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Bars in Washington, DC

Today Dec 17

Tomorrow Dec 18

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Policy

20s / 30s / 90s Music / Beer Lovers

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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Tryst

20s / 30s / 40s / Anything goes / Bar

Party Earth Review Situated in a neighborhood known for its rowdy nightlife, Tryst invites Adams Morgan rabble-rousers to step back, have a latte served with animal crackers, and chill out. A wall of windows offers both mellow daytime views and safety from the nighttime chaos of 18th Street, while mismatched couches and simple wooden tables ... more

2459 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

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Fast Eddie's Sports & Billiards

Anything goes / Bar Food / Jeans

Party Earth Review Fast Eddie’s Sports & Billiards is a downtown sports bar best known for two-dollar beer specials and quick access to naked women. Purchased by the owners of adjoining Archibald's Gentlemen's Club in 2001, Eddie’s occupies the second and third floor of the building, and is strictly about sports during the day. Featuring ... more

1520 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

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Off the Record

30s / 40s / Ambient / Button-downs

Party Earth Review It’s a never-ending battle of donkeys vs. elephants in the District of Columbia, but Off the Record, a chic lounge in the basement of the historic Hay-Adams hotel, brings both parties together for a cordial cocktail after an exhausting day of work. Located a block from the White House, this venue’s name is no accident ... more

Hay-Adams Hotel
800 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

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Shelly's Back Room

20s / 30s / 40s / Blazers / Blouses / TVs

Party Earth Review Situated just two blocks from the White House and guarded by a saluting five-foot Native American statue, Shelly’s Back Room is one of only a handful of DC establishments where folks can still get together for an indoor smoke without suffering the evil eye from suburban yoga moms and soy milk-drinking herbivores. In fact ... more

1331 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004

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Birch & Barley

30s / 40s / After Work / Ambient / Bar

Party Earth Review A delectable menu of seasonal bites and a giant assortment of handcrafted ales lie behind the tall wood doors of Birch & Barley, a haven for sophisticated patrons on the hunt for good food and a lot of brew. With more than five hundred bottled beers, fifty drafts, and five casks at the ready, the venue is a veritable Shangri ... more

1337 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

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The Red Derby

20s / 30s / ATM / Anything goes / Dive

Party Earth Review Marked by a single crimson bowler hat painted above its unmanned black door, The Red Derby is an unpretentious two-story dive where mellow Columbia Heights residents lay claim to cheap beers and piles of old-school board games. Über-casual regulars, many of whom first discovered the joint by word of mouth, settle in on ... more

3718 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20010

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Granville Moore's

30s / 50s Music / 60s Music / Edgy

Party Earth Review Hidden in an unassuming row house, Granville Moore’s is a rustic neighborhood gastropub that prepares a thousand pounds of mussels and potatoes every week – all from a kitchen not much bigger than a walk-in closet. The venue also serves an array of sandwiches and steaks to the hungry regulars who flood in every night, but ... more

1238 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002

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JR.'s Bar & Grill

30s / 40s / Business Types / Gay / TVs

Party Earth Review Rainbow flags don’t blanket the green awning out front, but nobody inside JR.’s Bar & Grill could argue that this place is in the closet – even when it gets as crowded as one. A Dupont institution since the 80s, the narrow two-story venue attracts a diverse mix of young professionals, students, and older regulars with ever ... more

1519 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036

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El Centro D.F.

30s / 40s / After Work / Beer / Brunch

Party Earth Review Three distinct levels – from a classy, intimate basement to a rowdy open-air rooftop – make El Centro D.F. (Distrito Federal) a multi-faceted haunt for anyone in need of inventive Mexican cuisine or just a mess of tequila. Textured walls and rough-hewn tables make up the industrial ground floor, which swells with a trendy ... more

1819 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

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Dirty Martini

Affluent / After Work / Bar / Jazz

Party Earth Review A cavernous upscale temple to its namesake drink, Dirty Martini is popular for everything from a midweek working lunch – liquid or otherwise – to a post-work pre-party, to a classy after-hours soiree. Exposed white brick, sleek hardwood, and modern Italian furniture provide a classy backdrop for the foreign policy bigwigs ... more

1223 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC 20036

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Kelly's Irish Times

40s / After Work / After Work / DJ

Party Earth Review With beer and cheer o’er flowin’, Kelly’s Irish Times has been a DC staple that’s survived and thrived – and no doubt put up with loads of bad Irish puns – for longer than even the oldest of the old-fart regulars can remember. Pub purists from across the pond might decry the all-American bric-a-brac that dresses the walls ... more

14 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

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Café Saint-Ex

20s / 20s and up / Artists / Artsy

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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Proof

30s / 40s / Business Types / Dinner

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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Tryst

20s / 30s / 40s / Anything goes / Bar

2459 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

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Ventnor Sports Café

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Brunch

Party Earth Review Though the owner hails from Philadelphia – and makes no secret of his affinity for the City of Brotherly Love – Ventnor Sports Café welcomes fans of every ilk and creed with a no-fuss “games-‘n’-beer-are-king” attitude. Twenty TVs scattered over both floors ensure no one misses an important play, while two bars serving ... more

2411 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

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Off the Record

30s / 40s / Ambient / Button-downs

Hay-Adams Hotel
800 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

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Shelly's Back Room

20s / 30s / 40s / Blazers / Blouses / TVs

1331 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004

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Birch & Barley

30s / 40s / After Work / Ambient / Bar

1337 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

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Chadwicks

20s / 30s / Bar / Brunch / Burgers / Rock

Party Earth Review Set in an area more often lauded for its refined, high-end establishments, Chadwicks is a casual joint that has been serving up basic burgers and beer since the 1960s. Students and unpretentious area residents flock to this rustic bi-level venue for daily Happy Hour specials and rowdy weekend shenanigans, wolfing down ... more

3205 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20007

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Granville Moore's

30s / 50s Music / 60s Music / Edgy

1238 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002

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JR.'s Bar & Grill

30s / 40s / Business Types / Gay / TVs

1519 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Stetson's Famous Bar & Grill

Arcade Games / Average Joes

Party Earth Review Saddled on the edge of the always-hopping U Street party scene since the early 1980s, Stetson’s Famous Bar & Grill remains a chill watering hole for pre-game beers and cowboy-lazy evenings. The dive’s ground floor sports a downplayed country-themed décor, with a few rustic cow skulls and scattered fake WANTED posters on ... more

1610 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

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Dirty Martini

Affluent / After Work / Bar / Jazz

1223 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC 20036

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Recommended Bars in DC

Top Sports Bars

BY: Lucas

Public Bar

Lucas also likes: Beer Sports Rowdy Casual Anything goes Bar Flirty

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High-End Cocktails

BY: Adriana

Dirty Bar

Adriana also likes: Exclusive Nightclub Fashion Forward Shopping Jetsetter

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Cool Music Bars

BY: Jonah

Velvet Lounge

Jonah also likes: Live Music Eclectic Indie Alternative Non-mainstream

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Fun Happy Hours

BY: Emma

18th Amendment

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.

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