I’ve lived in Washington, D.C., for nearly 14 years. Aside from my childhood home, it’s the longest I’ve lived in any one place. Our nation’s capital has been good to me. It offers all the things I love in one bite-sized city. If DC is the solar system I reside in, Georgetown is my favorite planet.
When friends and family visit, they ask how I’d spend an ideal day in DC. While the city offers world-class museums, monuments, and parks, I always gravitate toward Georgetown’s historic and cobbled streets. It’s a microcosm of the city that can be easily explored in a day.
If the last time you traveled to Washington DC was on your 4th-grade class trip, it’s time to come back. The monuments haven’t changed much since 1982, so add Georgetown to your itinerary. Need a cheat sheet? I’ve got you covered.
Good Morning, Georgetown
I start my day with Wordle and an oat milk cappuccino. Those mornings I find myself in Georgetown, my favorite place to caffeinate is DC-founded Compass Coffee. The cavernous space takes over part of the old Georgetown movie theater. It has a fun, buzzy vibe filled with laptop-toting, pajama-wearing Georgetown University students.
I bring my laptop but leave my pajamas at home, where they belong, and soak up their collective collegiate energy. Inevitably, I’ll start to reminisce about my university days. That leads me to wonder what my daughter is up to at college right now. Where does she get her coffee? Then I think about writing a post about Seattle. Or, about coffee. Or, about coffee in Seattle. What was her starting Wordle word? Next thing I know, three hours have passed and I’ve nothing to show for it but an empty mug and a disappointing 5/6 Wordle score.
Insider Tip: According to the ever-studious Georgetown University students, the seating area behind the coffee machines is the best place to meet up and get work done.
Café Love
All that daydreaming and non-productiveness makes me hungry. Thankfully Georgetown has lots of dining options. When I’m ready for lunch, one of my go-to spots is Peacock Café.
Brotherly Love
Brothers Shahab and Maziar Farivar opened Peacock as a six-seat take-out restaurant in 1991. It’s now one of the most adored cafés in Georgetown. Every day feels like a carefree summer Friday at Peacock, and that has everything to do with Shahab’s sunny disposition when he greets guests at the door.
Peacock Café’s side street location off Wisconsin Avenue is filled with locals, as many tourists don’t veer from the main drag. The entire menu tempts me. But being a creature of habit, I always order the Ahi Tuna Salad. Maziar’s thinly sliced, seared sushi-grade tuna on a bed of arugula drizzled with sesame lemon gets me every time.
Insider Tip: You can take a chance and walk in at Peacock (Shahab will undoubtedly do his best to accommodate), but it’s a better bet to reserve on Open Table.
The Sunny Side of the Street
Farther up Wisconsin is Yellow the Café. Yellow opened in 2022, and lunch in Georgetown hasn’t been the same since. There’s been a recent uptick in ethnic eateries like Shouk, Taim, and Simply Banh Mi, but I love Yellow best.
I love the easygoing, modern, and sunny decor. My mouth waters at the menu of mezze, hummus, and wood-fired pitas. I love the fusion of French cooking techniques and Middle Eastern flavors. And I love the fancy coffee program (yes, I can have multiple favorite coffee shops in Georgetown!). Without fail, a Baklava Latte or Coconut Cardamom Iced Coffee always satiates my second wave of caffeine cravings.
More than anything—I love that multicultural restaurants are thriving in Georgetown. It’s about time.
Insider Tip: The line starts to form by 11 a.m. on weekends, so be sure to arrive early if Yellow is your brunch spot of choice. On weekdays, Yellow offers online ordering for pick-up.
Click here for your Georgetown Cheat Sheet (With Links). It’s Free.
Book Hill—Georgetown’s Design District
In Georgetown, there’s no better way to burn off Coconut Cardamom calories than shopping. Of all the things to do in Georgetown, shopping is my guiltiest pleasure. Georgetown has its fair share of chain stores like Patagonia, CB2, and Apple. But the real gems of this lustrous neighborhood lie in the spaces between them.
Technically speaking, Book Hill is the area of Georgetown from O Street to Reservoir Road along Wisconsin Avenue. It’s a section of Georgetown becoming known for high-end home decor shops, French boulangeries, and art galleries. Whether I feel like gallery hopping, window shopping, or increasing my step count, there’s much to keep me busy in Book Hill.
Women-Powered
Ally Banks Interiors and Pillar & Post are independent, female-owned boutiques in Book Hill. Ally Banks is one of DC’s most sought-after interior designers, who, after years in the industry, started her Georgetown shop. On any given day, I might come across a hand-woven Moroccan rug, a series of pen-and-ink drawings by Darrell Dean, or a set of Acacia Wood Salt and Pepper Mills I can’t live without. Ally’s highly curated sensibilities are on full display and are as timeless and extraordinary as her wares.
Insider Tip: Ally’s website is not only beautifully designed, it has items not found in her brick-and-mortar store.
