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

The inimitable 9:30 Club is consistently ranked as one of the best concert venues in the country—as much a place in which bands aspire to play as it is a place that music fans love to patronize. The best indie and up-and-coming performers are the main attractions, though every now and then a bigger act such as Adele, Drake, Ed Sheeran, or Leon Bridges stop by to soak up the vibe of this large but cozy space wrapped by balconies on three sides. Once graced by legends such as Nirvana, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash, the venue is now a great spot for big labels looking for an intimate vibe. For its various music genres, from country to pop, this venue has become one of the most attended clubs of its size.

There are no bad views here, and the excellent sound system means you can stand anywhere for a great show experience.

Way before its stretch of 14th Street became the trendiest few blocks in town, the Black Cat was a destination for alternative music and quirky nostalgic dance parties. The venue is a host for midsize rock concerts and smaller, local acts focused on indie, alternative, and underground music, with favorites such as the Dandy Warhols, the Ravonettes, and Ex Hex. The Black Cat also regularly hosts artistic events, including comedy, edgy burlesque, and independent film nights. The postpunk crowd whiles away the time in the ground floor's Red Room, a side bar with pool tables, an eclectic jukebox, and no cover charge. The club is also home to Food for Thought, a legendary vegetarian café.

On weekends, the crowds can spill onto 14th Street—but one of the best wine bars in D.C. is worth the wait. An outstanding wine list (mainly French and Italian) is matched with delectable small plates, perfect for sharing.

Founded by Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn and D.C. nightlife entrepreneur Vinoda Basnayake, this Shaw bar serves spectacular cocktails. You'll feel like you're simultaneously at a 1950s-era diner, sitting on a backyard patio, and in a Wes Anderson film. The happy-hour menu features slightly cheaper cocktail options, wine, and beer, while the full menu offers cleverly crafted cocktails. Both menus change monthly, so make sure you return to see what's new, and if you're unsure of what to order, just ask a bartender. The bar menu includes cheese and charcuterie boards, dips, and salads.

A red-velvet, almost vaudeville-like interior around the bar offers a saucy experience upstairs from the highly rated Pearl Dive Oyster Palace. In the back, you'll find a bocce court surrounded by stadium-style seats so onlookers can recline, imbibe, and cheer simultaneously. Though the most exquisite cocktail confections can be pricey, there's also an impressive beer lineup and a worthwhile menu ranging from mussels to pizza. There's a happy hour every day; it runs all day on Sunday.

Part eatery, part bookstore, and part event space, this popular local hangout draws a diverse crowd and hosts a wide range of entertainment, from poetry open mics to music to guest authors and activist speakers. The name is an homage to Langston Hughes, who worked as a busboy in D.C. before becoming a famous poet. This original location is open until 1 am on Friday and Saturday—there's another Downtown ( 1025 5th St. NW), as well as outposts in upper D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Named for Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French pilot and author of The Little Prince, this bi-level bar has two distinct atmospheres. The upstairs brasserie has pressed-tin ceilings and a propeller hanging over the polished wooden bar. Downstairs is the Gate 54 nightclub, designed to resemble an airplane hangar, with dropped corrugated-metal ceilings and backlit aerial photographs. The downstairs DJs draw a fairly young crowd, while the upstairs menu attracts a more subdued clientele for dinner.

Groups of young professionals relax on sofas and armchairs in this hip hangout modeled after an Ecuadorian hacienda, while Latin jazz mingles with pop music in the background and old movies run silently behind the bar. The place gets packed on weekends, so come early to get a coveted sofa along the back wall. Pair your cocktails with a Cocina Nikkei (Japanese Peruvian) menu, including ceviche and gyozas (Japanese dumplings). Or try a hookah filled with a range of flavored tobaccos, from apple to watermelon. A dress-to-impress dress code is strictly enforced.

There's an astounding selection of beers at ChurchKey—555 varieties from more than 30 countries, including 50 beers on tap and exclusive draft and cask ales. If you have trouble making a choice, bartenders will offer you 4-ounce tasters. The urban-vintage vibe balances unassuming and pretentious in pretty much equal measure, reflected in a menu that ranges from tater tots to Caesar salads to rotating flatbread options.

Set off by a three-story mural of Elizabeth Taylor, Dacha has become the go-to outdoor drinking venue in midtown D.C., with lines of people (and their dogs) waiting to get in most evenings any time of year whenever the weather isn’t bitterly cold or inclement. (A windscreen wall and heaters help keep patrons toasty during the winter.) The beer garden serves drafts of craft beers from Germany, Belgium, and the United States as well as Bavarian-inspired nosh, while the adjoining café serves hot coffee and bagels and sandwiches during the day.

With live music most days of the week, this small two-story rock club with an upper deck hosts fledgling indie bands and the occasional nationally known act. There's a narrow bar on the ground floor, a sizable concert space on the second floor, and an enclosed roof deck on top. DJs take the controls for weekend-night dance parties. Concertgoers can enjoy snacks, sandwiches, and burgers every night and until 1 am on weekends.

