Came for saturday salsa night with my mom and some friends - get there by 10pm to snag seats at the bar and drinks early, live music starts 10:30/40. I've been coming here for almost 20 YEARS and it feels like a real dance environment- meaning - salacious or aggressive behavior hasn't been something I noticed, and if you're not interested in partner dancing (which A LOT of people go for) no means no and you'll be left in peace. Real candles, exposed brick walls, coat hooks under the bar, make for a great ambiance. Also - an older crowd, which I appreciate! read more

Excellent live music and I really love the salsa! The band picks classics and it's a vibe. The level of dancers is beginner/ moderate. If you like live music, this is the spot. I suggest ear plugs and get there early because it packs up! Follow the insta page for events! I haven't tried the food. read more

Came here for salsa night on Friday and had so much fun! Great space, drinks flowing, great vibes! No complaints whatsoever. Parking is difficult so would recommend Ubering. read more

Bossa - Bar - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Who knew! I love to dance! Any salsa spot will win me over. Came in February on a Saturday and danced my little heart out. $20 cover unless of course they pass you on in! (Wink) There are two levels, the upper level had a DJ and floors were scary to walk on, felt unbalanced. Bar on the upper level is as small as the bottom. Main floor had live music! Tons of salsa dancers in the house! Totally took me back to NYC days! Wepa! Ya tu sabe! Latinos in the house! read more

I just love this place. Really great band for Salsa dancing on Saturdays the food is pretty good too read more

Bossa - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'd recommend this place to anyone looking to rent a party room for the evening. Beautiful artwork inside, the bartenders knew how to mix some amazing cocktails, and the ambiance was fun! read more

I love this place. As a luso-African, Brazilian food is similar to the food I grew up with. The place is pretty small. We also sit at the bar. Both times we went, they just happen to have an amazing band (check their website for the event schedule). The first time it was a Haitian band. My partner is Haitian so we danced the night away. The second time, the band was Ethiopian Jazz band and they were incredible! The caipirinhas and old fashions are our go-to drinks. The old fashion is pretty small for an old fashion, but so well done, that we order it anyway! Caiparinha is always good! Vibes and people are so friendly. I'm a fan of this place and I'm always checking the event schedule now to see when I should go next for a drink, some appetizers and some live music. Great job Bossa! See you next time!! read more

Review: An average bar with OK food and below-average service. My friend and I went on a Thursday night for Bossa's free jazz. The performers were fine, but the music was way too loud. While we were seated immediately and were able to put our orders in fairly quickly, our food took almost 20 minutes to arrive, with one dish arriving 10 minutes after the other. Once we received our food, our server did not come to check on us even after it was very clear we were done eating. Once we asked for the check, we had to wait several minutes to receive it. While this wouldn't be great service even if Bossa were busy, there were very few people there and there was no apparent excuse. Additionally, they were out of ceviche, which is very unusual for a restaurant on a Thursday night at 7 PM. My friend and I ordered and split the following dishes: Bolinho de arroz: Similar to arancini, this was the best dish we had. There was the right amount of collard greens and cheese, and the marinara provided some good acidity. Farofa de couve: This dish was rather tasteless, with the neutral yucca root overwhelming everything else. Branco e preto: This was what it sounds like: just rice, beans, and a fried egg with no seasoning, spices, or additional flavor. Extremely disappointing. Sopa de feijão: The pepper and garlic gave this bean soup good flavor without being overwhelming and was not too salty. The soup was also a good portion size for $7. While the drinks may be good and the dishes were reasonably priced, there are better Brazilian food, drink, and live music options in Adams Morgan (to say nothing of DC). read more

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Solid place for food and drinks. Very cozy if you're going for a performance. We got rice croquettes, fried yucca, rice and black beans with egg, and Brazilian sausage. Most of the tapas were very good. The black beans and rice were okay-definitely can make this one at home. Drinks were very good! Definitely give it a shot. read more

What a good choice. Fun and great location in Adams Morgan. Tapas was all they served Saturday night from a broader menu. Missed the late night music (started after I left) but saw the salsa lessons. I enjoyed three dishes: Collard Greens, Ground Beef Croquettes, and the Sautéed Shrimp. Of course, all these had a Portuguese name on the menu. I enjoyed all three dishes. The shrimp were so very good. I loved the flavors, the sauce, and the leftover olive oil made for great dipping. The beef croquettes had the shape and texture of a meatball. Nothing impressive. The sauce, however, made it worth it. Great flavors. The Collard Greens were interesting. They came mixed with yucca root flower. This made each bite very dense. I enjoyed it but this dish isn't for everyone. I might not recommend this one. The bread plate is worth a note, even it's own space. It came with four slices. Check out the pic. The top two slices were so good. Whatever they did to it was so flavorful. Sadly the bottom two slices had none of that. It left me very disappointed. Hoping the manager reads this. Such an easy fix if that is a standard and not an oversight. Service was fast and friendly. I was surprised to have to open a tab. Give them a try. Let me know what you think. read more

