Best Bars in Washington DC | Nightlife & Drinks
Explore Washington DC’s best bars. From rooftop views to craft cocktails, find the perfect spot for a night out.
Browse by Category
A spot to drink, talk, and maybe forget the time. Loud or low-key, depending on the hour. Come with friends, or sit alone and let it pass.
118 Places in Best Bars in Washington DC | Nightlife & Drinks
Browse through our curated selection of places
Filters
Rating
Price Range
Features
Grand Cata
OKPB
The Setting
Jackie Lee's
Spirited neighborhood bar with pub grub. Local watering hole for suds & shots, plus beer-friendly bar fare, smoked ribs & vintage games.
Gemini — Wine Shop + Dinner
Era Wine Bar
No Kisses Bar
Bar a Vin
French-style bar with wine & cocktails. Elegant, airy bar in a French restaurant offering wine, cocktails, beer & Mediterranean snacks.
600t
Dram & Grain
Retro, reservations-only watering hole. Nostalgic, reservations-only bar open just on Saturdays serving mixologist-made drinks in cozy digs.
The Alchemist DC
Lyman's Tavern
Hip bar with pinball & beer selection. Hip, wood-clad bar with pinball machines, jukeboxes & a piano, serving beer by can, bottle & draft.
Jimmy Valentine's Lonely Hearts Club
Quirky haunt with craft beer & DJs. Narrow, red-hued hangout with kitschy accents featuring numerous bottled, craft beers & weekend DJs.
Licht Cafe
Coastline Oyster CO.
Tap99
Tom's Watch Bar
Akeno Sushi Bar and Thai at Capitol Hill
Maxwell Park
Chic wine bar for offbeat selections. Wine guru Brent Kroll showcases classic & surprising bottles & bar bites in his classy, modern lair.
The Eastern
Little Blackbird
The Golden Age
Jane Jane
Trendy cocktail bar with snacks. Hip cocktail spot with bold decor & a laid-back vibe offering creative drinks & bar bites.
The Crown & Crow
Victorian-style lower-level pub. Inspired by Victorian pubs, this expansive, lower-level watering hole features a 19th-century bar.
Silver Lyan
Denson Liquor Bar
Classy spot for old-school cocktails. Atmospheric, art deco-ish bar with leather banquettes serving old-school drinks & elevated nibbles.
The Pug
Low-key local watering hole. A local crowd comes to this small, boxing-themed bar for drinks & weekend brunch. Open late.
Red Derby
Hip bar with roof deck & board games. Local bar that attracts a hip crowd for its canned beers, roof deck, board games, pub grub & brunch.
The Dew Drop Inn
Chill bar serving snacks & sandwiches. Chill bar with lived-in, retro feel & roof deck serving beers, wines, sandwiches & snacks.
The Commodore DC
Crush Bar
as you are. DC
Relaxed LGBTQIA+-friendly bar & eatery. Chill spot catering to LGBTQIA+ guests with regular dance nights, plus coffee, snacks, meals & beer.
Oyster Oyster
Modern nook with seasonal tasting menus. Chic, contemporary fixture providing seasonal, carefully sourced tasting menus with veggie options.
Ivy and Coney
Tom's Watch Bar
BUDDY'S DC
Yume Sushi
Chic eatery for Japanese cuisine. Stylish, understated restaurant for sushi & sashimi featuring bold wall murals & an open kitchen.
Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar - DC
All Souls Bar
Booze, a jukebox & a simple setting. Neighborhood saloon featuring drinks, a jukebox & more in utilitarian surroundings.
McClellan's Retreat
Cozy bar named after a Civil War general. Named after a Civil War general, this cozy bar pours craft cocktails inspired by historical figures.
Boundary Stone
Pub grub & whiskey in a vintage space. Neighborhood pub serving bar food & whiskey in a vintage setting with exposed brick & tin ceilings.
The Fountain Inn DC
The Green Zone
Hip tavern with Middle Eastern drinks. Cheery bar for creative cocktails with Middle Eastern flavors, plus eats such as hummus & falafel.
ChurchKey
Big selection of beers plus vintage brew. Snacks, flatbreads & cheese plates accompany a large selection of bottled & draft beers, some rare.
Little Miss Whiskey's Golden Dollar
Hip, quirky lounge with beer & dancing. Hip, quirky lounge with a large beer list, dancing & New Orleans Saints games on the TV.
Showtime Lounge
Compact watering hole with a music vibe. Snug, cash-only bar with murals of musicians & record logos, plus a jukebox for funk & soul tunes.
Trusty's
Tavern with retro filling-station decor. Watering hole with a bar fashioned from a school bus, pub grub, a diverse beer selection & a patio.
Sudhouse DC
Local brews & classic American chow. This 3-floor mom-&-pop bar boasts colorful murals of U.S. presidents, local brews & simple chow.
