50 Best Cocktail Bars in Washington

“Elegant setting. Beautiful decor. Stellar service. Innovative and delectable cuisine. Bonus points for mocktail options.“

“From the cocktails to the service…our experience was top notch all around! Highly recommend!“

“I enjoyed the green zone, it had me flying high. Flying high when I tried their coffee drink. There was so much in it I don’t even know what to call it, but look at the picture, it looks delicious. I payed a pretty penny for it too, but pennies I got. This place cost a lot of green so bring your wallet, credit card too. Have fun, it’s good (at least their coffee drink is).“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best in town for food and drinks.“

“My team held a social here on March 5th. From start to finish, it was a wonderful experience. Danielle, our point of contact for planning the event, was phenomenal and incredibly helpful. The service team was top notch and the food was great! We had an awesome time and would certainly look to host here again!“

“5 stars isn't enough!! From the moment we walked in until the end of our night we were satisfied. The decorations, food, and service was amazing! They even offered me a quiet place to pray :). Give this place a try-trust me (portions may seem small, but it was very filling- we ordered the bowl of fries, which came with a delicious sauce, CROQUETTES, fish burger, beef burger, and gnocchi pomodoro. It felt like we were in nyc enjoy :)“

“Nice atmosphere. Good drinks“

“Me and my husband had the most amazing time. You can tell they care about you and your experience. We have ordered the restaurant week menu and it didn't disappoint. This place restored my hope for DC restaurants. Hidden gem and i want them to stay that way. Not everyone have good taste Humberto was amazing, so as the owner. Very genuine and humble. Honestly i cannot pinpoint which course was the best. What i know for sure is the steak was so unforgettable . Next time i am gonna go all out and try their tasting menu. Thank you for keeping up the amazing work . Raven and Alan“

“I had such a wonderful experience at F1 Arcade, and a big part of that was thanks to the amazing team—John, Emely, and Cristian. From the moment we sat down, John made us feel genuinely welcomed. He was attentive without being overbearing, super friendly, and had such a positive, easygoing energy that made the whole experience feel relaxed and fun. He checked in at all the right moments, made great recommendations, and made sure everything flowed smoothly throughout the night.

Emely, who was supporting as a food runner, was equally incredible. She was quick, efficient, and so kind every time she came to the table. You could tell she really cared about the details—everything arrived perfectly, and she always had a warm smile that made us feel taken care of.

Cristian was also fantastic and really helped elevate the experience. He was attentive, professional, and very welcoming. Whether it was checking in, assisting the team, or making sure everything was running smoothly, his presence definitely made a difference and added to the overall service.

What I loved most was how well they all worked together—it felt like a seamless team effort. Their communication and timing were on point, and it made the whole experience feel polished but still very warm and genuine.

Overall, they all went above and beyond to make our visit special. Service like that really stays with you, and it’s definitely the reason I’d come back. Thank you, John, Emely, and Cristian, for such a great night! 💛“

“I've been to almost every cocktail bar in DC and OKPB's drinks are the best. Just as importantly, service is consistently welcoming/accommodating and unpretentious (a real rarity for cocktail bars). The wait time is inconvenient but it's just because OKPB is amazing and everyone wants to go (plus space is small). Plan on a significant wait (45 min - 1.5 hrs) during prime hours. During your wait, head over to the raven, Marx, la tejana, or suns.“

“Omg best place in dc will come again“

“Best sandwich ever me and my husband really enjoyed ourselves❤️💪💯👏“

“Went to Kitchen +Kocktails for the first time last night. The decor was very nice, and the music was good and not obnoxious. Our server Ally was terrific! I’m not a drinker, so when I asked her if there were any cocktails that didn’t taste like alcohol, I thought she would look at me like I was crazy, but she didn’t! She seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and immediately had a couple of suggestions. I went with the mixed berry lemon drop and it was perfect for me. The crab cake appetizers and shrimp and grits with lobster tail entree were amazing. We had a great time and we’ll be back!“

“We came here after the nationals game and Dylan was our server and it was his best experience ever. My husband had the liver and onions and I had the cob salad and it was delicious. My sister-in-law had the avocado salad. I would come here at 10 out of 10 a time every single time and don’t forget to ask for Dylan as your waiter. It was amazing. And order the Mojito!“

