All Souls Bar

Stopped in here the other day before a show at the Howard. Loved the cozy neighborhood feel. They had a list of really good cocktails. Since you can only find on the full list online. I had a number 6. Makers and grapefruit juice (the pink kind!). It was delicious! They only have snacks, but the bartender told me you can bring your own food in. I tried there baked cheese stamps. Light and tasty! Perfect for nibbling on at the bar. I ended up coming back after the show and had the «all souls» a shot of makers and a glass of rosè. Perfect night cap! I’ll definitely be back!

Probably the best bar in DC. They pour big drinks for super cheap, the atmosphere is laid back, and even when it’s packed, they still manage to be very mellow. Great service.

Definitely do not fear the beard (or man bun) here. This hipster haven is a cool new spot in Shaw. While it is a bit on the cozy side, it does well with the space that it does have by having a large bar in the middle with tables adjacent to the wall.
The crowd was friendly, service was great, and you cannot go wrong with their beers and old– fashions. Drinks were also on the strong side, so enjoy!

All Souls won’t strike you as an exceptional watering hole, but don’t be deterred. It’s cozy, well spaced and very well ventilated– a common problem with a lot of bars in Shaw.
I went with my friend on St. Patty’s and was thoroughly impressed. Our service was great and our bartender was incredibly attentive. Even though my friend and I took a prolonged look at the menu, after we asked for more time, he returned as soon as we looked up. A great benefit of having a compact bar tap where visibility is never too hard. At 2pm I even saw several people on dates enjoying their time-​an auspicious sign of a classy but reliable late night stop.
Five star bar, five star service, open late and next door to pizza– can’t lose with this as a closing or starting bar.

Nice little «hidden gem» basically a stones throw away from the more overrun bars on U street. Small, more intimate bar with a very relaxed vibe. Great place for conversation over drinks. I’ve had the Perfect Manhattan and the Fench 75. Both were really well crafted cocktails. They don’t serve food but have some light snacks as well as an open food policy. Bringing food would definitely be a strong move if you’re looking to drink a bit. I also had some of their Pecan & cheese shortbread cookies which were good although maybe not the freshest. All in all though another solid Shaw drinking and conversation bar.

This is a nice little cleaner hole in the wall style spot. I don’t believe that they have food (or else I missed it), but it’s got a great cozy atmosphere that’s slighty off the beaten path. Seemed like they had a good amount of regulars there and are quick to help and serve. It’s a good starting, or ending part of your afternoon/​evening. Great Manhattan’s!

LOVE this place. Great hipster bar in Shaw, also right next to a decent late night pizza place. Really good beer — I don’t like stouts, but they have one that’s fantastic (can’t remember the name). They’ve also got trappist beers, which can be hard to find. I’ve heard their cocktails are strong, so you’re definitely getting your money’s worth there.
It’s small, but great for a first date/​intimate evening out with friends. Not too loud, lots of seating, great atmosphere. Consistently awesome. One of my favorite bars in DC.

All Souls Bar is a great place. The drinks are great and the environment is chill. I had the number 17 and number 07. Since I like gin, I had the number 7. I would definitely go here again.

This place is perfect. The drinks. The crowd. The layout. The lighting. The bartenders. Perfect.
You walk into this bar and can’t help but to relax. I loved everything about it.

An update for a place that deserves a boost from 4 to 5 stars based on consistently excellent quality. Plus, since my initial review, about 87 cocktail bars have opened in town, and none are as affordable ($ 9 per cocktail?!) or as expert in their craft as All Souls. If I lived remotely close I would be here every night. Amazing place for a chill night out. Don’t miss it! Otherwise, all my original comments still hold true.

This place literally feels like home to me. David is an amazing man to have created such a marvelous space. I wish I still lived in DC so that I could visit here more often, but it’s one of my favorite bars in the entire world. Friendly staff, the place is never too busy to get a drink, it’s convenient to everything else in the U Street/​14^th Street/​Shaw clusterf*ck of nightlife, without being tarnished by it. a true gem.

I can see the appeal of this place, it is super hip and cool but the drinks are too strong for my taste and the cocktail menu is quite limited. I went on a Sunday night after Christmas, the bar was nice and quiet and we were able to get a big booth for our group but I would not want to come back on a busy evening.

