Gluten free review - Totally forgot to take a picture of my food, but I ordered an iced latte with oat milk and vanilla syrup and the egg burrito on a gluten free tortilla. The latte was amazing, and the vanilla syrup tasted homemade, and wasn't too sweet. The egg burrito was unbelievable, and the gluten free tortilla was one of the best I have ever had. The coffee shop itself had a great ambiance with chill music and lots of seating. I would recommend this place for anyone who wants to sit and do work or have a coffee/drink with friends. My only complaint was that there are not many outlets available which can make things difficult. read more

This could be a great spot, but the service model brings it down. You have to order everything from your seat. That would be OK, except the servers are extremely inattentive. After your initial order, they pretty much ghost you. If you need something in a timely manner (like the check), you'll have to go up to the counter anyway. The other downfall is the unreliable WiFi, making it unsuitable for work unless you use data. On the positive side, it's a cool spot with a great vibe and nice outdoor seating. The drinks are well made. Pricing is comparable to other DC cafes. Ambiance: 5/5 Food & Beverage: 4/5 Service: 2/5 read more

Stopped by on a Friday morning to get some work done on my laptop. Very nice space but I stuck to the front area and front door with cold air was left open. If you plan to stay a while, I highly recommend going towards the back of the cafe, much more cozy and warm (couches, comfy chairs etc). Also there were no outlets in the front area, not sure about the back. Only had a cappuccino but their food options smelled amazing! read more

I have mixed feelings about this place, so I'm giving in 3 stars, right in the middle. Here's why: The good - the breakfast sandwich was very good. Scrambled eggs, cheese, and avocado on a brioche bun. Honestly the bun was the best part. It was soft and slightly sweet, almost like a King's Hawaiian Roll. The iced coffee was also pretty good. 4 stars for the food. The not so good - the service. Oh man. You order at the counter, which seems like it would make for a fairly quick experience. Nope. It took for.ev.er. There were 2 groups in front of us and somehow we waited almost 15 minutes to order. They also only had one menu and it was at the register, so it was hard to decide before you got to the counter if you wanted food. It was also kind of expensive for what it was. $35 for 2 breakfast sandwiches and 2 iced coffees. 2 stars for the service and cost. I walk past this place all the time and it's usually pretty busy. I get how it's a cool concept since it's a cafe / bar / restaurant / hangout. I'd like to go back and try happy hour, but I'm not sure it was worth it for brunch. read more

Emissary - Breakfast sandwich and iced coffee - good, but a little pricey - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Cozy and friendly spot with great ambience and attentive service. Very hygge vibes! Absolutely delicious coffee - cortado w a little dark chocolate on the side - and avocado toast that's the best I've ever had. Generous portion of avocado, perfectly cooked eggs, amazing bread. I'm eating there tomorrow too! read more

wow I don't even know where to start!!! Firstly, even though this place is technically a "cafe" i think its secretly the best spot in the city for brunch (not for a group of 8 tho just 2-3). They even have solid drink selection for the endless mimosa alcoholics out there Food 10/10, and when you factor in the PRICE, 1000000/10. Their hummus is sooo fresh and creamy, comes with unlimited nice toasty bread too. One of my pet peeves is when you order a dip and theres literally only enough for like 3 swipes smh. The yogurt was perfectly light and delicate MM perfect w/their lil fruits n honey n granola. The egg sandwich BREAD was so buttery and warm, super fluffy sandwich. Lox one hits too if you want something mroe substantial. Lavendar hot chocolate was ok- i think overshadowed by all the good food! TLDR you'll leave SO happy bc the food was SO good and the pricing was SO normal unlike every other spot in DC ever?? The only downside to the food being so good is it's very busy so I would NOT come here to study, interior also dark cos its hip. Perfect date spot though, so casual but cozy, and outdoor area is super cute. read more

Love this cafe! They have a great atmosphere and delicious food. The avocado toast was seasoned very well and a decent portion for the price you pay. It is a great place to get some work done or meet with a group because they have everything ranging from breakfast food to a happy hour beer. read more

