Neighborhood Guide: Where to Eat, Shop, and Play in Dupont Circle and Logan Circle

Built after the Civil War to fulfill Pierre L’Enfant’s grand plan for Washington, the traffic circle then called Pacific Circle—later renamed for Union general Samuel Francis Du Pont—began shaping the Dupont Circle neighborhood that we know today. Over the decades, the area expanded with an influx of embassies, shops, restaurants, and residences. Meanwhile, its neighbor to the east, Logan Circle, experienced a similar bout of development as Victorian rowhouses sprang up and nearby14th Street cemented itself as a major retail destination.

Both areas took a hit after the 1968 riots but bounced back, thanks in part to a surge of LGBTQ+ residents. Today, they’re among the city’s buzziest neighborhoods, with plenty of places to eat, shop, and have fun. Here are some new spots as well as old favorites.

 

Eat and Drink

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Gemini

Probably DC’s only pasta restaurant with no chairs, Gemini is one-of-a-kind in more ways than one. It’s a natural-wine shop, an ice-cream parlor, and a sourdough-pizza place, but it truly shines with pastas such as Greek gnocchi, called gkogkes, in tomato butter and small plates like roasted Japanese sweet potato with feta. Gemini, which opened in 2023, has an undeniable pedigree, too: It’s run by chef Johnny Monis, who was behind Komi and Little Serow, two of the most beloved and distinctive Washington restaurants of the past few decades.

 

Kayu

Last year, chef Paolo Dungca announced the closure of his hip, modern Filipino restaurant on H Street. Less than two months later, Kayu was back with a cozy new dining room in Dupont Circle. Try Dungca’s decadent cassava cake topped with crab fat, jamón Ibérico, and trout roe; chorizo sliders with pickled papaya; or the grilled half chicken with spicy vinegar.

 

Amparo Fondita

Chihuahua-born chef Christian Irabién opened one of DC’s best Mexican restaurants in 2023. Amparo Fondita feels buzzy and cool at dinner—look for ceviches or aguachiles, plus festive large plates like chile en nogada—but we also recommend the set lunch, inspired by the quick multi-course comida corrida tradition in Mexico City.

 

Casamara

The luxe Sixty Hotel appeared on the Dupont scene last year, bringing with it the coastal Mediterranean eatery Casamara. Restaurateur Hanif Harji draws on numerous cuisines, serving such highlights as grilled-cabbage salad with yogurt-tahini dressing; sardine sourdough toasts; and braised pork shoulder with candied-pear mostarda. The wood-paneled Reynold’s Bar around the back of the hotel is also a draw.

 

Mikko Nordic Fine Food

Opened in 2018 by the former executive chef for the ambassador of Finland, Mikko Nordic Fine Food embraces hygge, the Scandinavian term for a feeling of cozy contentment. You’ll find Danish open-faced sandwiches with gravlax or shrimp on rye bread, Swedish pancakes, and hearty main courses like chicken schnitzel with caper butter. It’s also a good place to stop for just a hot toddy, hot chocolate, or glögg (mulled wine).

 

Alfreda

Fine-dining chef Russell Smith aimed to perfect a New York–ish style of thin-crust pizza when he opened Alfreda in 2024. What he came up with is a laid-back neighborhood spot with indulgent yet simple pies. The Alfreda—with crushed tomato, fresh and aged mozzarella, romano, oregano, and black pepper—is somehow more than the sum of its parts.

 

Pappe

When a team of Indian chefs opened Pappe in 2018, it was the only Indian restaurant along 14th Street. It also helped usher in a boom in creative yet traditional South Asian restaurants that has made DC’s Indian food scene even more exciting. Some of the best dishes on the menu are kissed by an open-fire grill: Tellicherry lamb chop, chicken tikka masala, and fresh naan. Pappe’s particularly powerful vindaloo is another specialty.

 

Sura

Drawing inspiration from Bangkok’s buzzing Chinatown, Andy and Billy Thammasathiti opened Sura in 2022. They describe the underground space as an “izakaya” or tavern, and serve great drinking food, such as sesame chips with peanut-curry/pork dip, spicy duck laab, and wok-fried pork-belly rice. Wash it all down with house cocktails, beer, or sake.

 

Mallard

Former Vidalia chef Hamilton Johnson opened Mallard in 2024 just off Logan Circle. Dishes such as pimiento cheese with Ritz crackers and chow chow; Sea Island pea dip; shrimp and grits with country ham; and blue-catfish schnitzel draw from Johnson’s South Carolina roots, as does the vintage-Americana decor.

 

Onggi

Named after the earthenware pots that Koreans traditionally use to ferment kimchi, Onggi opened last year. Delicate side dishes such as marinated perilla leaves, mountain vegetables, white-pear kimchi, and stir-fried anchovies are refined, but there are also bigger flavors, including kimchi-pork stew, grilled short ribs, and bone broth with noodles. A jeongsik set-lunch special—your choice of stew or protein such as grilled bulgogi or mackerel, accompanied by three sides and multigrain rice—is an affordable way to taste the products of Onggi’s kitchen.

