50 Best Cafes in Washington

“I stopped in with friends before a event Sunday evening. The staff was warm and welcoming. I had the lentil sambusas and a peanut-infused coffee at the staff’s recommendation. The food was fast and delicious- the sambusas were warm and spicy, and the peanut coffee was delicious! In a kind gesture, the chef sent over a sampling of sushi to our table. Fresh and refreshing, the sushi was a nice complement to my sambusas and hot beverage. I’m not on this side of town often, but now I have a reason to come back.“

“I love this place! The food is phenomenal! I can’t get over the tempeh burger!!!“

“We had a great lunch! Highly recommended! 😋😋😋“

“We had the best time at KooKoo DC last night. They accommodated a table of 14 for my spouse's birthday and never let us feel like an imposition. The food was so fresh, authentic, and reasonably priced - I did a double take when we got the bill. I even felt like we went all-out with apps, drinks, and desserts! The owner was also so kind - we just felt so cared for the whole time and can't wait to visit again.“

“Must have the Mochi fantastic“

“great food and service nice spot“

“Stopped by after seeing high reviews. The atmosphere of the place is really nice. There’s quiet spaces to study. There’s cute little gifts you can purchase. However, the pistachio chocolate croissant I tried wasn’t good. I don’t like the taste of pistachio paste. Also it wasn’t fresh.“

“Excellent food and the best chai!“

“I just had an amazing breakfast here! The menu has a great selection of vegetarian options, healthy and so delicious.“

“I'm a retired chef from Louisiana but living in Nashville nowadays. I know about eating healthy and I would give this place 2 thumbs up.“

“Nice atmosphere . Troy was a great host/server.“

“Had a fantastic experience at Maman in DC. Dakota, Paul, and Kevin provided exceptional service from start to finish, they took the time to walk me through the menu, offered thoughtful recommendations, and even crafted a special drink just for me that was outstanding. The baked goods were absolutely delicious as well. Truly great hospitality all around, and I really appreciated the extra care they put into making the experience memorable. Highly recommend!“

“Food: very good pie. Hit the spot. Nothing is as good as homemade pie so it’s a hard bar to reach but still solid. Service: Great! Very friendly and patient. Atmosphere: 10/10 such a great upstairs music venue. Has a bar, an out door roof area and great dance floor. Never seen an upstairs space like it and I love that it’s hidden within the cute pie shop. Such a great vibe and I got to see my favorite artist of the year -Otto Benson- put on an amazing performance an arms length away from me. Great sound and lighting. 👌ideal music venue.“

“Every time I visit my family in DC, I always go to Cafe on 9th! Best place in the neighborhood to get a sandwich, and is NYC folk know how to judge a good BECSPK 🥪 if you want a great breakfast/lunch sandwich, definitely stop by here!“

“This place was an absolute gem during our week-long stay in DC. We visited it a whopping five times! We had such a great time, especially when we made a funny joke about breakfast for the next morning. 😂 Because we had already eaten it .“

“This is a tidy little cafe with a nice selection of healthy eats. I had a falafel wrap with a side of spinach and potatoes and a green smoothie. They have a wide range of options, from their popular chicken shawarma wrap to chickpea or salmon salads, and fresh pressed juices. What stood out to me was the fantastic service. The owner made great suggestions based on my dietary restrictions. It’s a great place to unwind, and a welcome spot im the neighborhood.“

“Delicious food! My friend and I went here during our DC trip. We liked it so much we made sure to go back the next day before our train left. We went back in line and ordered twice each time we went. On the second day, our cashier/server from the first time recognized us and said hi! The chicken in the amba chicken pita is INCREDIBLE“

“Today I had the best fried chicken sandwich since Kevin Tien’s Perfect seasoning—a little heat but not too much, smashed avocado, coleslaw, and chicken that had just the right amount of crispy covering that kept the chicken moist. I can’t wait to return for another.“

“refreshing and fulfilling smoothies Healthy and great taste“

“Delicious and super staff!“

“One of the best coffee shops in DC and definitely a favorite of mine. I find myself coming back all the time. The orange raspadura latte is a must, and they have the best carajillos in the Union Market area. The customer service is always great, too.

They also have a really reasonably priced happy hour, especially for DC. Great coffee, great drinks, and consistently a good experience. I haven’t tried any food yet but can vouch for the drinks. Highly recommend!“

“It is a cool and nice lounge!“

“Quick, pleasant, and otherwise attentive, staff members at Colada Shop on The Wharf are consummate professionals. Even when I haven’t yet ordered, and am in line, staff prepares my order [they know my preferences] and swiftly checks me out. Coffee and food are delicious. Wonderful.“

“very nice 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 🥐🍇🍕🧁🍫“

“The service is excellent, and the food is beautifully prepared and delicious, served on lovely Armenian-style plates. You can also purchase products from Armenia. I wish you every success and offer a big Armenian shnorhakalutyun (thank you) ☀“

“Sylvan Cafe has a quiet and quaint atmosphere with lovely jazz playing in the background. The staff is very kind and lovely and the food comes out fast.

The food is amazing and I mean really good for the price. 17 dollars for a veggie platter, is an amazing deal and the quality is out of this world it tastes delicious. Would recommend for anyone passing by in the neighborhood to stop by and support this small business.“

“Toastique is my favorite! That Green Machine smoothie can cure just about anything. I visited today and accidentally dropped my smoothie before I had a sip. They sweetly made me a fresh one and I left feeling embarassed...but I bet this smoothie will cure that, too.“

“Decent sandwich and lunch place. Was pretty busy when we stopped in and there wasn’t a ton of help behind the counter. Felt bad for the folks that had been waiting some time while food delivery orders were prioritized.

That said, the food I got was pretty great. The salad was a little too oily but it was priced pretty fairly for the amount of salad I got.

