50 Best Cocktail Bars near Forest Heights

“It was really nice I had fun swings overpriced but it was fun“

“I went with a couple of friends and we all loved the experience. For me, having moved to DC a year ago from another city with a very good food scene, Daru has been my most memorable meal since moving here. You could really tell they cared about our experience and making sure what we ordered worked together as a family style meal and pairing the right drinks with it. I haven’t been back yet but I am very eager to return.“

“Incredible Tour of the World menu!“

“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 :)“

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

“The food was excellent, and the server was even more excellent“

“Wow. Perfect combination of creative, delicious food and warm, inspired service. The Uruguayan influence and hospitality shines.Everything was incredible but you must order the duck. Also, Dennis is the best! This place feels special. I can’t wait to come back.“

“Always amazing. If you haven’t been to GZ you should. If you have been, why aren’t you there?“

“Eubin took excellent care of my husband and I on our visit to barmini. It was our first visit (of many more to come) and every single cocktail was mind blowing. I had originally booked a flight, only to have to change it to a la carte in order to make dinner reservations. I wish we had cancelled dinner and stayed at barmini! I cannot find enough positive words to describe this experience. Worth every single cent and more. A must visit! We will be back! (And sit at the bar. The show of every cocktail being prepared truly adds to the experience!) the cake for my birthday was a spectacular gesture as well!“

“I love the food at this place and the service is amazing. I’m frustrated when I order pick up because for some reason I don’t get all of my food. When I dine in, I get 4 bao and 10 chicken and mushroom dumplings. When I do a pick up order, I only get 2 bao and 6 dumplings for the same price. I’m not sure why this has happened twice now. And since they don’t have a phone number, I can’t call and ask about it. So I’d suggest folks dine in if they can!“

“Had a great time — the kids behind the stick have great service etiquette and were contagiously passionate about their work. Shout-out Maria and Thomas for their excellent drinks, great banter, and generous recommendations about bars and restaurants in DC. Hope the owners here know what gems they have on their staff!“

“Nice atmosphere. Good drinks“

“Amazing food and very attentive staff. A very unique food journey with a story behind every delicious dish. The owners/chefs/mixologist are an amazing team with so much creativity and talent.“

“Love the atmosphere and drinks are great“

“Shrimp and grits were so good!!“

“Wow what a beautiful and cozy bar. The staff were nice and friendly. The drinks were great, especially the paper plane. And the burger and chips were tasty! I hear the cheese and charcuterie boards are really good so I’ll go back for that next time. Highly recommend.“

“Amazing atmosphere and some of the best cocktails in the area!!!“

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

“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“

“Amazing atmosphere and GREAT cocktails. I got the doña margarita with mezcal and the passionfruit espuma on top was an incredible addition, so delicious! My partner got the manhattan and it was one of the best manhattans we’ve had in the city! (We’re frequent cocktail bar visitors and have been to the DC best so we’ve had lots of experience with manhattans). Overall just an incredible, fun, wonderful experience!“

“Amazing cocktails and wonderful cuisine! Cool atmosphere and timely reservations!“

“My buddy’s friend is the owner so we went during awesome-con. The drinks and sandos are off the chain delicious. Can say enough about them. Amazing!!! 1000% would recommend!“

“Me and my husband came to the bar for a la carte dining, had an amazing time with a very personalized beverage pairing (s/o to Chris our bartender!) We'll DEFINITELY be back to do the entire tasting menu. Lovely atmosphere, not stuffy, great music, GOOD LIGHTING (hard to come by in DC) and overall stellar food. Come here for your next date night or special occasion dinner, you won't regret it!“

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

“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!“

“Great food great service!“

“We did the 4 course the morels were good and all apps were nice the second course the oysters were really nice and the paneer excellent for the final course we added the lobster which was amazing and everyone loved the food for dessert the strawberry and rhubarb was outstanding , the pork loin was also terrific“

