I love how this place feels like a neighborhood coffee shop but in a much bigger scale. There are plenty of mixed and matched tables, chairs, sofas, and lounge chairs to sit and read a good book while drinking coffee or munching on some good food. I'll remind myself never to go here on a busy Saturday morning though because you will wait a while for an available table. The food was great...I had a ham and cheese croissant sandwich, a cup of mocha, chicken gumbo, and the cheese sampler. Everything was portioned perfectly and nicely. The service could have been better. Granted, with the way this place works, I figured the service might be a little off. It must be difficult to try to keep track of people coming in and out of the place as they please and attempting to order food at the same time. That being said I wasn't expecting attentive service, but some service if any. At the end, the server had to be asked twice for our check, but yet in between she was still able to take other people's orders that were seated next to our table. How about printing our check, giving it to us, and THEN taking the order at the table next to ours? Nope, this happened twice. She definitely needed a lesson in multitasking. We were about ready to leave without paying...why do we need to wait for several minutes to pay after asking a couple of times already? Did we need to practically beg so we could lighten our wallets? When we finally got our check, needless to say, her tip was also reduced in the process. So, minus one star for that. I'd love to see this place at night and I bet it'd be a good place to hang out with actual alcoholic drinks in your hands. read more

A great espresso there. I had to stand at the bar (which was ok) because it was so crowded inside. The barista brought a glass of ice water for me without me even asking. Well done. They seem to know their coffee. Food seems to be so-so. Can only expect so much with a place like this pushing through hundreds of customers each day. read more

I really like this place. The service can be pretty shotty at times, but you are at a really busy coffee house and you probably aren't in a rush if you are here, so don't worry about it. Mon-Wed they have free live jazz in the evenings from 8 to 11ish. Fun show! The hot chocolate here is pretty good. Not amazing, but pretty good. They used to have this peach/berry cobbler thing, but they don't any more. That's pretty sad. The food here is good. Again, not amazing. They have fresh tea, too, which is great. Full leaf tea. People love the animal crackers they give you too. This place would be a 3 star joint if it weren't for the ambiance, the live music, and the alternative rock they play over the speakers. read more

It's worth the detor just to hang out and read a good book with coffee.

I love couches, and Tryst has some nice ones. It's a great place to have coffee and not feel like you're in a coffee shop. The space is large and open, and even on weekend nights it provides a haven from the usual Adams Morgan establishments on a Saturday night. Shame the food sucks. read more

I LOVE this place! This is a really cool coffee shop located in Adams Morgan. If you're in the mood for a nice cup of coffee/latte/cappuccino this is the place to go! I really enjoy the ambiance and local art work that dresses the walls. The food is always good, nothing to knock your socks off but fast and easy meal. They offer a good variety. I always seem to order the Martin which is a southwestern vegan sandwich. I also really enjoy their cappuccinos that is always accompanied by two small animal crackers. I have been to Tryst Cafe for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its nice to just go there, sit and enjoy a nice cup of anything because its all oh so tasty! You can't go wrong coming to Tryst. I have brought numerous friends here and they all come back. If you need to study or do homework its a nice place to come but it can be a little noisy. The only negative to this place is the location. It isn't easy accessible by metro and if you drive you have to pay metered parking or park in the nearest parking lot. Other than that ... its worth the drive or walk from the metro. Make sure you go to Tryst Cafe and enjoy a nice cup of something warm :) read more

