Drinks & Nightlife
These are just a few of my favorite places. There are many bars and restaurants including several with great happy hours.
Most places have happy hours but here are some good ones:
Alatri Bros. (I’ve never been there yet but this is what folks tell me.)
4926 Cordell Avenue
When: 4 – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday
Food: $5 “tasty bites” including whipped feta, hot wings and spicy carrots; $9 select pizzas
Drink: $5 house wine, sangria and local beer
Barrel and Crow (I’ve never been there either, yet!
4867 Cordell Ave.
When: 4 – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday
Food: $5 potato croquettes, $6 pulled pork taquitos and $4 fried calamari
Drink: $5 wine by the glass, $3 Jailbreak draft beer and $5 rail drinks
Black’s Bar & Kitchen (sturdy local bar/restaurant)
7750 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda
When: 3 – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon – 6 p.m. Saturday
Food: $10 barbecue duck nachos, 2/ $2.25 Chesapeake bay oysters and $7 crispy fried calamari
Drink: $5 local draft beers and $7 hand crafted martinis
Gringos & Mariachis (noisy joint!)
4928 Cordell Ave
$6 Al Pastor Tacos
When: 4 – 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
Food: $6 small plates including tacos, Mexican meatballs and roasted vegetable nachos
Drink: $6 house margaritas and $2 off all draft beer
Jaleo (best tapas!)
7271 Woodmont Avenue
When: 4 – 7 p.m. at the bar every day except Saturday; 9 to 11 p.m., Saturday
Food: Selected tapas from $3 to $6 including patatas bravas for $4 and garlic shrimp for $6
PassionFish (just overall nice place)
7187 Woodmont
When:
Food: 3 – 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 – 6:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 – 9 p.m. Sunday
Drinks: 3 – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 – 6:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 – 9 p.m. Sunday
Food: Assorted “bar bites” including $5 spicy salmon maki roll and $7 blackened fish tacos
Drink: $5 speciality cocktails including house margaritas
Saphire Cafe
7940 Wisconsin AveGreat local and low key dive bar with good food. Wednesdays is Trivia night.
Doesn't get the biggest names in the jazz scene, but does pretty well over all across the blues/jazz music spectrum. It's a big room with lots of seating (tables mostly). Great local place for a night on the town. NOTE: food is a bit pricey but you can just have drinks if you prefer.
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Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club
7719 Wisconsin AveDoesn't get the biggest names in the jazz scene, but does pretty well over all across the blues/jazz music spectrum. It's a big room with lots of seating (tables mostly). Great local place for a night on the town. NOTE: food is a bit pricey but you can just have drinks if you prefer.
Great happy hour, good food, nice atmosphere, and you can even here your friends talk!
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PassionFish Bethesda
7187 Woodmont AveGreat happy hour, good food, nice atmosphere, and you can even here your friends talk!
Food Scene
There are so many restaurants here, so many different cuisines. These are just a few of my favorite spots.
By the way, another american breakfast and lunch place is Georgetown Grill. Old-school joint serving straightforward diner grub, including pancakes, burgers & blintzes. Open till 3:30 pm. Address: 7755 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814
Great tapas. Great bar. In the middle of the Bethesda Row scene.
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Spanish Diner
7271 Woodmont AvenueGreat tapas. Great bar. In the middle of the Bethesda Row scene.
The best bagels in town. Buy a dozen, or get a bagel sandwich for lunch.
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Bethesda Bagels
4819 Bethesda AveThe best bagels in town. Buy a dozen, or get a bagel sandwich for lunch.
Bakery AND Restaurant. Great french breads and desserts to take home, or nice little cafe to dine in our outdoors. Go European.
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PAUL
4760 Bethesda AveBakery AND Restaurant. Great french breads and desserts to take home, or nice little cafe to dine in our outdoors. Go European.
1940's diner. Literally. This is your iconic greasy spoon. Great place for breakfast especially. You've got to go at least once! Don't forget to look for the blue plate special.
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Tastee Diner
8601 Cameron St1940's diner. Literally. This is your iconic greasy spoon. Great place for breakfast especially. You've got to go at least once! Don't forget to look for the blue plate special.
Have you ever tried Ethiopian food? It is one of my favorites.
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Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant
4865 Cordell AveHave you ever tried Ethiopian food? It is one of my favorites.
Woodmont Grill
7715 Woodmont AveNightly jazz; good food; bar.
The Original Pancake House
7700 Wisconsin AveEverything Else
Bethesda has two halves - the closer half is the 'older' section with lots of restaurants, sweet shops, and services, including Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, the Woodmont Triangle 'park', and notably, the iconic Tastee Diner. Take a stroll.