“Wow! This location was a bit nerve-wracking at first because the building looked quite old. As we approached the door, a code was requested, and I whispered it - it felt like we were undercover agents or something! Upon entering, the ambiance was captivating. The decor was beautiful and definitely selfie-friendly. The drinks were strong, perfectly suited for the occasion. Unfortunately, we didn't dine there as we had already eaten dinner before arriving. However, both the bartenders and managers were professional. If you're seeking something different, I strongly suggest this location. Trust me, I'll be returning here soon.“

“Awesome food. Friendly service. Tasty cocktails.“

“My friend and I went for dinner on a Saturday evening after 6pm. Although it was not crowded in the dining area, the first floor bar was full. We were quickly seated and staff quickly provided water and menus. The food and wine selection were satisfying. We ordered bread first which came before the food. It was a nice selection. But, the meals (chicken and fish) were very tasty and filling. Overall, it was an exceptional experience. The only problem was parking. Most of the garages were closed. But, we used Park app and found a spot around the corner.“

“A consistently great spot in the neighborhood no matter what time of day. Excellent coffee drinks and pastry items (especially the Guava Pastry) in the morning, lunch options for a real meal, and cocktails and food for dinner. Food can be a little expensive depending on the dish, but there has never been a bad one! Cocktails are always creative and well balanced as well.“

“Nice and beautiful place. Served by immigrants, really quick. Everybody is nice. There are meals from all over the world. Havana sandwich was great. We have ordered 3 meals for 2, so got a box back home for dinner.

Vegetarian options: A lot“

“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 place will always be my favorite spot. From great bagels, drinks and sides you can’t go wrong here. For a while I was getting breakfast 3-4 times a week here. The staff is also fantastic one of my favorite things to do in dc is go get breakfast at the bar and talk with the staff.

Dietary restrictions: My wife has a gluten allergy and they were always so accommodating and then they got gluten free bagels!!!

Kid-friendliness: So great they welcome kids like they’re their own.“

“love D&A. The service is great. The bartenders are very attentive. Abbie, the top shelf cocktail waitress is the nicest most thoughtful person we have.ever met! She is AMAZING!!“

“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..“

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

“Great time! Great people!“

“I can’t wait to go back and next time I’m getting one of everything! These were the best cocktails I’ve ever had in my life, every flavor worked together and kept surprising me in the best ways. The bartenders are genius and the servers are welcoming and attentive. The seating and atmosphere are nice for friends catching up or for couples looking to snuggle up in a cozy nook made for two. I could’ve spent all night looking at the murals and the menu has so much more than descriptions of cocktails and (also amazing) food. 10/10 would recommend!“

“spacious inside. some seating outside as well.. good place to eat, drink, and view art.“

“on point!! don't shy away from the menu, everything we had was delicious.“

“Food was amazing I order the Hot tiger bun (per the menu description: HOT AF fried chicken sandwich); for me it wasn’t very spicy (but I have a high tolerance), so I order hot sauce on the side.It was delicious, also ordered the curry fries.The service was a bit slow and our server didn’t come to check on us much. But good, drinks, and view were amazing.“

“My partner and I walked in at 6:30 PM on a busy Friday night without a reservation (I didn’t realize they had started taking reservations!) The host said the only options were bar seating or outdoor seating under heat lamps. We didn’t really want either of those options, but understood that since we didn’t have a reservation, we could not be very choosy. The host then kept looking at his reservation app and offered us a very nice table as long as we could be finished by 8:30 PM. We said that two hours is plenty of time! He said he felt bad that there wasn’t room for us but we assured him this was perfect and we would definitely be finished by the time he needed the table back. He was so kind and accomodating. The rest of the staff was also excellent (as always!) and the food was outstanding. I have always loved Purple Patch and will certainly return soon. Thank you PP team for being awesome!“

“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“

“Love this place! Went in for happy hour and got great drinks. I ordered a mango martini, Bangkok iced tea, and received a drink on the house that they were trying out for their menu. Their wings were perfectly crispy and seasoned well. Their satay lemongrass chicken skewers were cooked well. Drinks and cocktails were a reasonable $7 each. Great customer service, lovely atmosphere, couldn’t ask for more!!“

