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16 D.C. Restaurant Bathrooms That Are Made for Instagram Selfies

Stylish lavatories that cry out to be photographed

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In today’s Instagram-happy culture, more and more restaurants are making one design element an essential component of new openings: the photo-friendly bathroom. From over-the-top designs to loos that tell a story, these 16 W.C.’s invite customers to linger after freshening up and post an eye-catching status update.

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Queen’s English

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The chic Hong Kong-style restaurant in Columbia Heights comes from a pair of recent New York City expats, so their eye for fashion is naturally prevalent in the dramatic bathroom. A canvas of sleek black tiling helps a colorful ceiling and bright red washing bowl pop.

Queen’s English
The sleek bathroom at Queen’s English.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Napoli Pasta Bar

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The bathroom at the Bib Gourmand-designated Italian eatery in Columbia Heights takes diners on a whimsical walk through a lemon grove, reminding them how limoncello is made. The cheery room, which sits across its new upstairs addition, even smells like fruit. Walls are also decorated with the owner’s vacation photos of scenic Italian beaches.

Napoli bathroom
Napoli’s hand-painted upstairs bathroom.
Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

The Dupont Circle Hotel

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The glitzy Doyle Collection property unveiled its multi-million dollar renovation of its bar, restaurant, and lobby areas this year, and bathroom makeovers are a knockout. Freshen up during dinner at Pembroke inside this pretty parlor, filled with soft lighting and feathery accents.

The bathroom at Dupont Circle Hotel
The Dupont Circle Hotel’s bathroom.
Dupont Circle Hotel/official photo

Coconut Club

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Every inch of chef Adam Greenberg’s island-style getaway in Union Market district begs to be photographed (he’s also an avid Instagram user himself). Playful bathrooms are splashed with swaying palm decor and pop culture quotes on mirrors, like Ariana Grande’s Thank You, Next lyrics.

Mirrors at Coconut Club
A “Give them Lala” quote is an ode to a Vanderpump Rules star on Bravo.
Coconut Club/official photo

Brasserie Liberté

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Elaborate bathrooms at this new millennial magnet in Georgetown reference former French colonies with glass-encased jewelry, trinkets, and utensils native to Haiti and Morocco. Shimmering mother-of-pearl tiles envelope one entire stall.

Abigail

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A $1.5 million overhaul of this big spender’s paradise in Dupont Circle included updating bathrooms with shimmering graphic wallpaper.

Abigail bathroom
Take a break from bottle service in Abigail’s bathroom.
Bobby Hong/Abigail

Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge

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The swanky, candle-lit tapas mainstay in Georgetown has a bathroom fit for Catherine Zeta-Jones in Mask of Zorro, complete with black-and-white Spanish tiling and lush velvet drapes.

Toki Underground

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This iconic ramen spot’s pit stop is decorated with figures painstakingly drawn by hand over several months by former chef Takashi Nakajima. It depicts numerous characters (humans, animals, and demons) in a style popular in Japan.

Hand-drawn character’s in Toki Underground’s bathroom.
Toki Underground [Official photo]

Succotash (Multiple locations)

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To match the grand, Southern opulence of the dining room, owner/designer Knead Hospitality + Design installed Rococo-style gilded mirrors, contemporary brass wall-mounted fixtures, and 3-D wallpaper to line the ceilings. Each bathroom at Eater DC 2017’s Design of the Year Award-winner features a custom concrete trough sink alongside crown moldings and black chevron tile floors.

A waterproof toile wallpaper backsplash by Radform pays homage to the rich French influence found in traditional Southern design.
Succotash/official photo

Dirty Habit

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The bathroom at Kimpton’s Penn Quarter hotel consistently pops up on social media. And that’s no surprise; eye candy across every inch includes touches of jade, orchids, a gold ceiling, and intricate silver and mirrored detailing. Dirty Habit restaurant guests access it via an elevator to the third floor.

Along with a floor of smiling faces, designer Juli Capella dressed the walls with colorful dots inspired by traditional flamenco costumes as 3D plants come to life across Spanish tiled walls.

The updated bathroom situation at Jaleo’s OG D.C. location.
Greg Powers/Greg Powers Photography

Punjab Grill

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Penn Quarter’s 4,000-square-foot location of the luxury Indian brand is made to mimic the palatial home of a maharaja, notoriously rich rulers from the not-too-distant past. To say bathrooms are ornate is an understatement; each is lined with polished granite, leather, and three-pound solid brass tiles imported from India.

Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

The Eastern

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A Midcentury modern look flows throughout Capitol Hill’s stylish new wine bar. That means the pop art theme is even present in the bathrooms, which are covered in funky red, white, and black wallpaper.

The bathroom at The Eastern
The bathroom’s mod look at The Eastern.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Little Pearl

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The daytime cafe and nighttime wine bar has bathrooms with banana-covered walls, natural backgrounds for a bathroom selfie.

Mi Vida Restaurante

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A finalist in the 2018 America’s Best Bathroom competition, this Wharf staple has more than just killer margaritas to upload to Instagram. Bathrooms tucked behind hot pink doors are drop-dead gorgeous, complete with hand-stenciled flooring, sleek industrial finishes, and walls comprised of tiny, meticulously-placed circular tiles.

Mi Vida’s bathrooms.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Dacha Navy Yard

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For its sophomore beer garden in Navy Yard, Dacha’s forward-thinking and fashionable Russian-American owners went with adjustable ambient lighting, energy-efficient toilets, and built sinks and shelves in urinals to solve the peeing-while-drinking problem. Retro wood paneling leading to the modern lavatories feature uplifting visuals, like inclusive signage and images of the Kennedys.

