I really like La Colombe. At the DC location it feels like a hidden gem since it's in Blagden Alley. I think the coffee is great (their red eye will keep you up for days) and if you order to stay they use eclectic mugs/plates, which certainly adds to the charm. However, please note that there is NO WI-FI! Perhaps they want to keep people from camping out? That would be difficult to do anyway because it's darn near impossible to find a seat. It's certainly a hot spot in Shaw right now and with the good coffee and relaxed atmosphere it's easy to see why! The battle for seating is why I only gave it 3 stars. read more

La Colombe - Great spot... NO WI FI!! Lesson learned. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If only I didn't come during peak hours on a Sunday... This place is "as good as it gets." The only thing I could wish for is more space and more seating, but that's more my problem. The coffee is well-roasted and extremely smooth. Even with a hectic line, the cashier and baristas were all really friendly. I mean, granted that my order of "iced coffee" isn't very complicated, but still. I personally like that they don't have wi-fi because it means less people will be hogging up a space with their laptops for a large chunk of time. But the almond croissant...oh man...ohhh mannnnn. During my time in DC, I have yet to experience a "foodgasm," but that almond croissant finally filled the void. I suggest arriving early or on a weekday. It's quaint but modern at the same time. Definitely plan to revisit! read more

A lot of people complain this place doesn't have wi-fi. I think that's fantastic. It means you may actually get a seat because people don't sit around for 8 hours with their computer! Anyway, I'm SO glad this place opened. It's hidden a bit down Blagden Alley in Shaw. I recommend brushing up a but on your espresso drinks because there is no menu -- and I wasn't sure what to order, but they will basically make anything you want! read more

I did receive a kind e-mail from the manager offering to recoup the cost of my cup of coffee. While I declined the offer, I did appreciate that she took my experience seriously and sent a sincere note. read more

La Colombe... simply amazing. At the shop, $3.50 will buy you the best latte money can buy- straight from Philadelphia with love. I haven't been to La Colombe yet that I have not been blow away by the coffee. I don't know what this place does in terms of roasting but it is working. The DC location is looking great. I love the garage door that opens to the alley. The old horse stable building choice is much more hipster than anything that I've seen out of these guys but it fits in perfectly with the "up and coming" atmosphere of the Shaw neighborhood. Beware: La Colombe doesn't have wifi. To be honest, though; with coffee this good... who needs it! Where do you guys get your plates and mugs? I want some! read more

Ah, La Colombe. Another Philly transplant so I'm terribly biased. Same great simplified coffee in a trendy alley in Shaw. Can't match the historical locale and significance of the original (an institution for 20 years, before the mass coffee boom) but still a great addition to DC - 4.5 stars! I do however have mixed feelings about La Colombe being a "chain" now. Well, I suppose I could give it a pass, considering there's only a few locations worldwide..? Little known fact - same beans shipped down from roaster near Philly (I.e. same as original). So that's right, round up to five! read more

This place serves excellent coffee. I love the location, and the venue is terrific. The walls are glass that open out. I visited this place on a Saturday morning. The line definitely backs up, but it seems to be a steady crowd, so seating opens up and the line moves quick. The biscuits are fresh and delicious, as are the croissants. There's no menu, so no frills. The coffee is exceptional. The service was wonderful, and the baristas were polite and patient. read more

I'm on a mission to try every new coffee house in D.C. With that said, a friend and I made our way to La Colombe Saturday afternoon to see what the buzz is about. Staff seemed friendly, it was pretty packed and the aesthetics were pleasing. Little too hipster/sorority/homogeneous for my liking but we took our coffee to go. The coffee itself was delightful. I ordered the Columbia and it was a bit earthy with black cherry and chocolate just as described. My friend and I also tried the Panama which was so aromatic and tasty, but more like tea than coffee. You could certainly taste and smell the orange blossom and jasmine. Neither of us tried the pastries, but I may go back for the Panama and a croissant, soon. Also, the location is a bit unusual. It really is in an alley and you have to yield to delivery trucks and traffic driving through. Construction in the area makes parking a chore. But, if you can overlook those minor inconveniences, give it a try. Oh, any be prepared to pay between $3-$5 for a brewed/pour over cup of coffee. Can't imagine what the espresso based drinks were going for. read more