Emissary - Chilaquiles and Avocado toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Emissary is a basement coffee shop located in Dupont. The space is much bigger than it looks from the street. There are four distinct spaces to dine or work. Outlets are pretty plentiful for those looking for a place to hideaway and get a little work done. I've noticed that the different rooms also have different noise volumes, with the rooms further in the back most suitable for deep concentration and work. I ordered the lentil avocado bowl, which included arugula, kale, asparagus, avocado, cucumbers, green goddess dressing, and a side of toast. All items were served cold. The dish would be perfect for those looking for a light meal. However, I was a little disappointed that I paid 12 dollars for a bowl of cold veggies and lentils. My friend ordered the soup of the day (tomato), which came in a really small cup and was a bit cold. I also ordered a house coffee, which was pretty good and gave me a nice little buzz. I did not end up staying through happy hour, but Emissary offers six dollar beers and 24 dollar bottles of wine Monday through Friday from 4-7 pm. The staff at Emissary were friendly and accommodating. Overall, I think it would be a nice place to work or meet up with a friend for a cup of coffee. I didn't love what I ordered (too bland for the price); however, other items on the menu did look good (chilaquiles, warm farro bowl). Pros: Lots of seating and space. Decent coffee. Cons: The food is a bit bland and overpriced for what you get. Tips: There is a quiet bar area with couches in the back of the café. Overall Rating: 3 stars read more

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Really neat neighborhood coffee/food place. The coffee was excellent and the food was delicious. I'm not sure what they put into the eggs to make them so fluffy but please don't stop. The breakfast burrito was fresh and awesome. I would go back anytime. read more

Cute little cafe and the coffee was great! The latte isn't sweet at all so you can get them to add sugar which is what I should have done. read more

Emissary - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Emissary has a wide variety to offer, something for everyone. The ambience is cozy and you can spend hours in there, hanging out and sipping on a glass of wine or some coffee. The location is also pretty convenient. Highly recommended! read more

This is a cute little coffee shop/cafe in DuPont Circle. Location: This cafe is one block from the DuPont metro station. The outside is a little unsuspecting, especially when they have their doors open. The cafe is slightly below street level. Seating: Emissary offers both "to go" options and a sit down option. When you sit down a waiter/waitress will come to you. If you choose to go there are only 4 seats you can sit at if you'd like to enjoy your food/drinks there. Food: We came here for coffee, but I ended up getting a superfood smoothie. For $7 the smoothie was fairly large and really yummy. My husband had a black coffee. He reports that it was "good, but didn't knock my socks off". Service: This would be the main area for improvement in my opinion. We had never been to this spot before so we asked if we could sit down after we ordered our drinks. We were met with a very unamused stare and then said "well no. If you want to sit down you need to order through the waiter". Additionally, while we were there someone was speaking to the Manager to complain that he had been sitting down for 20 minutes and a waiter/waitress hadn't come to get his order. Overall, a good spot to grab a coffee/smoothie if you're in DuPont Circle, but the service could improve. read more

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This place rocks! Serves light yet hearty fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including caffeinated beverages, local craft brews and cocktails. I thoroughly enjoyed the chilaquiles, with egg, avocado, pickled onion and queso fresco piled on corn chips, hiding a delicious housemade salsa underneath. According to the waitress, the salsa is a specialty of the chef at sister restaurant Sorellina across the street, and the chilaquiles are "just what you need on a Saturday morning!" They've created a hospitable streatery to expand their outdoor seating options. read more

Emissary - Chilaquiles - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Emissary is the supreme happy hour hangout in NW D.C. Centrally located, with a restoration hardware vibe. Anybody who knows about my 7 months of living in D.C. knows that this was my regular spot. The best thing about it is staying long enough to watch it convert from a study spot to a great place to begin your night. As soon as Sir Drake (I say that because Drake should be knighted) comes on (bravo to whomever has the aux), you know it's time to fold up your macbook and summon your friends to meet you on P and 21st. Not only do they have $8 specialty cocktails (such as a pear juice and sage/fennel infused vodka cocktail, or a pepper infused vodka cocktail with mango juice), but they have happy hour specials on wine as well. Featured is a $28 bottle of cava brut (or, if you'd like, $6 a flute), enough to make at least two of us tipsy. Sober up with some of their specialty pourovers and espresso using counter culture coffee. Perhaps more impressive are their hors d'oeuvre, such as these specialty toasts. Note: toast on the left was originally a prosciutto, fig, and burrata dish, but Emissary was unfortunately out of the mission figs. However, their keen eye for pathetic and vulnerable millennials meant this was easily remedied by substituting the fig for avocado. On another note, the service is always awesome. Drinks are great, food is great, but the waiters can truly hold a conversation. I've never regretted a dime out of the many, many dimes I spent at this mecca. read more

