny’s Pizza

Copy Link

This sister restaurant to Colony Club specializes in square, grandma-style pies sold whole or by the slice. The nostalgia-packed pizza parlor also has focaccia sandwiches (like chicken Parm), meatballs served with ricotta, salads, beer, wine, and Negronis on tap.

A communal tables and bowling alley-style booths at Sonny’s
A communal table at Sonny’s
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Doubles

Copy Link

Cafe by day, bar by night, Doubles offers coffee, beer, wine, and cocktails. Plus, they host frequent community events like live jazz nights, art classes, CSA pickup, karaoke, and natural wine festivals.

Halal Wrist

Copy Link

When fast food won’t cut it, late night cuisine options can be limited. Enter Halal Wrist, which is open until midnight on Sundays and Tuesday-Thursday; meanwhile, it’s open until 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Regulars rave about the generous portions and affordability, swearing by the signature halal bowls, served with chicken or gyro, plus rice and salad.

Kokeb Restaurant

Copy Link

Covering a wide range of Ethiopian favorites, Kokeb’s menu offers various meat tibs — chicken, lamb, and beef — as well as vegan dishes like atakilt wat (spiced carrots, potatoes, string beans, and peppers) and customizable combo options. 

NuVegan Café (Multiple locations)

Copy Link

With locations in D.C., College Park, and Richmond, this health-focused café caters to vegans and omnivores alike. The cafeteria-style line serves vegan salads, mac and cheese, crab cake sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, and more. 

Pantry

With a small selection of Asian food items for sale, this charming neighborhood spot doubles as a restaurant-meets-mom-and-pop-shop. The menu features a mix of Thai and Japanese dishes, ranging from drunken noodles to miso ramen to an assortment of sushi rolls and sashimi. There’s seating both inside and outside, where a small patio is dotted with several tables.

Reliable Tavern

This hole-in-the-wall bar has a relaxed, laid-back vibe complete with a billiards room in the basement. Menu highlights include classic cocktails, wines at $9.50 a glass, and bar food — like wings, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings — served in collaboration with Shawarma Hut, conveniently located next door. Plus, the bar occasionally hosts trivia and comedy nights.

The Looking Glass Lounge

The old-timey vibe and sweet outdoor patio have made the Looking Glass Lounge a favorite neighborhood watering hole. Take advantage of bottomless mimosas during brunch, extensive happy hours, and pub games like trivia and bingo.  

Mr. Braxton Bar & Kitchen

A new addition to the neighborhood, this American bistro has plenty of variety, from sandwiches and wings to mussels and composed entrées like a rack of lamb. Plus, the bar is mixing CBD-infused drinks and other creative cocktails.

Fish In the Hood

Fish in the Hood is a Park View staple that has served fried or broiled fish and other types of seafood to neighbors since 1998. The menu also includes chicken wings, pork chops, and sides like candied yams and collard greens. 

Smitty's

At this Park View spot, a cozy interior meets a spacious back patio, providing seating options no matter the group size. The dimly lit bar is set against a rustic exposed brick wall, where guests can enjoy happy hour drinks daily from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. One of its signature drinks, the Cardamom Old Fashioned, comes highly recommended.

Cane & Coconut

For vegan fare, head to this spot on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Park Road NW. Formerly the old Mister Rotisserie, Cane and Coconut is known for its refreshing, made-to-order coconut water and sugarcane juice. On the food front, the curry cabbage, buffalo cauliflower, and sunfried plantains are standbys.

Hook Hall

This gigantic cafe, bar, beer garden, and event space can accommodate a day of teleworking or a private party. There’s coffee, booze, private cabanas, an astroturf lawn, giant patio games, and rotating food vendors. 

The outdoor space at Hook Hall
The outdoor space at Hook Hall
Hook Hall [official]

The Midlands Beer Garden

This 6,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor beer garden boasts plentiful seating and TVs; 26 taps for craft beer, cider, wine, and cocktails; and a food selection including sandwiches, nachos, and giant pretzels. Four-legged guests and the under-21 crowd are also welcome.

Call Your Mother

This “Jew-ish” deli, one of Eater’s 16 Best New Restaurants in America for 2019, has helped Park View blow up. The wood-fired bagels here draw lines down the block. Opt for a creative sandwich like the Mila, with hummus, seasonal veggie salad, and spicy sunflower seeds on a za’atar bagel, or mix and match toppings. Save room for latkes.

Tabla

Billed as D.C.’s first fast-casual restaurant for Georgian food, Tabla serves items like Khachapuri and Khinkali, the stuffed bread and soup dumplings that helped popularize Georgian cuisine. Plates are presented family-style, making it an ideal place to gather and try different dishes. Both indoor and outdoor seating options abound; don’t miss the chocolate-walnut truffles for dessert.

A smattering of offerings at Tabla.
Tabla/Facebook

Heat Da Spot Café

Welcoming service and the popular Ethiopian breakfast plate are a winning combination at this family-owned cafe. Guests can get cozy and linger over breakfast or lunch on one of many couches. Bottles of house hot sauce have been known to go missing.

St. Vincent Wine

This sprawling spot is a hybrid destination, combining a wine shop with a large outdoor garden and an indoor bar and deck. Reserve a table out back and order appetizers for the table, including pimento cheese, duck fat latkes, and truffled deviled eggs. On the weekends, take advantage of the brunch menu from noon to 3 p.m., boasting dishes like Nutella-stuffed French toast and chai tea overnight oats. “Chicken Sandwich Sundays” is now a weekly thing.

Sonny’s Pizza

This sister restaurant to Colony Club specializes in square, grandma-style pies sold whole or by the slice. The nostalgia-packed pizza parlor also has focaccia sandwiches (like chicken Parm), meatballs served with ricotta, salads, beer, wine, and Negronis on tap.

A communal tables and bowling alley-style booths at Sonny’s
A communal table at Sonny’s
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Doubles

Cafe by day, bar by night, Doubles offers coffee, beer, wine, and cocktails. Plus, they host frequent community events like live jazz nights, art classes, CSA pickup, karaoke, and natural wine festivals.

Related Maps

Halal Wrist

When fast food won’t cut it, late night cuisine options can be limited. Enter Halal Wrist, which is open until midnight on Sundays and Tuesday-Thursday; meanwhile, it’s open until 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Regulars rave about the generous portions and affordability, swearing by the signature halal bowls, served with chicken or gyro, plus rice and salad.

Kokeb Restaurant

Covering a wide range of Ethiopian favorites, Kokeb’s menu offers various meat tibs — chicken, lamb, and beef — as well as vegan dishes like atakilt wat (spiced carrots, potatoes, string beans, and peppers) and customizable combo options. 

NuVegan Café (Multiple locations)

With locations in D.C., College Park, and Richmond, this health-focused café caters to vegans and omnivores alike. The cafeteria-style line serves vegan salads, mac and cheese, crab cake sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, and more. 

Related Maps