Best Brunch in Washington DC | Top Weekend Spots

Brunch in Washington DC is a serious institution — a beloved weekend ritual for a city that works hard all week and plays equally hard on Saturday and Sunday mornings. DC's brunchers are a demanding audience, and the city's restaurants have risen to the challenge, delivering some of the most creative and generous brunch menus on the East Coast.

The range is extraordinary: buttermilk chicken and waffles at a Shaw soul food landmark, yuzu-cured salmon and Japanese-inspired eggs at a Dupont Circle izakaya, bottomless rosé and charcuterie boards in Georgetown's garden terraces, or a classic eggs Benedict with house-cured ham at a Capitol Hill staple. Bottomless brunch packages are wildly popular — expect two-hour seatings and competitive reservations.

Our guide covers DC's top brunch spots by neighbourhood and style, highlights which restaurants are reservation-essential versus walk-in friendly, and identifies the city's best brunch cocktail programmes for when you want to start Sunday properly.