An awesome first stop in DC--a great exhibit on DC's urban planning history will get you oriented well to the layout of the city.
Yes, it is a paid museum, but totally worth the ticket--$20 gets you in for two days, so take your time!
Brunch seating opens up at 11, so get there before 10:30 (at the latest!) to get your name on the list and be guaranteed a table in the first round. Best brunch in DC.
My favorite Smithsonian museum hands-down...go on a weekday so it will be (a little) less crowded.
Yes, it might feel weird to grab lunch at a museum, but the cafeteria here is actually amazing. You have to see it to believe it!
Far outside the city, but a great museum (and in my opinion way better than the Air & Space Museum on the Mall). Worth a visit if you can make it there!
Usually a wait around dinner time, but great, fancy-ish pizza that's also reasonably priced.
Good for brunch, but a definite pain to get a table on a weekend. Go on a weekday if you possibly can! I strongly recommend the homemade English muffins...
My favorite place for a quick bite by the White House - stop here if you need lunch while crossing back and forth across town.
Grab lunch at one of the fast food places on 7th St in Chinatown and then eat it in this gorgeous atrium at the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is worth a visit if you have a free afternoon.
On Sundays during the warm weather months Eastern Market has a great street fair with artists, musicians, and a good flea market too! Go here for some more (ahem) personal souvenirs.
More good happy hour, although far from the metro (and therefore a little off the beaten path).
Yes, the DJs here change the music every thirty seconds, but it's a fun place to go dancing with a great, graffiti-y vibe.
Happy hour dim sum...what could be better? The Chinatown location is small (but great), and there's also a new(ish) location in Dupont.
Chiller than most bars in the U St area, this converted garage is a great place to grab a drink outside in the summer months.
If you need to "get some work done" this cool coffee house/bar is a nice place to relax and work on your laptop. Crowded in the afternoon, so bring a charged laptop so you won't need an outlet.
HUGE wait for dim sum, so get there early to pick up a ticket and then have coffee at the Caribou at the other end of the strip mall. Delicious, cheap, and worth the long line!
Right next to Tabard Inn, and also an amazing place for brunch! They have a beautiful courtyard out back where you can eat outside in nice weather as well.
One of the best (if not the best) happy hour in Chinatown! Excellent mojitos/sangria and lovely small plates.
The quintessential independent bookstore, plus a cafe/bar where you can grab a nosh while surrounded by books!
Very delicious greek small plates from the chef that brought you Graffiato (also worth a visit)!
Best cupcakes in DC, hands-down. I love the Ménage à Trois, which is chocolate with a raspberry jelly center.
Great (albeit overpriced, of course) coffee shop/bar near Logan Circle. They have the amazing combination of both wifi and outlets, so you can stay here all day working (with a coffee or a beer)!
Now that there's one in Somerville it's a little less exciting, but delicious nevertheless :)
Very charming independent cafe--a lovely place to do work with delicious cookies! Outdoor seating is also a plus.
I've said it before and I'll say it again--if I was forced to eat one cuisine for the rest of my life, it would be Mediterranean. This place is the bomb.com.
A cousin of Baked & Wired, with amazing sandwiches and a great (albeit a bit sterile) atmosphere!
