Viceroy Washington DC

Worth getting out of bed for

Bracketed by the buzzy bars of 14th street, leafy parks and impressively ornate 19th-century architecture, Viceroy DC is perfectly placed for culture vultures. The area’s Gothic Victorian and Romanesque revival mansions were once home to DC’s most noble natives, these days, however, you’re more likely to encounter groups of mat-wielding moms taking post-yoga coffee beside the bespectacled work-from-home crowd or rugged rock-n-rollers grabbing a bite in between sound-checks. Nab a bench at Logan Circle park and watch them come and go or better still, navigate the Logan Circle Heritage Trail – a 1.5-mile loop around the district following a series of 15 signs dotted around key sites of interest. You needn’t venture far for dinner and a show, though exactly what type of show we’ll leave down to you; there’s the intimate, four stage Studio Theatre where you’ll a programme of contemporary productions by cutting-edge playwrights or Black Cat, an indie gig venue who’ve spent the the last 30 years welcoming all kinds of troubled troubadours through their doors from Fugazi to the Foo Fighters. Elsewhere in the Executive City, don’t miss the Phillips Collection, America’s first contemporary art museum which includes Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party and a characteristically atmospheric Rothko room. Bookworms can lose hours in Kramers, the city’s oldest bookstore, while history lovers will be thrilled by the Civil War fortifications, colonial houses and working mills of Rock Creek Park. Oh, and there’s supposedly some kind of White House around these parts, too.

Local restaurants

Any given night of the week you’ll find the who’s who of DC’s dining scene tucking into country duck terrine or steak frites and escargot at Le Diplomate’s little slice of Paris. Pork enthusiasts at The Pig pedal a seasonal menu of elevated chops and shanks while at the loved-by-locals Logan Tavern you’ll find informal farm-to-fork fare and, come Sunday brunch, a DIY Bloody Mary bar to banish those Saturday night scaries.

Local cafés

Feed your mind, body and soul at Busboys and Poets, a grassroots community café and bookstore. For wholesome breakfast bites, single-origin coffee and loose-leaf teas, head to Slipstream - the banana bread with maple butter is a must.

Local bars

Inspired by dim-lit Victorian pubs, the Crown & Crow is decked out with ornate chandeliers, burgundy booth seating and a lovingly restored oak bar where craft cocktails are shaken and stirred into the small hours. You’ll find Cork Wine Bar on the other side of the aesthetic spectrum with clean lines, natural light and plenty of exposed brick. Oh, and over 250 bottles from international, indie producers, too.