I haven't added any new shops to the Coffee/Riot list in quite a while! But, I'm still trying coffee all over the city in search of the best and newest cups, wherever they may be. In the past I've visited: Sticky Fingers, Baked & Wired, Dos Gringos, M.E. Swing, Grape & Bean, Crumbs & Coffee, Open City, Tryst, Ebenezers Coffeehouse, Bourbon Coffee, Chinatown Coffee Company, Tynan Coffee and Tea, and Mid City Caffe.
I still have a list of places that need a full length write up, but I wanted to give a shout out to three shops in particular. They are among a handful of newish shops that have gained my attention in recent months:
Kafe Bohem: Something about the lighting in this Shaw cafe makes you want to stick around for a while. Kafe Bohem is separate from, but related to next door's Bistro Bohem. The Bistro is a proper, stand alone Czech restaurant with a full menu. Kafe Bohem is where you might want to quietly sneak away from your too-talkative roommate for a while and catch up on that book you promised yourself you'd finish before 2014. All while having excellent, European style coffee drinks. Kafe Bohem is located at 600 Florida Ave NW.
Malmiason: I need to visit this place a few more times to decide if I really like it, but my first brief visits were positive. This is a bit of a multi-purpose space with a coffee bar, counter-service style lounge area, and dinner service restaurant area, all of which doubles as a rental venue on occasion. I was told by a fiend that Malmaison had a good coffee service and that's true! However, it's tough to compete with Baked & Wired just blocks away. Anyway, the smooth soy lattes at Malmaison are complimented by the location: it's right on the waterfront in Georgetown. This is a prime spot under the western end of Whitehurst Freeway. Malmaison is located at 3401 K St NW.
Harrar Coffee & Roastery: Nothing beats a Sunday brunch at Woodland's Vegan Bistro. OK, one thing beats a Sunday brunch at Woodland's Vegan Bistro: a post-meal coffee date at Harrar. This new coffee shop is located in Columbia Heights at 2904 Georgia Ave NW, one block from Woodlands. Harrar is pretty small, with perhaps 10 seats and a rack of current events magazines in the back for those lingering. They know their coffee here and to my delight serve one of my favorites, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Harrar roasts on-site (the roaster is right in the center of the place) and it shows, in quality and taste.