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This place is adequate. I have never dined here, only attended for an evening out. The drinks were fine- although the bartender poured two very uneven shots right next to each other. I found this lack of attention to detail a bad mark for a position where a significant portion of the job is measuring shots. Alas. In addition to usual exorbitant drink prices, this spot also charges cover. We found this spot to be pretty vacant. The music that isn't top 40 is the only thing that sets Bossa apart from other evening out destinations. I can't say I'd recommend it, as we found more enjoyable spots that didn't charge cover. read more

I'll start with a positive. The seafood moqueca is AMAZING and the cocktails are great! And the artist we went to see (Michaela) was absolutely FABULOUS! If she's ever there again, you MUST catch her show!! But there are some issues with the restaurant. We went with a large group (10) and the restaurant made us put down a credit card before we received anything. Of course, that made paying the bill the end of the night a confusing mess that could have easily been avoided. Also, for whatever reason, the kitchen ran out of one of the most amazing dishes on the menu (the seafood moqueca), so half of the people who wanted to order it had to settle for something else. Lastly, one of us ordered the moqueca along with the black bean soup. The soup literally arrived 40 minutes after we'd finished the main courses. WTF? The eggplant dish was far too salty and cheesy. So there are some high points, but overall, Bossa needs some work. read more

Didn't try the food but will DEFINITELY be coming back for the experience. Had the tequila based drinks which were very good but it was truly all about the live salsa. Everyone was there to have fun. Bartenders are cool, they don't do itemized receipts FYI. Overall- amazing ambiance. read more

We ended up Bossa on a Sunday night....just because. We ended up with some great caipirinhas, great music, great service, and good food. It was Hannah's idea, and I can't thank her enough. The John Lee Experience played the night we were there and I enjoyed them. Bartender was really friendly and the yucca was perfect. It was fairly quiet inside, but I appreciated that. I recently returned on a Saturday night. It was packed. Downstairs was salsa; upstairs was more of a club/lounge. There was a different bartender; caipirinhas were awful. However, I really enjoyed people watching on the patio. I'd probably not return on a Saturday, though I'd go back on another night. read more

Wow, the place is Brazilian and they have people from all over the world working here. Great happy hour, good food, sexy atmosphere. Just going to say you should disregard the outside because the inside is so nice. Hands down the biggest surprise in Adams Morgan. read more

Bossa - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We stopped in just before the cover band was scheduled to start so perhaps the confusion started there. Could we enter to eat? Did we have to pay the cover if we planned to leave before the music? Was our teen daughter allowed? The answer seemed to depend upon the person. We ordered 3 dishes. They arrived one by one, the last 25 minutes after the first. Everyone was done eating when mine arrived. The sirloin steak dishes were almost inedible - tough and overly seasoned. The eggplant dish, on the other hand , was to die for. The menu noted that each entree as served with rice and beans. They weren't . Just a pile of meat and / eggplant. Similarly, the waitstaff ranged from helpful and congenial to reserved and unapproachable. Honestly, I would have not left a tip at all but I'm just no good at that. read more

I had such a great time at Bossa! I was in town for a few days and did a lot of research on where to go at night. After looking at a bunch of places, we decided to go with Bossa. I'm so glad we did! The drinks were great and the prices were fair. No complaints there. The downstairs area was so much fun! They had a live band with latin music and we got our groove on in the small dance floor, until it was too hot so we moved upstairs. The upstairs area is more loungy and spacious, with another room that has a DJ and a second dance floor. The DJ that evening was playing house music and it was a nice break from the salsa and cumbia that was playing downstairs. We actually ended up alternating between the downstairs and upstairs area all night. It worked out great! Gave us variety in music and ambiance, but both floors had space for dancing and bars to order drinks. I'll definitely go back to Bossa next time I'm in DC! read more

Bossa - View from the second floor - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

