Things to Do

3 Recently Opened LGBTQ+ Bars to Check Out

A look at As You Are Bar, Kiki, and Licht Cafe

As You Are Bar. Photograph by Evy Mages

As nightlife ramps back up, DC’s LGBTQ+ bar scene is expanding. A quick look at three new spots to check out:

 

As You Are Bar

500 Eighth St., SE

The space: This Barracks Row establishment has two levels: a rowdier upstairs for drinking and dancing and a casual cafe and lounge below.

The vibe: The place is decked out with pretty standard bar decor, and the owners—two former bartenders opening a place of their own—want customers to create a vibe organically.

 

Kiki

915 U St., NW

The space: Keaton Fedak used to be the manager of Dirty Goose, the gay bar next door. In January, he opened this competing club, which has a pair of dance areas and weekly drag shows.

The vibe: During a recent visit, customers packed the dance floors, Britney Spears’s “Till The World Ends” rocked the sound system, and Mean Girls unfolded silently on the TVs.

 

Licht Cafe

1520 U St., NW

The space: Modeled on European coffeehouses, it’s a small, low-key cafe with a menu of well-crafted cocktails and snacks.

The vibe: The owner named it after the Scottish word for “light,” and sure enough, the gold-and-wood decor makes the room glow. A different kind of warm feeling comes from the impressive collection of sensual artwork on display.

David Tran
Editorial Fellow