Raven Grill
Long-lived local bar. This no-nonsense bar has been serving drinks since 1935 in a snug room with vintage booths.
Uproar Lounge & Restaurant
Gay bar with creative eats & a roof deck. Lively tri-level gay bar offering small plates & sushi in a relaxed atmosphere with a rooftop deck.
Walter’s Sports Bar and Restaurant
Upbeat hangout with pub fare & a patio. Big, bustling game-day spot featuring a pub menu, 24 self-pour draft beers & 30+ TVs, plus a patio.
Board Room
Laid-back haunt for beer, bites & games. Funky hangout featuring beer, wine & cocktails, plus pub grub & vintage board games in modern digs.
Barrel
Whiskey lounge with a Southern menu. Rustic whiskey lounge featuring a modest menu of Southern small plates, Sunday brunch & a cozy feel.
Chicken + Whiskey
Union Trust
Chill watering hole for cocktails on tap. Casual, late-night haunt in a historic building with a low-key vibe, happy hours & cocktails on tap.
St. Vincent Wine
Hip wine bar with live music & a garden. Cool wine bar with charcuterie boards, brunch & hearty mains, plus a garden & regular live jazz.
Barcelona Wine Bar
Rustic spot for Spanish tapas & wine. Spanish small plates, sangria & wine are served in rustic yet elegant digs with a sidewalk patio.
Death & Co. D.C.
Chicken + Whiskey
Peruvian Chicken grill & mod whiskey bar. Pollo a la Brasa & Latin street food in a counter-serve setting, with a speakeasy bar scene at night
The Passenger
Hip hangout for craft cocktails & brunch. Beloved custom cocktail venue is reincarnated in rustic-chic digs with chartreuse and rum on tap.
The Dignitary
Old-school-style bar in high-tech hotel. Hotel bar with a clubby, retro vibe, upscale bites, bourbon list & drinks named for U.S. presidents.
The Lounge at BOURBON STEAK
Posh hotel lounge with seasonal bar menu. The Four Seasons Hotel's sleek bar offers high-end cocktails, farm-fresh pub menu & people watching.
Dan's Cafe
No-frills pour-your-own dive bar. Patrons mix their own drinks using squeeze bottles of booze & mixers at this cash-only dive bar.
Thurst Lounge
Larry's Lounge
Unpretentious gay bar open to all. Welcoming gay bar offering a popular happy hour, pub grub & a dog-friendly outdoor patio.
Freddie's Beach Bar & Restaurant
Campy gay bar with drag bingo & karaoke. Tiki-style gay bar with drag shows & karaoke serves beach-inspired cocktails, beer & pub grub.
Hank's Oyster Bar
Casual seafood spot with a raw bar. New England-style seafood outpost with clams, lobster rolls, a raw bar & happy hour.
The Artemis - DC Sports Bar, Live Music, Happy Hour
The Big Board
High-concept beer spot with big windows. High-concept pub for clever burgers & draft beer sold at prices that fluctuate with demand.
Bottles Wine Garden
The Game Sports Pub
Bi-level sports bar with eats & a patio. Updated sports bar with Filipino & pub grub, a boiler-maker menu, beer, shooters & happy hour.
Sushiko Chevy Chase
Hip spot for high-end raw fish & wines. Sleek spot for top-notch sushi & small plates, plus onsite offshoot Kōbō for tasting menus.
Barcelona Wine Bar
Rustic spot for Spanish tapas & wine. Spanish small plates & wine presented in rustic yet elegant digs with courtyard & outdoor fireplace.
Lost & Found DC
Rustic bar with outdoor seating. Funky bar decorated with ephemera like vinyl records, offering craft beers, whiskeys & a patio.
Cotton & Reed
Artisanal distillery with tasting bar. Stylish tasting room serving clever cocktails in a sleekly repurposed warehouse distillery.
Tune Inn Restaurant & Bar
Low-key hangout for drinks & pub grub. Longtime hangout providing beer & comfort food to crowds of regulars in a taxidermy-adorned space.
Last Call Bar
Industrial hub for snacks & cocktails. Industrial venue offering sandwiches, fries & cocktails, plus happy-hour specials.
The Bottom Line
Basement bar with Mexican-American grub. Funky basement bar with heated outdoor seating & a menu of American & Mexican pub grub.
Whiskey & Oyster
Relaxed restaurant for seafood & whiskey. Unpretentious eatery with a patio serving seafood, sandwiches & pasta, plus a long whiskey list.
Hive Bar
Trendy hotel bar with a rooftop lounge. Chic watering hole at the Hive Hotel serving local beer & spirits on the ground level & top floor.
