Below, we've listed some of our favorite restaurants, bars, and museums. But first, here are some general tips to make the most of your time in DC!

1. Unless you’re going somewhere casual (think counter service), it’s usually best to get a reservation for restaurants

2. It’s usually best to take public transit when possible, especially when you’re going into the district. The Metro and Metrobus are both great options and are generally clean and safe both night and day. Keep in mind that Metro only runs until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays and bus routes are less likely to follow their schedule late at night. It can work well to take public transit to get where you’re going earlier in the evening and Uber back to your hotel later at night.

3. If you’re out during the day, make sure to wear comfortable shoes and drink plenty of water! If you start to get too hot, consider checking out one of DC’s many free museums. Most do not require tickets and allow bags and water, but the National Gallery of Art can be more strict.

West End and Dupont Circle

Call Your Mother (Various locations but West End is our favorite) – coffee and bagel shop where we had our first date

Kramer’s (Dupont) – great local book store with good brunch and literary-themed late night drinks

Sura (Dupont) – great Thai street food and nice ambience

Agora - Excellent mediterranean/Turkish food! One of our personal favorites and where we like to take out of town guests!

Georgetown

La Chaumiere – a super cozy, romantic restaurant with classic French dishes. One of our favorite restaurants and where we celebrated the day we got engaged

The Sovereign – great Belgium restaurant that also has a nice bar to try some excellent imported beers

Martin’s Tavern – a pub famous as the spot where JFK proposed. It’s actually not very romantic (which we didn’t realize when we went there for our six month anniversary) but it is a great dinner spot!

Baked and Wired – a coffee shop known for its cupcakes, a favorite of Lauren and her coworkers

Filomena - our favorite Italian place here! Wonderful food and ambience!

Chez Billy Sud - Another nice French restaurant

Brasserie Liberte- Yet another French restaurant, but we especially like this one for lunch/brunch

Das - We haven't made it here yet, but it's supposed to be awesome Ethiopian food!

Navy Yard and Waterfront

The Wharf – Waterfront area with lots of restaurants and rooftop bars

Gatsby – dinner spot with good drinks

14th Street

Barcelona Wine Bar – great tapas and sangria, but it’s always very busy so you might want a reservation!

Crown and Crow – great for chatting

Player’s Club – games and rooftop

Jane Jane – great drinks, cozy but can be hard to get into and doesn't accept reservations. Best for small groups or couples

Chicken and Whiskey (bar in back) – music and lights but not much dancing

Doi Moi – Vietnamese restaurant with a cozy basement bar

Le Diplomate – classic DC French restaurant with good brunch, burgers, and drinks

Eastern Market

Ruta – great Ukrainian restaurant

Kaiju – ramen restaurant with cool bar in basement

McPherson Square

Immigrant Food - great restaurant with street food and entrees from around the World

The Mirror - our favorite speakeasy, but it's legitimately hard to find!

Old Town Alexandria

Sisters Thai - great Thai food with fun ambience

Gadsby’s Tavern - historical tavern with tasty tavern food

Alice Cocktail Bar - cozy cocktail bar

The Creamery - great ice cream near the waterfront!

Nearby: Ballston/Virginia Square

Andy’s Pizza

Immigrant Food

Hawkers

Carbonara

Quincy Hall

Silver Diner

Also close: Clarendon

Tiger Dumplings

Mexicali Blues

Northside Social

Hanabi Ramen

Ambar

On the mall:

American History

Natural History

Air and Space (free entry tickets required)

African American History (free entry tickets required)

National Gallery of Art (strict water bottle/bag policy)

The Hirshorn

The Holocaust Museum

Elsewhere:

The Renwick (near White House, free)

Planet Word (McPherson Square, optional donation)

National Portrait Gallery (Gallery Place/Chinatown, free)

Udvar-Hazy Air and Space (Chantilly, VA - parking is $15 a car)

Spy Museum (near the mall, not free)

Walk by the monuments (especially fun at night!)

Go to a Nationals baseball game at Navy Yard

National Zoo (free)

Arboretum (check out the Bonsai museum, free to visit but hard to take public transit)

Mount Vernon trail (bike or walk along the Potomac)

Rock Creek Park (hike or walk, easiest to access with car)

Kayak on the Potomac