Tryst - Excellent! Cappuccino and a little animal cracker to make you smile :) - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was a Loyal customer going there everyday for the past 6 months. The atmosphere is great and the couches are comfy. I started bringing my friends there, but last night was a game changer for me. I've never seen such horrible customer service and blatant disrespect from a manager. If the owners are reading this they should reevaluate who they hire as managers as they are ruining your core business! I will never go to Tryst again despite bringing thousands of dollars of business to them this past year. I brought 5 friends there last night and they all ordered food and drinks while I ordered a latte. I was tired and they all wanted to stay later and order more refreshments. I asked the waitress who was inattentive to refilling water and taking orders to pull out my latte from the check so that I could go home. She refused to do so saying that parties of 6 or more cannot separate checks. I said okay. I didn't want to make a scene near the tables so I approached her near the register reminding her that we only had 5 people. I kindly told her that I was just leaving and they were going to keep ordering food. She refused to pull my latte out stating that it was just their "policy". I asked for a manager at which point she said she was the manager. I told her I would leave without paying if she didn't pull out the latte and also reminded her that I come there everyday and spend about $100 a week there on top of bringing multiple friends there each time I come. She absolutely refused to charge my latte separately and kept repeating the word "policy" without giving a meaning. Eventually someone random from the couches came up and said they would pay for my latte. She said okay and aloud me to leave. WTF? I can't pull out my own latte from my friends check, but she will allow some random freakin person do it? Doesn't make any sense at all. The owners should fire this idiot for horrible interpersonal skills and crappy service. She's apparently a "manager". White dirty blonde looking girl with no respect or personality for the customer. Absolutely ridiculous! Her lack of effort in letting me pay for ONE latte resulted in thousands of dollars in revenue lost from one customer. DO NOT go here! Try Filter, Wydown, The Coffee Bar, DC Bakehouse, or even Starbucks over this crappy institution. Sam read more

Food was great! Loved the atmosphere. I ordered a spinach frittata with fruit on the side and a cup of golden milk. My friend got a slice of cinnamon bread. Everything was delicious. read more

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

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My favorite coffee house in DC! They have a comfy, cozy atmosphere (not unlike what I would imagine Central Perk from Friends to be like). I have always had great service and the servers are fun and welcoming. They have huge mugs for generous servings of coffee and happy hour and bar specials every night. I also enjoy the rotating art they have for sale and the "take one, leave one" policy they have on their bookshelf. read more

Super yummy food and spiked coffee too!!! A good ambience! Definitely recommend if you are visiting DC!

The place is very nice, the food and coffee is great and the service is amazing! They have tables outside in case you want to enjoy the day and the music is very cool! read more

I was craving something sweet and randomly walked in here after grabbing an incredibly delicious falafel from Amsterdam Falafelshop. My Tuesday night experience in Tryst was a pleasant one. I sat on a large couch across from the bar and liked how someone brings your order. Tryst has live Jazz music on Mon-Thurs and offers free Wi-Fi. According to someone who works there, Tryst has no Wi-Fi on weekends because it gets too crowded. I got a green tea, which came with animal crackers of course, and a fruit cheesecake. There was nothing special about the cheesecake, it tasted like any other commercially-prepared cheesecake. The green tea was good. Their items on the menu are reasonably priced and looks delicious. The kitchen closes at 11:30PM. read more

I love this place. Whenever I come to visit my brother i've come here every time. Mostly because of one reason. The Santa Cruz Style Bagel. I'll describe this bad boy for you. Your choice of Bagel, topped with cream cheese, chopped basil, chives, scallion, thyme, rosemary and mint. Served open face and drizzled with olive oil and fresh black pepper. Yeah your mouth is watering just like mine right now. It is superb. Other items on the menu that I enjoy are the Nina wrap which is chicken, spicy marinated onions, jalapenos, feta, mixed greens, kalamata olives, tomato, & cilantro in a whole wheat wrap. Super tasty. They have great service and a very cozy interior. Also the coffee is great. Highly recommended. read more

I love this place. Their atmosphere. Their frozen chai. Their food. Their service. You need a place to do homework? Tryst is the place! You need a place to have brunch? Tryst is the place! You love chai like I do??? Do not miss the opportunity to try their frozen chai! So good! :) read more

For what it is, a really solid coffee shop. They have tons of seating and a strong brew. Food is ok. I feel they're a little short staffed, especially on the weekends, but hard not to be with such a large location for DC. read more

