I’ve been wanting to write a post about Washington DC for a long time now. In fact, I think I said I would last time I returned from there, but...didn't (oops!). You may or may not know that I studied abroad in DC for the 2013/14 academic year, and that's where/how I met my (American) boyfriend. Since then, I've returned to visit around four or five times, so I consider myself pretty well informed on the city.
DC is a strange place. Specifically designed as the capital of a then-new United States, it still sort of feels like a faux-city. It's split into four, somewhat diverse sections: North East, South East, South West, and North West - like on a compass. Some of these areas are extremely affluent, clean, and business-oriented, whilst others are strikingly under-developed and lacking in resources on many levels. That being said, I haven't seen nearly all of what it has to offer, but what I have, I love.
I've broken the post down into several components: things to do; places to eat and drink; places to shop; how to get around. I intend for it to be a pretty comprehensive guide to what I consider to be the best of DC. I'd love to hear your comments or additions, whether you've been to DC or not!
EAT
Tonic at Quigley's Bar and Restaurant
Tonic is an institution for students of the university I studied at, George Washington (or GW, as I'll refer to it from now on). Housed in an old pharmacy (hence the name) towards the south east edge of campus, it is pretty much constantly busy. However, being one of a limited selection of on-campus restaurants, their reputation can be up for serious debate. Yelp gives Tonic a rather low 3* (I generally try to frequent places of 4*s and above), whilst Google reviews average at 3.6*; I agree with Trip Advisor's solid 4* rating. It serves typical American comfort food, with a slightly southern twist for a city considered to be in the north - think burgers and sandwiches, as well as mac & cheese, fish tacos, and steak served with typical southern sides such as collard greens and grits. What it's really known for, however, is the TOTS. For those unfortunate souls who are unfamiliar with tots, they're basically round, deep-fried grated potatoes (kind of like circular hash browns), and MAN are Tonic's good! They come as a side to most dishes, but are best when served up with one of the restaurant's weekend-only brunch entrées. My usual choice is the "Hippo Breakfast" - an Americanised full English that comes with egg, bacon, toast, and tots. If you can't visit on a weekend, there's a great happy hour Monday-Friday (4-7pm) that feature $4 beer, rail cocktails and house wine, as well as $6 nachos (for an additional cost, I believe you can upgrade these to their incredible "totchos").
Having spent time living in DC, I find Tonic to be reasonably priced and frequently enjoyable. They have a back patio for sunny days, and a front porch that can be fully enclosed and heated on bad-weather days. The service, I am fully willing to admit, is touch-and-go. Sometimes, I get a great waiter who's friendly and attentive. Other times, I feel basically ignored - but that's probably a minority of my experiences, and never dissuades me from returning.
Address: 2036 G Street, NW, Washington D.C., 20036 (corner of G & 21st)
Food: 9.5
Service: 7
Price: ££ (£=cheap as chips, ££=good for everyday, £££=special occasion, ££££=this better come covered in gold)
Look: 8
Website: here
Zombie Coffee & Donuts
I'm sad to say that I only discovered Zombie on my penultimate visit to DC, which devastates me because it is so damn good! My boyfriend and I were actually heading to the Panera Bread just past it, on a break from shopping for his summer wardrobe (there's a huge Target nearby!), when we ducked in on a whim. I'm glad we did, because it blows all of the well-known American doughnut brands (Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, etc.) completely out of the water.
They serve made-to-order, freshly baked doughnuts alongside an expansive hot and cold drinks menu. You pick up an order form and choose from an abundance of coatings (glazed, strawberry/chocolate/vanilla/maple icing, lemon glaze, cinnamon sugar, etc.) and toppings (Fruity Pebbles, M&Ms, chocolate/rainbow sprinkles, crushed Oreo...I could go on) and then they make it right there and then for you. They come out gloriously warm, fluffy, and sticky - and the best part is the price. On the day my boyfriend and I visited, they were having a "2 donuts for $2" deal, and I think a dozen comes to about $12. For someone from England, who has previously paid the equivalent of $8 for one - significantly subpar, especially compared to Zombie - doughnut, this was like finding the promised land. I only wish I'd known about it sooner, because it is more than worth the two subway rides from GW's campus.
Address: 3100 14th Street, NW, Washington D.C., 20010 (Columbia Heights)
Food: 9.5
Service: 9
Price: £ (£=cheap as chips, ££=good for everyday, £££=special occasion, ££££=this better come covered in gold)
Look: 9
Website: here
Sprinkles Cupcakes
Cupcakes are big business in D.C., and Georgetown especially is an area that’s full of places dedicated to them. One of the most famous of these is Georgetown Cupcakes - due to the TLC reality series DC Cupcakes, which follows the sisters who opened Georgetown Cupcakes and the challenges of running a small business.
