10 Best Nightlife in Washington, D.C., USA

Head here for a classy evening in an intimate setting, complete with great blues, jazz, and R&B from well-known performers such as Mose Allison and Wynton Marsalis and outstanding New Orleans cuisine such as jambalaya and fried catfish. Expect to pay a cover charge and a minimum of food or drink. Go to their website for a list of performances and to purchase tickets online. You can come for just the show, but those who enjoy a meal get better seats.

Hidden away inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel, in what was once the Georgetown Incinerator, this modern bar is a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood's rather monotone scene. There's an extensive wine and cocktail selection behind the black granite bar and a hip, well-dressed set of patrons in front of it. When the weather's nice, head out to the multilevel brick patio and sit by the fireplace.

During the weekends, the long-standing Mexican restaurant El Centro becomes a dance club after service, attracting young professionals and students from the area. Sip on margaritas while dancing to the beat of Latin American tunes.

Sexy, elegant, and slightly hidden, Fitzgerald's is the epitome of a Washington, D.C., cocktail bar. Plush emerald-green furniture and leather couches contrast with the brass fixtures and the 1960s paintings of football players. Aside from getting a martini, the bar offers classic bar fare, such as burgers.

Located in a historic building that's more than 100 years old, this neighborhood saloon is a festive place to go for a beer and a game. The menu is extensive, but stick to the great hamburgers and seafood dishes. J Paul's attracts a diverse crowd, from students to lobbyists to politicians.

This perch on the Georgetown waterfront offers fantastic views of the Potomac and a wintertime ice-skating rink. When the weather's nice, crowds of college students flock to the outdoor tables. The food is standard bar fare—the real draw is location, location, location.

If day drinking is more of your thing, The Berliner is the place for you. With a unique beer garden set in a loft, the bar offers a lengthy beer menu of German beers. Additionally, it features locally made brews from D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. With communal seating, you may be able to make a new friend while indulging in German pretzels and wurst. Most guests will probably take a selfie with the popular mural of JFK alongside the building stating "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner"), an ode to his 1963 speech in Berlin.

With two bars serving 50 beers on tap and another 350 in bottles, The Sovereign's devotion is not in doubt. The staff knows the menu inside and out, so they can recommend the ideal beer for your taste. If you're hungry, too, the menu focuses on tasty Belgian fare like mussels with herbed mayonnaise.

Visitors to Georgetown University looking for a pint or some pub grub head down the stairs below 1789 restaurant to this traditional, half-century-old, collegiate watering hole adorned with rowing paraphernalia and steeped in charming Georgetown boosterism. One block from the main gate, it's the closest bar to campus, so it gets crowded with students at night.

Right on Georgetown's waterfront, this seafood restaurant has a large outdoor patio where you can enjoy a drink alfresco on a spring or summer evening. The cocktails are a little pricey, but you can't beat the view of the Potomac River and Kennedy Center at night.