Blue Bottle Coffee Georgetown in Washington DC is the Wisconsin Avenue cafe of the Oakland third-wave roaster, a marble-counter pour-over bar with single-origin filter as the default.
Tip: Order the New Orleans iced coffee in warm weather; it is the chain's signature recipe and ships better cold than hot.
Address: 1046 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007, Washington DC
Tatte Bakery and Cafe in Washington DC is the F Street downtown branch of Tzurit Or's Boston bakery-cafe, with shakshuka all-day, viennoiserie counters and ganache-rich mocha service.
Signature drink: Mocha with house ganache
Tip: The shakshuka is the longest-running breakfast plate; the savoury sweet potato hash is the under-ordered runner-up.
The Coffee Bar in Washington DC is the Logan Circle S Street independent cafe of Sam Lee and Amanda Hesser, a study-friendly room with Counter Culture beans and a deep matcha menu.
Signature drink: Cortado
Tip: Outlets along the back wall make it the city's best laptop cafe; the matcha latte is the second-most-ordered drink.
Qualia Coffee Roasters in Washington DC is Joel Finkelstein's Petworth Georgia Avenue cafe and roastery since 2007, a single-origin pour-over bar with rotating Latin American and East African beans.
Signature drink: Single-origin hand-pour
Tip: Buy whole-bean by the half-pound to take home; the Yirgacheffe lot is the signature and rotates weekly.
Big Bear Cafe in Washington DC is the Bloomingdale 1st Street corner cafe since 2007, the neighbourhood anchor with a Sunday farmers market on the patio from April through October.
Signature drink: Single-origin drip
Tip: The Sunday market sets up on the corner from 09:00 May through October; the cafe takes morning takeaway off-market.
La Colombe Blagden Alley in Washington DC is the Shaw Blagden Alley cafe of the Philadelphia roaster, a long-counter coffee bar with the nitrogen-infused draft latte and a pastry counter.
Signature drink: Draft latte
Tip: Sit at the long marble bar facing the brew bar; the back patio fills up on weekends.
Vigilante Coffee Hyattsville is the local roaster's flagship cafe just outside Washington DC on Gallatin Street, a community-roaster cafe with a coffee tasting bar and direct-trade beans.
Signature drink: Cappuccino on Counter Culture-style roast
Tip: Saturday cuppings at 11:00 run free; reserve via the website. The flagship is a 15-minute Metro ride from DC on the Green Line.
