Food

Best Coffee Shops in DC: A Barista’s Guide

Where to work remotely, grab a tasty breakfast, or find a late-night pick-me-up.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Vigilante.

Before I found myself behind a desk writing full-time, I churned out lattes, pour overs, and batches of drip for three years at a café that served specialty coffee—the general term used for beans sourced and roasted with care. Since losing my employee discount I’ve ached for a good cup of coffee. These are the spots I turn to when Pret just won’t cut it.

 

Laptop-Friendly Spots

La Coop

500 Kennedy St., NW

Velvet seats, groovy botanical wallpaper, and a coffee roaster set up right in the seating area set the scene for this DC roastery’s new Brightwood Park location. Sip on an ethically sourced coffee or a dirty horchata—the shop’s signature drink, with housemade horchata and a shot of concentrated cold brew—in the café or on the turfed outdoor patio, where we can confirm the wi-fi still reaches.

 

Ceremony Coffee

7475 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda

The overall vibe at this branch of Annapolis single-origin roaster Ceremony can best be described as “serene.” Here, you’ll find free wi-fi, good coffee, and ample seating both inside and on the sheltered, heated patio.

 

Vigilante Coffee Company

4327 Gallatin St., Hyattsville

With plentiful tables, an industrial-chic aesthetic (complete with stacks of burlap coffee sacks), and the soft rumble of a coffee roaster in the background, this Hyattsville spot is the perfect place to lock in. The espresso drinks are made with its expertly crafted Tin Lizzie coffee blend, with the option to add flavors like maple-spice or honey-cinnamon.

 

Local Roasters

Lost Sock roasts their coffee in Brightwood Park and sells it at their Takoma café. Photograph courtesy of Lost Sock.

Lost Sock

6833 Fourth St., NW

This Takoma café nestled next to the historic Takoma Theatre is best known for its ethically sourced coffee, roasted in small batches in nearby Brightwood Park. On its menu, though, is much more—homemade syrups in all the classic flavors plus rose-cardamom and Earl Grey/vanilla; hot cider; and a food selection that includes pan de yuca, empanadas, and sandwiches. In addition to whole beans, Lost Sock sells branded merch—including an adorable green glass cortado mug.

 

Swing’s

Locations in Del Ray, Foggy Bottom, and Penn Quarter

This long-running Alexandria-based operation ethically sources coffee beans from around the world and roasts them at home—transforming green coffee into blends like “G Street,” “Diplomat Blend,” and “Embassy Row.” In addition to hand-brews and espresso drinks, they sell whole beans at all their locations.

 

Best Café Fare

Photograph courtesy of Any Day Now.

Any Day Now

2 I St., SE

Settle in with a Vietnamese iced coffee with ube foam and a steamed egg sando served on a house-made scallion pancake at this Navy Yard spot. At 5 PM, it turns from a calm all-day breakfast café to a full-service restaurant offering larger scallion-pancake sandwiches, steak au poivre, and wings tossed in miso/buffalo, General Tso’s, or Szechuan lemon pepper sauce.

 

A Baked Joint

430 K St., NW

In addition to the staple desserts from Georgetown sister spot Baked and Wired, this beloved DC cafe offers toasts made with freshly-baked sourdough, as well as biscuit sandwiches. For a café owned by bakers, its coffee is exceptional, especially the house nitro.

 

Ellē

3221 Mount Pleasant St., NW

This Mount Pleasant café is known for its top-notch breakfast—including a beet-cured salmon bagel sandwich, broccoli/cheddar quiche, and assortment of pastries (go for the guava turnover). The food is well-complemented by its coffee—you can choose a classic espresso bar drink or a opt for a specialty treat like a tarragon/date latte or an espresso tonic spiked with jalapeño and mint.

 

Sweet Treats

Enjoy a makulay latte at Hiraya. Photograph by Marjanne Suarez.

Hiraya Café

1248 H St., NE

Paolo Dungca’s H Street Filipino restaurant serves up all-day breakfast, along with coffees inspired by Asian flavors. Get your latte with ube (the purple sweet potato), pandan (a vanilla-like flavor), makulay (described best as rainbow birthday cake), and turon (caramelized banana). They’re both delicious and aesthetically pleasing.

 

The Coffee Bar

Locations in Shaw and Downtown

The signature drink at this DC staple is a latte made with cardamom-infused simple syrup—a floral, subtly spicy drink. It’s only served hot, but if you’re in the mood for a cold drink, you can opt for one of the classics: a dirty chai or a latte with Madagascar-vanilla syrup.

 

For Coffee Snobs

Sip on a cup of coffee at Café Unido. Photograph by Brian Oh.

Filter Coffeehouse

1916 I St., NW

Walking into this establishment, I passed a wall of ceramic coffee cones for sale and saw people sipping traditional macchiatos on tiny plates—and I knew it meant business. The place brews a variety of blends from Ceremony Coffee, plus, the barista was able to rattle off coffee notes like it was second nature, and recommended a pour over fit to my tastes.

 

Bump ‘n Grind Analog Market

923 Gist Ave., Silver Spring

The coffee bar of this no-frills shop is situated in the tiny kitchen of a house that also holds Analog Market, which peddles antique records. There are plans to add a big espresso machine when they remodel next year, but for now, a hand-brew or drip coffee made with beans from their Kensington roastery hits the spot.

 

Café Unido

Locations in Shaw and Union Market

This café serves up some of the highest-quality coffee the world has to offer: Panama Geisha beans, which are grown at high-altitude farms with volcanic soil, and have a unique, complex flavor. Unido got its start in Panama, where it established relationships with local farmers and dedicated itself to crafting a superior cup of coffee. It moved to DC in 2019 and roasts its specialty coffee locally. The Shaw location is also known for its excellent weekend brunch.

 

Open Late

Photograph courtesy of Dolcezza.

Dolcezza

Multiple Locations

These coffee/gelato shops owned by husband and wife Violeta Edelman and Robb Duncan serve espresso drinks (and frozen treats) until late—the Bethesda location closes at 10 PM, and the City Center, Dupont Circle, and Fairfax cafés are open until 11 PM Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

 

Tryst

2459 18th St., NW

Amidst mismatched furniture and eclectic art, this Adams Morgan coffeehouse offers a large drink selection—from a rooibos tea latte to a seasonal cereal milk latte—served with a complimentary side of two animal crackers. In addition, it has an expansive all day breakfast menu, a cocktail list, and happy hour deals. The best part: it’s open until 10 PM Sunday through Wednesday and until midnight Thursday through Saturday.

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Molly Szymanski
Editorial Fellow