3 Best Bars in Washington, D.C., USA

Step off H Street and into a boisterous bit of Bavaria. There might be football on TV, but that's not enough to break the spell of a place so genuinely Germanic. With about a dozen German drafts on offer, along with other authentic specialties—Tito's Mule?—and five fully stocked bars (plus a full kitchen), there's something for everyone, including six different spaces. Get cozy inside, or head for the "pavilion," covered with heaters in winter and partially open in good weather; the tree-lined outdoor patio, sprinkled with fire pits and a heater in winter; four-seater cabins; an outdoor roof deck; and more.

Set off by a three-story mural of Elizabeth Taylor, Dacha has become the go-to outdoor drinking venue in midtown D.C., with lines of people (and their dogs) waiting to get in most evenings any time of year whenever the weather isn’t bitterly cold or inclement. (A windscreen wall and heaters help keep patrons toasty during the winter.) The beer garden serves drafts of craft beers from Germany, Belgium, and the United States as well as Bavarian-inspired nosh, while the adjoining café serves hot coffee and bagels and sandwiches during the day.

If day drinking is more of your thing, The Berliner is the place for you. With a unique beer garden set in a loft, the bar offers a lengthy beer menu of German beers. Additionally, it features locally made brews from D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. With communal seating, you may be able to make a new friend while indulging in German pretzels and wurst. Most guests will probably take a selfie with the popular mural of JFK alongside the building stating "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner"), an ode to his 1963 speech in Berlin.