Tune Inn in Washington DC is the Capitol Hill Pennsylvania Avenue dive bar since 1947, a four-generation family-owned room with a deer-head wall, the city's longest-running staffer bar.
Food program: Diner-grade American food
Tip: Cash makes the night faster; the diner kitchen runs the same menu past midnight and is the Hill's late-night staple.
Address: 331 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003, Washington DC
Denson Liquor Bar in Washington DC is the F Street Penn Quarter cocktail bar from the EatWell group, a narrow speakeasy-style room with a James Beard-nominated bar program after dark.
Signature drink: Variety of New York-style cocktails
Food: Bar snacks and burgers
Tip: Walk in before 19:00 for a counter seat; the bar fills with theatre-goers from the Shakespeare Theatre across the street.
The Green Zone in Washington DC is Chris Hassaan Francke's Adams Morgan 18th Street Middle Eastern cocktail bar, with arak-based drinks and a Lebanese-Iraqi-American food menu.
Signature drink: Arak-based Middle Eastern cocktails
Food: Middle Eastern small plates
Tip: The Bedouin Punch sharing bowl for two is the bar's editorial signature; sit at the bar for the build show.
Hank's Cocktail Bar in Washington DC is the Dupont Circle Q Street upstairs cocktail room above Hank's Oyster Bar, with a tight classic-cocktail list and an oyster bar from the kitchen below.
Signature drink: Hank's classic Manhattan
Food: Oyster bar from the Hank's group
Tip: The upstairs room takes walk-ins; the downstairs Hank's needs a reservation for the oyster bar.
Right Proper Brewing Brewpub in Washington DC is the Shaw T Street brewpub from Leah and Thor Cheston since 2013, the original DC craft brewery with a 10-tap counter and a kitchen behind it.
Signature drink: Raised By Wolves saison
Food: American gastropub
Tip: Raised By Wolves is the flagship saison and the brewpub's editorial pour; take it with the steamed mussels.
Marvel Room in Washington DC is the 14th Street upstairs cocktail bar above the Black Whiskey, a vinyl-leaning small room with a heavy tropical-cocktail program and live jazz on Tuesdays.
Signature drink: Marvel Mule
Food: Snacks
Tip: Tuesday night jazz from 21:00 is the room's calling-card event; arrive at 20:30 for a seat.
Lulu's Wine Garden in Washington DC is the Shaw 11th Street outdoor wine garden from chef Hamilton Johnson, a covered patio bar with frose carafes and a wood-fired pizza counter.
Signature drink: Frose by the carafe
Food: Snacks and pizzas
Tip: Open April to October only; the patio fills by 19:00 on Saturday. The roses-by-the-glass list is the wine value.
