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Sun / May 19
Dupont Circle is home to a plethora of incredible museums, historic homes, row upon row of embassies, and a great example of Washington, DC’s hopping nightlife.
Easily the LGBT capital of the capital, the neighborhood features the largest assortment of gay-owned and gay-friendly restaurants, bars, and clubs in the city – particularly along P Street – as well as the District’s first gay bookstore.
Diplomat groupies already know that most of the city’s foreign embassies line Massachusetts Avenue, and the strong presence of international restaurants in Dupont Circle is no doubt fueled by the multicultural representatives of these embassies, who also drive a velvet-rope scene of exclusive dance clubs, trendy lounges, and chic bars unmatched anywhere else in town.
Classy coffee houses and upscale retail stores blanket Connecticut Avenue, and though most spots trend on the pricier side, jersey-clad sports lovers, fedora-proud hipsters, and young dance fanatics have no trouble finding raucous taverns, indie music mainstays, and casual hip-shaking haunts to hang out in.
During the day, the park setting of the traffic circle that gives Dupont Circle its name features musicians, farmers’ markets, and grizzled chess players who look like they’ve been staring at the same move for twenty years, while a handful of very popular bookstores and locally-owned record shops still thrive, despite operating in one of the most expensive real estate markets in town.
Party Earth Review A respite from the boisterous weekend crowds of college kids piling out of the metro a block away, Bar Dupont in The Dupont Circle Hotel is ideal for quiet evenings or a stylish slow ... more
The Dupont Circle Hotel
1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Asian Restaurant
Reviewed by Ashley A.
"Cafe Japone is a great little spot for a fun night of karaoke. They have an extensive selection of songs, and I love that you just pass the microphone ..." more
2032 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Bar / Lounge / Restaurant
Party Earth Review The Communist party may be dead, but the after-party marches on at The Russia House Restaurant and Lounge, an upscale tribute to the cuisine and culture of the motherland. One of the ... more
1800 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009
Bar / Café / Culture / Bookstore
Party Earth Review A combination independent bookseller and high-end café, Kramerbooks & Afterwords has become a DC staple for an eclectic and hyper-literate clientele. Lined with classics, rarer finds ... more
1517 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009
Party Earth Review Though The Front Page may not win any culinary awards, its Happy Hour has been the stuff of legends since the place opened in 1987. Daytime sees the expansive venue playing host to ... more
1333 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Party Earth Review A 21st-century twist on the cabaret clubs of the 1920s, Dirty Bar is where DC’s international club kids and trendy socialites go to see and be seen – and maybe hang out in a giant birdcage ... more
1223 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC 20036
Party Earth Review The flush of neon leaking from the entrance and the prominent sign featuring the silhouette of a provocatively posed lady in place of the “I” make Miami-styled lounge ... more
1214 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Party Earth Review Since the early 70s, Sign of the Whale has served as a dingy retreat for overworked politicos and the barely twenty-one crowd looking to swallow their troubles and maybe harpoon ... more
1825 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Party Earth Review With its laid-back atmosphere and large patio, Trio’s Fox and Hounds is a quintessential neighborhood haunt popular with easygoing locals. The slightly edgier sister establishment to ... more
1537 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Party Earth Review A fashionable four-story club discreetly tucked away on Connecticut Avenue, Midtown springs to life every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as throngs of party-ready clubbers line up in ... more
1219 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Party Earth Review As if the name Madhatter weren’t enough, the big eponymous figure of the character from Alice in Wonderland in the front window is about as subtle as a caterpillar smoking a hookah ... more
1319 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Bar / Lounge / Restaurant
Party Earth Review With a prime location on the rim of the most famous circle in the District, CIRCA at Dupont offers nearby business professionals an excuse to sneak in a fancy cocktail at lunch – or ... more
1601 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009