Where to Grab a Drink in DC Right Now

At the best bars in DC, sip on inventive cocktail menus paired with exciting bites and fun vibes.

Washington, DC is a city with many sides. There are luxury hotels next door to local watering holes and breathtaking monuments alongside run-of-the-mill rowhouses. All of this makes for a vibrant place to find a drink, and some of the District’s newest and most noteworthy include the revival of a craft beer favorite, a casual sports bar with Malaysian-inspired bites, and a sleek hotel bar.

This list highlights some of the top bars in the city while also shining a spotlight on new openings that you’d be remiss to skip. Whether you’re looking for a spot for a comfortable happy hour or an after-dinner nightcap in a luxurious speakeasy, there’s something for everyone on our list. Here are the best bars in DC right now.

Royal Sands Social Club
Photo by Dan Swartz

Imagine a sun-drenched Florida pool bar, full of frozen drinks and crowds out to see-and-be-seen. Now imagine it indoors in one of DC’s best neighborhoods for bar hopping. That’s the formula at Royal Sands, the latest concept from the minds behind the popular Salazar and Mission bars. Drinks here have a fittingly tropical flare, like the Miami Sunrise or the Royal Rum Punch. Selected shots and cocktails are $6 and $9 during happy hour, which runs daily from 4 pm–6 pm. From the full food menu, go for beachy favorites heavy on seafood like the Conch Fritters, Mango Shrimp Tacos, and a variety of inventive sushi.

Available for Reservations
Crooked Run Fermentation
Photo by Josh McDonough, courtesy of Crooked Run Fermentation

Crooked Run Fermentation

Union Market
$$$$

Crooked Run Fermentation is the latest in a line of Northern Virginia breweries opening locations in DC. The Union Market neighborhood taphouse features a full lineup of brews with a good mix of ales, lagers, and more experimental sours and fruited brews. In the kitchen, Pizza Serata is led by Michelin-starred chef Chris Morgan (Maydan) and offers up personal-sized pies along with wings and other elevated interpretations of classic bar snacks.
How to book: Walk-in

Pop Fizz Bar
Photo courtesy of Pop Fizz Bar

Pop Fizz Bar

U Street
$$$$

Brent Kroll is well known in the DC hospitality world for his wine knowledge, having worked in some of the city's best dining rooms before branching out to open Maxwell Park locations in Shaw and Navy Yard. Pop Fizz Bar leans into his passion for all things bubbly, with more than 75 bottles to choose from, whether it’s Champagne or Rose. The menu offers creative fizzy cocktails as well, like the Cheerwine + Bourbon or Root Beer + Absinthe.
How to book: Walk-in

Le Mont Royal
Photo by Clarissa Villondo

Le Mont Royal

Adams Morgan
$$$$

It’s hard to miss the pink neon signage outside the French Canadian disco. Turn out to this new hotspot and spend an evening sipping natural wine while snacking on poutine and dancing to live DJs spinning vinyl funk, soul and disco vibes. The team includes Cotton & Reed alum Chas Jefferson and partner Bart Hutchins. Cocktails include three draft options, including a mule made with saffron-infused vodka, and takes on an espresso martini and a negroni sbagliato. They’re a reasonable $10 each during the daily happy hour from 4 pm–6:30 pm.
How to book: Walk-in

Allegory

Downtown
$$$$

Tucked away inside the Eaton Hotel lobby’s library, the drinks at this cocktail den take inspiration from books on the shelves nearby. The “Down the Rabbit Hole” menu is themed around the whimsy of Alice in Wonderland and features the Jabberwocky Parte Dos, a bourbon-charged take on a classic Jungle Bird.

ChurchKey

Logan Circle
$$$$

A cornerstone of Washington’s craft beer culture, ChurchKey hasn’t missed a step since its reopening last spring. The more than 50 temperature-controlled draft lines still feature local and global picks, from rare finds to crowd-pleasing flagships—and that’s not even including the massive bottle and can selection. A seat along the long bar is the place to talk shop with the bartenders, who are happy to offer samples and recommendations.

The Fountain Inn

Georgetown
$$$$

American history and fine spirits are at the center of this cozy Georgetown bar that serves as a revival of an historic 18th-century tavern. Rare liquors and knowledgeable staff are the specialties here, along with forgotten cocktails like the Syllabub, which dates from the 1600s. Come to sip through the extensive library, try a flight, or revel in the fact that you’re sitting in the same spot that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson tossed back their drinks.
How to book: Via Tock

The Green Zone

Adams Morgan
$$$$

This Middle Eastern craft cocktail bar churns out truly inventive cocktails, so it’s no wonder it has been a favorite since it opened in 2018. The drink list also explores ingredients like saffron and puts an Arab twist on cocktails like the Sazerac and the Hurricane for a menu that’s unlike any other in the city. And, let’s face it, the [Bleep] Trump punch is a no brainer.

Available for Reservations

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Adams Morgan
$$$$

Let’s start with the obvious: Jack Rose’s whiskey selection is absolutely bonkers. The bar’s nearly 2,700-bottle inventory is one of the most diverse collections of the spirit on this side of the Atlantic. The visual of all these glass vessels lining the walls of the spacious first-floor dining room—and the bookshop ladders required to reach them—is a sight to behold. But what’s most remarkable about Jack Rose is the attention it gives to almost everything else. The beer and cocktail programs are also excellent, thanks in part to beverage director Joe Oddo, who joined the team last November after working in various spots across Charleston, SC.