Qualify tea and espresso at an affordable price. Usually hip places, especially the ones that knows how to make a good espresso , are not characterized by affordable prices. Kinda surprised. Serves drinks in a cute exotic tea cup. Makes you feel at home or a cute modern tea house. Like the atmosphere (brick wall, high ceiling, woody, openness with many windows) . Feel like low cost cali type of interior a bit. Not many seatings but clearly that's not what they are going for. This is also evident in type of chair they have here (small wood stool type for encouraging turn over, rather than couchy sofa for lounging forever) The interior is cosy and conducive for chatting or spending some alone time in an open area. Not too loud at all. Located tucked away from the main road, which also creates a nook/neighborhood treasure finding feeling of the place. If I lived in the area, I would be here many weekend to meet a friend for a cup of coffee after brunch.. read more

This place is an epic coffee shop if you're into coffee. They have very limited seating but most people get coffee and take off. I had an Ethiopian pour over which was loaded with great flavors. Can't say I'll go out of my way to get another cup of coffee but it was definitely a cool place. read more

I'm very discerning when it comes to my coffee experience. La Colombe does a great job. They offer a lot of coffee with citrus notes which is not quite to my personal taste, but I did recently enjoy the what I believe was called the Corsica blend, it had some nice chocolate notes. The stars of the show are the croissants. I've had the ham and cheese as well as the almond croissant, I can't sing enough praises honestly. Light, flaky, buttery, just plain heavenly. Also, water both sparkling and flat is offered on tap which I find to be a nice amenity. The location is perfectly "tucked away" down blagden alley. Very nice use of space, it feels somewhat European. It's a great place to meet a friend, but groups may have a more difficult time finding space to sit together. Coffee cups and saucers used add to the charm. Overall a great little gem of a coffeehouse. read more

This is my favorite coffee shop! The atmosphere, from the outside the garage looking building, to the hip interior, it's everything coffee shops hope to be. The cold brew, which comes in a bottle, is by far the best. There really is no need to add sugar or cream. It's perfect as it is. Check it out and you won't be disappointed. read more

La Colombe is a wonderful addition to the Shaw neighborhood and is helping transform Blagden Alley into a boutique retail experience. I dropped in last weekend to grab a coffee and check out the space. Specialty drinks appear to be coming out a little slow during rush times, but I'm sure this will improve as new employees gain experience. It's going to be hard not to spend most Sundays grabbing groceries at the new O St Market, coffee at La Colombe, and lunch at Sundevich. read more

La Colombe - Side of the store walking down Blagden Alley from N - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

One of the best coffee shops in DC. My husband and I had the ham and cheese croissant which was amazing! My cafe au lait was delicious. The vibe is relaxed but contemporary. We also tried the almond croissant which rivals the best we have ever tried. read more

Way too cool to have more than one size of coffee. their croissants are actually pretty good though. but way too cool to warm them up. read more

Nice food and cafe, and flexible environment to enjoy the breakfast time read more

La Colombe - Nice latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We ended up here when the nearby place we'd first chosen was closed. We just wanted a light breakfast, and aren't really coffee drinkers, but proceeded down what felt like a secret path (alley), and left happy and full! We asked for "something sweet, like an iced vanilla latte," and the cashier was very kind to us coffee novices, and said he could do an iced latte with condensed milk. Sold, we'll take two! And, a plain croissant and a ham & cheese croissant. The coffee was sooo good! Perfectly sweetened and oh-so smoooooth! Both croissants were delicious, though it would have been nice for them to offer to heat them for us. That's why I withheld the 5th star. Still, what a great find, and a bright, welcoming environment! read more

I love this place and come here almost daily. Delicious lattes. I wish they had a rewards program ;) Only two drawbacks: not enough seating, and they charge extra for decaf (a little tacky). read more

Oh my gosh, I love this place. I've been here 4-5 times, and the staff and the coffee never disappoint. I've been exploring coffeeshops in the DC area, and nothing has beat this place yet. Coffee flavors are bright, deep, and truly hit the spot. Everything is wonderful- macchiatos, cappucinos, espressos. They make orders quickly and are very accommodating to special requests. Tap water is good. Especially the sparkling water. Mugs are cute, the music is on point, and I love how they open up their glass walls in the summer. It does get crowded sometimes, and seating is limited, as many reviewers have said. But I feel like the hustle and bustle does contribute to this creative energy in the room. It's a hip, trendy place, with a lot of young people in their 20s. I've seen quite a few regulars. It's located in a quiet neighborhood; the atmosphere is striking against the dilapidated parking lot and the residential area nearby. It feels like an adventure to get here every time. read more