If you're looking for a spot with unique ambience, free wifi, and delectable spiced apple cider, come here! I've only been here on nights and weekends and during those times, the crowds are thick. If you're expecting to do some MCAT or LSAT studying during these hours find another place. However, as a post-Adams Morgan bar retreat, this is top notch and it's open late! read more

I understand the whole WiFi being off during the weekends. Service is still lacking, but the food is worth a visit. *** Old Review Below *** I had come to Tryst before. Their twist on cocktails is fun, even though I wasn't sure whether alcohol was present in the drinks. I have also tried their cornbread bites, which comes served in an innovative way (waffle!). Today I ordered the honeydew mint smoothie, which was very refreshing. Upon getting the bill (a little over $5 with tax), I wanted to determine for myself how much to tip. The waitress put me on the spot when I handed over a $10. "How much do you want for change? $5? $4?" Honestly, what am I supposed to say? Food and drink: 4 stars Service and ambience: 1 star, mostly due to that WiFi is turned OFF over the weekend and the attitude I'd get from waitstaff. read more

Rotating local art. Live jazz at times. No rushed servers (for better and worse). Could use more veggie options.

Salmon Plate is SOOOOO good! I love this place! Great spot to lounge and for brunch!!

Staying in Adams Morgan we stumbled into Tryst. It was so good we came twice. We got iced coffees and banana chocolate muffins to go and we were pleasantly surprised. Our second time we stayed for brunch. My spinach frittata was great and the iced coffee was smooth and didn't need anything. My friend got the acai bowl and it was not great. There just wasn't much to it and it was runny. To us, bowls should be a little thicker not soupy, but that might just be a personal preference not wrong per say. The service was great and I enjoyed having brunch on a couch and not a cold metal chair for once! read more

A great place to chill when you're in the Adam's Morgan area and want more than either a bar or a club. Good luck dealing with the smoke if you can find a place to sit on the weekends. This place is a good laid-back atmosphere that's great for those who want drinks, desserts, coffee, or tea. I wasn't impressed with their double chocolate cake, but their strawberry and nutella sandwich looks yummy and they have a great tea and coffee selection. I love getting their chai and getting some animal crackers with it. Their drinks are on the pricey side, but at least they had a decent selection. read more

I really enjoy Tryst. Being pregnant, the bar scene has begun to make me cranky (I miss alcohol), but Tryst gives me an alternative place to go out with friends or after dinner with my husband. They can all order alcohol, and I can indulge on desserts and hot chocolate in a cool environment. Sometimes, it takes a bit to get service, but I never mind... I have important decisions to make, like which pie I want. read more

Hi, my name is Celia and I'm a smoked salmon addict. It is a requirement that where ever I go, if they have a dish featuring that illusive, delectable treat that I must try it. Tryst's menu features a slew of sandwiches named after people including the two Boyfriend and I tried. Boyfriend had the Portia: thin cut prosciutto, goat cheese and fig spread. It was alright, Boyfriend added some sugar and deemed that better. For me, it was the (I think it was called) the Kamin (it is for some reason not on their web site...I'm starting to think I imagined it) which was smoked salmon, wasabi mayo, vinegar cucumbers and watercress. The salmon was a little fishy but the overall texture was good and the combination of flavors served to mask most of the fishiness. Both sandwiches were served on baguette which started out well but became increasingly hard to chew. We had an appetizer of goat cheese bruschetta (baguette rounds topped with soft goat cheese, roasted red peppers and fresh basil) which were well executed and tasty. For dessert, Boyfriend opted for carrot cake and I had the mexican hot chocolate: rated R version. Basically it's hot chocolate spiced with an extreme amount of cayenne pepper and cinnamon. It started out delicious but I was unable to finish the bowl of it (not cup...BOWL) as it got spicier and richer the more I drank and eventually was just too overpowering for my already full tummy. I think next time I'll have to get the PG version. Oh, and if you're going to go, try and make it on a Tues or Weds night for some live Jazz. The band was kinda "meh" until their sax player showed up. He turned them from an aimless jam session into something with a little more substance and feeling. When he left, we left. We just couldn't take any further formulaic "tune, guitar solo, poor bass solo, drum solo, hit point, solo, tune." I've never heard three people play together and sound less enthused. read more

pumpkin spiced waffle! the cappuccino wasn't as good as the waffle. leave it to yelp to help me find a nice coffee lounge (kinda) near the zoo in my favorite city to visit (really!) read more

