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I was last in Washington, DC on a cold February weekend with two main goals: see the Mark Rothko works on paper exhibition at the National Gallery and eat exceptionally well. By the final night, my husband and I had already worked our way through our shortlist of must-visit restaurants, including Maydan (excellent, of course), Old Ebbitt Grill, and Federalist Pig, and had visited not only the National Gallery, but also toured the White House (a visit that requires advance planning) and seen much of the city’s historic sites on foot. On this last night, we were looking for somewhere to enjoy a quick cocktail and a bite to eat near both our hotel, The Line, and the Hotbed Comedy Club, where we were headed for a late show. This quick stop ended up being the culinary highlight of the whole trip.
Saturday evening, we wandered into Lapop, a small underground bar lined with books and vinyl records. Despite the intimate and understated setup, the room felt lively and warm. It was buzzing with music and chatter but felt welcoming. We ordered cocktails and looked over the menu. The cocktails were complex, surprising, and well-spiced. Order the Guns, Cars & Sardars for a warming mezcal and vanilla sip or the Sumac Highball for a non-alcoholic sumac drink with a ginger bite. The Lapop Old Fashioned is a welcome variation for bourbon lovers, served with cardamom and char masala bitters. The bar was busy, and service occasionally a little hard to flag down, but our server made sure we enjoyed our meal and finished in time to get to our show.
The biggest surprise was the food. The menu comes from Lapop’s sister restaurant Lapis, the family-run Afghan restaurant located directly above the bar, where Chef Shamim serves traditional, homestyle Afghan cuisine. The Afghan dumplings were the absolute highlight of the evening (and dare I say, of the trip): flavourful, tender, and served with a savoury cream sauce.The lamb tikka was equally delicious and well-spiced. A year later, after countless meals across multiple cities, this remains one of the most memorable dishes I have ever enjoyed. It was the perfect meal for a cold winter evening and a wonderful introduction to Afghan cuisine.
DETAILS
Lapop
Cocktail & Vinyl Bar
1847 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
Website: https://www.instagram.com/lapopdc
Rating: ★★★★½
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