La Colombe

My Take

I discovered La Colombe when I was living on Blagden Alley in Shaw and so began my first coffee-shop-love-affair in D.C.

La Colombe is excellent coffee. The brewed coffees, espresso, and drafts are all delicious. For me, their cortado remains my favorite milk/espresso drink in the world, and I don't say this lightly. All of this caffeinated joy is delivered by a friendly, knowledgeable staff in a VERY cool environment. Blagden Alley is one of the hippest places in the District, and La Colombe sits smack in the middle.

I have never been a fan of their pastries, they aren't bad by any means, just not a reason to go. This is but a small knock (measured small) on a wonderful, well-managed shop. If you are in town for a convention walk past all the other places and find La Colombe and you will be transported to a different world.

Public Knowledge

La Colombe's Blagden Alley café at 924 Rear N St NW opened in early 2014 in a converted alley building with a roll-up garage door and a laptop-friendly crowd (National Trust for Historic Preservation; La Colombe). A 2016 coffee-blog visit praised its high-ceilinged, sunlit room, rotating single-origin filter coffees, and the brand's signature china, and noted the Philadelphia chain then ran several other D.C. branches (Brian's Coffee Spot). A D.C. Great Streets coffee guide called it the chain's first D.C. location and highlighted its seasonal menu, pour-overs, and draft latte, while warning that brewed-to-order coffee costs more than usual (Great Streets DC); in 2025 City Cast DC singled out the oat milk draft latte as a winner (City Cast DC).

Ratings — Yelp 4.3 (567) · Tripadvisor 4.6 (103) · as of October 29, 2026. Sources: Yelp · Tripadvisor

Details

La Colombe · 924 Rear N St NW (Blagden Alley), Washington, DC