Hands down the best chocolate croissant I have ever had. .....apparently they have good coffee too, but my mind was already blown. read more

Quaint shop nestled back in an alley way. It was great coffee with even better staff. We had a delicious pastry and a latte. It was early on a Saturday and there were only a few other patrons. I don't have any tips or tricks but thoroughly enjoyed the walk to the shop and the uniqueness! read more

La Colombe - Latte and store front - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Amazing space turned into a coffee shop. Good coffee, good pastries. 3 years in business and no menu anywhere. Music is too loud and definitely wrong type of music: hard rock. One low quality speaker makes people in that corner yell at each other disturbing others. This was probably someone's favorite CD forcing us to listen. It is sad when cool place with good quality products can be ruined so easily. It can always be pinpointed to one person. Always. Invest in better quality speakers and okay music that is more "easy-listening". These are plastic orange outdoor speakers hahaha. Come on now! read more

La Colombe - Worst speaker in the world: Plastic and orange with terrible sound. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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If you have never been here before, it is understandable because I am relatively positive it would be easier to locate Bigfoot before finding this alley. At least for a non-resident, that is. I am not going to lie, this place was on my bucket list. I had high hopes and really, this location of La Colombe did not disappoint. It exceeded my expectations, actually. I came in with a few of my family members and I grabbed a Pour Over coffee. Geisha, to be exact. It was brewed in a double filtered Silverton and it was flat out exquisite. The garage door was opened during my order and the sun rolled right on in to the cafe. It was clearly a sign that I was supposed to be there. We sat down next to Majorie Meek-Bradley from Top Chef and Roofers Union fame (unbeknownst to me) and thoroughly enjoyed the Cortada and Latte my family ordered among the great company. The beans are responsibly sourced and the baristas have some skills, so this is one of those places you can go to without feeling like you just ripped off some poor farmer in Mexico while lining the pockets of some corrupt individual at the top of a big agro company trying to find ways to gold plate their 9-iron. read more

The draft oatmilk latte is amazing. I didn't have to add any sweetener and usually I can't drink coffee without sugar or stevia. I'll be back! read more

Set back in blagden alley (reminds me of Oakland), very hipster coffee shop feel. Cappuccino was perfect, and I loved the extra foam and cute dishes. Lots of space to chat and not overhear all the details of your neighbor's conversation. read more

La Colombe - Beautiful and perfect cappuccino. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Located in an alleyway, La Colombe definitely offers some great coffee. This was my first time at this location and we got an awesome black+tan, and regular coffee. Service was great. Highlights: - Mimimal tables and chairs. Great for a few people but not for groups. - They have standing tables in the back. - No WIFI. I understand that you don't want to attrack people to turn this coffee shop to their come office, but maybe it should be offered with a time limit? Overall, I would definitely come back and grab/go a coffee but would not return if I was looking to get some work done. read more

Legit! First, the space itself is a charming exercise in industrial chic; pared down, clean, still has that neighborhood feel. I could easily spend a quiet morning here reading and sipping on some single-origin goodness. THE COFFEE: They have a basic drip option and a single origin menu with around seven choices, flavor profile described. I went for the Kaffa, which was a good strong blend. They make the coffee in this amazing "dual tank" "THING" (just trust me, it's high tech and awesome) that was fun to watch. The coffee came out super smooth. I didn't try any of the pastries, but there was a good variety and everything looked fresh. It might be nice if they had one or two healthy options, though! The two people behind the counter were sweet and laid-back, definitely a plus. TL;DR: great coffee, great space (gotta love Blagden Alley), friendly knowledgeable service. Check it out! read more

Thank God you are here, La Colombe. You're the only bean I've been drinking (with delight) at home this year. Your Corsica surpasses Blue Bottle, Handsome, Stumptown, and all the rest. So in need of a good cup of coffee, I made the drive over from VA and it was worth it. My Americano was hands down the best I've had in a while, and thankfully there were pastries to accompany, and beans- though more expensive than where I usually buy them- to refill my stock at home. This part of town- well all of DC- is so beautifully confusing to me. Though the streets are gridded, you find yourself asking, "What kind of part of town is this neighborhood, this street, this one block? Should I be walking down this alley?" So much new has moved in with the old, and it's quite lovely if you don't think about those who are being displaced. Hail to the pioneer who started shop here in this alley which now has cool and long-term stay written all over it. I notice coffee roasters locating with a "come to us" versus "we'll come to you" and boy I'd be coming to you every day if I was local (and if I could find parking). Even the parking attendant at a nearby lot pointed to La Colombe as I got closer- guess anyone who's walking these parts is doing so for this coffee. The walk and the storefront are perfect for a slow Sunday morning, and for a quick one like mine. read more

