Café Saint-Ex Bar / Club / Restaurant

U Street Corridor, Washington, DC –

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, French aviator and author of The Little Prince, the narrow bistro and underground music venue features a long wooden bar where puddle-jumpers of all ages gather to sip beer and specialty cocktails or chow down on some comfort food.

A line of simple wooden tables provides a place for quieter couples and groups to enjoy their barbecue sliders and eco-friendly pork chops, while the larger upstairs dining area fills up quickly with patrons pouring over the extensive wine list to find the perfect libation to go with their meticulously-crafted desserts.

Larger parties can take their pumpkin martinis and macadamia oat ice cream sandwiches to the dark cherry leather booths in the back, or mingle with the other guests out on the small patio.

Evenings, meanwhile, tend to be the most popular and bring music lovers and dancers down into the sparsely furnished basement, aptly named Gate 54, where local DJs spin Brazilian beats, old school, and hip-hop five nights a week, giving the younger crowd at Café Saint-Ex ample time to dance off their desserts and cocktails.