Sometimes we’re in the mood for a social brunch. Other times, we just want to hang with a good coffee, easy eats, and an addictive read. The following new spots fit the bill.
Black Coffee
4885 MacArthur Blvd., NW
Restaurateurs Jeff and Barbara Black’s latest venture is a cafe near their Palisades seafood spot, BlackSalt. Grab a seat on the colorful patio for an all-day menu of salads, sandwiches, and simple plates like steak frites and roast chicken—plus daily happy hour from 4 to 6 PM with $2 off wines and beers, plus $7 cocktails.
Bluestone Lane
1100 23rd St., NW; 1066 Wisconsin Ave., NW
This Australian chain of bright, trendy cafes just started serving its first flat white coffees and avo toasts in DC. The Georgetown branch is more of a coffee shop with a limited menu, while the West End location is the place to grab a kale-quinoa breakfast bowl after SoulCycle.
Ellē
3221 Mt Pleasant St., NW
Mt. Pleasant’s lovely bakery/cafe/restaurant just landed on Bon Appetit’s 50 Best New Restaurants in America, so snagging a table at dinner may be tough. Mornings and afternoons are breezier–especially for the early birds who arrive at 8 AM when you can relax over fresh-baked pastries and coffee, or munch on a homemade baguette BLT with Duke’s mayo.
Mikko
1636 R St., NW
Get a taste of Nordic cuisine and hygge design at this charming cafe, located on a quiet side street in Dupont. On nice days, a patio or indoor/outdoor window table is the place to perch with gravlax sandwiches or fresh bread with cloudberry jam. Starting at 5 PM, look for a menu of small plates that you can match with nips of aquavit.
Northside Social Falls Church
205 Park Ave., Falls Church
The new downtown Falls Church location of the popular Arlington cafe has multiple outdoor spaces, including first- and second-floor terraces and a patio. Homemade pastries, quiches, and sandwiches are available all day, along with new items like wood-oven pizzas, entree salads, and rice bowls. A wine bar menu takes over the top level at night, but you can always grab a cold beer or glass of vino while the kids are treated to fresh-baked cookies.
Shop Made in DC
1330 19th St., NW
Dupont’s shop for all things local has a low-key cafe where you’ll find food and drink vendors that rotate every six-to-eight weeks. Up now: Calabash Teas, pizzas by the slice from Cucina Al Volo, and Caribbean eats by Kaiso (think Trini-style roti and pilaf rice). Local beers, ciders, and wines round out the menu.
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.