Overall a decent place. Would stop by if I was looking for a safe lunch option.“

“It’s definitely an immersive music experience with great coffee, juice and bagel sandwiches. Yes on the turkey bacon question. Not much seating- window booth for 2, 2 tables for 3, and a bar on the wall of 4 chairs. The host gentleman was not very friendly, but business like, brisk and polite. They also have some bakery cake specialties but nothing in the pastry category. Enjoy!“

“What a beautiful cafe. The West End location sits on a corner with huge glass windows that flood the space with natural light, lovely decor, and an open glass kitchen that adds to the atmosphere. It is also a very comfortable place to sit with a laptop and get some work done.

The menu has a strong Middle Eastern influence, which immediately caught my attention. I started with the House Latte, flavored with honey halva and cardamom. I could pick up that sesame/tahini-like note and was initially worried it might be loaded with sweet syrup, but thankfully it was not.

The lamb shakshuka, though, was on another level. The tomato sauce reminded me of an exceptionally good Jordanian gallayat banadura: rich, deeply tomatoey and beautifully seasoned. The lamb, dollops of spicy labneh and whole parsley leaves each brought something different without fighting for attention.

Then you cut into one of those perfectly cooked eggs and the bright, runny yolk spills into the tomato sauce, making it even richer. Dip a piece of their soft, perfectly toasted bread into that mixture and it is difficult to stop. My only complaint: please give us more bread!

This is one of those dishes where every element seems to have been thought through. Creative, balanced cooking without trying too hard. Easily one of the best breakfasts I have had in DC.“

“Cute spot, good oatmilk cappacino, and fast food made on order. They have a lot of bread options and turkey bacon or sausage as we as the regular ones. Limited seating in winter but enough and looks like a fun patio for warmer weather. It's in a a neighborhood and good for people watching and just being a part of daily routine of DC.“

“Great food and drinks! Lovely atmosphere! My favorite are the Belarusian and Ukrainian dishes like borscht and bliny. Also, love the light desserts.“

“Great and Delicious food! So glad I found it :)“

“Suosittelemme Chef Mikko Catering ravintolaa ❤️😍“

“The high quality ingredients make for the best espresso drinks I have ever had! Delicious iced tea in the summer too.“

“Great buffet and grill that feels like home. The owners are like family! Chef does a great job!“

“The Bacon egg and cheese Brioche was amazing!! I didn't love the apple turnover but that's because I'm not a big sugar person! Not her fault! Super friendly lady behind the counter and a little hidden gem! Our drip coffee was fantastic!“

“This is a great cafe! It is very affordable and the fare is really good-- simple ingredients, very thoughtfully combined. For example, you can get an avocado toast for $6.50 that tastes very homely, fresh and natural. Similarly, the chicken pesto bagel is great. The bread is always toasted to a perfect extent. The waitstaff is also very nice, Diego in particular. There is also a high bar with 8 seats facing the window which is wonderful to work at because you get a lot of natural light and a view of the street-- at least one of these seats is usually available for working.“

“OMG! My favorite place for juice, smoothies, avocado toast and acai bowls now has SOUP! Just had their potato squash soup, and it was better than my homemade soup (which is also delicious). Will be visiting often this winter for soup, cappuccino and "stay away cold and flu" juices. Sooo happy to have healthy options close-by!“

“Artsy cafe, modern but warm. I enjoyed the blueberry earl grey scone even though I normally despise blueberry baked anything - the blueberries were juicy and a little tart, and the scone itself wasn’t too sweet and had a lovely buttery crust. Coffee is pretty solid as well, pleasant roast with berry notes.“

“Food was... Phenomenal. I had smothered biscuits with fried chicken and everything was sublime. Good came out fast, people were friendly. Had seating but everyone, including us, were just getting food to go. Decor is cute but not vibey. I will 100% go back if I am anywhere within 45min of the place for those biscuits.“

“Great experience wonderful staff the kitties were a lot of fun!!“

“Exactly what I was looking for my remote work day. I got a little table in the corner with a plug and the london fog and pastries were excellent. Even with the high ceilings the space was not excessively loud where I was sitting, and there are both cubbies for focused work and larger tables and larger parties.“

“Big Bear was the best wedding venue we could have asked for. Between the atmosphere, the staff, Bri Hartmann, the amazing Event Manager, our night was beautiful. Bri made us feel so important throughout the entire process, she kept us informed, listened to our vision, and kept us calm as we tried not to freak out about the weather. And even beyond the basics, Big Bear made sure that everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. Big Bear was incredibly accommodating to the various accessibility needs of our guests, and never once made us feel like a burden. The venue is beautiful, especially in the spring and we got so many compliments about how perfect the space was for us, how delicious the food was (especially the cookies), and how well executed every detail was. Being able to have our ceremony and reception in one incredible spot was truly the icing on the (wedding) cake. Big Bear was prepared with a rain plan that worked for us and we cannot recommend it enough.“

“We came for a weekday brunch. We ordered a breakfast sandwich and a spinach omelet. The delicious sandwich was on a beautiful grilled bagel, and the egg portion was generous as was the cheese. The omelet was stuffed full of saites spinach, mushrooms, sausage and cheese. It was served with homemade potatoes and toast. We finished the meal with a generous fruit cup that was also delicious. The only thing that would have made it better was eating on a real plate and not paper. However, the food is totally worth making this a regular stop!“

“I love City Place Cafe and the staff is amazing🥰“

“the people are really nice and the food is great 👍“

“A chill, super affirming space and the food and drinks were great! I’ll definitely be back soon.“

“the best under 20.00 you're gonna find.“

“Delicious lunch today. Friendly, attentive staff and lovely atmosphere. Dogs very welcome! Look forward to our next visit.“