DC may be a budding foodie city, but there are some great bars in DC too! Check out these 15 places serving up the city’s best cocktails, brews, and wines.
Best Beer in DC
- Atlas Brew Works: Local brewery with a tasting room open Fri-Sun.
- Churchkey: Impressive roster of draft and bottled beer. A definite must-visit for beer aficionados.
- Nellie’s Sports Bar: D.C.’s first gay sports bar. And yes, there is a drag brunch on the weekends.
- Penn Social: Beer and board games, skeeball, foosball, ping pong, and more. Guaranteed good time.
- Sehkraft Brewing: Not just a brewery. They’ve also got a butcher shop and restaurant!
Best Cocktails in DC
- Barmini by José Andrés: More of an experience than a bar. Reservations highly recommended.
- Columbia Room: Check out the tasting room, where you can pick a 3 or 5 course cocktail tasting experience.
- Dram & Grain: To get a reservation to this speakeasy-style experience: head to Jack Rose and ask how to get a reservation to Dram & Grain. You’ll be handed a business card with a phone number to text, not call, to set up a reservation. The number changes regularly, and there is no website, both adding to the secretive vibe.
- Old Ebbitt Grill: DC’s oldest bar and restaurant, with an impressive wine list and cocktail menu.
- Quarter+Glory: Unique list of cocktail selections.
Best Wine in DC
- Cork Wine Bar: Excellent wine bar for those new to or interested in learning about wine.
- Flight Wine Bar: Wine bar focusing on small, family owned wineries and lesser known wine regions around the world; also features a seasonal menu.
- Proof: Restaurant with a wine list that is never ending.
- Sonoma: Restaurant and wine bar featuring American and Italian wine paired with dishes from the mid-Atlantic region.
About the author

Meg Frost is a Boston-based travel blogger that helps people embrace technology to make vacation planning and traveling wicked easy, affordable, and fun.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University and B.S. in Communication & American Studies from University of Miami.