Queen’s English

The chic Hong Kong-style restaurant in Columbia Heights comes from a pair of recent New York City expats, so their eye for fashion is naturally prevalent in the dramatic bathroom. A canvas of sleek black tiling helps a colorful ceiling and bright red washing bowl pop.

Queen’s English
The sleek bathroom at Queen’s English.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Napoli Pasta Bar

The bathroom at the Bib Gourmand-designated Italian eatery in Columbia Heights takes diners on a whimsical walk through a lemon grove, reminding them how limoncello is made. The cheery room, which sits across its new upstairs addition, even smells like fruit. Walls are also decorated with the owner’s vacation photos of scenic Italian beaches.

Napoli bathroom
Napoli’s hand-painted upstairs bathroom.
Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

The Dupont Circle Hotel

The glitzy Doyle Collection property unveiled its multi-million dollar renovation of its bar, restaurant, and lobby areas this year, and bathroom makeovers are a knockout. Freshen up during dinner at Pembroke inside this pretty parlor, filled with soft lighting and feathery accents.

The bathroom at Dupont Circle Hotel
The Dupont Circle Hotel’s bathroom.
Dupont Circle Hotel/official photo

Coconut Club

Every inch of chef Adam Greenberg’s island-style getaway in Union Market district begs to be photographed (he’s also an avid Instagram user himself). Playful bathrooms are splashed with swaying palm decor and pop culture quotes on mirrors, like Ariana Grande’s Thank You, Next lyrics.

Mirrors at Coconut Club
A “Give them Lala” quote is an ode to a Vanderpump Rules star on Bravo.
Coconut Club/official photo

Brasserie Liberté

Elaborate bathrooms at this new millennial magnet in Georgetown reference former French colonies with glass-encased jewelry, trinkets, and utensils native to Haiti and Morocco. Shimmering mother-of-pearl tiles envelope one entire stall.

Abigail

A $1.5 million overhaul of this big spender’s paradise in Dupont Circle included updating bathrooms with shimmering graphic wallpaper.

Abigail bathroom
Take a break from bottle service in Abigail’s bathroom.
Bobby Hong/Abigail

Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge

The swanky, candle-lit tapas mainstay in Georgetown has a bathroom fit for Catherine Zeta-Jones in Mask of Zorro, complete with black-and-white Spanish tiling and lush velvet drapes.

Toki Underground

This iconic ramen spot’s pit stop is decorated with figures painstakingly drawn by hand over several months by former chef Takashi Nakajima. It depicts numerous characters (humans, animals, and demons) in a style popular in Japan.

Hand-drawn character’s in Toki Underground’s bathroom.
Toki Underground [Official photo]

Succotash (Multiple locations)

To match the grand, Southern opulence of the dining room, owner/designer Knead Hospitality + Design installed Rococo-style gilded mirrors, contemporary brass wall-mounted fixtures, and 3-D wallpaper to line the ceilings. Each bathroom at Eater DC 2017’s Design of the Year Award-winner features a custom concrete trough sink alongside crown moldings and black chevron tile floors.

A waterproof toile wallpaper backsplash by Radform pays homage to the rich French influence found in traditional Southern design.
Succotash/official photo

Dirty Habit

The bathroom at Kimpton’s Penn Quarter hotel consistently pops up on social media. And that’s no surprise; eye candy across every inch includes touches of jade, orchids, a gold ceiling, and intricate silver and mirrored detailing. Dirty Habit restaurant guests access it via an elevator to the third floor.

Jaleo

Along with a floor of smiling faces, designer Juli Capella dressed the walls with colorful dots inspired by traditional flamenco costumes as 3D plants come to life across Spanish tiled walls.

The updated bathroom situation at Jaleo’s OG D.C. location.
Greg Powers/Greg Powers Photography

Punjab Grill

Penn Quarter’s 4,000-square-foot location of the luxury Indian brand is made to mimic the palatial home of a maharaja, notoriously rich rulers from the not-too-distant past. To say bathrooms are ornate is an understatement; each is lined with polished granite, leather, and three-pound solid brass tiles imported from India.

Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

The Eastern

A Midcentury modern look flows throughout Capitol Hill’s stylish new wine bar. That means the pop art theme is even present in the bathrooms, which are covered in funky red, white, and black wallpaper.

The bathroom at The Eastern
The bathroom’s mod look at The Eastern.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Little Pearl

The daytime cafe and nighttime wine bar has bathrooms with banana-covered walls, natural backgrounds for a bathroom selfie.

Mi Vida Restaurante

A finalist in the 2018 America’s Best Bathroom competition, this Wharf staple has more than just killer margaritas to upload to Instagram. Bathrooms tucked behind hot pink doors are drop-dead gorgeous, complete with hand-stenciled flooring, sleek industrial finishes, and walls comprised of tiny, meticulously-placed circular tiles.

Mi Vida’s bathrooms.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Related Maps

Dacha Navy Yard

For its sophomore beer garden in Navy Yard, Dacha’s forward-thinking and fashionable Russian-American owners went with adjustable ambient lighting, energy-efficient toilets, and built sinks and shelves in urinals to solve the peeing-while-drinking problem. Retro wood paneling leading to the modern lavatories feature uplifting visuals, like inclusive signage and images of the Kennedys.

Related Maps