How to Spend a Perfect 72 Hours Eating Your Way Through D.C.

The city’s 14th Street, NW, corridor pulses with action, and it all seems to center around the al-fresco dining scene at Le Diplomate. We can’t think of a more diplomatic place to eat than this D.C. institution that casually holds tables for heads of state — and also, yes, former presidents like Barack Obama — on the regular. Whether this is your first visit or you’re one of the many VIPs, this French homage to a bistro is the perfect perch to people watch with espresso martinis, bread baskets (which are free by the way), and a bouillabaisse you’ll be talking about days.

Most tourists will have a hard time finding this bar tucked away into an H Street, NE alleyway, in a line-up of tiny row homes, making this bar feel somewhat like a home away-from-home. Providencia is also much more than a cocktail bar — it’s a gathering place to enjoy rotating secret menus, seasonal specials and guest chef collaborations.

Co-owners Erik Bruner-Yang (Maketto), Paola Velez (formerly of Kith/Kin and Maydan), Pedro Tobar, and Daniel Gonzalez came together to entice guests to experience one of the city’s most intimate dining spots, with just 22 seats. Dare we say this is the sweetest bar in D.C., too? Bright, cute, and comfy — like any neighborhood bar should be — and with an even sweeter menu thanks to signature dessert dishes like a baked Alaska with shaved ice, and cocktails like the Lights of the Night Market, a gin-mezcal sour with pandan. We especially love this partnership because it allows Velez to bring her creative cultural storytelling to a new physical space.