The pandemic silenced jazz brunches, but now bands are striking up again. Here are four spots where the music bops, cocktails are cool, and plates are popping.
Bistro du Jour
location_on20 Massachusetts Ave., NW
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The Capitol Hill location of this brasserie serves classic French fare designed to make Washingtonians feel whisked away to Paris.
Who’s playing: Jazz singer Sara Zhu serenades with soothing, sultry numbers on Sundays from noon to 3.
What to order: Begin with foie-gras-filled raspberry macarons and featherweight gougères before feasting on entrées such as an everything-bagel-inspired Paris-Brest brimming with smoked salmon or pain perdu topped with blueberry compote and Chantilly cream. Toast your brunch buddies with a Bellini, mango-and-rhubarb-laced punch, or kir royale.
Dauphine’s
location_on1100 15th St., NW
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The Big Easy comes to life at this swank downtown restaurant showcasing chef Douglas Alexander’s creative Creole cooking.
Who’s playing: The Hot Mess ensemble puts out a cool-jazz set Sundays from 11 to 3.
What to order: Go with hearty, Southern-minded classics: Calabrian-chili-and-maple-glazed fried chicken and waffles; French toast with a bananas-Foster twist; or blackened catfish on a bed of grits. Get the party started with a Creole-spiced Bloody Mary, chicory espresso martini, or Hurricane-style mimosa.
Neutral Ground
location_on6641 Old Dominion Dr., McLean
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Chef/owner David Guas, a Louisiana native, pays warm homage to modern Mid-Atlantic and soulful Southern cooking.
Who’s playing: Sundays from 10:30 to 1:30, Les Quatre Boulevardiers quartet soundtracks the scene with New Orleans–inspired numbers.
What to order: Go sweet with the pecan/brown-butter waffle glistening with sorghum syrup, or opt for a savory sourdough tartine topped with roasted mushrooms and whipped goat cheese. Either way, wave the charming rattan cocktail cart over to score colorful mimosas with freshly squeezed juices (and zero-proof strawberry-mint mojitos).
St. Vincent Wine
location_on3212 Georgia Ave., NW
languageWebsite
Park View’s buzzy wine garden/bottle shop features an upstairs cocktail bar that transforms into a music venue and brunch haven.
Who’s playing: Rotating performers—such as the jazz/Americana/R&B act Morel Trio and multi-instrumentalist Knox Engler—play Sundays from 1 to 4.
What to order: Chef Joel Hatton offers a fusillade of indulgent plates—including lemon-poppy-seed fritters; French toast stuffed with orange-infused cream cheese; truffled curly fries with ramp ranch; and grits topped with crawfish and lobster. Complement the meal with wines or classic cocktails, such as an aged Manhattan or a French 75.
This article appears in the June 2025 issue of Washingtonian.
Nevin Martell is a parenting, food, and travel writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Saveur, Men’s Journal, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, Runner’s World, and many other publications. He is author of eight books, including It’s So Good: 100 Real Food Recipes for Kids, Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery, and the small-press smash Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip. When he isn’t working, he loves spending time with his wife and their six-year-old son, who already runs faster than he does.
