H Street Corridor, Walking

H Street has been undergoing a lot of changes in DC in the last decade. It is growing as a scene for condensed quality restaurants, bars, and general going out. It is in walking distance from Capitol Hill, but does not have a metro.

Restaurants

Ocopa, trendy Peruvian, $$-$$$ (favorite!)

Granville Moore, upscale and delicious bar food, $$$ (favorite!)

Toki Underground, long but worthwhile wait for Vietnamese-style Ramen, $$

Cusbah, Indian, $$

Micho's Lebanese Grill, casual spot for grabbing a falafel or sandwich, $

Dangerously Delicious Pies, epic sweet and savory pies that are meals on their own, $

Coffee Shops

Sidamo, they do an Ethiopian coffee ceremony

Batter Bowl Bakery

Bars and Drinks

Biergarten Haus, very German beer garden with outdoor and indoor seating

Rock N Roll Hotel, the top floor is a bar

Little Miss Whiskey's, bar and club

H Street Country Club, bar with mini golf

The Pug, dive bar

Going Out

Rock N Roll Hotel, 2nd floor is a club

Little Miss Whiskey's, club

Things to do

Rock N Roll Hotel, 1st floor is a concert venue
http://www.rockandrollhoteldc.com/

Atlas Performing Arts Center, see a performance at this theater
http://www.atlasarts.org/?post_type=tribe_events

H Street Country Club, indoor mini golf at night

Crossfit and yoga studios

Eastern Market/Capitol Hill, walking distance (no more than a mile)

Eastern Market/Capitol Hill is a historical, calm and scenic neighborhood on the backside of the U.S. Capitol. It has a wide selection of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. It's not a party neighborhood.

Restaurants and Food

Eastern Market, open daily except Monday, has a casual order to go restaurant inside

Rose's Luxury, rated America's Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit in 2014, $$-$$$ (favorite!)

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, quality American/California fare,$$-$$$

Ambar, Balkan small plates, $$-$$$

Lavagna, Italian and American fare, $$-$$$

Sushi Capitol, Best Sushi in DC, $$-$$$ (favorite!)

Cava Mezze, local Mediterranean chain, $$

Good Stuff Eatery, Upscale fast food with excellent milkshakes, $

La Plaza Mexican & Salvadorian Cuisine, casual and basic fare, $


Coffee Shops

Port City Java

Bourbon Coffee

Peregrine Espresso

Bayou Bakery (favorite!)

Bars and Drinks

Sona, wine bar

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, wine bar

Molly Malone's, bar

Boxcar Tavern, bar

Pacifico Cantina, latin bar

Things to do 

Library of Congress, get a library card, anyone with a U.S. ID can do it

Supreme Court

U.S. Capitol

Folger Shakespeare Library, see a Shakespeare performance or visit the library/museum
http://www.folger.edu/folger-theatre

Try the food or go shopping at Eastern Market's flea and farmer's market

Dupont Circle, metro

Dupont Circle is a well rounded area of DC that includes shopping, restaurants, and bars. It would take a metro switch to get to, but has a good mix of things to keep you busy.

Restaurants

Ping Pong Dim Sum, asian fusion, $$-$$$

Mission Dupont, latin fare, $$-$$$

Scion Restaurant, general American food, $$

Zorba's Cafe, casual Greek fare, $$

Glen's Garden Market, serve prepared food and high end natural products, $$ (favorite!)

Triple B Fresh, casual/take out and excellent Korean joint, $

Coffee Shops

Filter Coffeehouse

Glen's Garden Market

Bars and Drinks

Glen's Garden Market, has wine and beer on tap

Buffalo Billiards, for games, tv and fun

Public Bar

Madhatter, party bar

Big Hunt, has comedy nights

Things to do

Sunday Farmers Market, one of the biggest and best in DC

14th Street Corridor, bus or uber

14th street is bustling with restaurants, coffee shops and general going out spots. It's a bit out of the way to reach, but you can bus and walk, switch a couple metro lines and walk, or uber. It's worth a visit!

Restaurants

Le Diplomate, French cuisine, $$$

Birch & Barley, general American fare, $$-$$$

Ghibellina, cut your thin crust pizza with scissors, $$-$$$

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, great oysters, $$-$$$

Compass Rose, eclectic mix of foods from around the world, $$-$$$ (favorite!)

Doi Moi, modern Asian, $$-$$$

Masa 14, latin/asian fusion, $$-$$$

El Centro, latin food, $$

Busboys and Poets, huge selection of standard American food, $$

Ghana Cafe, Ghanian cuisine, $$

Great Wall Szechuan House, $

Amsterdam Falafel, $

Coffee Shops

Peregrine Espresso

Wydown coffee bar

Bars and Drinks (most of the restaurants listed above have bars)

Black Whiskey, dive bar-ish

Cork, wine bar

Garden District, outdoor beer garden with great menu

Churchkey, draft beers

Going Out

Some restaurants/bars open up for dancing later into the night, including:

Cafe Saint-Ex

Masa 14

El Centro

Policy

Things to do

Black Cat, alternative concert venue
http://www.blackcatdc.com/

Studio Theatre, contemporary theater
www.studiotheatre.org

Mount Pleasant, metro or bus

Mount Pleasant is a calm, diverse, and neighborly haven within DC. It is mostly worth trying a spot if you happen to be in the area.

Restaurants

Purple Patch, filipino food, $$

Coffee Shops

Flying Fish Coffee and Tea

Bars

Raven, dive bar

Georgetown, bus or metro

Georgetown is a higher end neighborhood with shopping and an attractive waterfront. It can be reached directly by bus or by taking the metro to Foggy Bottom and walking another 15 minutes.

Restaurants

Fiola Mare, best seafood in DC with outdoor/waterfront seating, $$$ (favorite!)

Farmers Fisher Bakers, eclectic American fare, $$-$$$

El Centro, latin food, $$

Cafe Bonaparte, french cafe, $$-$$$

Coffee Shops

Baked and Wired

Saxbys Coffee

Things to do

Go shopping

Grab a drink on the waterfront

In the winter, visit the skating rink

Visit the university

Old Stone House
http://www.nps.gov/olst/index.htm

Kayak on the Potomac! (Key Bridge Boathouse)
http://www.boatingindc.com/

National Mall, metro or bus

Just beyond the U.S. Capitol is the National Mall, lined with memorials, monuments, and museums. You can get there by metro (Smithsonian stop) or bus.

Food and Drink
There are street vendors, but items are overpriced. There are not restaurants or eateries except for museum food. We recommend taking some snacks with you to go and trekking off the mall for a meal.

The sites

The best way to see the mall is to start at one end and hike to the other. You'll have plenty to keep you busy along the way. Some highlights are the following:

Smithsonian American Indian Museum, best museum food in the area, also just a favorite museum

Newseum, they charge for entry, but it's a worthwhile visit, it is also a short walk off the mall

Sculpture Garden, outdoor and free

Festivals and events, check the national mall website as there are often events taking place during the day

Washington Monument, it's now open for going up! get your ticket early

Reflecting pool

Lincoln Memorial