The 32 Best Cafés in Washington
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The best cafés in Washington, according to the experts: Michelin Guide, AAA, and The Rammys have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Yellow comes out on top.
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Ellē and Maketto hold the next two places. Time Out shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Washingtonian next.
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Rank 1. Yellow
Levantine
A wood-burning oven anchors this fast-casual Levantine cafe in Georgetown, where the line out the door reorganizes itself around whatever Michael Rafidi's team pulled from it most recently. Mornings run on pastries and shakshuka; afternoons shift to stuffed pitas and batata tots with urfa sauce. By night it flips to table service and a dinner menu. The Michelin Guide gave it a Bib Gourmand, which tracks.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- AAA AAA: Approved
- The Rammys The Rammys: Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- AAA Approved
- The Rammys Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
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The former Heller's Bakery space now runs all day as a cafe, from morning lattes and egg sandwiches on potato rolls through a pastrami Reuben at lunch and on to dinner plates that get genuinely ambitious: fried halloumi with farro, chicken Milanese with romesco, ravioli with mushrooms and hazelnuts. The kitchen leans into fermentation and seasonal quirks in a way that keeps things interesting without making you feel like you're being lectured. Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Bon Appétit Bon Appétit: America's Best New Restaurants
- Time Out Time Out: #11 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- Time Out #11 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
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Rank 2. Maketto
Cambodian Taiwanese Coffee Shop
Sneakers mounted on the wall are, in fact, for sale, which tells you everything about the vibe before you've ordered. Erik Bruner-Yang's café and all-day dining room on H Street blends a retail shop with Cambodian and Taiwanese cooking, all meant for the table to share. The caramel fried chicken has been on the menu long enough to qualify as a classic, and the Michelin Bib Gourmand suggests the kitchen isn't coasting on that.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Eater Eater: The Best New Restaurants in America
- Eater Eater: The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Eater The Best New Restaurants in America
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
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Rank 4. Yellow
Levantine Bakery
Za'atar and labneh croissants sit next to a chocolate seven-spice cruffin in the pastry case, which tells you most of what you need to know about this fast-casual Levantine café in Ivy City. French technique carries the baked goods, while the kitchen leans into the Middle East for everything else. Evenings bring charcoal-grilled kebabs and meze from an open hearth, so the place quietly shapeshifts between breakfast spot and dinner counter without making a fuss about it.
The awards
- The Rammys The Rammys: Finalist · Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year
- The Rammys The Rammys: Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
- Eater Eater: The Best Bakeries Around D.C.
- The Rammys Finalist · Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year
- The Rammys Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
- Eater The Best Bakeries Around D.C.
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The awards
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Washingtonian Best Coffee Shops in DC
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
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The arepa arrives wrapped like a little gift, seared masa around a fried egg, tomato, cotija, and avocado. This all-day Latin American spot on Florida Avenue runs from morning coffee through dinner without any of the fuss, and the price point reflects that. Upstairs, an intimate room with original details fills with regulars chasing the pork empanadas and masa gnocchi with braised beef.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
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The awards
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
- Washingtonian Best Coffee Shops in DC
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The awards
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Washingtonian Best Coffee Shops in DC
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The awards
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
- Washingtonian Best Coffee Shops in DC
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The awards
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Washingtonian Best Coffee Shops in DC
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
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The awards
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Rank 11. Dolcezza
Italian Dessert
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Rank 11. Dolcezza
Italian Dessert
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Rank 11. Dolcezza
Italian Dessert
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Rank 11. Dolcezza
Italian Dessert
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Rank 11. Dolcezza
Italian Dessert
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The awards
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
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The awards
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
- Eater The 15 Best Coffee Shops Around D.C.
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Rank 20. Teaism
Japanese Coffee Shop
The awards
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
- Washingtonian Where to Eat Near the National Mall
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