This place deserves 5 stars. Great, delicious top-notch coffee. Friendly staff and clean lovely ambiance. I enjoyed the beautiful cups and saucers. This is my new fave coffee place. After going to terrible The Coffee Bar, I was particularly pleased with this place. read more

Cortados and Cold Brews. Above average customer service coupled with a quality product. read more

Came here to get some coffee for my lunch break. It was a hot day but coffee inside cool (both temperature and atmosphere vise) coffee shop was worth the walk. I end up enjoying latte while looking around the place and the menu and asked for coffee to go plus bought beans for later. They had many many flavors for $12 including tax. Great price, great coffee when I made it at home and always good to support the shop. The Batista knew his beans and we had pleasant chat over bean choices. Very friendly and down to earth. Felt good since I feel that customer service seems to go down these days. Will be back! read more

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

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I only came here once but the place is really nice and has a ton of lighting through it's massive windows although not a ton of seats, but adequate. As others have said, it's a little off the beaten path, but I think that's what makes it unique. Service was good and polite. I considered lowering it a star because they don't have wifi, but I also understand as that'll keep people lingering around forever. Overall, a really good coffee shop. read more

If you haven't had La Colombe, do yourself a favor and check it out. My favorite in NYC and Philly just found it's way to DC and I couldn't be happier. I watched an episode of Dangerous Grounds and it just astonished me the lenghts they would go through to obtain/provide the best coffee to their patrons. read more

A coffee place with lots of characters. Loved the bricked wall and high ceiling and the relaxed environment. It's right new door to Rogue 24 and a new up coming area. My latte was very balanced in flavors it was just perfect. They knew their stuff. My new favorite coffee place in DC. read more

One of the few places that does an espresso the way I like it. The cappuccino was also scrumptious as was the almond croissant I had. read more

La Colombe - Ordering deliciousness - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love this coffee so much that when my local Providence RI coffee shop stopped serving this brand I was heartbroken, so I now get this via mail delivery. Here in Providence there is a new brand that has been "stumping" around, it is weak and way to floral. Please, please, please La Colombe wake up your sales rep and a fight back. Time to send Brooklyn a message read more

TL;DR - Great coffee, tiny interior for a busy cafe. The coffee tastes sublime and the service was exceptionally friendly and helpful. I wasn't sure which pourover to order but I told the barista that I wanted something smooth. Their recommendation hit the spot. As for the interior, I always want a cafe to be a spacious area for the neighborhood to thrive upon. But this is like being in a tiny row house. There are a series of small tables meant for two people in front of the bar. Maybe you could fit three to a table but that's pushing it. Four to a table would make you a public nuisance. The location is what it is. You don't know where Bladgen Alley is until you get there. Much hipster. Once you get here though, you want to stay..so good luck grabbing a spot inside La Colombe. Free self-service spouts for flat and sparkling water. It's a great plus. I can see this place blowing up in the summertime. In the winter, I'd opt for more Compass Coffee and The Coffee Bar (i.e., more spacious interiors). read more

Thanks La Colombe. Having stopped in to two different locations at this point, I'm looking forward to the next one. I was in town for business and Google Maps got me there "over the river and through the woods" style. I really dug the whole alley storefront thing. There were two different types of cortado and I was there long enough to try both. The weather was perfect and I loved sitting next to the opened side garage door. Till next time La Colombe... read more

Great trendy spot that is so easy to miss! It's tucked away in an alley you really wouldn't find yourself randomly walking down. The coffee was very strong and flavorful, and this was evident from the intense line of 20 people waiting outside in the morning. Tried both of their breakfast croissants and they weren't the best but fresh; I wished they had a bigger snack selection. I took a star down because of convenience. There's a small counter where everyone adds sugar/milk and there isn't enough to pass around. I have to wait for everyone before me to add milk before I can and that's probably why it's so crowded in there. read more

I had a bit of a time finding this spot, it's kinda of in the space behind the space in the alley... Once you find it you'll find your normal solid (though a smidge dark for my taste) coffees. La Colombe is one of the early third wavers that has gained some popularity and VC funding along with Stumptown, Blue Bottle, and Intelligentsia, not a bad group but not at the bleeding edge of specialty either... Solid. read more