Now, I’m going to be very unpopular with a lot of people for saying this, but I personally dislike Georgetown Cupcakes. It’s way over-hyped, meaning that they often run out of stock and close early, and the cupcakes are tiny, bland, and overpriced. Actually, quite a few people agree with me, but they’ll probably tell you to visit Baked & Wired, which offers a larger range of baked goods and opened seven years before Georgetown Cupcakes. Even Wikipedia will tell you, Baked & Wired is considered to be a more “local” place for cakes et. al, whilst Georgetown Cupcakes is where the tourists flock to. Making myself unpopular again, Baked & Wired still isn’t my favourite place for cupcakes in D.C.! They do have the widest variety, are in an awesome location right next to the Georgetown canals (with some killer interior decor), and they’re significantly bigger and tastier than Georgetown Cupcakes, but my heart belongs to Sprinkles.
Unlike both Georgetown Cupcakes and Baked & Wired, Sprinkles first opened shop in Beverley Hills, Los Angeles and make make the rather immeasurable claim of being “the world’s first cupcake bakery”. Whether this is true or not (many believe it to be), their cupcakes are probably my favourite thing to eat, ever - and I eat a lot! It’s something about the icing(/“frosting”, if you speak American!), I swear they must put drugs in it or something because that stuff is addictive. But - and this is where a lot of bakeries are let down - the sponge underneath is never stale, but somehow dense, moist, and light all at the same time. To be fair, I don’t know what I’d do if they did ever come to England, because I wouldn’t be able to stop eating them.
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| One of my first Sprinkles, way back in 2013! |
My favourite flavour is probably the Vanilla Milk Chocolate: vanilla cake with milk chocolate frosting and sprinkles. But I just visited their website and there are twenty-six flavours listed - not including their various gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan, offerings. These are seasonal, so it will depend on what time of the year (and even day, as they sell out too, although I’ve never seen it closed early like Georgetown Cupcakes) you visit. I’ve tried other flavours and never been disappointed, but I always come back to Vanilla Milk Chocolate. The shop itself is also lovely (even though it’s main colour scheme is pink, which I usually hate!), set on Georgetown’s main street (M) and with window booths that are difficult to catch free but great to sit in whilst you munch and watch the world go by. They’re not just limited to cupcakes either, having branched out to make ice cream, ice cream sundaes, and “frosting shots” - literally just a generous pump of icing in a pot. Those are my boyfriend’s favourite! They also make a great cup of coffee, and offer a variety of other hot and cold beverages to enjoy with your cupcake. Something that they’ve introduced at a load of their other venues are definitely a world first: a cupcake ATM! I recently tried the one in Nashville (literal #dreamcometrue) and it was so fun - you see a little robot hand go and grab the box and everything! D.C. doesn’t have one yet but I suspect it’ll only be a matter of time. GO! You won’t regret it. And maybe bring me back one?!
Address: 3015 M Street, NW, Washington D.C., 20007
Food: 9.5
Service: 8
Price: ££ (£=cheap as chips, ££=good for everyday, £££=special occasion, ££££=this better come covered in gold)
Look: 9
Website: here
BTS
There was a point in time when I went to BTS (or Burger Tap & Shake) so often that a girl who worked there knew my order by heart, and was excited when I took my parents to visit during Spring Break… As you may have guessed, I’m a pretty big fan of what I like to call “traditional American cuisine” - i.e. burgers. So Burger Tap & Shake was high on my radar from the day we were taken there during my study abroad orientation week; it certainly didn’t hurt that it was roughly five hundred feet from my halls. Regardless of whether you can walk there in less than three minutes, I’d highly recommend it; it’s worth it. Weirdly, I only ever go for their simplest offering - “the six buck chuck” - when I’m normally all for toppings. This is probably because of BTS’ signature “AP Sauce: our blend of mayo, ketchup, mustard, BBQ, and chipotle”, which is to die for. Even though it comes in the burger, I still cover my fries with it. And dunk their huge, crumbly, gorgeously greasy onion rings in it. If it’s a hot day, I’d thoroughly recommend attempting to also fit in one of their “shaketails”, which are full of flavoured spirits and liqueurs blended with everything from espresso to graham crackers to Oreos (and ice cream, of course). These are awesome to drink sat in their outside seating area, where you’re always likely to witness some truly horrific American driving happening on Washington Circle. They also have some good happy hour deals, which is an often occurrence (Mon-Fri 3-6:30pm & 10pm-close; Sat 10pm-close; Sun 4pm-close).