This place is so out of place in this neighborhood. If I am surrounded by bars, I would rather go to a bar. But it does have good pasteries. Hmm, pasteries and beer. read more

true story...i am RIDICULOUSLY impatient. if you have read other reviews about tryst, you will know that they have SUPER SLOW service. HOWEVER, they also have a ROCKSTAR menu! as the reigning Queen of Indecision, the time spent waiting on my server was well spent, figuring out what i wanted to grub on. i spent my time standing, hovering over a small table so that my party of six could sit together, almost IMPOSSIBLE in this joint. when the ppl sitting at said table vacated the premises, i snagged their table, and got stink eye from about five other ppl. note: large parties are NOT a good idea for this place UNLESS you call and reserve a table. the look of the place is cool, mis-matched, homey feel with ppl basically camping out on couches and comfy chairs. there are huge family style tables where you can plop down with your mac next to complete strangers...it made me miss my mac (which had been left alone in az on my trip to dc). the place had a lived in feeling...wicked awesome. btw, i got the traci, which was AWESOME!!!! turkey + brie + coarse ground mustard = fat, happy monkey! i tried to get the asparagus soup, but they had run out...sad day. the gazpacho was like eating salsa minus the chips. i do not advise it. others in my party were all super pleased with their choices, which included the oscar, the chicken salad and the spinach dip. moral of the story: plan for a long wait if you want your own table, especially with a party bigger than two. (and plz ppl, don't hog a big table if you are by yourself...it's RUDE!) the food is rockstar, i doubt you will be disappointed. read more

Omg I'm at Tryst and it feels like the waiter is trying to ignore me. I need water, my coffee is over (it was very good but I think it might have been a trap), my food needs a box (it's inedible but I think I can take it home and fix it), I have nowhere to put my laptop, I asked the guy sitting next to me to please help me and ask the waiter to get me some water when he comes back, he said sure, but he didn't. I think I might be being held hostage here. Someone please help me. Is this the bad place? read more

Tryst is one of my favorite coffee shop nationally. The Adams Morgan neighborhood of D.C. provides an excellent back drop. The coffee shop stays open late even on the weekdays. I have always enjoyed the ambiance of the people, the smell of fresh coffee, and at times live music. The seating throughout the place have always been comfortable especially the couches. read more

Tryst is really the only thing that makes DC liveable. I've finally figured out that a single soy cortado, consumed while using the wifi with one's Powerbook, is the secret to life, the universe, and everything -- at least, in this anti-coffe town. Grr. (And you thought it was '42'!) read more

Incredible atmosphere. Great coffees and teas. Really nice crowd. Free wifi and a full bar! I wish San Francisco had an equivalent to Tryst.