While Bossa's inconsistent food could have been overlooked, the stealing from customers cannot!!! For the food, slow service at early dinner was a bad sign. Everyone in my party got rice sides and each was different ... one was overcooked, one undercooked and one just right. It's like Goldilocks except this all happened within one hour. Entrees were okay. Lomos soltados (sp?) was better dish of the lot (hence the 1 star) But the final straw came 2 days later on my card statement . . . the waiters helped themselves to an additional tip! Not cool and illegal! My tip to dinners, use cash at Bossa. My tip to the staff, this will catch up to you soon. read more

This place is great for live music. They have everything from salsa to alternative rock, world music, jazz, and more. The decor is eclectic and cool with interesting artwork and several small tables. The bartenders are really nice and friendly. I have been there a lot on Sundays or weeknights, when the crowd in Adams Morgan is pretty chill, and Bossa is a nice relaxing evening. I have heard the Friday and Saturday night scene is different, more crowded, etc., but I haven't been. They have great caipirinhas and other drinks, as well as Brazilian food. The dishes they serve are hard to find in DC, so that certainly makes it special, but if you're from Brazil or able to get this type of food regularly, their food is not that great. The best thing about this place is the wide variety of live music they have, the cozy and comfortable decor, caipirinhas, and laid back atmosphere. read more

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Very cool place for hanging out and enjoying some Brazilian music, good drinks, and some Brazilian eats. Each night is something different, and they teach dancing on Thursday nights. read more

Bossa - Juan and his friends - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Oh Bossa. You have effortlessly become one of my favorite spots in the city. I wish you weren't crammed inside the chaos of Adam's Morgan. No one there appreciates you. This place has an amazing happy hour. Half off their tapas, 4 dollar caipirinhas, 5 dollar martinis... all until 8pm! Last time I went I had 2 drinks, with food and paid only 20 bucks after tip. Organic, non-hormone injected food. Good food. Actually, great food. Why aren't more people dining here? Where are you eating in AM? Amsterdam? Please people, step it up. You have better options! *see my review of Soussi* There is a 5 dollar cover. Not because they want to piss you off. But because they want to weed out the riff-raf of AM and maintain a sophisticated atmosphere where people can come and enjoy (the awesome) live music. Also, if you come often enough, the doorman will recognize you and not charge you cover. Where else in AM can you feel like a VIP without also being a tool? Bottom line, this place is a neighborhood gem. And that should say a lot considering the neighborhood is Adam's Morgan. read more

Bossa - very dark and sexy atmosphere - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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As I sit here wondering what is wrong with me, do I have food on my face or something, is that why it's so hard to get a drink in this place? I've asked two people and was turned down hard like I was asking for a date on Valentines day for some reason. One lady said no I'm too busy waiting on other tables and ran off after giving me the evil eye. The guy said sure, hold on and then proceeded to ask the bartender to help me...of course she never did. So it's been 20 min now and still nothing. Crazy thing is that there's no one here. At least they are looking at me though...that's an improvement I guess. Great band but the venue sucks as well as the wait staff. Marking this place off my list for sure. read more

After bar-hopping at a couple of humdrum places on 18th Street, my friends and I were about ready to give up on spending our Saturday night in Adams Morgan. We each had different ideas of fun--some wanted to just drink, some of us wanted to dance, some wanted both... Bossa was our last place to try before we threw in the towel. We were drawn to the pumping salsa on the first floor. Since we were charged $5 cover, we all agreed that we HAD to stay for at least an hour just for the principle of it. There was a live salsa band on the first floor that played on and off. On the second floor was a DJ who played your usual popular/contemporary hits. Some of his mixes were a little weird but it was enough to keep us dancing for a while. By the time we walked out, everyone was satisfied. read more

Bossa is overshadowed by its larger than life neighbor Madam Organ. But you are missing out if you walk by this Brazilian gem! We came for dinner (Bossa opens at 6 pm, but kitchen doesn't open until 6:30pm) using a Restaurant.com certificate, which was almost embarrassing because food prices are better than reasonable. The dinner specials we ordered were $13 for seafood linguine and $9 for Linguine Bolognese with sausage. Both were very tasty! We also order tapas: mine was Branco e Preto, which is rice and beans topped with an egg and the fiance had Xadrezinho, beef tenderloin with a tomato and kalamata olive sauce, $6 and $9 respectively. Happy hour is from 6-8 and caipirinhas, one of my favorites, were on the menu for $5. It was good, not the best I've ever had, but well worth the price. The very friendly bartender also served as our waitress. She was busy getting the place open for business and waiting on us and the few customers who also trickled in behind us, so service started out slow. But in a short time, she found her groove and the rest of the evening ran smoothly and efficiently. We were the first table of the night and opted to sit outside on the patio fronting 18th St. It's a great spot for people watching, but Madam Organ attracts a...different...crowd. Patrons were loud and rowdy even this earlier in the evening and it was a bit distracting and unpleasant at times. Next time, we will likely sit inside, which is a whole other topic... Love love love the interior of Bossa. It's dark, spacious but cozy and a circus for the eyes. Extravagant murals and art adorn the downstairs exposed brick walls. Seating includes couches and pillows, there is an open space in the middle (I assume for dancing) and decorative chandeliers hang from the ceiling. I took a peek upstairs, where there is a second bar, more cushy seating and a giant picture window overlooking 18th Street. Our server told us that the place is busy nights and on weekends for the live music. read more

