Washington DC Specialty Coffee Guide: 2018 Edition

This is the third in my series of guides to specialty coffee shops in Washington, DC. Part 1 (2015) is available here and part 2 (2016) here, but the map below includes coffee shops featured in all three posts.

After two wintry visits to Washington, DC, in February 2015 and 2016, I was pleased when the opportunity arose for me to attend a conference in the city in the more clement climes of October. Although I had very little free time, I managed to visit seven specialty coffee shops — six that were new to me, and one that had undergone a major refurbishment since my last trip — mainly by getting up extra early and going for a coffee run. Most of the coffee shops I visited are part of increasingly expanding mini-chains, like La Colombe and Bluestone Lane — a big change since my last trip. This time, I was staying near Dupont Circle and working mainly in Foggy Bottom, areas where I'd already frequented most of the independent cafes. Next time I come, I'll have to find time to explore the coffee scene in the less central neighbourhoods.



Downtown
Compass Coffee
I first visited the original Compass Coffee roastery and cafe in the Shaw neighbourhood in 2015, and enjoyed both the coffee and the pared-down design and branding, inspired by the founders' time in the Marines. I wasn't surprised to hear that they had opened more coffee shops since then, but it's impressive that the Compass army now numbers eight shops in DC.

I popped into the 18th & I location during a lunch break, where I enjoyed a lovely cortado, brewed using one of the Modbar espresso units on the long counter. I'd hoped for a pourover but they weren't on the menu at this branch. Still, an espresso-based drink was perhaps more appropriate when enjoyed Italian-style at the gorgeous, custom-made walnut high table. They have bites on offer and beans for sale too. On a Saturday afternoon, it wasn't too busy but I can imagine it's a different story during the morning rush.

Compass Coffee is located at 1776 I Street nr 18 St and various other locations. Website. Twitter. Instagram.


La Colombe
If you've ever been to the cities of the Northeast megapolis and are a fan of fine coffee, you'll be no stranger to Philadelphia roaster La Colombe. They now have five cafes in DC, so I was glad I had the chance to stop by the I & 17th coffee bar one rainy morning after an early run. The small coffee shop is beautifully decorated with a stunning marble coffee bar and light wooden accents. There were two filter coffees available as a pourover (an Ethiopian and a Costa Rican) when I visited and two batch-brew filter coffees — the darker-roast Corsica and a medium-roast coffee from Yunnan, China, which I tried at another La Colombe in New York later in the week. Instead, I ordered a cortado with the Nizza espresso blend. Although a little darker than I usually prefer, the coffee had a smooth, well-balanced flavour when brewed as a cortado. There is a large, wooden high table for perching, and a few smaller tables near the door.

La Colombe is located at 1710 I Street nr 17 St and various other locations. Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Dupont Circle
Emissary
When I can, I try to choose my accommodation based on proximity to good coffee shops, but I didn't have a choice of hotel on this trip. I was particularly pleased, then, to find that Emissary was only a few blocks away. The cosy, rustic cafe serves Counter Culture coffee by day, and then food and wine by night. I didn't get to visit at night time, but on a sunny Friday morning, it was a lovely place to visit. My cortado, brewed with Counter Culture's Hologram espresso, was perfectly brewed, and there was a great ambiance in the bustling coffee shop. Emissary have tried to foster a bit of the Swedish fika spirit in their cafe, and although I had a busy day of meetings, I did manage to take a few minutes to enjoy my coffee in one of the window seats.

Emissary is located at 2032 P Street nr 21 St. Website. Instagram.


Foggy Bottom
Swing's (return visit)
Soon after my last visit in 2016 — and just shy of its 100th birthday — iconic DC coffee shop Swing's Coffee closed for two years for a building overhaul. I was glad to discover that the renovated coffee shop in full swing on my return. Located just across the street from the White House, Swing's had a line of people out the front door when I first arrived on my walk in to my office one morning. I eyed the brew bar with envy but I was running late and needed to go for something quicker. I opted for the single-origin Nicaraguan coffee that was available on batch brew and was impressed with how good it was.

Inside, the décor hasn't changed a great deal — many of the fixtures features from the coffee shop's early history still remain — although it's a little sleeker. And it's still a must-do on any specialty coffee tour of DC.

Swing's is located at 1700 G Street nr 17 St and various other locations. Website. Twitter. Instagram.


Georgetown
Blue Bottle Coffee
Another of the US specialty coffee mini-chains to have expanded in DC since my last visit, Blue Bottle now has five cafes in the city, including a handy location inside Union Station. I visited the Georgetown branch, which occupies a gorgeous red-brick building down near the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. I picked it partly because it was open at 7 am on a Sunday morning, but mainly because I was in the market for a really good pourover coffee, and Blue Bottle is usually a good bet for hand-brewed filter coffee.

Inside, the cafe is gorgeous, with light wood fixtures, plenty of seating (including some cool mini-booths at the edge) and large windows that let plenty of light stream in once the sun has risen. I was tempted by the avocado toast on the menu, but I wasn't quite hungry enough yet, so I stuck to a Rwandan Rulindo Bushoki coffee, brewed as a pourover. The coffee was very well brewed and had some delicious fruity flavour notes. There weren't many other customers that early in the morning, but I enjoyed listening to the baristas — clearly passionate about coffee and their work — chat as they prepped the breakfast dishes and dialled in a new decaf.

Blue Bottle is located at 1046 Potomac Street and various other locations. Website. Twitter. Instagram.


Grace Street Coffee Roasters
Located just across the Ohio and Chesapeake Canal from Blue Bottle, Grace Street Coffee Roasters occupies a hip, industrial-chic part of Georgetown where red-brick exteriors house sleek, modern interiors. The coffee shop and roaster is one of several eateries inside 3210 Grace Street, and the open-plan space was bustling when I visited at lunchtime on a Sunday. I particularly liked the plant-centric decor.