Sip margaritas under the palm trees at El Techo, a unique rooftop bar, where the scene is tropical thanks to a canopy of plants and whimsical flowers. The bar also offers an extensive menu of small bites and tacos, as well as heavier dishes such as carne asada and paella for two. A DJ spins upbeat Latin dance music, and there are plenty of seating areas for those who do not feel like dancing. The retractable roof allows for year-round fun.

Named both for the legs of a wine and a leg of ham, this is the place to fill your metaphorical hollow leg with wine, cheese, and charcuterie. Choose from a variety of reds, whites, and everything in between (even a few French cider styles), or go for a flight of brandy and whisky. All of the cocktails and spirits here are either from France or the District. Happy hour runs from 5 to 7, Tuesday through Friday, and brunch is served from 11 to 3 on weekends.

When they have to remove all the chairs in the joint to make more room for dancing, you know you've picked a good spot. Locals and out-of-towners alike pack in on weekends to enjoy the joyful pop music, multiple dance rooms, and the outdoor-deck bar perched one story above 16th Street. Luxe couches, chandeliers, vintage pieces, and winding staircases enhance the atmosphere of a Victorian house party with a modern twist. Outstanding $5 happy hour.

The owner of The Royal and his wife transformed the former Vinoteca into Lulu's Winegarden. The drink menu focuses on wine, offering rare finds and keeping them at under $50 a bottle. Named after the owner's daughter, the bar–restaurant has three lush outdoor dining spaces: the 24-seat, ivy-lined front patio; the charming, plant-filled, 40-seat back courtyard; and the 16-seat, terra-cotta-hued "streatery" outfitted with tropical fauna and lounge seating. The menu offers savory dips like whipped feta and smoked whitefish paired with a bottle of wine from the long list.

At Maxwell Park, dinner and dessert are both a glass of wine. The themed menu, which changes monthly, offers more than 50 wines by the glass. Try a sweet wine or aperitif for dessert, or mix things up with a cocktail, perhaps a seasonal gin and homemade tonic. If you don’t know what you want, ask one of the trained sommeliers about the 500 labels on the bottle list, or have a 2.5-ounce tasting glass (just watch the prices because there are some rare wines here). Enjoy the outdoor patio, which is heated in winter, or cozy into the bar, open nightly at 5.

This popular sports bar with a gay following makes everyone feel welcome. Catch the games on multiple screens, or try your luck with "drag bingo" or trivia games. Spaces in this eclectic two-story venue range from roof deck to cozy pub room to a dining area serving all-American pub grub–meets–Venezuelan specialties, from empanadas to arepas. Every weekend brings a reservations-required brunch buffet with drag queens as servers.

The New Vegas Lounge may be a vestige from a grittier, less affluent era, but the Logan Circle club is in its nearly fifth decade of offering live blues every weekend. Vegas Lounge is run by the wife and sons of its late founder, known as Dr. Blues. Friday- and Saturday-night performances by the house ensemble, the Out of Town Blues Band, attract an eclectic crowd, from veteran blues fans to newer residents who don't know from Muddy Waters—drawn to the club out of sheer curiosity, or because it's a refreshing cultural and historical diversion in the neighborhood.

The heart of Logan Circle nightlife is this predominantly male gay bar attracting guests of all ages. The downstairs lounge offers plush banquettes and street views, while big-screen viewing is offered upstairs at the 9½ video bar. The daily happy hour (5–9 pm) offers two-for-one drinks. At any time this is a great place for a cocktail and some good conversation in a bustling neighborhood that includes, a block away on 14th Street, Trade, which is another popular, no-frills gay bar from the same owners as Number Nine.

A separate concept from The Dabney restaurant, the Cellar is hidden down a set of stone steps in the restaurant's basement. The dim lighting and small size make you feel as if you stumbled on a D.C. speakeasy, but the bar itself shares a lot of the same open, earthy tones of the larger restaurant. The Cellar riffs off classic cocktails for its specialty list and has a large selection of wines, cider, and beer. If you feel peckish, try some of the specialty bar snacks, written on the blackboard nightly. You can't go wrong with the raw bar or the carefully selected cheeses and charcuterie.

This classic watering hole has no TVs, no light beer, and no martinis. What it does have are locals engaged in conversation—a stated goal of the owner—and some of the world's best beers, including the rare Urbock 23, an Austrian brew that is rated one of the tastiest and strongest in the world, with 9.6% alcohol content (limit one per customer). The Saloon also offers a broader bar menu, too.

Squeeze up the narrow stairway, and check out the eclectic local and national bands that play at this unassuming, tiny neighborhood joint. In addition to performers ranging from indie mainstays to critically touted up-and-comers, the venue regularly hosts comedy and variety shows.