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Seated for dinner and ordered a Moscow Mule and requested extra ginger beer. What I got was a drink that tasted as if it had little or no ginger beer. When I asked the bartender to add ginger beer she told me they did not have ginger beer. Then why did you even make the drink? I returned the drink and ordered something from the drink menu. Then my friend who is vegan ordered a salad with no cheese. The salad came with cheese and when we asked for another to be made we were told the kitchen was closed. At the end of the night the returned drink and salad were both on the check. In conclusion, Bossa: Great music. The service, no so much. read more

Went to Bossa last night for a Girl's Night Out with my SIL, who's visiting from France, and my cousins, and it was the best decision of the night! I found out about Bossa from Yelp reviews of restaurants in Adams Morgan. We were the first table of the night so we had the entire restaurant to ourselves! We explored the beautiful space upstairs and admired the beautiful art on the walls, and took in the amazing view of AM from the upper level window. The atmosphere comfy, cozy, eclectic, cultural, and all around awesome! Now the best part of our visit to Bossa...THE FOOD!!! Camarão a Baiana - Shrimp sautéed in garlic, green onions, cachaça, and red chili peppers Franguin - Bite-size crispy chicken marinated in herbs and spices Farofa de Couve - Collard greens with garlic and crumbled yucca root flour Branco e Preto - Rice and black beans topped with a delicately fried egg LAWD THIS FOOD WAS GOOOOD!!!! Of course we partook in adult beverages! Mojitos, Caipirinhas, Amazon Green Teas, and a surprise shot that the bartender made for us just because! The only thing that we missed out on was the salsa dancing because we were enjoying other spots in AM. We will definitely be back and we be sure to cut a rug on the dance floor! read more

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We stopped in here to listen to a Haitian band and the only bad thing I can say is that we arrived too late. We missed most of the set and just got the tail end. I can't believe that in all my years of late night wanderings around DC I've never been to Bossa. So much has changed in DC over the years and a lot of it not for the better when it comes to nightlife. Bossa reminds me of the good old days. It was packed and the crowd was a diverse bunch of folks who seriously just came to listen to some great music and have fun together. Definitely recommend this place for anyone who wants a funky and unpretentious night out in DC. read more

So outstanding live jazz on Thursday nights as well as live Latin dance music on Saturday, make this place a stand out in a city that has gone, sleepy and boring So outstanding live jazz on Thursday nights as well as live Latin dance music on Saturday, make this place a stand out in the city that has gone, sleepy and boring read more

Honestly I just come here to dance. They gave good music and reasonable cover charge. Bailamos!

I went here for a birthday party and arrived around 11pm on a Saturday. It wasn't too crowded, but we still paid the $5 cover to enter. The downstairs had a nice band that seemed to be playing salsa and the dance floor was pretty packed. I would guess that if you're a good salsa dancer, this is a great bar/club to go on a Saturday night. We tended to stay upstairs where there was a DJ. He was mediocre in my opinion constantly playing techno music. I don't think many liked what was playing since dancing was really at a minimum, so it would have been better if he played something more mainstream to get the night moving. Overall, it was a good time, but a pretty typical bar for Adam's Morgan. read more

I like this place, love their linguine with Brazilian sausage and caipirinhas are great, have dinner with live music is cool!

