A comfortably hip coffee and cocktail bar, Slipsteam is the perfect place to grab a light meal, a pick-me-up, or a nightcap. Dimly lit and sleek in design, the folks at Slipstream aim to make specialty coffee accessible to everyone.

Capitalizing on cool, the Colony Club is an inviting coffee and cocktail bar. The space itself is long and thin but boasts a second floor as well as ample outdoor seating. Look for coffee from roasters like Sey Coffee of Brooklyn and Heart Coffee of Portland, available as espresso or pour-over.

Peregrine Espresso’s Eastern Market location has a lot of history—a third wave coffee shop has stood in this location since 2003—and remains an iconic place for quality coffee in the District. Visit here to try the company’s own roasting brand, Small Planes Coffee, and to soak up the neighborhood energy.

A Baked Joint is a serious bakery with a serious coffee program. This is the perfect spot for someone looking for a little nosh along with their coffee experience, especially if you love carbs—their bread and pizzas are outstanding.

Tryst is an iconic DC coffee bar, a 20-year-old institution and neighborhood mainstay serving Counter Culture Coffee. First dates, dissertations, and surely a policy agreement or two have been broached inside this room. Yes, get dessert.

The Wydown Coffee Bar on 14th Street feels perennially popular, with multiple baristas manning pour-over stations, dual espresso machines, and an appetizing spread of pastries. This multi-roaster cafe features Passenger Coffee Roasters and is quick and efficient. The people-watching is superb.

The Potter’s House is a coffee bar, progressive book store and node for community organizing with roots in Washington, DC’s Adams Morgan Neighborhood that stretch back to the 1960s. Come here for living history and to support causes that matter—and for delicious coffee, of course.