Address: 2200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington D.C., 20037
Food: 9
Service: 7 (you order at the till, seat yourself, and pick up your food when your buzzer goes, so there’s not much room for bad service!)
Price: ££ (£=cheap as chips, ££=good for everyday, £££=special occasion, ££££=this better come covered in gold)
Look: 8
Website: here
Other places to eat:
- Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers: sister restaurants; on the pricier side but very good food (my boyfriend swears by FFB’s sushi), and the latter is on the waterfront at Georgetown, so sitting outside in good weather is nice. Warning: the service, especially at FFB, can be appalling! Set aside a big chunk of time, or forgo it altogether unless you really like the look of the menu and have lots of patience!
- Johnny Rockets: because you can’t go to America and not have a Johnny Rockets, because they serve limitless fries…
- Milkbar: this is a very popular dessert (think cookies, cake, milkshakes, etc.) place started in New York - the D.C. location is actually the only U.S. store not located in NY.
DRINK
I’m not a big drinker, so I didn’t want to do a whole section to this as I don’t have a lot of recommendations. I enjoyed a few nights at Codmother, a dive bar (that doesn’t ID; one of the main reasons we went!) on U Street, which is an area known for its nightlife. I spent my 21st birthday at Cobalt, a gay bar that is a lot of fun and has great drag shows on a Monday. College friends frequent Sign of the Whale - who offer good happy hour hosting deals - although it’s a little cramped for my liking.
SEE
Smithsonians
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| National Museum of American History; just one part of the Smithsonian Institute |
The Smithsonians are somewhat difficult to talk about, because there’s just so many of them! I quote from the website: “the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities”. The main crux are situated on the National Mall, which also incorporates many monuments (more of which later) and the Capitol building. So it really depends on what your passions are: my personal favourite is the National History Museum; my boyfriend’s is the Natural History Museum. Ironically, we each fairly dislike the other’s choice - my idea of a nightmare is looking at fossils and fake stuffed animals for hours on end. We both enjoy the National Art Gallery, which is fun to look around whether or not you’re particularly interested in art, and the has a lovely cafe within its sculpture garden. The Air and Space Museum is particularly popular, especially amongst kids (expect lots of school groups pretty much whenever you go!), and for those interested in minorities, the American Indian Museum is big and fascinating. The most recent addition is the long-overdue African American History and Culture Museum, which opens in late September of this year. The main selling point of the Smithsonians are that they’re free, which is rare in America - an odd concept to someone from Britain, where many of our museums have free admission. So take a look at the list and pick something that catches your eye!
P.S. Some of the Smithsonians (for example, the Postal Museum - more interesting than it sounds!) aren’t on the National Mall, so make sure you check out the website for full details.
Smithsonian National Zoo
As mentioned above, the zoo is part of the Smithsonian complex, which means entry is free! Some people claim this is why it’s disappointing, but personally I think it’s amazing. An adult ticket to London Zoo is just under £25 (around $40!), and I truly think I have as much of a good time, if not more, at the D.C. zoo. It’s in a nice setting in the Adams Morgan neighbourhood - which is quite artsy/food-y - and the majority of it is outside, so if you’ve got good weather that’s the day made right there. Within the grounds, there’s loads of buildings that house animals such as reptiles, mammals, birds, etc. But there’s also plenty of opportunities to see the larger animals - cheetahs, lions, elephants, tigers, etc. - out in the open, and they come out much more often than in the mediocre British weather. My boyfriend and I can spend nearly an hour just watching the tiger cubs play, or the male lion roar. In terms of food and drink, it’s a very typical zoo: extremely over-priced and average. Instead, I’d recommend either the McDonald’s directly outside the nearest Metro station (helpfully named “Woodley Park-Zoo”; it’s on the red line) or stocking up at the Starbucks and/or 7-11 right opposite the zoo’s entrance on Connecticut Avenue.
