The Best Cocktail Bars in Washington DC

Two Peruvian standouts under one roof. Carlos Delgado says he wanted to “build a new way of Peruvian eating” and thats exactly what he accomplished with two eateries under one roof. Amazonia is a colorful bar and dining room with a jungle of a rooftop patio and snacks, including mouth-watering skewers. Causa showcases a six-course tasting menu that your waiter introduces as if it were a trip: “We’re going to touch on coastal cooking, then the Andes and finish in the Amazon.”

One of the best bars in Washington DC Hidden behind the library of the Eaton hotel, Allegory is not only making outstanding cocktails but sending a social message through well-thought-out drinks.

Dauphine’s nails so many delicious details. Located where the Washington Post once stood in downtown DC, Dauphine’s nails so many delicious details, it’s as if you’re enjoying them in the city that put them on the map: New Orleans. The stars of the show include paneed rabbit, head-on shrimp in a dark pool of birch beer and some of the city’s best cocktails.

This is one of these places where the food was so good that I just forgot to take photos, so only one shot of several dishes. Chef Sundas, coming from Indian restaurant royalty here in DC, Rasika, created an amazing, more innovative, more playful, but easily equally if not more impressive place that feels less pretentious and more accessible. It’s great to have this gem in the neighborhood. The meat dishes were standouts, the chicken tikka masala, the lamb shank, both were outstanding. At the same time you can also go here just for the cocktails and have the bread basket and some of the chutneys with that.

Let’s be honest: DC is not a city for great Mexican food. If that is what you are looking for, you go to New York, Philadelphia, maybe Chicago, and obviously LA … or better, you catch a flight to Mexico City. But over the last 15 years, DC has seen its food scene evolve dramatically, from steak and potatoes to almost any cuisine you could think of. One of the leading faces of that change has been Jose Andres. More recently, Stephen Starr has pushed the envelope, first with Le Diplomate and then St. Anselm. One thing Starr’s places have in common is that they make you feel like you enter a restaurant designed by Disney; there is an avalanche of color or, to a degree, stereotypes (think of Le Diplomate and its many references to what Americans would think of when they think of a French bistro, no matter how much that has in common with reality). But one would be wrong to judge these restaurants by their cover (which usually are stunning, if not over the top). What Starr is able to do, is to back up the design with amazing food and experiences. El Presidente (just a block down from St. Anselm in the Union Market neighborhood) is his take on Mexico. What Le Diplomate is to Paris, El Presidente is to Mexico City. By making this more about a city than a cuisine, Starr is able to have a bit more room to experiment on the food side and not have to be dragged down the “authentic” debate. El Presidente is stunning. The colors, the decor, it all bests Le Diplomate (and I would not have thought that was possible). But as with Le Diplomate, El Presidente doesn’t end up being a nice shell; the cocktails, the tequila and mezcal selection, the service, and the food are all backing it up. Now, is it true, authentic Mexican as you would find on the streets of Mexico City? No. But that is not the point here. The point is a place that you will have an amazing time at. And the food will still be the star of the evening. I would definitely order the Salsas and Dips (a huge plate with five salsas plus guac) and the Hamachi Aguachile. The Crab Tostada is another standout. There is the Instagram-friendly Tacos Al Carbon (build your own) that can be shared by several people. But if you want a ready-made taco, I would suggest the Black Cod Al Pastor. Lastly, especially in times when many restaurants have a hard time finding staff, it says a lot that Starr is able to attract amazing staff. Silvia, our server, was amazing, as were all the other staff who helped us. While the food, drinks, and decor all make we want to come back, this is also a place where the staff is so nice that you want to go back — and that is a rare thing these days.

Turning a successful French Bistro into an Afghan restaurant; not only saying that your food tastes like your mother’s food, but actually having your mother cook and prepare the food; and getting praise by no other than Michelin, all sounds a bit too good to be true, a fairy tale in restaurant land, but all this comes wonderfully together at Lapis. The flavors are all unique and familiar at the same time. You will find dishes that remind you of Middle Eastern or Indian cuisine, but there is always something different, something unique, a flavor you are not used to, but that wonderfully, just works. The standouts to me are Bamya, an okra stew, the lamb shank, the dal, and the mantoo shrimp dumplings. For dessert the sheer berenj, a rice pudding with pistachios, and most importantly cardamom is divine, as is the sherbet, a melt in your mouth orange almond pound cake. And if you still need reasons to go, the cocktail menu is worth a trip in itself.

DC gets a taste of Ukraine on Capitol Hill “I’m here because of borscht,” says chef Dima Martseniuk, who left the popular Veselka in NY to open shop in DC. His beet soup faces friendly competition on the menu from dumplings, honey cake and a cocktail in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. If you want to see support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, it's here. Hello, Pete Buttigieg. Good evening, Oksana Markarova.

Avant-garde cocktails The liquid world of chef José Andrés with cocktails that meet science and innovative techniques. Also the best grilled cheese in town.