They weren't serving any pourovers — perhaps because it was so busy — so I decided to try the Ethiopian Ardi espresso, brewed as a cortado. The plum and lemon notes of the espresso came through very nicely, and I enjoyed my coffee while indulging in a touch of DC people-watching, while sitting next to the small roaster at the back.

Grace Street Coffee is located at 3210 Grace Street nr Wisconsin St. Website. Twitter. Instagram.


West End
Bluestone Lane
I only found out on my penultimate day that there was a branch of the Aussie (by way of NYC) coffee and brunch mini-chain Bluestone Lane just a couple of blocks from my hotel. There's also one in Georgetown. Like every other Bluestone Lane I visited, the West End branch has gorgeous, turquoise-accented interiors, and there's a lot of seating in the high-ceilinged building on 23rd Street.

I went for a big breakfast on my last morning, enjoying a piccolo (hooray!), which tasted much nicer than its latte art might suggest. Convincing myself that I needed to up my fruit and vegetable intake while on my trip, I ordered the avocado toast, which was delicious, with great sourdough toast, perfectly smashed avo, heirloom cherry toms and feta. One of the reasons I went to Bluestone Lane was to try a fêted District Doughnuts doughnut, which they sell, but distracted my my avo toast, I forgot to pick one up. Next time!

Bluestone Lane is located at 1100 23rd Street nr L St and various other locations. Website. Twitter. Instagram.

For more DC coffee recommendations, head over to my 2016 and 2015 DC coffee guides.

Six Specialty Coffee Spots To Visit in Lima, Peru

When I started planning my two-week Peru trip earlier this year, I soon realised that it was unlikely I would manage to squeeze a visit to a coffee farm into my packed itinerary, as I did in Costa Rica. But I did my best to visit as many coffee shops as I could, including in Cusco, Arequipa and especially Lima. I spent two full days at the start of my trip and an afternoon at the end in Lima; I could have cut a day and reallocated it to another city but I wanted to have time to visit a few of the specialty coffee shops I'd researched.

In Peru's 'White City', Monastic Secrets Written in Volcanic Stone

From Puno, my next stop is Arequipa, Peru's second most populous city, which is nicknamed the 'white city' on account of many of the buildings in the historic city centre being constructed from sillar (ashlar) — white volcanic stone. And speaking of volcanoes, Arequipa has not one but three in close proximity — the appropriately named El Misti, as well as the extinct Pichu Pichu and Chachani.

Great Lake: Exploring Lake Titicaca and Puno

To journey from Cusco to the city of Puno, the Peruvian gateway to Lake Titicaca, there are several options, including flights and bus journeys of various lengths and comfort levels. I like the idea of Inka Express's ten-hour trip that includes stops at four places of interest along the way ($53 including drinks and lunch, plus 50 soles for entrance fees). But I am less keen on its 6:50 am departure time, especially as I will have finished the four-day Inca Trail trek. Internal flights in Peru invariably involve a lot of faff and a good chance of delay, however, and Puno has no airport, which means flying to Juliaca, an hour's drive away. You can book a similar transfer tour here.

As such, I find myself at the Inka Express terminal on the outskirts of Cusco's historic centre at 6:30 am on a sunny Monday morning. I am less tired than expected after the Inca Trail and I have my Espro flask full of coffee. The seats are very comfortable and I soon find myself dozing off. 

Our first stop is San Pedro Apóstol chapel in the village of Andahuaylillas. Known as the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes, it looks fine from the outside but inside, it's an incredibly beautiful work of eye-poppingly intricate baroque art, from the colourful murals on the ceiling to the huge gold altar. No photographs are allowed inside, but they give us a CD containing some images. Next up is a brief visit to the Incan Temple of Viracocha, Raqch'i — an interesting site but perhaps a little underwhelming the day after Machu Picchu. 

Sunrise at Machu Picchu: My Four-Day Inca Trail Trek

Note: this is a long post, including my reflections on the four-day Inca Trail trek I took with Llama Path in 2018, and practical information on planning and packing. I hope you find this useful; please feel free to leave questions in the comments.

“This is ‘Inca flat’,” our guide Aiben tells us wryly as we walk along a rocky path with a moderate uphill incline. The Incas were made of extremely stern stuff, we soon learn. A Franco-German family and I are trekking the 26.5-mile stretch of the Inca Trail that runs from km 82, near Ollantaytambo, all the way to Machu Picchu, the stunningly well-preserved Incan site discovered accidentally by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. 'Inca' originally referred only to the king or ruler, and the trail we are following is one used by the emperor Pachacuti and his entourage when journeying to his ‘summer house’ at Machu Picchu.

Sacred Sights in Cusco, the Incan Capital City

I booked my return flights to Lima and Inca Trail trek with Llama Path in January, but didn't fix up the rest of my Peru itinerary until a couple of months before my trip in September. I arranged my whole holiday around the Inca Trail and to ensure that even if my trek was delayed, I would have the best chance of being able to go. Inca Trail trekkers are advised to travel to the city of Cusco — the erstwhile Inca capital — at least three days before their trek to acclimatise to the altitude (Cusco is at about 3,400 metres above sea level).

Clifftops and Ceviche: A Weekend in Lima

As with many large cities in Latin America, Lima isn't usually the main reason people come to Peru. But if you're flying into the Peruvian capital, it's well worth spending at least a couple of days in the city. There's plenty to see and do, and besides it's a foodie's paradise, from world-beating tasting menus to fresh and flavoursome ceviche at a low-key counter in the mercado central.