Late night coffee shops to fuel your study sessions
The GW community is currently in the midst of midterm season, which means that on-campus study space is scarce.
Rather than cramming into Gelman Library with the rest of GW’s population, visit an off-campus coffee shop to get your caffeine fix and then hunker down to finish some studying. We’ve rounded up five late-night coffee shops and cafes in Washington, D.C. that offer cosier atmospheres and more coffee options than a Starbucks.
Kramers All Day – open until 10:00 p.m.
Kramers is located in Dupont Circle, approximately 15 minutes from campus or a block from the Dupont Circle Metro station. You can sit outside on the patio, inside at the bar, or in the sun-drenched cafe at the back of the shop, all while listening to the buzz of the bookstore attached to the cafe. Kramers features an espresso bar serving a variety of coffee classics as well as drip coffee. When paired with a cup of coffee, the Kramers Goober Pie ($8) made with peanut butter, graham crackers, and chocolate ganache makes an ideal late-night study treat. Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m., the cafe hosts jazz music.
1530 NW 19th St. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tryst – until 9:00 p.m.
Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., stop by Tryst for the open, spacious, lounge-style seating, but stay for the coffee. The hipster cafe, located in Adams Morgan, offers both indoor and outdoor seating. However, with live music on occasion and large, comfortable couches, indoor seating is an excellent place to study if you prefer some background noise. The cafe’s ambience is warm and inviting, with dim lighting, mismatched furniture, paintings on the walls, and jazz or indie music to set the mood. Seven homemade flavour syrups are featured on Tryst’s handcrafted beverage menu. There is something for everyone on their list of 13 iced or hot teas, coffees, and speciality drinks. The brown sugar apple pie latte ($6) and the fall spice latte ($5.23) are both seasonal beverages. Each drink will come with two of Tryst’s signature animal crackers.
2459 NW 18th St. Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Mikko – until 11:00 p.m.
Mikko, with its white, blue, and red painted exterior, is located just east of Dupont Circle. Along with traditional Nordic fare such as a herring sandwich ($9.50), the shop serves drip coffee and espresso drinks. Take advantage of the cafe-style tables scattered out front when the weather is nice, but if you prefer to sit inside, there is some counter seating near the kitchen and a few two-person tables in the front of the store. Mikko is decorated on the inside with pops of blue and red paint and has a quiet atmosphere ideal for cranking out a paper without distraction. Mikko’s extensive selection of Nordic confections, which includes Finnish chocolates, Norwegian candies, and daily freshly baked pastries, may be difficult to resist. While nibbling on a pastry or sipping a steaming cup of coffee, you may experience a sense of hygge, a Danish term for describing a feeling or moment as cosy, charming, or special.
