Restaurant

Café Citron Restaurant by day, loud Latin club by night, and a sure spot to grab sugary-sweet cocktails any time, Café Citron is a popular hangout for everyone from salsa lovers to savvy tourists. Washington, DC United States 38.908449 -77.042289

3.15 8

Café Citron - Bar | Club | Live Music Venue | Restaurant in Washington, DC.

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4 User Reviews

User Reviews (4)

Ratings:

Lucas

Adriana

Jonah

Emma

Party Earth Review Restaurant by day, loud Latin club by night, and a sure spot to grab sugary-sweet cocktails any time, Café Citron is a popular hangout for everyone from salsa lovers to savvy tourists. Young professionals looking to cap... ... read full review

Neighborhood:

Dupont Circle
Address:

1343 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036

Get Directions

Metro:

Red Line: Dupont Circle
Phone:

202-530-8844
Links:
Official Website

Hours:

M–Th 4pm–2am, F–Sa 4pm–3am
Recommended as:
- Night Spot

First to review Daniel M.

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Party Earth Café Citron Review

The Scene

Restaurant by day, loud Latin club by night, and a sure spot to grab sugary-sweet cocktails any time, Café Citron is a popular hangout for everyone from salsa lovers to savvy tourists.

Dupont Circle, Washington, DC –

Restaurant by day, loud Latin club by night, and a sure spot to grab sugary-sweet cocktails any time, Café Citron is a popular hangout for everyone from salsa lovers to savvy tourists.

Young professionals looking to cap their day with plates of plantains or pitchers of minty mojitos stop in for Happy Hour to plop into the long wooden booths on the ground floor dining area.

As the evening’s music kicks up, a young and diverse mix of international travelers and local students turn those same booths into personal dance stages, checking out their moves in the large mirrors as DJs ensure the crowd’s mint-infused sweat keeps pouring.

Hip swingers in need of a break can head to the downstairs lounge, whose small bar, low couches, candlelit tables, and soft chairs create a more relaxing speakeasy vibe.

Partiers who really want to get away from it all can escape to the VIP room on the third floor, where a sleek bar surrounded by abstract paintings and modern lights provide a chic and intimate setting for trendy guests to sip caipirinhas and Coronas as they dance the night away.

At Café Citron, patrons are sure to get a full dose of Latin flavor, whether from the authentic drinks, the zesty appetizers, or just the international admirers whispering in impassioned Spanish.

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Tip from Emma:

If it’s your first time at Café Citron, tell the bartender. They normally give first timers a free shot!

Crowd

Salsa lovers, international tourists, Spanish speakers, rowdy dancers, and young professionals, trending older during dinner hours, mid-20s to early 30s.
Entertainment / Music

DJs spin everything from Top 40 to latin dance. Salsa lessons. Flamenco shows. Two TVs and two projection screens.
Food / Miscellaneous

Mix of Latin food, including nachos, taquitos, quesadillas, and tacos, all available for Happy Hour. Happy Hour M–F 4–7:30pm, Sa 4–8pm.
Prices

No cover charge. Appetizers $3.50–$10, salads $10–$17, entrées $12–$20, group platters $14–$30.

Beer $4.50–$7, wine $6–$7/glass or $30–$60/bottle, margaritas, mojitos, sangria, caipirinhas and cocktails $6–$11/glass or $30–$75/pitcher, shots $8–9, bottle service $150–$300+.

What to Wear / Dress Code

Mostly casual dancing attire: loose linen button-downs and flowing skirts. Trendier attire in the VIP room and during dinner.

Dress code: no athletic wear, no work boots, no hats for men, no shorts, no sandals for men.
Hot Nights / When to Go

Happy Hour any night when the mojito pitchers flow, Wednesday nights for free salsa lessons, Fridays for the biggest dance crowd, and Saturdays for flamenco.
Close By

A full bookstore, classy café, and live music await at Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café (1517 Connecticut Avenue NW).

Tags:: 20sButton-downsCasualCocktailsDJDancingDress CodeEarly 30sFinger FoodFlamencoHappy HourInternationalIntimateLaid backLatinLatinLatin FoodMexican FoodMid 20sNo HatsNo JerseysNo cover chargeRowdySalsa DancingSeafoodSkirtsSteakTop 40Trendy CasualVIP AreaWingsYoung Professionals

Café Citron User Reviews

lorenapatricia33 Jan 13, 2013 2.0 stars Latin Night is Every Night From the moment you walk in, you will be compelled to make your way to the dance floor. Cafe Citrone may seem small from the outside however, it’s capable of housing all of its customers as they salsa up and down all three floors of the cafe. There is a bottom floor specifically targeted as the space where everyone can go to when the first floor is overcrowded. Plus, there is a small lounge area upstairs surrounded with a couple of tables and chairs where you can also go to dance and mingle. Even if you've never been one to listen to Latin music before, the music and the vibe is addicting. If you know the right people, you can get admittance to the very clandestine VIP room in Citrone. Once inside you have access to the DJ booth, which gives you a great view of the entire nightclub. You can even request a song or two, although the DJ booth is on the smaller side so just make your way up the stairs to see the rest of what the VIP room has to offer. The crowd of people there is a mix between the "Citrone Regulars" who tend to show up later in the night, and which you can easily identify because they will be the people who stop and plant a European kiss (a peck on each check to both girls and guys) to just about everyone in the room. The second category of people in the VIP section are what I call the “newbie's “or friends of friends who somehow found their way into this secretive room through some sort of connection or another. The VIP room has two separate bar areas and it even has its own smoking room, which also serves as a great place to escape to in case you ever need to cool down from all the dancing. Despite its clandestine location, the VIP room in Citrone is always jam packed, just like the rest of the place. So be ready to shed off a few pounds after dancing to some classic Mark Anthony hits (and the occasional Pit Pull of course) or gain a couple after all the drinking that is sure to ensue at Cafe Citrone.

Southe0321 Sep 6, 2012 3.0 stars Secret to life : Margarita - Mojito - Music - Moves This is an absolutely fun place to go to if you are ready to shake a leg. Its always packed over the weekends but you can't really complain much as you would rather go to a place that is happening and packed rather than some sad little place out in Dupont. I have been here several times for their famous or should I say infamous happy hour where you can quench your summer thirst with some exotic mojitos (highly can recommend the mango mojito- loved it!) and margaritas. I still consider this one of the places to come as a group as the mojitos and margaritas will never disappoint and you can have one night to remember. The music was mostly salsa and meringue with a little bit of the latest hits thrown in. All in all its a great place to unwind on a Friday evening and get a dose of some Latin flavor.

Jimmy D Aug 10, 2012 3.0 stars Mojito Please Loud, Crowded, Hot and Spicy. Great mojito's and probably the most fun Latin dance scene in the city if you aren't a professional. When it gets going you would swear you were in Bogota or Rio and not the capital of the USA.

Danny Milner Aug 3, 2012 3.0 stars I'll Have the Spicy Salsa I’ve had two kinds of experiences at Café Citron. Experience A is where I stand around drinking mojitos trying to meet the beautiful Latin women that frequent the place. Experience B is where I actually make some headway with one of these women and attempt to impress them with my non-existent salsa dancing moves. Experience A is like going to any other international bar in DC but with a little more spice. Fortunately for me, the crowd here is friendly enough for Experience B that they will attempt to teach me some new moves. They do have free lessons on some nights but it usually requires getting there around 8:00...earlier than I typically like to go out. But the lessons can be a fun way to meet new people and start off the night (and also a good way to avoid the long line later in the evening).