Available for Reservations

Jane Jane

Logan Circle
$$$$

The team at Jane Jane set out to evoke homestyle Southern dinner party hospitality in the middle of one of DC’s busiest nightlife neighborhoods—and they’ve done just that. Fill your table with orders of pigs in a blanket or spinach and artichoke dip while sipping on approachable, well-made cocktails featuring all varieties of spirits or switch things up with one of the bar’s spirit-free creations like the vinegar-based Sherry Spritz.

Last Call

Union Market
$$$$

Last Call is a no-frills dive where the beer is cheap (and cold) and simple vodka sodas get accented with squeezes of blueberry lemonade or strawberry watermelon flavoring. Gina Chersevani, a fixture of DC’s bartending community, has created a requisite party in the making, especially during the 5 pm–7 pm daily happy hour, which offers draft Old Fashioneds and lemon drop shots for less than $5 each.

Morris American Bar

Mt. Vernon Square
$$$$

Just around the corner from the convention center, Morris American Bar has become a reliable destination for both classic cocktails and original creations. The atmosphere manages a balance between comfortable and refined, suitable both for a date night or a round of drinks with friends. Check out its social media for frequent specials, including food pop-ups and themed menus.
How to book: Via website

No Goodbyes

Adams Morgan
$$$$

Cocktails at this sleek hotel bar are elevated by an impressive inventory of housemade ingredients, from bitter liqueurs to infusions and syrups. Creations are thoughtfully developed and refined by bartender Lukas B. Smith, whose resume includes roles crafting drinks at Jack Rose Dining Saloon and Cotton & Reed.

Available for Reservations

OKPB

Mount Pleasant
$$$$

Fans of the DC bar scene may remember barman David Strauss from The Sheppard, the beloved Dupont Circle speakeasy that shuttered in 2019. Luckily, he’s back again, mixing a daily menu of inspired cocktails in an unassuming space in Mount Pleasant that’s quickly becoming one of the city’s best speakeasies. Plan on arriving early or be prepared to wait for a table at this snug spot—and make sure to double check the address before ringing the doorbell as there’s no signage out front.

Two dedicated Chartreuse taps show why this bar remains one of the city’s best. The Passenger is the kind of place you can get an expertly crafted martini alongside a cheap beer and whiskey combo. Bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable and the shelves are stocked with common and unique finds from both here and DC and far-flung destinations. Food is available for purchase from Qui Qui, the Puerto Rican kitchen upstairs.

Serenata

Union Market
$$$$

As part of the La Cosecha market, Serenata is a cocktail bar where owners say each menu item is inspired by “the many countries that make up the fabric of the rich Latin American heritage.” Each cocktail on the menu relates to a country that inspired the drink. For the warmer months, the bar is operating a mobile cart outside the market that will serve spritzes made with South American ingredients.

Available for Reservations

Service Bar DC

U Street
$$$$

This U Street staple has been named one of the best bars in the world, and for good reason. On an average night, the space is filled to the brim with industry folks (or anyone looking for a good time, really) drinking some of the best cocktails in town. The book-long menu has every classic cocktail you could rattle off, tiki drinks, and even a crowd-pleasing Miller High Life pony and shot combo, all at good-for-DC prices.

Available for Reservations

Silver Lyan

Penn Quarter
$$$$

Nicknamed “Mr. Lyan,” London-based Ryan Chetiyawardana is one of the world’s most influential bartenders, and his bars have won numerous awards thanks to a commitment to quality, sustainability, and guest experience. Silver Lyan is Chetiyawardana’s first bar in the US, located in an old bank vault beneath the swanky Riggs Hotel in Penn Quarter. Drinks here take inspiration from both the District’s international influences and its role as the American capital. For example, take the Half-Smoke Rickey, mixed with fennel seed-infused gin, lime, herbal shrub, and soda. For an all-out experience, order up the Jello Fruit Basket, a shareable platter of fruit-shaped jello shots inspired by classic cocktails like the martini and the tequila sunrise that comes with shots of champagne to boot.

Tiny Tiki

U Street
$$$$

A rum-spiked oasis awaits at Tiny Tiki Bar, a gem of a spot in DC’s tropical drinks scene. Located beneath a Vietnamese restaurant, the space provides a relatively chill atmosphere despite its location just off the bustling U Street corridor. The tropics-inspired menu includes familiar drinks like the Mai Tai and the Saturn along with original riffs and a list of rums and spirits. No matter what you order, you’re in for a warming treat—maybe even in the literal sense with a beverage that’s set aflame right in front of you. A brief happy hour runs Wednesday and Thursdays from 6 pm–8 pm with $4 rail shots and beers, $7 Saturn cocktails, and other specials.

The Wells

Capitol Hill
$$$$

This chic cocktail bar proves that gin is so much more than its juniper-forward reputation. Drinks here celebrate the spirit in all its variations, from bright and citrusy to dry and piney. The menu changes seasonally but includes martinis, negroni riffs, and more, but skilled bartenders can also create unique drinks to satisfy any craving or pull from the selection of non-gin liquor, beer, and wine. Bar seating offers a peek at the varied inventory, which features bottles from around the world, while the cozy sofa nooks provide a more intimate experience.
How to book: Via Tock

Travis Mitchell is a DC-based food and drink writer. Follow his travels and eating adventures on Twitter at @travisjmitchell and Instagram at @_travisjmitchell.