Washington’s latest bar trend? Vinyl vibes. A recent crop of music-centric spots draw inspiration from Japanese kissa—cafes known for their vintage records—while others simply use their eclectic LP collections and regular DJs to set the mood.
Cana
location_on2412 18th St., NW
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This buzzy little Brazilian bar in Adams Morgan was born during co-owner Radovan Jankovic’s stay in Rio de Janeiro with his Brazilian girlfriend during the early Covid lockdowns. He brought back a passion for the caipirinha—the country’s national drink, combining cachaça, lime, and sugar—but also more than a thousand vintage records. Now regular DJs play Brazilian funk, soul, samba, and other music focused on the 1960s through early ’80s, as bartenders shake strawberry and passionfruit caipirinhas made with real sugar cane. Just added: bossa nova brunch.
La Betty
location_on420 K St., NW
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Tessa Velazquez, part of the family behind Baked & Wired, wanted this bar to feel like one of her dinner parties, complete with natural wines, snacky small plates, and vinyl tunes. With help from her DJ husband, Anthony Demby, the Mount Vernon Triangle spot plays an array of genres from all over the world and different eras. “You’re really getting these rare, deep grooves that you wouldn’t normally hear on the radio,” Velazquez says. Wednesdays and Thursdays, the bar plays records from its collection, beginning to end. On weekends, local DJs play their own sets.
Oasis: The Listening Bar
location_on1220 N. Fillmore St., Arlington
By day, this Japanese-inspired cafe and listening bar from the owners of Sisters Thai will offer espresso and matcha drinks alongside cakes and desserts. Evenings will bring sushi, including an omakase option, with plenty of luxe ingredients like foie gras and truffles, plus Instagram-ready cocktails. The backdrop to it all is vinyl jazz, but expect a rotation of music genres, with DJs spinning their own sets and live performers several nights a week. It’s slated to open in Clarendon in late July.
Press Club
location_on1506 19th St., NW
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The menu at this cool-kids bar in Dupont is styled like a vinyl record, with an à la carte “track list” of sophisticated cocktails in sleek glassware—plus a curated “playlist” tasting, including four drinks and a few nibbles. Bartenders Will Patton and Devin Kennedy play their LPs—spanning from ’70s disco to ’90s rap, with some new wave, classic rock, and more in between—start to finish. “Our bread and butter is finding those ‘no-skip albums.’ Something that’s as good from front to back,” Kennedy says. “You should be hearing something different every day.”
La’ Shukran
location_on417 Morse St., NE
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A “Habibi funk” soundtrack accompanies escargot-topped hummus and arak cocktails at Albi chef Michael Rafidi’s bistro and bar in Union Market. The vintage vinyl collection draws from Egypt, Sudan, Turkey, and throughout the Arabic-speaking world, while the menu pulls from Rafidi’s Palestinian roots and classic French culinary training, with fun mash-ups like a kebab steak au poivre. DJs make appearances every Friday and Saturday night.
This article appears in the July 2025 issue of Washingtonian.
