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Bars in Washington, DC
Today May 25
Tomorrow May 26
Bar / Beer Garden / Lounge
Party Earth Review Built as an homage to singer Marvin Gaye, who grew up nearby and took soul-searching trips to Belgium in the 1980s, Marvin combines the soulful elements of its namesake with some unique Belgian overtones. A wall-sized mural of the singer casts a watchful eye over the local bohemian types chowing down on fried chicken with ... more
2007 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Bar / Club / Restaurant
Party Earth Review A popular neighborhood haunt for artsy post-grads and young professionals, Café Saint-Ex may fly high with its aviation-themed décor, but the vibe is considerably more bohemian – in fact, a chalked sign near the door respectfully asks that “all collars be turned down prior to entry.” Named after Antoine de Saint-Exupery ... more
1847 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Bar / Live Music Venue / Lounge
Party Earth Review Little of Eighteenth Street Lounge’s façade would attract the attention of an uninitiated passerby, save for the bouncer who plants himself before its unmarked door or the lines that form beneath the neon glow of a “MATTRESS DISCOUNTS” sign on the adjacent building. Inside this three-story lounge, however, DC scenesters ... more
1212 18th Street NW
Washington DC, 20036
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Party Earth Review A large rooftop bar and an emphasis on locally-grown products have made Local 16 a popular hangout for a mix of foodies, preppies, and hipsters alike. A casual weeknight vibe quickly turns to a rowdy, overly-packed scene on weekends when swarms of college students take over the large tiki-styled rooftop deck to flirt with ... more
1602 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Party Earth Review Bartenders in this unmarked lounge like a challenge, and the simple, one-page menu at The Gibson is better regarded as a place to start than the sum of what’s available. The intimate candlelit space is fitted out with a long bar running down the middle of the ground floor with enough room for a few dozen thirsty patrons ... more
2009 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Party Earth Review Built into a flat, square building with no exterior windows or lights, the most prominent evidence of the dive hiding behind the boarded-up façade of Dan’s Café is the string of rowdy frat boys usually careening out its door. A dozen shelves of booze stacked behind the sticky bar glitter like lost treasure, drawing a crowd ... more
2315 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Party Earth Review With a mix of contemporary American cuisine and a wine list more aptly described as a “book,” Proof attracts a refined crowd of local foodies and oenophiles who are drawn by the strong emphasis on organic and sustainable ingredients and the bar’s one-thousand-plus wine selection. Exposed brick and glowing pendant lights ... more
775 G Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20001
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Bar / Beer Garden / Restaurant
Party Earth Review With its fat mugs of frothy brew, heaping piles of bratwurst, and live polka on Fridays and Saturdays, Biergarten Haus brings the spirit of Oktoberfest to DC all year long. A spacious beer garden draws schnitzel and stein lovers eager to cram in on long communal tables and make new friends over liters of beer as big as ... more
1355 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
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Bar / Club / Lounge / Restaurant
Party Earth Review Located just blocks from the White House, The Park at Fourteenth is an upscale club that seduces its stylish patrons with four stories of fashionable fun. It is not uncommon to see celebrities and pro athletes waltzing in through the red-carpeted entrance, making their way past stern, unyielding bouncers and block-long ... more
920 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
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Party Earth Review Policy is a bi-level venue that might also be called bipolar: offering patrons a laid-back restaurant and mixology spot downstairs and a loud, graffiti-laden lounge above. The Love Dining Room is an intimate take on the American diner, with red vinyl booths and Formica tabletops where young professionals and couples cozy ... more
1904 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Party Earth Review A quintessential dive bar with a knack for booking some of the best up-and-coming and niche bands DC has to offer, Velvet Lounge makes up in attitude whatever it lacks in décor. Once past the flashing neon martini glass outside, patrons will find themselves in a cramped and narrow space, rubbing shoulders with the rotating ... more
915 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20002
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Bar / Club / Restaurant
Party Earth Review Whether they’re looking for rooftop bars, jungle décor, or aquarium-laden dance floors, the young and boisterous regulars at The Reef can enjoy it all – and they most certainly do. A faux rainforest covers much of the ground floor, where urban animals let loose to the tunes of a dance-heavy DJ and throw back a few rounds ... more
2446 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Recommended Bars in DC
Top Sports Bars
BY: Lucas
- → The Tombs
- → 19th
- → The Pour House
- → Ventnor Sports Café
- → Public Bar
Lucas also likes: Beer Sports Rowdy Casual Anything goes Bar Flirty
more recommended by Lucas
High-End Cocktails
BY: Adriana
Adriana also likes: Exclusive Nightclub Fashion Forward Shopping Jetsetter
more recommended by Adriana
Cool Music Bars
BY: Jonah
Jonah also likes: Live Music Eclectic Indie Alternative Non-mainstream
more recommended by Jonah
Fun Happy Hours
BY: Emma
Emma also likes: Happy Hour Culture Dancing Lively Budget-friendly
more recommended by Emma
DC Bars Overview
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that not all bars in Washington, DC were created equal…but that won’t stop us from trying all of them!
One thing is for sure, DC bars often have great Happy Hour specials thanks to the fact that so many of the people who work here (federal employees) get off promptly at 5pm. Politicos, staffers, and commuters double the city’s population every day, and cram into bars all over town as soon as work lets out.
Dupont Circle attracts a lot of lawyers and lobbyists to its high-end drinking dens, but still manages to entice all types with sports bars, quaint taverns, spacious haunts, and gay bars.
18th Street in Adams Morgan, meanwhile, has been dubbed the “Liquorridor” for a reason and gets crushed by college kids nightly, while ritzy Georgetown has everything from chichi bars to timeless saloons.
No DC bar crawl would be complete without going to the H Street Corridor or U Street, as both are major party hubs in the District and offer an endless array of themed bars, craft brewpubs, and bare-bones dive bars.
Oh yeah, there’s some pretty cool museums here too, be sure and put down the pint for a bit and check out that White House thing before getting back to sampling more great Washington, DC bars and nightlife.
Find Washington, DC Bars by Neighborhood
U Street Corridor
- Town Danceboutique
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9:30 Club
Bar / Club
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Marvin
Bar / Beer Garden / Lounge
Dupont Circle
more bars in Dupont Circle
Adams Morgan
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Madam's Organ Blues Bar
Bar / Live Music Venue
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The Brass Monkey
Bar / Karaoke Bar
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Sutra Lounge
Bar / Lounge
Downtown
more bars in Downtown
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