Emissary - Prosciutto, fig, and avocado toast. Smoked salmon, crème fraîche, caper, and onion toast. Poema cava. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Sub par coffee, and staff looks miserable. Overpriced and basically in a dark basement with small windows. No wifi. They need new management although they have changed management a few times over the last year or two. I predict they will close (as they should) read more

Wow. The restaurant scene in DC continues to impress...and this in a casual coffee cafe between Dupont Circle and the West End just a couple blocks from the Phillips Collection. One of the best lattes I've ever had (this a 1/2 caf soy latte, though I kinda had to beg them to do a 1/2 caf). Then we had the arugula salad and one of their egg sandwich concoctions (which comes with more arugula salad). Delicious, fresh, tangy, very balanced salad and the best eggwich you'll have had. Very casual dining but not super noisy either. Somewhat pricy but not for the quality. read more

Emissary - Guess what: This is the latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Pricey, but understandable for the area. By far one of the best avocado toast dishes I've had. Will definitely go again when in the area. Also of note, they have really good ambiance and lots of space to eat, work and socialize. read more

Really great service and ambiance. Favorite work from home cafe but no outlets. The food is good but mostly not worth the price, so best to stick to the drinks for the most bang for your buck. They have great matcha lattes and even better sweetened with honey read more

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It looks like here are the best cupcakes at least in the area. It's perfect combination of slightly sweet (not to much, just a perfectly bit) chocolate drops and butter with bitter extra dark chocolate for the topping. And again perfectly slightly sweet soft dough. Which make it amazing fit with a cup of capuccino or latte. read more

Emissary - Chocolate cupcaces - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Emissary is one of my favorite happy hour spots to go alone or with a friend/date. Many times before COVID, I would come here with my book and enjoy a glass of wine or two in the comforting atmosphere. The happy hour drink deals are great, and the wine is a great quality! I also have gotten their fresh mozz/tomato appetizer, which was delicious. I can't wait to come back here again. If you are looking for a relaxing spot to unwind, this is the place. read more

Had a matcha latte ! Cute place, good vibes, recommend as a study spot but a little loud ( I went after work so that's totally valid)

Moved to the area last weekend. Came to the Emissary for the first time today after my morning run. Plenty of outdoor seating and the staff inside were wearing masks along with all customers. I ordered the avocado toast with a fried egg which was delicious, the egg was firm white and runny yellow. I got an oat milk latte over ice for my drink, it tasted watery but was decent. Only waited 5 minutes at most from ordering to receiving my items. Line got long shortly after so I suggest going early! Probably would come back again since it's a 2 minute walk from my apartment read more

Emissary - avocado toast w/ fried egg - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love the coffee here. I always get an iced cappuccino or latte. The staff is great and the pastries or not too bad either. Sometimes I pop in and do a little work as well. The furniture is comfortable and allows me to stay for a while, great Wi-Fi too. Overall great coffee shop! read more

Without a doubt, the best coffee shop I've ever been to ever in any place ever. Was in DC for work for just a day. I needed a place to work while waiting for an evening event. Stopped by Kramer Books, but they didn't have Wifi. Stopped by another coffee shop, but they also didn't have Wifi. They had one of those signs that suggests they're too good for it and that you should do something other than be connected. That's cool, except that people have to work sometimes and a comfortable cafe is a nice place to do that. Got to Emissary and yes, they have Wifi. Great. How's the coffee? Excellent. How's the service? Great. These people were unnaturally kind. Being from NYC, I appreciate competence over politeness, but when you have both, that's special. I also enjoyed a double chocolate chip muffin that was the absolute best I've ever had. Not too sweet; just perfect. There's tons of seating. I sat at the bar, which I thought was more comfortable to work on a laptop than at one of the tables in the front. The chairs are a little low making it tough to type. In the back, I spotted some soft seating which looked nice. The back turns in to a proper restaurant with table service after a certain time. 5pm maybe? Listen, if you want some good coffee, a good pastry, and/or a good place to work, this is it. Stop reading and go. read more

I came here on a Saturday afternoon with several friends. The environment is so chill. I had the rum chai latte and the greyhound bus ticket down south. I love smoky spicy flavors so I loved the greyhound bus ticket down south. Our bartender Sam was super cool and attentive. We enjoyed our afternoon and the drinks were lovely! read more

Emissary - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Meh. Coffee is good, but everything overpriced. My iced latte, avocado toast ( with no egg=$15) & muffin were $27 before tip. Not worth it.