Monuments/Memorials
The monuments are one of the things D.C. is most famous for. They’re centred around the Washington Monument (for George Washington, the founding father and America’s first president) on the National Mall and adjacent tidal basin. Including Washington, there are seven “major” ones:
- the Vietnam war (1955-1975)
- the Korean war (1950-1953)
- World War II 1939-1945; or 1941-1945, if you’re only counting the period that America was involved)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (president 1933-1945)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights activist who was assassinated in 1968)
- Thomas Jefferson (also a founding father and 3rd president 1797-1801)
The Washington Monument is arguably the most impressive, standing at 555 feet high; the tallest structure in the D.C. area. I mention it especially because it has just re-opened its interior after extensive restoration work was needed due to damage from the 2011 earthquake in neighbouring Virginia. That means that you can once again travel up the monument itself, and take in the (incredible) views from the top. However - perhaps due to the long closure - demand is extremely high, and tickets are recommended. Some of these are available on the day, but you have to be at the ticket office (at the base of the monument) very early in the morning. Although online tickets are subject to a $1.50 reservation fee, purchasing these in advance is - in my opinion - a much better plan. I just went onto the website to see whether they’re any less booked up than when I visited last year, but the next available date is August 18th. So, forward-planning is your friend here!
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| The federal government's attempt to shut down the national monuments in 2013... |
The rest of the monuments are much more accessible and open to the public all day, every day. During the year I lived in D.C., the government threw a strop and shut down, but their efforts to close the monuments were still resisted. As they’re all very close to each other, you can walk between the monuments, but I would stress that this is a lot of walking! One way I’ve gotten around them in the past is by taking a Capital Bikeshare bike out; D.C.’s answer to Boris bikes. The exact details of these are somewhat confusing (usage fees apply in addition to a “membership” fee; memberships can be single trips, 24 hours, 3-days, 30 days, or annual; and there’s also some kind of hold - I think $100 or something ridiculous - they put on your card when you take out a new membership so that you can’t get away with stealing the bike) but once you have a membership, 30-minute trips are free. There are several stations dotted around the National Mall, so you can get away with cycling around the monuments and swapping your bikes out for new ones to keep your ride free. Or you can pay the timed usage fees too, which aren’t too expensive to begin with. Google Maps can give you good estimates as to the distance/travel time between each monument.
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| Sunrise behind the Washington Monument, as seen from the Lincoln Memorial |
The monuments are also great to visit at night, as there’s far less crowds and they look quite striking all lit up. Alternatively, pick your “must-sees” and visit one a day!
Other places you may like to visit:
- The National Archives Museum: the place to view the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights.
- Newseum: fairly pricey ($22.95 +tax) but very interesting and interactive museum about the medium of news and the media. It also has an amazing balcony with great views of the Capitol building and the whole of D.C.!
- Library of Congress: the national library of the United States, that serves as the research library for Congress.
- The Capitol: the place where Congress - the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government - meets.
SHOP
In case you haven’t guessed, Georgetown is probably my favourite D.C. neighbourhood. It’s walkable, charming, and picturesque, and has an abundance of good stores to boot. You’ll get most generic brands here: Urban Outfitters, J. Crew, Zara, Jack Wills, Abercrombie & Fitch, GAP, Forever 21, H&M, etc. But there’s also a very decent TJ (aka TK) Maxx, and a few other America-only stores such as Madewell, Anthropologie, and Steve Madden.
If you’re looking for a typical American mall - this is it. You can literally walk right off the Metro into the food court, and then there’s something ridiculous like four more floors of shops to explore. Best of all, there’s a huge Macy’s at one end and a Nordstrom at the other - so you’re set for department stores.
Similar to Georgetown in its old-time feel. Built up around a lovely harbour and offering an interesting history along with small, independent boutiques, and lots of places to eat.
GETTING AROUND
I’ve already mentioned Capital Bikeshare, and of course walking is always an option; a few years ago a report named D.C. as the most walkable U.S. city, and the city is on a convenient grid system. Alternatively, the Metro is a convenient option, although don’t expect it to be nearly as good as the London Underground; U.S. public transport leaves a lot to be desired. If you’re using it everyday, as well, there’s no daily cap (like on the Underground), so it can get expensive. I’d budget about $50/week if you’re going to be using it a lot. The Metro website also gives information on buses that the DC transport system offers too, or the Circulator is worth a try, although its routes are limited. If you’re in the city with a few people, it’s often more cost-effective to split an Uber - the app has the ability to split fares and it’s a very popular way to get around in D.C. (so maybe be aware of surge charges at popular times i.e. rush hour). Normal cabs are also frequent (although more expensive), and some now offer the ability to pay with a card.
Okay, so I think that's everything I can possibly think of! Congrats if you got to the end, I know it's a long post but I hope it inspires people to visit D.C. and/or helps with your travel plans. As always, let me know what you think!
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