Open City At The National Cathedral

Nice surprise! Arrived before the cathedral opened for tour, so walked the church’s premises and found this place on church grounds- the Open City cafe. Open City is very charming, with a substantial menu, well executed. The baristas very accommodating, pleasant, competent. Being a week day, the place was filled with locals on their laptops, reading a book, friend gathered for coffee- very nice to see I don’t give 5 stars, but this place deserves it.

It’s a great place to hangout. Usually busy. Iced Honey lavender latte is One of the best coffee. Kale 🥬 smoothie is good All the refreshers are great(only when it is not light on the flavours/syrups they use. Overnight oats, turkey club, egg sandwiches are my fav. Good staff. Person at the counter mostly in the morning time she is welcoming and kind.

I love Open City and am so happy this cafe reopened after the pandemic. It's my favorite place to come while teleworking. Good quality food, great staff, and a beautiful location. The only drawback is that it can get kind of busy on weekdays when the National Cathedral school lets out or on weekends during tourist season.

The National Cathedral is a place of solemn worship and meditation, and the cozy, rustic environment of the Open City Cafe is a meaningful addition to it. It also provides amazing coffees, pastries and paninis, if you're seeking earthly nourishment instead of just spiritual fulfillment, and they're really good at it. While there is no table service, they do bring the food to your table, and they use fresh ingredients as far as I can tell. Highly recommend, for either a coffee or lunch proper.

With the original in Woodley Park, this location is Open City's second. Located inside a historic building on the grounds of the National Cathedral, here's my experience after visiting on a Monday morning: 1) Food: My five-year-old daughter and I stopped in for a snack after playing at the nearby Beauvoir Playground. She ordered a plain bagel with plain cream cheese and devoured it! My cinnamon swirl sweet bread was great! 2) Drinks: Their chair latte is still among my favorite in D.C. (Ebenezers near Union Station also has a great chai latte.) 3) Service: It's quick and very kind. One gentleman was so funny and served every customer with class, grace, and speed. 4) Space: There are many tables inside the historic space with stain-glass windows. There's outdoor seating in the patio. There's free wifi throughout. 5) Neighborhood: There's a lot to explore nearby, including the Bishop's Garden, Olmsted Wood, and Beauvoir Playground (when it's open to the public).