 

Shop and Things to Do

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Solid State Books

In addition to a wide-ranging selection of reads, Black-owned Solid State Books offers mindfulness workshops, craft circles, and monthly book clubs—themes include romance, mystery, and LGBTQ+. For $50, you can secure a yearlong membership, which grants access to discounted books and event tickets at both the Logan Circle store, which opened in late 2023, and the original location on H Street, Northeast.

 

Backcountry

Utah sporting-goods retailer Backcountry chose Logan Circle as the site for its first Washington-area store in 2023. Shoppers can find apparel and equipment for skiing, cycling, camping, and more, including products from outdoor lifestyle brands like Patagonia, the North Face, and Sorel.

 

Plntr

Netflix-loving locals might remember when Plntr was featured as a date spot in the 2024 DC season of Love Is Blind. The plant boutique, which opened in Dupont in 2020 and expanded to Crystal City last year, offers all kinds of greenery—plus accessories, gardening supplies, and repotting services. It also hosts floral arrangement and other craft classes, including card-making and even an herbal-tea-making intensive.

 

Puppy Sphere

Puppy Sphere, a chain of puppy yoga studios, brought its adorable operation to Dupont Circle last spring. A $60 ticket gets you access to a 45-minute beginner-friendly yoga class followed by a half-hour snuggle session with pups from local breeders and rescue groups, plus sparkling mocktails.

 

Glowbar

The second DC location of the buzzy facial haven Glowbar arrived in Logan Circle last winter. Facials are performed by licensed aestheticians, who customize services to each client’s skincare needs using techniques like dermaplaning, chemical peels, and LED light therapy. A $65 monthly membership fee includes one facial each month, plus exclusive merch and discounts on Glowbar’s skincare line.

 

Shinola

Shinola brought its selection of leather-bound timepieces to Logan Circle in 2015, marking the Detroit brand’s third flagship location. In addition to its signature watches, collections include artisan bags, jewelry, and even pet accessories.

 

Secondi

Owned and operated by its founder, Caitrine Callison, since 1986, Secondi is widely recognized as DC’s longest-standing women’s consignment shop. The racks boast a staggering selection of secondhand designer finds—think Gucci bags, Christian Louboutin heels, and David Yurman jewelry—for a fraction of their original price.

 

Salt & Sundry

Founder Amanda McClements expand-ed her do-it-all housewares shop, Salt & Sundry, to Logan Circle in 2014, two years after opening her original Union Market location. Shop her selection of goodies by local and artisanal makers, including candles, jewelry, leather goods, handmade ceramics, and decor.

 

Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market

The Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market has been a weekend tradition since 1997. Every Sunday from 8:30 to 1:30, more than 50 farmers and artisans gather to sell the fruits of their labor. Along with produce, local businesses offer coffee beans, baked goods, condiments, and more.

 

Studio Theatre

Known for its intimate 200-person auditorium, Logan Circle’s Studio Theatre has been a cornerstone of DC’s performing-arts scene since it opened in 1978. On the marquee this spring: Purlie Victorious, a Tony-nominated satirical comedy about a reverend who travels through Jim Crow–era Georgia to save his father’s church.

 

Black Cat

In a city that’s full of music venues, the Black Cat still stands out more than three decades after its founding by former Gray Matter drummer Dante Ferrando. Upcoming headliners include British punk rockers Mclusky, the twee pop band Heavenly, and indie pop singer-songwriter Ritt Momney.

 

Phillips Collection

Founded by art collectors Duncan and Marjorie Acker Phillips more than a century ago, the Phillips Collection houses nearly 6,000 works by artists including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O’Keeffe. Through early May, visitors can see the exhibition “There Somewhere,” a video installation showcasing the work of artist Peter Campus.

 

Anderson House

In the early 1900s, American diplomat Larz Anderson and his wife, Isabel, threw their share of soirees at what’s now the historic Anderson House. Today, the Gilded Age mansion is overseen by the Society of the Cincinnati and operates as a museum for the public to tour. Artifacts from the couple’s many extravagant trips abroad remain on display, from Asian ivories to French home furnishings.

 

Dupont Underground

Dupont Underground opened in 2016, reimagining a deserted streetcar station into a nonprofit cultural hub. The space hosts a wide variety of programming, including poetry readings and fashion shows. Coming this spring: an adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire featuring only four actors and no set or props.

 

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House

Mary McLeod Bethune used her Logan Circle home as headquarters for the National Council of Negro Women, an organization she founded in 1935 to advocate for the interests of Black women. Today, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House is recognized as a National Historic Site. Visitors can take guided tours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

 

What’s Selling

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The historic neighborhoods of Dupont and Logan circles–epicenters of DC life–are dotted with old condos, townhouses, and a few luxury buildings. Here’s what’s sold in the past few months.

This article appears in the April 2026 issue of Washingtonian.