Mar 21, 2025 - Food and Drink
3 fun new D.C. bars to check out now
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Bar Betsie opens near Union Market. Photo: Courtesy Brian Miller
New season, fresh scene — three exciting bars just opened for your first spring weekend.
Why it matters: Everyone's ready to get out of a (seemingly endless) winter rut.
Bar Betsie (Union Market)
- The Jane Jane team's hotly anticipated cocktail bar feels a little cheeky, a little camp and a lot of fun — cue deep red velvet booths, light-up shooters and fried pickle dip. Serious cocktail cred goes to bar manager Courtney Taylor, behind concoctions with prickly pear-infused mezcal or "super foam."
Whitlow's at the Wharf
- The newest Whitlow's takes over the Brighton's massive waterfront space. Memorabilia, cold beers and American pub fare nod to its 1940s roots, but Whitlow's is more happening than ever with live entertainment and their own tiki boat, Whitlow's on Water, docked outside.
C&O Lounge (Georgetown)
- We love a good hotel bar, and can see ourselves ducking out of the Georgetown bustle into brand new Canal House for a barrel-aged sangria in the cozy lounge. Mid-Atlantic fare is served breakfast through dinner.