The best coffee in DC: Lapis in Adams Morgan!

I live in London, but it's not until a recent visit to Washington DC that I realised how easy it is to get a good cup of coffee in London. Probably an Italian would say most London coffee is rubbish, but it's all relative. Because compared to London, the average cup of coffee in DC is really rubbish.

Not to worry, DC folks, I found a few bright lights you can turn to in your time of caffeine need. Number one in my book is Lapis, a modern Afghan restaurant in Adams Morgan. And while they serve way more than food (delicious food too!), their coffee is amazing. Like a good coffee in London. My friend A introduced me to this place, and I thanked her profusely for helping me find a decent cup of coffee. I ordered two cortados (similar to flat white) while brunching there, and if I wasn't worried about getting the shakes, I would have ordered a good many more!

My second place goes to Compass, a local coffee chain. There I had a delicious soy cappucino. Another friend A says its one of his go-to places for coffee in DC. Because it's a coffee shop with a few locations, this will likely be the most useful one for regular DC coffee-drinkers. Apart from the coffee, the economist in me was interested in their production line for coffee. Unlike any coffee shop I've ever seen, they have a pure assembly line process in place. Not a semi one like Starbucks, but a genuine assembly line where each person does one small function and passes the cups to the next one. I was too shy to ask the manager whether it actually made a difference in terms of efficiency and turnover, but I am really curious. Does it also serve to minimise error?

Third place goes to the aptly named Filter Coffeehouse, with two locations in DC. I thought the coffee was good overall, and the staff was particularly knowledgeable about their coffee. The reason it made third on my list is that the last coffee I had there was slightly burnt. Two of my friends, A and J, both took me to this place independently, so it is definitely popular. It's also near the World Bank and International Monetary Fund offices, which means you're likely to see a whole bunch of foreign economists there in deep discussions. Aside from the conversations, my friend J even told me this is a place staffers go to meet potential romantic interests too! So maybe double check your hair and outfit in the mirror before a visit if you are looking to meet new folks. I heard lots of Latin and Italian accents, for the record.