Ironically, the most noticeable aspect of Chinatown Coffee Co. in DC’s Chinatown was how quiet this spot was. No music was playing and the only people ever talking were customers ordering their coffee. Everybody else in the shop seemed to be busy at work on their laptops.  This coffee shop was also long and narrow making it difficult to get by the long tables to grab a seat. That said, the rustic feel of this café, with the brick walls and cement floors, was pretty cool. There was spray painted coffee-related art on the walls and even a coffee version of the DC flag printed in various places within the shop.

As for the drinks, Chinatown Coffee Co. offers pour overs from Intelligentsia and Heart coffee roasters (two great options), along with espresso drinks, a large variety of tea, and Kyoto cold brew coffee. I decided to order Heart’s Ethiopian Idido brewed on the Chemex. While I was expecting this coffee to have a much sweeter flavor than it had, I still enjoyed its full, unique flavor; it tasted nutty yet a little bit like wood may taste (yes it’s strange). After leaving this coffee shop, I realized it didn’t offer anything that other coffee shops would have. It’s a great place to go if you are in that area of the city, but I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to go there over other coffee shops in DC.