Stopped by for a quick brunch with a friend. The place was a little difficult to find, but it didn't seem like other people had much of a problem given that the place was packed. They have an area for to go orders, an area for dine in guests and an area in the back for people to do work; however it may be difficult to find a spot. Regardless, the place was super cute! It had had a modern & rustic kind of vibe. My friend and I ordered the lentil avocado bowl, mushroom tres tacos, and a lavender latte. Honestly the food was alright. It wasn't anything outstanding but it wasn't bad either! It was still quality food. We might've ordered the wrong things but the flavor just wasn't there for us. Also if you're hungry maybe avoid the tacos- they're pretty much bite sized. There's an option to add some avocado to make it a little more filling but I feel like they could have definitely added more to the recipe. Lavender latte was light, creamy and perfect for the cold weather outside. I'm not opposed to trying other food items but I'd probably only return to get drinks and to do some work. read more

Emissary - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My favorite coffee shop in D.C. My best friend lives in D.C. and whenever I go to visit her and she's at work I always come here. The atmosphere is incredible, you get some natural light through the windows and their coffee is amazing too. I always get their latte it's my go to. To be honest I always come here and setup my iPad to draw because I love the vibes. The people who work here are so incredibly sweet. read more

Emissary - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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A very cute coffee shop with a bar in the back! Although this wouldn't be an ideal space for extreme studying (few outlets and loud atmosphere), it's the ideal spot for a laid-back work day or brunch with friends. I get nervous about trying matcha drinks at unfamiliar places since they're usually terrible, but their matcha was actually delicious, definitely making this place my go-to for quick matcha near DuPont! read more

Emissary - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I came in with a friend to dine in and sit at a table. There are no servers as you walk in and someone told us to order at the counter and grab a table. When I ordered, I ordered a sandwich to eat in. We sat down and waited - it came in a take out bag even though we said dine in. To make it better, a worker came and rudely told us we couldn't sit at a table because we had take out even though we asked for dine in. This is hands down the rudest service I received at any restaurant. This was my first experience at this restaurant. I would not recommend eating here or getting a drink here. read more

Emissary - Egg & Cheese Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was exploring dupont circle and stumbled on this coffee shop! The seating outside was very clean and minimalistic with white walls and plants, while the interior design of traditional brick walls with blue/white accents gave off a hipster yet welcoming vibe. There were plenty of seating options. I got a hot matcha latte and thought it was decent: good matcha taste but not strong enough for my liking. The drink wasn't too sweet and the matcha was mixed well with the milk since there were no clumps. Overall, I definitely see myself studying or meeting up with friends here in the future and I'd like to come back to try their coffee! read more

I was in Dupont for work on a Wednesday in October and, having arrived a bit too early, decided to get some work done at Emissary. I arrived at the café a few minutes after it opened. There weren't too many customers when I got there, but a steady stream of people came in over the next hour or so. I got a cappuccino to stay. It was prepared pretty quickly and presented with a piece of dark chocolate, which was a nice touch. The cappuccino itself was also great. The café had free wifi, which worked pretty reliably even when I connected my vpn. There was a good amount of seating and the tables and restrooms were clean. The kitchen didn't open until 8:30 AM, so keep that in mind if you plan to get a breakfast other than pastries. The café is located just a short walk from the Dupont metro station. The staff were polite and efficient. Definitely a nice place to stop by for a coffee and free wifi. read more

Emissary - Inside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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It's a great atmosphere to work, but the coffee is just really bad. They have the fancy espresso machines, but no trained barristas to operate them. read more

I believe my server was Cynthia, she was very disrespectful and awful to me, even after spilling a drink on me, she didnt even apologize. I asked her to call me the manager and she started to get disrespectful to me and didn't even called the manager. She kept telling me the manager wasn't there. I asked who can I speak to, she said I would have to call. So when I left and tried calling no one picked up. read more