“Fantastic spot! The drinks are to die for—try the spicy bees knees!— and the food is great. The atmosphere is perfectly moody and the music is good and played there perfect level so that it can be enjoyed but it is still easy to hear conversation with your party. I especially love the cozy couches in the back lounge.“

“Excellent meal for Valentine's Day! We had the special Valentine's Day menu (pretty much all new entrees) and it did not disappoint. The pork "spring roll" was amazing, as was the beef with grits and wish they could appear on their regular menu one day. The service was excellent as always. The wine was delicious and reasonably priced for the bottle.“

“BRING BACK THE CEVICHE DE PULPO PLEASE!!!!“

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

“If you like being off the grid this place is perfect for you. There us zero phone service which can be a plus if you're on a date. The speak easy is in the basement t of a pizza shop and very easy to pass by. The bartender is a mixologist. Familiar drinks with a twist. The short food selection is more than enough and very flavorful. This is open in the middle of the week! Parking is lacking but its in the heart of DC so dont expect better. The location is small yet intimate enough to have a great, distraction free night. Worth a visit.“

“I visited Isla on Saturday, April 5th with a few friends, and we had an amazing experience. The food was excellent, the music set the perfect vibe, and the entire night flowed effortlessly. A huge thank you to Kyle for taking such great care of us—truly outstanding hospitality!“

“Finding a Filipino restaurant isn’t easy. So learning about Purple Patch thru Jo Koy—has ended this search! Literally, Filipino cuisine heaven! The restaurant is uniquely decorated, the staff were friendly, & the food hit that major comfort button for us! Thank you Zahara for being so sweet & a wonderful waitress. We can’t wait to come back for more!“

“Love the atmosphere and drinks are great“

“Part of a food court so can't say there's atmosphere, really. Things are made fresh, which is great, but it means you need to wait a bit. I like that they use the traditional bamboo steamers and serve them to you that way. Large portions in one order. We enjoyed everything we ordered. Vegan options.“

“It was fabulous! I loved how much thought went into the meal and the whole place showed the care and love behind the creations. The food and service were spectacular!“

“Our son lives in the area and we have been here 4-5 since January ( every time we visit) The owners are wonderful and the staff very attentive The fish taco appetizer is wonderful ( can be enough for an entree if not wanted a big meal) I’ve had many of the entrees and never a bad meal . The chocolate dessert is my go to“

“the food and service was amazing“

“Can't recommend this place enough!! The entrance is actually very hidden which adds to the speakeasy element. The bartenders are excellent, especially Jake who was controlling the music and making our fab Tom Collins. Highly recommend!!!“

“This was just the perfect spot to celebrate Valentine's with my fiancé! Thank you so much to Nick and the team there for accommodating us even when unexpectedly running late for our reservation. The drinks were delicious and the fried chicken sliders addicting!“

“What a lovely bar! Delicious and unique drinks!“

“This was the bar at our hotel, and with the snow and weather chaos, I honestly went in with pretty low expectations. Instead, Marlin completely blew them out of the water. From the moment we sat down, it was clear he genuinely cared, not just about the drinks, but about the overall experience.

The service was friendly, attentive, and thoughtful, and he went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of despite how hectic the night could have been. The drinks were great, the vibe was welcoming, and his attitude turned what could’ve been a forgettable stop into a highlight of our stay.

If you’re at Lucha Rosa, do yourself a favor and grab a seat at the bar. Marlin is the real deal!“

“Our waiter, Caleb, was attentive and knowledgeable. The food was delicious and the dishes were interesting and unique. We were a party of 7, sat outside and really enjoyed ourselves. The pacing of all the dishes coming out was perfect. The only downside was that there was a man with a really large dog seated right next to us and the dog barked and whined (so loudly we could not hear each other) and it smacked into our chairs repeatedly. Once the man left things improved and we had a great experience.“

“Great service, vibes, tavern pizza (spicy Hawaiian was really good) and yummy drinks (Bad Bunny and Smoke & Spice are delicious, margaritas are a tad sweet). Digging the wallpaper. Would recommend getting heaters to make full use of the patio on chillier evenings.“

“Whats not to love about Lola's. great service, fantastic food and a wide selection of drinks. I always return here in my trips to DC as its the best bar in town. i highly recommend a visit..“

“wonderful gem of a spot! delicious cocktails and food. extremely knowledgeable staff“

“Best Ramen I've ever eaten“

“The first time checking this place out. ordered it to go. Customer service was great, staff was knowledgeable of the menu and gave a great recommendation. I got the spaghetti drunken noodles with chicken. Phenomenal, definitely will be going back. I'm actually surprised the flavors were still intact. For it to be a to go order lol“

“Great food great service!“

“The Tacos and clam chowder was really good. The frozen Rose’ was good as well. Great service“

“We visited Dauphine’s for our wedding anniversary, and while the food and service were largely impressive, management’s staffing choices held the evening back from perfection.

