Best Spots for Brunch in DC

DC takes brunch seriously. From fine dining to quick bites, you’ll find decadent treats (crème brûlée doughnuts, anyone?), international eats, and even an all-you-can-eat drag brunch. Each DC neighborhood has its own local favorite brunch spots, offering unique spins on staples like pancakes and eggs. So, whether you’re grabbing something on-the-go or want to make a day of it, do as the locals do and don’t skip brunch. Here are some of the best places to get it.

U Street, Shaw, and Logan Circle

front entrance of The Diplomate restaurant in Washington DC
Le Diplomate on 14th Street NW. Photo © Samantha Sault.

Le Diplomate

Stephen Starr’s Le Diplomate (1601 14th St. NW, 202/332-3333; 5pm-11pm Tues.-Thurs., 5pm-midnight Fri., 9:30am-midnight Sat., 9:30am-11pm Sun.) looks like the France Pavilion at Epcot in Disney World, but that doesn’t stop the crowds from packing the large, festive dining room and patio tables. The decadent brunch with its own dessert menu is perfect for a Sunday Funday celebration; the burger Américain is considered one of the best in DC.

Nellie’s Sports Bar

Named for the owner’s great grandmother (and great-great grandmother!), this U Street institution is the ideal place to pop into for the all-you-can-eat brunch with drag performers, which usually sells out in advance. After, soak up the sun on the expansive rooftop into the evening. The crowd varies depending on the day of the week, but everyone is always welcome at Nellie’s (900 U St. NW, 202/332-6355; 5pm-1am Mon.-Thurs., 3pm-3am Fri., 10:30am-3am Sat., 10:30am-1am Sun.).

National Mall

Garden Café

Dine in the marble halls of the National Gallery of Art’s West Building at Garden Café (National Gallery of Art West Building, 6th St. NW and Constitution Ave. NW, 202/842-6716; 11:30am-3pm Mon.-Sat., noon-4pm Sun.), the only table-service restaurant in a Smithsonian museum. Nestled among the exhibits, it’s a lovely spot for a brunch date. Start with a glass of brut then share a cheese plate and French pastries or indulge in the brunch buffet (weekends only). Reservations are recommended for groups of four or more.

Downtown and Penn Quarter

Woodward Table

James Beard Award winner Jeffrey Buben has cooked contemporary American fare at DC-area restaurants since the early 1990s. Woodward Table (1426 H St. NW, 202/347-5353; 11:30am-10:30pm Mon.-Fri., 11am-10:30pm Sat.-Sun.), his current restaurant, showcases seasonal, regional ingredients for weekend brunch (as well as daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner) in a casually refined space with a big bar and patio. You’re welcome to share the huge portions of their brunch classics like chicken and waffles and huevos rancheros, but no judgment if you want them all to yourself.

Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken

This fast-casual restaurant, founded by two District natives who played for the Washington Capitals, serves affordable comfort food close to the major sights. You don’t have to choose between crispy fried chicken or a fresh-baked doughnut at Astro (1308 G St. NW, 202/809-5565; 7:30am-5:30pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-5pm Sat., 9am-3pm Sun.)—just get your fried chicken sandwich on a savory doughnut. But save room: Many foodies consider the crème brûlée doughnut one of the best sweet treats in the city.

Capitol Hill and Atlas District

people eating brunch in the courtyard at Bullfrog Bagels
Bullfrog Bagels in Eastern Market. Photo © Samantha Sault.

Bullfrog Bagels

While it’s not a traditional brunch, the popular bagel sandwiches at Bullfrog Bagels (317 7th St. SE, 202/494-5615; 7am-2pm Mon.-Fri., 8am-3pm Sat.-Sun.) are filling fuel for a day browsing the nearby Eastern Market. The house-baked bagels and bialys are slightly pricier than your average bagel shop, starting at $3 for one with plain cream cheese and going up to $8-plus for house-smoked salmon or Baltimore-style beef brisket. The tiny shop has a line on weekends, but it moves quickly; there’s plenty of seating upstairs, including a few chairs on the sunny balcony overlooking the market. There’s another location nearby on H Street NE.

Maketto

Maketto (1351 H St. NE, 202/627-0325; 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-midnight Fri.-Sat., 11:30am-3pm Sun.)—part restaurant, part café, and part store—is the cool kid on H Street NE with clean, minimalist spaces and lots of natural light. The ground floor restaurant serves a very popular Sunday dim sum brunch with gyozas, baos, and Taiwanese fried chicken. Upstairs, the naturally lit café buzzes morning to evening with locals on their laptops, enjoying Vigilante Coffee, snacks, and the much-Instagrammed matcha latte, served in a picture-perfect ceramic bowl. Before you leave, browse an edited selection of streetwear and accessories from labels like Comme des Garçons and Adidas designer collaborations at the retail shop by the entrance.

Market Lunch

Since 1979, Market Lunch (225 7th St. SE, 202/547-8444; 7:30am-2:30pm Tues.-Fri., 8am-3pm Sat., 9am-3pm Sun.; cash only) has been serving some of the best crab cakes in DC—along with Benedicts, burgers, French toast, and yummy blueberry buckwheat pancakes, all prepared with locally-sourced ingredients. Make sure you have money before you get in the long, snaking line during Sunday brunch hours, because it’s cash only. Enjoy your food at the communal table (if you don’t mind dining surrounded by people waiting in line) or take it to one of the tables in the market’s North Hall.