Proper 21 K Street
Hearty meals in a vibrant sports bar. Sports-centric pub with a convivial vibe offering big screens, plus beer & global bites.
The District Sports Bar
Takara 14
Whiskey Charlie
All-weather rooftop bar with river views. Rooftop bar & outdoor deck with waterfront & city vistas for cocktails, wine, beer & comfort fare.
Lulu’s Wine Garden
Cool restaurant for light bites & wine. Hip, bright eatery whipping up toasts, sandwiches & salads, plus weekend brunch, wine & cocktails.
Whiskey Bar
618 Cocktail and Whiskey Lounge
Creative mixed drinks in chill surrounds. Laid-back watering hole serving unique cocktails & pub grub such as burgers & vegan sliders.
Nellie's Sports Bar
Eclectic pub with TVs, rooftop & events. Games on TV, drag events (bingo & brunch), poker nights & karaoke draw patrons to this casual pub.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar
Waterfront stop for classic seafood fare. Causal, glass-enclosed stop serving oysters & raw shellfish plus burgers, craft beers & cocktails.
The Occidental
Institution for upscale American dining. Local landmark for high-end American meals served in a posh space lined with portraits of statesmen.
Blackfinn DC
Modern, wood-paneled sports bar & grill. Lively, modern gastropub for American fare with creative twists, craft beer & cocktails.
Cork Wine Bar and Market
Sophisticated wine bar & market cafe. Cool wine bar for New American small plates & more upstairs; with market bistro & tasting bar below.
District Winery
Waterfront dining in an urban winery. A modern, wine-focused, globally-minded, restaurant & bar on the ground floor of a working winery.
Black Whiskey
Hip watering hole with cocktail menu. Whiskey-based cocktails served in hip, laid-back locale with gallery & music space.
Trade
Laid-back gay bar with happy hour. Narrow, no-nonsense gay bar offering typical drinks, including huge cocktails during happy hour.
The Little Gay Pub
Green Lantern
Gay bar & lounge with special events. Gay bar with lounge hosting special events such as live exotic dancers & '80s nights.
The Fireplace
Neighborhood gay bar with DJs. Lively gay bar draws a crowd of regulars to its clubby interior for drinks & VJ/DJs upstairs.
The Fox and Hounds Lounge
Lively stop for drinks & people-watching. People-watching & drinks are draws to this popular local lounge with a patio.
JR's Bar
Longtime neighborhood gay bar. A popular happy hour, show-tune singalongs & other events draw crowds to this neighborhood gay bar.
Aqua
Lively club with a sunken dance floor. High-energy nightclub with a sunken dance floor featuring booze & DJ nights in a spacious interior.
King Street Oyster Bar
Duffy's Irish Pub (Dupont Circle NW)
Penn Social
Bar scene known for booze, bites & games. Lively bar with a patio offering pub grub & live bands, plus trivia, dancing & more.
BUNKER
Number Nine
Gay bar with videos & creative cocktails. This upscale, bi-level gay bar offers inventive cocktails on both floors & a video bar upstairs.
Soussi Restaurant
Mediterranean eats at corner hookah bar. Chill, lounge-like establishment with hookah, drinks & Mediterranean dishes such as lamb couscous.
The Big Stick
Woodsy sports bar with brews & sausages. This woodsy sports bar with a fireplace serves brews on tap, plus sausages & snacks to go-with.
Lou's City Bar
Sports bar for Badgers & Huskies fans. U. of Wisconsin & U. of Washington fans head here for brews, pub fare & beer-tap tables.
Nama Sushi Bar & Restaurant
Japanese eatery & bar with a hip vibe. High-style, contemporary setting for sushi & some cooked fare with a chef's tasting & happy hour.
Sticky Rice Restaurant & Karaoke Bar
Hip eatery with sushi & tater tots. Hip American-Pan-Asian spot serving cocktails, sushi, noodles, sandwiches & buckets of tater tots.
The Next Whisky Bar
Glamorous bar lounge in storied hotel. Hotel lobby bar created from whiskey bottles, with sculptural red armchairs & a glam, retro vibe.
A League Of Her Own
Gay sports bar for women with dancing. Lively, easygoing lesbian sports bar with a dance floor & event nights.
Nick's Riverside Grill
Waterfront restaurant & bar with patio. Riverfront grill with outdoor patio seating plus a window-lined dining room & full bar.
Union District Oyster Bar & Lounge
Contemporary American bar & grill. A menu focused on fresh oysters & classic brasserie dishes & drinks in a casual, rustic setting.
The Dirty Goose
Cool stop for cocktails & American eats. Chic hangout with a rooftop bar for craft cocktails, signature martinis & a concise American menu.
Kiki
Pitchers DC
Upbeat gay sports bar & restaurant. Lively, sports-themed gay bar featuring pub grub, themed event nights & a patio area.