The savory dishes were exceptional. The bread service and boudin balls were delicious starters, followed by a perfectly cooked catfish Creole and a rabbit tagliatelle that was expertly al dente. For dessert, the carrot toffee pudding special offered a great salty-sweet balance.

Our server, Adrian, was the highlight of the night. He provided excellent service despite being put in an impossible position by management as the only server for the entire upstairs area. While it was Easter Sunday and understandably busy, leaving one person to juggle that many tables is unacceptable. This lack of support led to significant wait times, especially when trying to order dessert.

The experience was capped off by a few misses: the bourbon slush was underwhelming, and the beignets were disappointing—dense and chewy rather than light and airy.

Adrian deserves a raise for his hard work, but management needs to staff appropriately so the service can match the high quality of the kitchen. A solid 4 stars for a lovely anniversary meal that just needed better pacing.“

“I love the Benders today SHOUT OUT to RECESS CATERING EVENTS. CHEIF WALTON some Good tasting food by the way Chief your the Best.“

“Great basement bar and will be back! Down the stairs in Kelly’s Irish Times is a basement bar with different themes every few months with on-theme cocktails. Owner/bartender is super personable and knowledgeable on not just housemade mix drinks but also great movies - classic cocktails or funky fusions this downstairs dive bar has everything you could want.“

“Had a great experience. I would definitely come back next time we are in DC.“

“Amazing dinner!! Every course was delicious!“

“This my first time here and it was probably one of the best experience I’ve ever had at a bar in DC . I’ll definitely be back for my birthday next week. Love the atmosphere“

“In my 50 yrs of living on this earth, and have traveled abroad and tried many different places…my experience at The Dabney has been by far the best I’ve experienced. Everyone from host to chefs made me feel like a star. The bar staff, servers, the atmosphere, and the chefs!!! Top tier and would highly recommend!!! Not only was the service excellent…talk about hospitality on a 100! But the FOOD!!! I mean I would’ve been a happy camper just on the drinks from the bar (gotta try the FORWARD drink!! Whew!) and the service alone, but the FOOD?! We were treated to a five course, and every single bite, morsel that I tasted sent every bit of my taste buds to heaven!! I consider myself a picky eater but none of that mattered. If you’re a connoisseur of fine dining…you CANNOT miss THE DABNEY! I salute the CHEFS!!“

“Incredible experience. I had the Chef's Tasting menu with my partner and it was one of the best food experiences that we have had at any restaurant. Each dish was incredibly put together and beautifully presented. The flavors were unreal and each dish had us saying just send us more of that, until the next dish came. The cocktails were just as beautifully presented as the food and were exceptional. The service was top notch and we absolutely will be returning.“

“I went with a friend to The Capital Burger on Newbury last week. The space was clean and comfortable, our server was really friendly, and the food came out fast. Great experience—I’d come back without a second thought.“

“I had the Persian bowl ( or something
Like it) and the mushroom soup. Sorry I can’t provide pics cause I wanted to enjoy the full experience. Both plates excelled in presentation and flavors. They blew my mind; specially the mushroom soup. It was amazing! I also like that the Persian bowl was a feature by an Iranian chef recently arrived to the country. The ambience and service were outstanding as well. And I loved that I could, for once, speak Spanish without feeling intimidated.“

“Bistro Cacao was an outstanding choice to cater lunch for a very important business meeting. The food was AMAZING, from appetizers, salad, main course and dessert! Highly recommend them for your next event, meeting or just a fine place to dine!! Great Service, Great Food, Great Presentation!“

“A whole vibe!! This was my 1st time at Flirt DC and I must say I was impressed! Brunch was amazing, service top tier and the owner was making sure everyone is good 👍🏾 one of the better spots in DC for hookah and drinks HANDS DOWN! #letsFlirt💋“