Despite: -the $5 cover charge; -the painfully weak drinks; -the freezing wind that gusts into the tiny space every time someone opens the door (and holds it open while their IDs are checked); and -the gross and very drunk couple making out in the middle of the floor. Bossa is my new favourite bar in Adams Morgan. Because it: -Features a live salsa band which, in turn, has: -A sexy Puerto Rican singer; -Bongos; -A trumpet; and -Cowbell. -Has a diverse, international, well-behaved, and, surprisingly, pretty decent looking crowd who generally don't know how to dance salsa, but have lots of fun trying and are fun to watch; -Is really clean and smelled like incense when we walked in; -Has some beautiful photography displayed on the exposed brick walls; -Isn't too crowded; and -Generally has a great, chill vibe. read more

I'm not a fan of Adams Morgan at night at all. I do my best to avoid it unless there are certain social obligations (like going-away parties or birthdays). I'm not gonna lie, a lot of the reason I went to the Yelp Elite Event a few doors down at Saki was for the lunchbox! In any case, a group of us ended up at Bossa after the event for some eats and it was not bad at all! Alicia C and I decided to split some tapas which were the fried rice croquettes filled with spinach and mozz, the garlic shrimp sauteed in white wine and herbs and the meatballs. The plates were a lot larger than we expected but we ate every bite. Of the three, my favorite were the croquettes but each dish was very tasty. While we ate, we were able to enjoy the live band (and thankfully got in before they started charging a cover!) and watch people salsa. It was a very cozy atmosphere that I could see myself returning to enjoy...that is, if you can pry me out of the 'burbs to AdMo at night again. read more

It was my night at Bossa and the bartender Motaz was so attentive and considerate. He really made this night special and my friend and I will be back! read more

Maybe I've outgrown the Adams Morgan bar scene. They're all starting to look the same to me! Drinks are okay, the scene is okay, and I'm not sure about the blacklight in the back room dancefloor. Very unflattering, unless you're at a rave. Or a damp back alleyway. read more

A cozy spot in AdMo with live latin music band. A couple of us came here after the Yelp Elite event at Saki for needed sustenance. The food is fresh and tasty. I had the hummus appetizer and the eggplant parmesan. Both were very good and we were regaled by the live band playing latin beats. A definitively lower key and more intimate spot if you're looking for latin salsa, bossanova, etc.. without the meat market atmosphere of Havana Village. read more

Dodging bullets. In Adams Morgan... $5 to get in. Not too crowded. Live Latin band. Men will ask you to dance. Some men will not 'unfriend' you. Pricey drinks. Upstairs has a more gringo feel. The four up there can dance. Bathrooms are bad. Outside smoking area. Watch people. Get shot. Liked this place better years ago. Would like it better if the night didn't involve impromptu live fire. Adams Morgan. Not worth dying for. read more

This has definitely become one of my favorite places for live music and entertainment. Bossa is a gem! With different styles of music playing every night! Great selection of musicians, each with their own tunes. The weekends are meant for dancing the night away! It's charming and you will see the owner fully engaged with the patrons. The bar tenders make great drinks and will always greet you! If you have not been here yet! This is a MUST! read more

My friend and I went here for dinner as he thought it was organic (apparently that was the past chef or something) but when we went in around 7:45 on a Saturday night, it was vacant. OK, take any seat we want. I like the atmosphere, the food was ok - we had tapas and appetizers - although it was pretty heavy on the butter and the bread was sort of like toasted wonder bread. Hummus was very good. They were out of a bunch of things, and I sort of felt like this place was more bar than restaurant. Service was friendly, prompt, wine list non existent (house wines only I think). Bottom line, I think this place would be great for drinks and a nibble if you're starving...but pass for dinner. read more

UGH, Lent! Every place that I've reviewed during Lent will have to be revisited so I can test out the drink selections (which is why I can't give Bossa the 5 stars it deserves). Sigh. That said, Bossa is kind of phenomenal. We went for one of my girls' birthday outing. Live salsa sung by a superhot Puerto Rican man, accompanied by a full band, including a trumbonist. It was my first time in the presence of such music and it took my breath away. My friends and I mostly lounged (with me watching my friends suck down mojito after succulent mojito). Although the music was awesome, there's not a lot of room to dance; ie, when the birthday girl danced with this guy, they fairly consistently ran into the other couples around them. Granted, the other couples deserved to be run into since they didn't know what they were doing, and were awkwardly gyrating their nonexistent hips on each other. Shrugs. That said, the crowd is mostly international and pretty diverse, including, for some reason, a contingency of Georgetown University masters' alumni, who recognized me as Library Girl. Again, shrugs. Bossa is also part art gallery, and while I was there, they featured black and white photos of what looked to me to be an indiginous African funeral (lots and lots of raw emotion), which was COMPLETELY contrasting to the euphoric mood the music created and struck me as odd, but it's definitely a conversation starter. Overall, I had a darn good time, despite going mojitoless and barely being able to move on the dancefloor. We shall revisit! ;) read more