Woodmont Triangle
Bethesda has two halves - the closer half is the 'older' section with lots of restaurants, sweet shops, and services, including Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, the Woodmont Triangle 'park', and notably, the iconic Tastee Diner. Take a stroll.
This is the 'newer' half of Bethesda, further to walk to but still walkable. It has restaurants, bars, boutiques, move theater and more. It is bicyclists' watering spot as it connects to the Hike and Bike Path that goes for miles north and south. Great area to walk around, dine, shop....
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Bethesda Row
4827 Bethesda AveThis is the 'newer' half of Bethesda, further to walk to but still walkable. It has restaurants, bars, boutiques, move theater and more. It is bicyclists' watering spot as it connects to the Hike and Bike Path that goes for miles north and south. Great area to walk around, dine, shop....
Shopping
Newest addition since the Barnes and Noble left us. Cashless bookstore. Yes, they have books to buy, not just to order online.
Amazon Books
7117 Arlington RdNewest addition since the Barnes and Noble left us. Cashless bookstore. Yes, they have books to buy, not just to order online.
Entertainment & Activities
Great movie theater for the best movies - they show offer first-run independent films, foreign films, restored classics and other non-traditional studio fare. The theatre has 8 screens. It also has a bar!
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Bethesda Row Cinema
2959 7235 Woodmont AveGreat movie theater for the best movies - they show offer first-run independent films, foreign films, restored classics and other non-traditional studio fare. The theatre has 8 screens. It also has a bar!
Getting Around
About 15 minute walk south on Wisconsin, or walk through the neighborhood for a shady stroll.
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Bethesda Metro Center
7514 Woodmont AveAbout 15 minute walk south on Wisconsin, or walk through the neighborhood for a shady stroll.
Medical Center station
12 minute walk on NIH campus
Parks & Nature
Take a walk! Here are two recommendations:
1. NIH is bordered by an extensive green space with many trees, including flowering Cherry trees. It is a very large area, so you can walk or sit in the grass and still keep your distance from other people. The only caution is to watch out for bicycles on the paved path. Walk to the right so they can pass on the left, or, what I do is to walk in the grass next to the path. They typically ring a bell or yell out when approaching from behind, but still, be mindful.
To get there, at the beginning of Chelsea Lane, turn right to walk along Wisconsin Avenue as if you are going to NIH. Just a little way up (just half a block) there is a crosswalk with a light. Cross to the west side of Wisconsin. You’ll arrive at another crosswalk to cross over to the northwest side of Woodmont Avenue – cross there (it is divided so you have to cross first the outbound lane, then cross over the inbound lane). Watch out for cars.
Now, look ahead and to your left. You’ll see a sidewalk that goes up a slope of grass and trees onto the NIH grounds. (On the left is a pretty marsh area with reeds, trees, geese, birds….). Walk to the top of the slope where there are two very large rocks. Turn left on the paved path and follow it. (watch out for bicycles!)
Keep walking along that path along the perimeter of the NIH campus. You will come to a big wide-open area with many trees, picnickers, people playing Frisbee, walkers, etc. It goes all the way to Old Georgetown Road.
There are a few walkways angling off here and there…when you are comfortable explore them! One takes you into the Bethesda urban area, a couple others go into pretty neighborhoods. All very safe and walkable.
2. If you want a short stroll, there is a hike and bike path in our neighborhood. Leaving my house, turn right on South Chelsea Lane. Walk a half block where a road dead ends onto South Chelsea. Look right. There is a path that goes several blocks into the neighborhood. You can walk up and back, or choose to turn left onto a side street and circle around This is a pretty, safe, walkable neighborhood just to wander around the streets. Again, on the path, be mindful of bicyclists but currently it is mostly families not commuters.) Just be sure to keep the 6 foot social distancing as much as you can.
FYI: this path has been beautified by folks in the neighborhood. Sometimes you see me walking up the street in dirty clothes with yard tools in my hands. That is where I go when we have clean-up days. We’ve been working on it for 5 years now! It is all native plants.
The Capital Crescent Trail goes for miles and miles north and south. You can literally bike to downtown D.C. Access it from downtown Bethesda. You can also rent or service a bike at several bike shops in the area. I especially like Griffin's Bikes on Bethesda Ave.
https://www.cctrail.org/access#lost
Capital Crescent Trail
Capital Crescent TrailThe Capital Crescent Trail goes for miles and miles north and south. You can literally bike to downtown D.C. Access it from downtown Bethesda. You can also rent or service a bike at several bike shops in the area. I especially like Griffin's Bikes on Bethesda Ave.
https://www.cctrail.org/access#lost