Pillar & Post is just a few storefronts away and specializes in British antiques, gifts, and furnishings. Inspired by her frequent visits to London (her parents lived there for 15 years), owner Daphna Peled left US politics to bring a touch of UK royalty to Georgetown. Her keen eye for all things beautiful means her bi-annual scouting trips result in treasures for commoners like me.
I might spy an antique dressing mirror, a Tambour Top Writing Slope, an 18th-century botanical print, or a Victorian Chamber Pot. I can’t help but feel I’m stepping onto the set of Downton Abbey whenever I walk into Daphna’s time-transporting boutique.
Insider Tip: Daphna says she has much more in storage than she has on display in her shop or on her website. So be sure to ask if looking for something special from across the pond.
Late Afternoon Retail Therapy
A day in Georgetown isn’t complete unless each of my senses is stirred. The first time I entered the Georgetown outpost of Le Labo, the famous NYC-based perfumery, I let the distressed walls, peeling painted doors, and wooden planked floors fool me. I quickly discovered there are no bargains to be found at Le Labo. But ohhhhhhh, who cares? I must have a signature scent! After much sniffing, sneezing, whiffing, and wafting, I decided mine is Another 13. Want to find yours? For a price, there’s a signature scent for everyone.
Insider Tip: The Le Labo Discovery Set is an economical way to find a favorite scent.
Shop Made In DC is my new favorite place to buy gifts. As the name implies, everything sold at Shop Made in DC is—made in DC. Having been a full-time designer, a short-term ceramicist, and an all-time lover of art, I can happily get behind a place that celebrates and supports local artists.
Shop Made in DC sells apothecary products to fill my bathtub, chocolate-laden gift boxes to fill my stomach, and unique hand-crafted items to fill my holiday stockings. That the inventory is always refreshed with new and exciting artists has me shopping Made in DC often.
Don’t miss this: Shop Made in DC offers classes to spark our creative sides. Collage, candle-making, or wine and watercolor, anyone? Check their website for details.
Craft Cocktails and Cozy Dinners
Originally a 1783 tavern established by clockmaker John Suter, The Fountain Inn (aka Suter’s Tavern) is reborn as an intimate spirits tasting room in Upper Georgetown. If you believe in history, Suter’s is known to be the first stagecoach stop in Georgetown for presidents and locals alike.
The see-and-be-seen watering hole of the 90s (the 1790s, that is), this moody, dramatic, and ambiently lit space has over 250 rare and vintage sips and craft cocktails. It’s an ideal venue to relax after a day on the go. If it was good enough for Washington, it’s certainly good enough for me.
Insider Knowledge: George Washington slept here (really!) In his diary dated March 28, 1791, he wrote, “dined (and lodged) at Suter’s Tavern.” I read this on the internet so it’s definitely true.
In Cady’s Alley
Cady’s Alley’s super sexy Kyojin Sushi has been number one on my Georgetown restaurant list for some time. Signature dishes like Tataki-style seared fish with French caviar, truffle wasabi, chili yuzu, or garlic ponzu have me opening a tab for Open Table as I write.
It seems I’m not the only person in DC with Kyojin on their wish list. The next available Friday reservation is at 530pm. I grab it anyway. I’ll call it a late lunch. Everyone knows that 5:30pm is the new 7:30pm.
I check out the menu: A5 Wagyu topped with Hokkaido uni, BBQ Eel Bowl, and Lavender-Smoked Salmon. These descriptions make me miss our years in Tokyo. Kyojin’s website claims that no two dining experiences are alike. I’ll be there at 530pm sharp to make sure you deliver on your promise, Chef Kannasute.
Don’t miss this: Kyojin’s Smoke Box includes a choice of Sashimi, Yuzu Ice, Chili Yuzu, Carpaccio Sauce, and Garlic Ponzu—all Cold Smoked with Lavender.
Late-ish Drinks and Snacks
It’s hard to call it quits just because I’ve finished dinner at 7:15pm. The Rooftop at the Graham is just the place to soak up what’s left of the sunlight and admire sweeping city views. On the off-chance I’m still hungry, I can enjoy ceviche, charcuterie, or hand-crafted tacos. At minimum, I sink into one of the rooftop sofas and order my go-to cocktail—a cucumber mint martini—the surest and fastest way to end my night. Worth it!
Insider Tip: The Graham is a historic luxury hotel nestled on the banks of the Potomac River. This would be my pick if I ever needed a hotel in Georgetown.
Good Night, Georgetown
Georgetown has much to brag about for a neighborhood under two square miles. Its former residents include Julia Child, JFK, and Elizabeth Taylor. Films shot here include The Exorcist, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Wedding Crashers. It has wide green spaces, a wide and wild blue(ish) river, and wildly famous cupcakes.
I always look for new places to eat, shop, walk, explore, and drink in my adopted hometown. But somehow, I always seem to find myself wandering the streets of Georgetown. Fourth grade was eons ago. It’s time to come back.
And when you do, this cheat sheet will have you feeling like a Georgetown local.
Click here for your Georgetown Cheat Sheet (With Links). It’s Free.
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I need more time in Georgetown as I want to go to all of the places you wrote about!