From scoring the cheapest bottomless mimosas to digging into new cuisines.
Brunch is decidedly a thing nowadays. But here’s the catch: you have to know what you’re looking for. Do you want lick-the-plate-clean food? Or is it bottomless mimosas first, food second? Maybe you want a (drag queen) performance with a side of eggs. No worries. DC has it covered with these top spots:
If you’re obsessed with food:
So you live for the perfect ricotta pancake or housemade frittata. If you’re there for food and only food, head to always lively 14th Street for Spanish-influenced Estadio, Cork’s delicious small plates, or the housemade pop tarts at the always-packed Ted’s Bulletin. For prime people-watching and eats, you can't beat the terrace at Café du Parc on Pennsylvania Avenue, where you can pair Niçoise salad or eggs Benedict with views of the Washington Monument and nearby sights. At Osteria Morini, you can start your day with house-made artisan pasta without judgement.
Over in Foggy Bottom, farm-to-table favorite Founding Farmers is a hard-to-get res for a reason, while Equinox offers an eight-course plant-based meal. Hot new options include Taqueria Las Gemelas located in La Cosecha and Yardbird, which features a Southern menu including Chicken 'N' Watermelon 'N' Waffles. For a Michelin-inspired brunch, check out Mediterranean-inspired Zaytinya, one of many Bib Gourmand restaurants designated by the French tire company for serving great, affordable food. In Georgetown, Seasons and Sequoia Restaurant each offers a full array of regional and fresh offerings at various food stations – plus the bottomless mimosas to help wash it all down. For an outside-the-box take on brunch favorites, at Michael Schlow's Alta Strada brunchers can nosh on an everything bagel pizza topped with smoked salmon, mascarpone and all the fixings.
And if you want to have your brunch and eat it every day of the week, Unconventional Diner offers just that with their Everyday Brunch menu. Enjoy Georgia French Toast, loaded breakfast biscuits, corned beef hash and more daily until 4 p.m.
If you don’t have all day:
Okay, so maybe you can’t spend three hours leisurely brunching your Sunday away. If you’re in the mood for a savory egg sandwich, head to Shaw for Butter Me Up, where the goods are sandwiched between buttery brioche rolls and even pancakes. Pick up homemade bagels and schmears from Call Your Mother and Buffalo & Bergen. Those in the mood for something sweet can pop by one of the city’s gourmet doughnut shops; Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken and District Doughnut are standouts.
If you want to leave a little (or a lot) tipsy:
Bottomless mimosa deals are a dime a dozen, but some places really do it right. The Park at 14th doesn't just serve up bottomless mimosas for brunch, it also offers unlimited plates with favorites like brioche French toast, bacon and eggs, jerk chicken wings and blackened salmon. Richard Sandoval’s El Centro offers a deal that gets you bottomless mimosas and an endless supply of delicious tapas. Go hungry.
Using market-fresh ingredients, Boqueria recreates an authentic Barcelona market experience through its distinctive tapas and takes on classic Spanish dishes. This night-on-the-town destination also makes for a great date brunch spot, as $49 will land you a Brunch for Two experience.
Like its sister restaurant in Dupont Circle, Mission Navy Yard is your go-to for a margarita-fueled fiesta. Tacos and tequila – what more could you want for brunch? Elsewhere in the District, Agora has a fantastic bottomless brunch, complete with hummus and every other Mediterranean dip one could ask for, accompanied by warm, fluffy pita bread.
If steak is your thing, look no further than Medium Rare. For less than $35, you can start your day with their award-winning culotte steaks and unlimited Bloody Marys or mimosas. Swap out the traditional eggs and bacon for Ambar's bottomless Balkan brunch. Craving cider? At Brightwood Pizza & Bottle, you can get you a never-ending stream of three different ciders.
If you want to brunch on a patio:
When the weather’s perfect, brunching al fresco is practically required. A rundown of some of the prettiest patios on which you can catch a breeze with your benedict: Iron Gate, Sequoia, Tabard Inn, Open City, Maketto, Fiola Mare, Le Diplomate, Mercy Me and St. Anselm.
Now that brunch is decided, plan the rest of the day's meals. Discover all of the hottest restaurants and best places to eat in Washington, DC.
