Great Washington D.C. Bars

This is a weekend of celebration. Between rallying, marching, running and Halloweening, you’re hopefully going to find time to explore one of Gadling’s other favorite pastimes … drinking. But don’t just wander into the first pub you find – take our word for it and sample these great Washington D.C. bars and lounges.
We’ve offered both the expensive and the dive, with alternative suggestions for each … after all, it was hard to stop talking about one of our favorite subjects.

Sure, you’ve read about it in Bon Appétit and GQ, but this is one bar that lives up to the media hype. Part speakeasy, part dive bar, you’ll find made-to-order craft cocktails and a small bites menu featuring innovative items like a kimchi hot dog. Bonus – they’re hosting the official Happy Hour of the Colbert rally from 3 – 7 PM on Saturday, with cocktails like the Screaming Eagle, Tea Bagger and Fear Monger.
If you like this, you’ll also love… D.C.’s other great speakeasy, The Gibson, or the restaurant/bar next door, (to Gibson), Marvin.
The cuisine? Latin Asian fusion. The ambiance? Straight outta NYC cool. The cocktails? To die for. Savor small plates and creative libations at this tequila bar and restaurant, offering more than 100 varieties of the famed spirit, plus beer, wine and sake.
Love Latin flair and cool cocktails, but want something a bit more bar-like? How about H Street Country Club, featuring D.C.’s only indoor putt-putt course.
Order a pot of moules frites and peruse the beer book (it’s huge) at this downtown restaurant and bar. A strong competitor for the city’s best beer list, Brasserie Beck draws crowds night after night for its mixture of great food (acclaimed by magazines like Esquire, you don’t have to take our word for it) and their impressively-titled “Beer Knight,” a beer expert who actually received a title for his knowledge of the brew.
If it’s beer you’re after, Logan Circle’s Churchkey also tops our list.

Love vodka? Who doesn’t – it’s perhaps America’s most popular cocktail spirit. Venture into this Dupont Circle bar and lounge for a sip or shot. You might even catch a Capitals player or two – Alex Ovechkin has been known to hang out here.
Care for another cocktail … and at this point you don’t care what type of vodka you’re getting? Head to Adams Morgan, where bars like Tom Tom are heavy on the fun and low on the pretension.

Care to have a quintessential D.C. experience? Search no further than this intimate bar and scotch lounge in the Willard Hotel. Offering an “old boys club” atmosphere, Round Robin is a great place to play “spot the Senator” while feeling like you’re sipping in a dose of history. Impress your cocktail partners with this fun fact: Walt Whitman and Mark Twain both drank here!
Prefer something a bit more low-key? How about Bourbon, offering a similarly great lineup of cocktails but a more laid-back ambiance.

P.O.V.
Perhaps D.C.’s most hyped-up bar, P.O.V. at the W Hotel gets points for both creative cocktails and an amazing view – overlooking the White House lawn and most of D.C. Savor hot or cold beverages (they’ll even bring you a blanket if you get cold). Just beware – you’ll probably need to make a reservation to get up to the roof this weekend.
Like the vibe but hate the line? Savor similarly cool cocktails and ambiance at Mie n Yu in Georgetown.