Open City At the National Cathedral

Went here for coffee and to study. Free wifi, which is great. I ordered a dirty pacific vanilla chai, and they forgot the espresso which was frustrating, however it was still delicious so I couldn’t be too mad. My friend got the squash sandwich and it was delicious. And of course, the location is amazing, right on the National Cathedral grounds. Would recommend.

Visited on the sunday before MLK. It was around 1:30 pm and a church service has concluded about an hour prior. There was a short line but all the tables were busy. Atmosphere was very café /​bouguois like, with small tables, a single large table and several sofa’s and comfy couches.
ham, vegetable and potato soup was to divine
savory belgian waffles with ham and grueyer was just the right mix of ham (all inside) and
cheese, mixed inside and out.
If the weather had been warmer and outside service in the Bishops garden, it would have been amazing. loved the circular open atmosphere. hobbit hole like.

i’ve been several times and the food is good, but my friends and I have had to stop going in the winter because the noise level is too high inside. (In the summer we can sit outside.) Unfortunately, the management also allows young children to run around unsupervised. It makes a visit there really disagreeable! Otherwise, food and coffee is great! Someone needs to figure out how to lower the decibels and encourage parents to supervise their children.

Nice little joint for coffee, pastries, and other eats.

Wow, what an atmosphere! This café is on the Cathedral grounds, next to the famed rose garden, in an old, round stone building — with an outside seating area as well. And the food is very good (better than the diner-​ish quality of Open City at Woodly). The selection of sandwiches here is excellent. I especially love their Cubano — and chicken salad. Their sweets are, no surprise, wonderful as well. Try the apple pie — unusually good. But, above all, I love the ambience. There’s free wifi and a steady flow of people, and conversation, on the weekend. Heaven.

Great place to work with free wifi and comfy chairs, lovely snacks and meals. Excellent vibe and a standout in an area with slim pickings in terms of cafes! Reviewer who said they only have baked goods did not look at their menu, which has great lunch and brunch options as well.

This place only offers different kinds of breads — croissants, cookies, brownies and muffins — and coffee. Really more of a snack shop than a restaurant.
If you’re looking for substance look elsewhere.
On the plus side there is a restroom, the building is interesting and near the cathedral.

I LOVE Open City in the Woodley Park area, but this small café version is just too good to be true. Took my family there to grab a quick bite before the tour of the cathedral and my goodness, they had practically everything I could want from the actual restaurant, including MANY, MANY gluten-​free goods. The décor and architecture of the building itself reminded me of Shrek/​The Hobbit. Loved it.

This place is my dreams coming true, it’s a smaller version of Tryst only closer to home! I love that they have little games while you are waiting for the food, although the food is way quicker to arrive than it is in the bigger restaurant. Great for a morning coffee, hanging out, chill.

I paid $ 17 for a chai, ½ ham and Brie and ½ corn chowder. The sandwich was HORRIBLE. There was literally one slice of ham and the Brie was smaller than than the ham. It wasn’t even melted. This was pretty much a bread sandwich for $ 11. The corn chowder was lukewarm and bland. Normally I’m not this harsh, but it was ridiculous for how expensive it was. Not to mention absolutely no bike parking anywhere. The chai was fine, but not worth the rest of the experience. Bummer, was hoping to have a Starbucks alternative with a beautiful surrounding area. Not worth it.

Lavender hot chocolate. Peach belgium waffle. And little animal cookies too. The food here is delightful and excellent quality. The waffle had great soft, sweet, warm peaches and was topped with a dash of powdered sugar and sliced, toasted almonds. The lavender hot cocoa was so creamy and the lavender was not overpowering. It came with two animal cookies as dippers. The atmosphere is beautiful and serene. We ate outdoors but it was a bit too warm to drink hot liquids and sit in the direct sun. Otherwise, fantastic!

Great neighborhood coffee house ! While limited in menu (there is no kitchen, just a heat and prep station) the coffee will keep you coming back for more. Like other open city/​tryst locations — this is the real speciality. Get a hazelnut latte or Cuban, both top notch and leaps and bounds better than that other major coffee chain. Drinks come with animal crackers to keep the open city vibe alive and well.
Small patio is nice for a morning cup. Pets welcome. Indoors has more of a coffee house/​study or telecommuting worker atmosphere.

I have submitted multiple reviews for Open City at National Cathedral, but for some reason they keep getting removed. Anyway, this place is fantastic for a full breakfast, a coffee, or lunch. It’s one of the best kept secrets in DC where you can enjoy top quality coffee from Counter Culture in the shadow of one of the coolest buildings in the city and aside one of the most beautiful gardens in the city. Seriously. The food is awesome, and the setting is unbeatable. You don’t have to be religious to respect the architecture and beauty of this cathedral from the comfort of your coffeeshop chairs.
The coffeeshop is in what appears to be an old office adjacent to the cathedral. It’s between the cathedral and the gardens.
The interior is actually kind of splendid as a combination of old and new. Beautiful glass shields protect delicious baked goods, enticing waffles, and a sandwich bar. They have free wifi and a number of tables, but not a myriad of power outlets so don’t count on charging your electronics.

Great place to grab some coffee and get work done in a lively environment! The open room is very visually appealing and has great lighting. I had a dirty chai latte and croissant this morning and both were delicious. One of the best dirty chai’s I have ever had and they put a cute heart in the foam! Love it when coffee shops do that. I wasn’t planning on eating lunch here, but I was so impressed by everyone’s food that I had to take a look at the menu. I didn’t have much money on me, so I got the kale caesar salad and it was delicious! I can’t wait to come back and try one of their sandwiches. Great service, as well.

I was going to update my review on the old site but this is ok too.
I’ve been here for sweet baked goods and now for lunch. I had the turkey cucumber sandwich, which was so delicious and quite a generous portion considering the price. I’ve also had their cookies and like them a lot. I’m not a huge coffee drinker so the deduction in stars is only for the small selection of tea. However, what they do have should be more than sufficient for fellow tea lovers– get the Bishop’s Garden for a wonderful experience in florals.
I should also mention that the only competition in the area as far as cafes go are the two Starbucks on the same block up around Macomb/​Newark. That, coupled with its prime location on the grounds of the National Cathedral, makes this place a hotbed for tourists, so it can get noisy at times. That’s ok though! It’s perfectly quiet in the autumn and winter when there aren’t as many people stopping in.
I hope locals will join me in taking their business here!