Curl up with a strong drink and hibernate at these cozy spots with fireplaces (and fire pits!).
Barcelona
1622 14th St., NW Washington DC
Watch the lively 14th Street foot traffic from the restaurant’s front patio while warming your hands by the large outdoor fireplace. Blankets and heat lamps help keep things toasty. Get there early on warmer days, as space fills up fast.
Biergarten Haus
1355 H St., NE Washington DC
One of the few year-round patios is a great place to perch with a group under heat lamps and down large liters of German beer to keep warm. Snag a spot by the outdoor fireplace or fire pits and get ready to toast s’mores along with your bratwursts.
Bluejacket
300 Tingey St., SE Washington DC
This popular Navy Yard brewery boasts a winter patio, where you can sip hot cocktails like spiked hot chocolate and warm up next to a fire pit. They even have blankets AND televisions for watching various games, so it’s basically like your couch (but better).
Hazel
808 V St., NW Washington DC
Sip hot buttered rum or chartreuse-spiked cocoa on the winter patio of this Shaw restaurant, which adds outdoor fire pits and blankets for extra heat. Chef Rob Rubba creates stomach-warming dishes like gnocchi with kimchi-pork ragu and sticky ribs.
Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
3100 South St., NW Washington DC
Even locals can feel like luxury travelers in the swanky lobby (a.k.a. the “living room”), lit by a huge fireplace. Happy hour runs from 5 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with free s’mores from a “s’more-elier” to accompany your drink.
Sonoma
223 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington DC
Wood-burning fireplaces are rare in bars, and this one comes complete with sofas for lounging nearby. The wine bar menu offers ample vino—hello, date night—plus an Italian happy hour menu with discount wines, beers, and bar bites (weekdays from 4:30 to 7:30).
Tabard Inn
1739 N St., NW Washington DC
One of our preferred places to cozy up is the lounge of this historic Dupont Circle hotel, which is lit by a wood-burning fireplace. Cocktail service and happy hour both begin at 4 (the latter runs until 7 p.m.).
600 T Street
600 T St. NW, Washington DC
This new cocktail bar with no name, but features a log-burning fireplace that casts a glow around the 34-seat room. Wood covers almost every inch of the century-old space (even the toilet seats).
The Brixton
901 U St. NW, Washington DC
Two gas fireplaces in the second-floor lounge enhance the hunting-lodge aesthetic, along with plenty of tweed.
Catch 15
1518 K St. NW, Washington DC
You can slurp oysters—or a warming bowl of oyster stew—by the gas fireplace at this downtown seafood spot.
City Tap House Penn Quarter
901 Ninth St. NW, Washington DC
This Penn Quarter beer spot has plenty of brews to warm your spirits—and a built-in wall fireplace to warm your body—as well as a hearty menu with dishes such as shrimp n’ grits and brick-oven pizzas.
Iron Gate
1734 N St. NW, Washington DC
Patrons have two options for fire-side dining at this atmospheric Mediterranean restaurant: in a refurbished carriage house by the hearth, or outdoors on the winter patio that’s set with fire pits and heat lamps. Order an ouzo cocktail to warm up anywhere.
Murphy’s Irish Pub
713 King Street, Alexandria, VA
This Old Town pub boasts a wood-fueled fireplace, made extra cozy with “winter warmer” drinks like Irish coffees and spiked cider.
Old Brogue Irish Pub
760-C Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA
A gas fireplaces warms the “snuggery dining room,” which is just as cozy as it sounds. Bundle up and order a round of Guinness and Irish beef stew.
The Tombs
1226 36th St. NW, Washington DC
You can hole up in this Georgetown basement bar and while away the hours by the fire with a pint. More in the mood for a refined dinner? Reserve at table at the adjoining Restaurant 1789 upstairs and ask for a spot near the hearth in the dining room.
Jack Rose
2007 18 St. NW, Washington DC
The saloon is pretty cozy for a whiskey in the winter, but for true warmth, head upstairs to the “fireplace room” off the covered terrace. Look for specials like hot cocktails, s’mores, and fondue.
City Tap House Dupont
1250 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC
The new Dupont beer bar from Philly-based City Tap House features a large fireplace in the dining room. Warm up during happy hour, with brings a large selection of drink and food specials.
Plume
1200 16th St NW, Washington DC
One of the most romantic places to dine by the fire is this elegant New American dining room in the Jefferson Hotel, lit by a wood-burning fire in colder months.
1789 Restaurant
1226 36th St NW, Washington DC
At the center of this Georgetown stalwart’s main dining room is a log-burning fireplace. Chef Samuel Kim creates modern American dishes, while the holiday season brings a bounty of festive decorations.
Baba
2901 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA
This cozy basement bar and cafe below sister restaurant Ambar was inspired by grandmothers–though we don’t know many granny’s dens with regular DJs, cocktails, and an electric fireplace.
This post has been updated from an earlier version.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
As Washingtonian’s UX designer, Ryan works with Washingtonian’s editorial and digital teams to design digital products that address reader’s needs online. Her background in interactive journalism and web production influence design strategies that ensure users have the best possible experience–on any platform.
Ryan enjoys running, trying new restaurants in DC, and Instagramming her favorite places around DC. You can follow her on Instagram (@ryan_weisser) and on Twitter (@Ryan_Weisser).