One of my favorite cocktails bar in DC. It was super crowded during happy hour, but people come in and out often enough that you can find a seat when you stay long enough. The cocktails were delicious and STRONG. Simplicity is key. This can easily be one of my favorite pre-​date night cocktails bar. Nothing pretentious, nothing too fancy. just simple cocktails done exceptionally well. I’d suggest this for pre-​date night. It’s not very group friendly unless you want to stand the entire time.

4 stars for great vibe.
I just got through saying that this is perfect for a first date. You know those dates where you want to get to know someone but still keep them at arm’s length? The vibe is super low key but still buzzing, which makes for an impressive yet semi-​impersonal atmosphere. Cocktail menu is extensive and looks great. My date was actually more of a wine drinker so we went that route. I’ll correct that next time.
Energy? Check.
Long list of drinks? Check.
Solid pricing? Check.
Bartenders in flannel and beanies? Check.
My only complaint is that when things got going it was incredibly loud and packed in there. Thankful we had seats, but otherwise most of the 20 somethings in heels are left to stand. The noise level also made it necessary to either shout at my date or get closer. Depends what you’re going for?
Take note, boys and girls. All Souls Bar is a great first date bar!

What an awesome low key place…
Went here for their Number 17. I think that’s their tequila drink with my fav gal Jess. Great drinks. not crowded. great service. Parking seemed easy too but I guess it was a Monday night.

My friends and I were bar hopping and we stopped here. I had the No. 2 cocktail. WHOA. Basically, we should have started off here and then wandered off to other places to drink water. The drink was sooooo strong! The place is crowded too and off the beaten path. So come with patience and look for a seat.

All Souls Bar is becoming one of the most up and coming bars in the city. It’s in a great neighborhood (Shaw) and they have perfected the art of cocktails. If you like sweeter drinks (but not too sweet), order the No. 7. I was told they have the best negronis in the city and they are definitely not bad!
The atmosphere is definitely trying to be a dive bar, but it’s more like a hipster forced dive bar. You know? Hipsters think they love dive bars, but real dive bars are a little too out there for them. In comes All Souls Bar giving the hipster a dive bar with people in it like them and a cleaner space and more elite cocktails.
They don’t serve any food outside of a few $ 3 snacks like olives and amazing cheddar and pecan biscuits.
The only downside is that it’s becoming popular that it’s usually full of loud people so don’t go here to have an intimate date.

All Souls Bar knows what it is and does that well. That’s worthy of respect. That said, I don’t think their cocktails are anything exceptional. Also, the place can get crushed with people on a weekend night — which isn’t really what you want from a cocktail experience.
That said, they’re also open during the day and there’s nothing that’ll set you up on a Saturday than a good old gigantic cocktail at 4 PM.

Very successfully designed, simple yet «has a soul» corner bar, try in the weekdays when it isn’t slammed so you get to chat with regulars & bartender.
My favourite part is the copper bar stove.
Negative parts; I didn’t see any.

The small space gets crowded lickety split and the only service tables should expect is a bottle of water and busing of empties… so purse hook adjacent bar stools are primo territory. Jukebox near the bathroom, pretty noisy ambiance on a weekend. Bartenders are alright about serving in order. Their shtick is to rotate through a numbered $ 9 menu, so as to focus on a handful of cocktails at a time.
No. 1 — The Barcelona: Maker’s Side Car, splash of cava.
No. 2 — Perfect Manhattan: Maker’s 46, sweet and dry Dolin vermouth.
No. 3 — Negroni: Tanqueray, Cynar, Carpano.
No. 4 — Juan’s Chilean Afro: Kappa pisco, Aperol, Dolin sweet vermouth.
No. 5 — Riverboat rye, Aperol, fresh orange juice, Regans bitters.
No. 6 — Maker’s, St-​Germain, Dolin dry vermouth, fresh grapefruit juice.
No. 7 — French 75: Tanqueray, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice, cava.
No. 8 —
No. 9 — Martinez: Tanqueray, Dolin dry vermouth, dry curacao, Regans bitters.
No. 10 — Old Overholt rye, Cynar, fresh OJ, Angostura bitters.
No. 11 — [something with dry Dolin]
No. 12 — Maker’s Mark and bonal.
The All Souls ($ 11): sparkling rose w/​a Maker’s neat.
No #10 beats out #6 as my favorite so far, but I have more tasting to do yet. Mixing drinks right makes my palate as happy as my liver, and my wallet can actually take the hit from an evening here. The small cocktail menu is tasty enough for me to wade through this hipster sardine can again, even if there’s only a few bar nibbles like rosemary roasted chickpeas.