“We loved our experience! We let the chef decide our dishes - and all were spectacular. Stand outs were the cumin lamb, the quail (surprisingly, I wouldn't have ordered that but ended up loving it), and the wagyu stuffed leaves (I could eat these every day!). The desserts were also incredible - flavor profiles and the textures worked so well together! Thank you Moon rabbit!“

“It’s an outstanding establishment to eat & drink!!“

“My husband and I visited this place recently. I have been watching this place since it was advertised that it was opening. Carbonara is my FAVORITE Italian dish. I've spent years experimenting with my own traditional recipe, both vegetarian and with other various proteins and veggies to spice things up. After 4 years, I believe I have a very strong recipe. I even recently mastered the art of making pasta from scratch and rolling and cutting it.With that background, I was ecstatic that this place was opening. I made a reservation and we went for lunch on a Saturday. First, the atmosphere was amazing. For my birthday, I had recently been to Hell's Kitchen, and the atmosphere was almost similar. Quality design and lovely layout just enhanced the deliciousness to come.Service was exceptional. I was cared for and every need attended. The timing as well with the appetizer to entre was great. I hate being rushed by places, but I also was hungry, so it was a perfect balance. In between courses, our server cleaned up the table as well. I was really impressed by the service.I ordered a glass of the house red. It was ok. My husband ordered a lavender gin cocktail, which was a 3.5/5. According to me, it was a 4/5 and I don't even like gin.Then the server brought us some breads and crushed olives and homemade tomato sauce. DELICOIUS. For our shared app, we ordered the burrata. It was gone in seconds. Tasty.The main course could only have been one thing: the tableside parmesan wheel carbonara. Homemade bucatini pasta and finished in a cheese wheel, right to your table. The pasta was perfectly cooked. Well made as well, clearly made just hours ago. The sauce was decadent, light but flavourful. However, the meat could have been higher quality because I think it really held the dish back.The sauce itself was more traditional than I expected. Really delicious. But it was very filling, so we had some to take home. After we enjoyed an espresso martini tiramisu flavoured. There was a 3 martini flight option, but it was a little overpriced so we opted for just one. It was small but just the right amount for a little splash of dessert after our filling meal. It was also a highlight of the experience. Especially the home-made whipped cream.But nothing beat the tableside pasta. Melting it in the cheese was a head-turner. Everyone in the place looked over at our deliciousness. And after a few minutes, we saw a ton more people who were looking enviously at us order the same thing. They even boxed up our leftovers for us, and thanked us for coming.Although, my husband had quickly remarked that my recipe was better, richer, and re-heated better. On re-heat, their dish seemed more oily than cheesy or creamy. But that is to be expected with their recipe. It was still good. But my husband also added that this sauce and recipe was the best out of any others he's had at a restaurant, and he's rarely a pasta fan.Well done Carbonara. We will definitely be retuning and I can't wait to try more of your amazing dishes. You bring homemade to the surface of food, and create a delicate and warm atmosphere for diners.

Vegetarian options: You can definitely get dishes without meat, but there wasn't a separate section or marked dishes. But the staff is more than accommodating.

Dietary restrictions: Really accommodating. The server asked both of us if we had any dietary restrictions.

Parking: Street parking in Arlington. It's not the easiest, but if you are lucky and don't mind walking like 100 ft, you are set.

Kid-friendliness: It is a slightly "nicer" place and if I had kids, I wouldn't take disruptive kids here. But there were a table of an extended family near us, and their kids were well behaved and had a great time. The menu does offer a kids section, which I could see they seemed to enjoy as well.

Wheelchair accessibility: Somewhat smaller of an area between tables, but I am sure they would seat you with plenty of spac“

“We were in town from Columbus for a wedding and stopped in here for some drinks and had a wonderful time!! The bartender made awesome recommendations and made our evening fun!! Will definitely be back next time we are in DC!!!“

“We were really amazed and enjoyed our visit. Great staff and amazing food!“