My girls and I go here often. Great coffee, food, ambiance . Good stop to warm up and nice baristas

Coffee is great, food is a bit overpriced. Also, the younger cashier with a mustache is passive/rude to customers. My brother and I were brushed off rudely and told to sit down, yet no one took our order for over 20 minutes and it was not busy at all). read more

My friends and I are doctoral students and some of us have been coming here to study and get some work done whenever we needed to! You can always find a spot to sit and the food here is really good! They also serve alcohol I believe for their happy hour. read more

Zach and I came here for breakfast on a Saturday morning, looking for some good coffee and a light breakfast. The vibes are really cool, its basically a basement floor of a rowhouse converted into a coffee shop. There is ample seating, couches, tables, bar seats. They have a good selection of coffee and pour overs, a few pastries, and brunchy items to choose from during their "day" menu. Zach had a Columbian pour over and I ordered a cappuccino. His pour over was really good, a good size portion, with notes of chocolate and nuts. I'm just saying that to sound fancy...I don't actually know anything about coffee. My cappuccino was stronger than I would have liked, not enough milk foam and quite small. Looked cute though! For food, we ordered the smashed avocado toast and I had an apple turnover from the pastry display. The glaze on the turnover was beautiful and the pastry was amazingly flaky. I expected the filling to be apple pie-esque, but it was actually more like applesauce. It still tasted great, but it didn't have that sugary ooey gooey filling like I was looking forward to. The toast was also great and gets a million points for presentation, I mean, its so photogenic! The portion was pretty good for sharing, and I loved the micro greens and the red onions, the cherry tomatoes and the olive oil on top. The best aspect of Emissary was the environment. Not only are there great seating options, the baristas and waiters were fantastic. They were incredibly funny and engaging with the customers, which made our experience there more enjoyable and entertaining. Though it was an enjoyable breakfast, I will say it was a tad expensive for my liking. We paid $12 for the avocado toast, which is pretty steep for a breakfast that doesn't require much labor or many ingredients to prepare. Even though this one toast didn't bankrupt me, I felt guilty paying for something I could make at home. Also, the portion of my cappuccino was also not impressive. Come for the pour over and the environment, but maybe not for a full meal - unless someone else is paying read more

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Very disappointing. I came to DC on a work trip March of 2023 and went to la bicicletta across the street they were only open for less then one month and I remember meeting the head chef and getting the rigatoni alla vodka with red wine and being served bread with oil and herbs before hand and loving it so much I came back 3 more times during my week long work trip and him calling me his regular. When I heard the news I was coming back to DC for work I was so excited to come back. I came in hungry to la bicicletta and saw the menu was Mexican food. The nice bartender woman told me all the pasta changed to the emissary across the street but it was the same recipe. Ok no big deal I'll go there. Upon entry it was very loud and filled with college students ordering popcorn and french fries(it was Friday), what happened to that cute Italian restaurant I loved. I sat at the bar and the bartender took 15 minutes to even remember I was there. Brought my wine before my water and was running around crazy doing a million things. Another waitress girl was on her phone hiding near the coffee bar doing nothing on a busy night. He finally sees me and says he's sorry he forgot to give me a menu after me waiting 15 minutes for one I decided it's ok and was annoyed but I understood. So I take my menu and look over it and wait yet again 15 minutes for him to come back to take my order he takes my order and says there is no more rigatoni... the exact thing I came for but he says they can make it with penne. Like ok I'll do that no big deal. The food comes they made it with spaghetti noodles?? I told them what happened and the chef made it right very quickly with penne. But to my dismay as I tasted that pasta is was overcooked and falling apart on the fork. Cheese sticking to the plate and fork. Under seasoned yet over salty... this is nothing like that restaurant I fell in love with la bicicletta. Now I'm hungry and sad. I let the bartender know and he was very sorry but it wasn't his fault, maybe it was just a bad night. But truthfully if you aren't a college student looking for a night out I highly do not recommend coming here. read more

I used to come here a lot but the service has gone very down hill. Maybe there was a change in management? Who knows. Don't come here if you are looking for a relaxing coffee shop to do work in. You are hustled to order and the workers are rude. I was here yesterday and they forgot part of my order... and then again today. The coffee is fine but not worth feeling unsatisfied. Safe to say this is my last time coming here. read more