Dupont Circle

Hank’s Oyster Bar

For more than a decade, Dupont Circle residents have been frequenting this neighborhood spot. The brunch at Hank’s Oyster Bar (1624 Q St. NW, 202/462-4865; 11:30am-1am Mon.-Tues., 11:30am-2am Wed.-Fri., 11am-2am Sat., 11am-1am Sun.) is particularly good, especially the shrimp and grits on the sunny patio. If you’re visiting the Capitol, you’ll find a similar menu at Hank’s on the Hill (633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, 202/733-1971, 11:30am-11pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am- midnight Fri., 11am-midnight Sat., 11am-10pm Sun.).

Tabard Inn

Tucked inside Dupont Circle’s charming Tabard Inn (1739 N St. NW, 202/785-1277; 7am-9:30pm Sun.-Wed., 7am-10pm Thurs.-Sat.) is an equally charming restaurant serving cuisine that’s anything but standard hotel fare. The famous brunch books up weeks in advance, and while it can feel a bit rushed during the prime Sunday hours, the cinnamon sugar donuts are worth it—especially on their idyllic hidden patio.

The Riggsby

From the outside, The Riggsby at The Carlyle (1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW, 202/787-1500; 7:30am-10:30pm Mon.-Fri., 8am-10:30pm Sat.-Sun.) looks like an unassuming hotel restaurant, but inside, it’s a gem. The elegant dining room and inviting bar make it feel more like a private club, where you can enjoy James Beard winner Michael Schlow’s creations. The avocado toast with crab is simple perfection, as are the champagne cocktails, vanilla-soaked French toast, and Maryland crab cake Benedict.

Adams Morgan

sticky fingers storefront
Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats in Columbia Heights. Photo © Samantha Sault.

Duplex Diner

The Duplex Diner (2004 18th St. NW, 202/265-7828; 6pm-11pm Mon.-Wed., 6pm-2am Thurs.-Fri., 11am-2am Sat., 11am-11pm Sun.) isn’t gourmet, but it’s fun. This friendly neighborhood hangout serves classic American diner fare; on weekends, it’s busy with regulars who come for the simple, well-priced brunch, including omelets and Benedicts under $15 plus mimosa pitchers and a bottomless rosé. It’s known for gay-friendly late-night events, too, like the High Heel Drag Queen Race after-party in October. Don’t miss the Madonna-themed bathroom.

Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats

Have your cake and eat it, too, sans milk and eggs, at Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats (1370 Park Rd. NW, 202/299-9700; 8am-8pm Tues.-Thurs., 8am-9pm Fri., 9am-9pm Sat., 9am-8pm Sun.). This vegan bakery in a retro-inspired space serves weekend brunch with savory options like breakfast burritos and biscuits & gravy. If you have a sweet tooth, there are plenty of tasty treats even non-vegans will love—after all, founder Doron Petersan won two seasons of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Try the famous sticky bun with brunch.

Georgetown and Foggy Bottom

Rasika West End

The trendy sister restaurant of The Bombay Club, Rasika (1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW, 202/466-2500; 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-11pm Fri., 5pm-11pm Sat., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-10pm Sun.) has an innovative brunch that’s a star in its own right. Start with a cocktail flavored with chili, cardamom, or masala chai in the light-filled bar, then move to the modern dining room for classic recipes with contemporary flair, like sweet potato samosas and brunch favorites like omelets and pancakes updated with cardamom and masala flavors. There’s also another location downtown (633 D St. NW, 202/637-1222) near the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

Blue Duck Tavern

Blue Duck Tavern (1201 24th St. NW, 202/419-6755; 6:30am-10:30pm Sun.-Thurs., 6:30am-11pm Fri.-Sat.) feels like a cozy neighborhood restaurant—albeit with destination-worthy, Michelin-starred cuisine in a chic atmosphere. The restaurant is warm and rustic, but modern—just like the menu, which features locally sourced, seasonal meats and produce cooked in the open kitchen. The brunch is one of the best; celebrate anything, or nothing at all, with the pecan sticky buns and a bottle of champagne on the patio.

Fiola Mare

Fiola Mare (3050 K St. NW, 202/628-0065; 5pm-10pm Mon., 11:30am-10pm Tues.-Thurs., 11:30am-10:30pm Fri.-Sat., 11am-10pm Sun.) is such a romantic spot, even Barack and Michelle lingered for three hours when celebrating the former POTUS’s 55th birthday. The intimate interior—dark hardwood, leather chairs, two marble bars—complements the superb seafood towers, lemon ricotta pancakes, and lobster ravioli, while a prosecco cocktail on the riverside patio will make you feel like you’ve escaped to Positano.

Navy Yard and Anacostia

patio dining at Osteria Morini in Washington DC
Osteria Morini in the Navy Yard. Photo © Samantha Sault.

Osteria Morini

Osteria Morini (301 Water St. SE, 202/484-0660; 11:30am-9:30pm), a New York import helmed by James Beard winner Michael White, has been praised by local food critics for its menu featuring the best of Northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region: homemade pasta, wood-fired meats, and lots of mortadella and parmigiano. During the popular weekend brunch, choose two or three courses ($30 or $35, respectively) from a selection of breakfast favorites like ricotta pancakes, pastas, and paninis, which can be enjoyed in the bright restaurant with big windows overlooking the Anacostia River or on the patio.


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