Providencia — Restaurant in Washington

I’d been looking forward to visiting Providencia for quite some time, and I finally made it in on a late Saturday night to celebrate a birthday with a party of two. It did not disappoint.

From the moment we walked in, we were met with warm smiles and prompt seating. The space is intimate—small, but rich with character and a cozy neighborhood vibe. The dim lighting adds to the charm, creating the perfect backdrop for a memorable evening.

We started with the Ni de Aquí cocktail and the Run Bing with Nai Nai, then worked our way through an impressive cocktail lineup: Little Hats and Fast Trains, A trévete te te, Sabanetas, and Lights of the Night Market. Each drink was a thoughtful and well-balanced creation, and the stories behind them were just as compelling as their flavors. The cocktail menu here isn't just a list—it's a narrative, and every sip feels like a chapter.

The bartenders, Danny and Pedro, were standouts—executing at an incredibly high level with passion, precision, and pride. Their enthusiasm for sharing immigrant-rooted flavors and creative expressions made the experience feel personal and intentional. Watching them work behind the compact bar felt like witnessing a performance—artful, energetic, and full of soul.

If you’re looking for a unique cocktail experience in DC, Providencia should be at the top of your list. And if you can make it in before 10 PM, don’t miss the opportunity to try the chef’s acclaimed food and dessert...

I really wanted to love Providencia. We had guests in town from overseas. We took them on a cocktail bar crawl of H street, starting at Providencia, then Hush Harbor, Henceforth and Haymaker (threw the Pug in for a change!). Providencia and Hush Harbor are “speakeasy’s” about 50 ft from each other. They both accommodate about 26 people. That’s where the similarities end. Providencia is a modern take on the speakeasy, it’s modern, bright, noisy and not particularly comfortable to sit, relax and speak with more than one other person. They have a small menu of cocktails. We didn’t ask and they didn’t offer that they had a repertoire of cocktails beyond the list. It took us 29 minutes to get a drink, in the wait time they made 3 cocktails for others, so it wasn’t like they were slammed. I ordered a mezcal based cocktail and could not taste the mezcal. Had them remake it, could barely taste the mezcal. I really want Providencia to succeed, but this was a poor experience and, if I have to choose, I will go to Hush...

A tiny bar in a mural-covered alley? Yes, please! Seating less than thirty across two floors in an old rowhouse, this bar is among the most innovative in D.C. Here’s why.

1. Drinks: Cocktails range from $9 to $18 and blend flavors of Taiwan and El Salvador, the birthplaces of the partners. Flavors like sesame horchata, plantains, oolong tea, and guava are found in cocktails.

Enjoying more sweet and/or sour cocktails, I loved the “A Trevete Te Te,” “Sabanetas,” and “Run Bing With Nai Nai.” Each was creative and well balanced.

2. Space: Its small and simple. That way they can focus on their cocktails and food menu. There’s bar seating and window seating on high top chairs on the bottom floor and a few seats upstairs.

3. Entry: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 pm to midnight, they don’t take reservations. A friend and I walked in on a Wednesday around 8:15 pm and joined the waitlist. Our seats were ready under...