I think I may be one of the few who has continually had a mediocre or unpleasant experience at this coffee house. Considering I live in the burbs, I get down to Adams Morgan about twice a month, so my experience isn't as valid as those who go here a lot. The last time I was there, 2 weeks ago, a friend of mine and I sat at the bar around 9pm. There were no seats. From all of my times here it just seems that no one leaves. Faces buried in laptops as far as the eye can see. No worries we thought, we will just sit at the bar. I ordered a plain coffee and my friend ordered shots of grey goose. Guess who got their drink first? My friend....and I waited, and waited and waited. Even as we placed the order, the bartender seemed distracted and even exclaimed, "Sorry, What did you want, I think I blacked out". "COFFEE, PLAIN". After about 15 min of trying to get his attention away from the obnoxious group that had just sat next to us causing us to moved down, almost being blocked by the espresso machine, I got up and asked someone by the Pasty fridge. She told me that I would have to order with the bartender and when I politely told her that I had been waiting for a cup of coffee that was already brewed, sitting in a carafe right next to her, she acted as though she didn't hear me and asked again. this time I said, politely i might add, "The bartender has been ignoring us!". She looked at me like I had just kicked her cat and said she would "see what was taking so long"....instead of pouring it herself and handing it to me. By this point, the very social busybody bartender was already not getting a big tip. She goes over to him and says in a "I'm telling mommy" like voice, "She is complaining that you are ignoring her....." As I returned to my seat he came over and asked, "What did you want again". "COFFEE! PLAIN! PLEASE!" He then continues to say, "There just isn't enough man to go around for all you ladies"...ok, shut up, its just a cup of already brewed coffee, how hard can it be to hold a mug under a nozzle, pull and voila! Coffee. The coffee was incredibly bitter and far too strong, and I say this as an avid Turkish coffee drinker. Getting the bill was an even more daunting task as we noticed the bartender was pouring himself shots and ducking behind the bar to drink them. This whole task was again complicated as my friend's father had asked us to pick him up a pastry.....tick tick tick....the time was just wasting away. Finally we get the check, and as much as my friend spent on shots of Greygoose, you might think he would be more pleasant in hopes of receiving 15-20%. Giving him the credit card was the next step as we noticed he had ducked away again, this time to eat. OK OK, I know everyone has to eat, but generally this is done on a break where another person is called over to cover. Granted, there might have been a lack of help on this particular evening....a busy Thursday evening in a very busy night spot in WASHINGTON DC, but he could have waited until he finished our transaction. So, its not almost 11 and we are hoping to leave by midnight.... He comes trotting over with a mouth full of food, grabs the card and instead of turning a full 180 degrees to swipe the card, he stops to "chit chat" with the obnoxiously drunk gaggle of women sitting next to us. After he was enlightened to one of the women's entire family history, he swiped the card and returned it to my friend. By this time, my friend was ready to let loose her acrylic fingernails into the eyes of this bartender, but calmed herself down enough to give him a meager 10% tip. Now we were charged for the pasty but it's AWOL. Time to flag this guy down again.....oy vay. We flagged him down and he returns saying, "yes?"....My friend was about to loose it. "The pasty?" He asks, "What pasty?" She just pointed to the check and he says, OHHHH, I thought she(pointing to the woman behind the pasty case who claimed she couldn't help us) was getting it. She is instead counting her tip money. He gets it and hands it to me with out a word, turns to the group of women and continues his yenta fest. I was really disappointed. The following week, a Friday night, my out of town boyfriend wanted to stop by and get coffee. This time we had a seat and waiter. The service was much better and the waiter was friendly. On the other hand, the same bartender was working and EATING again....behind the bar. I was too afraid to order an alcoholic beverage , so opted for my go-to, a cup of coffee. It took a bit, but it was also a very busy Friday night, so I wasn't going to get bent out of shape. I have always had very mixed experiences here, especially since the staff is always different as I am sure people come and go. I know that when the same bartender I dealt with is working, I will not be sitting or ordering from the bar....I'm almost afraid a piece of whatever he is eating will be floating in my drink. read more

Very poor customer service. insufficient number of staff, so impossible to be waited on, and then the staff acts so snippy and rude it is like I am doing them a disservice by trying to patronize them. Talked to the manager Tarica (sp?), who was dismissive. There are dozens of other places to go with much better service, so I would highly recommend patronizing one of them. read more

Well hey sailors! You want an awesome little spot to hang out with, here it is! My friends and I were in DC for the weekend and were looking to go barhopping. We have a friend who's in a rascal scooter with nitro so he wasn't able to make it into some bars with those long thin stairways....so we were on the prowl for a spot to get drinks and possibly mingle with some tenders. We pass by this coffeeshop named Tryst and we see this bouncer carding people. I am wondering why is someone getting carded at a damn coffeeshop? Well the place actually converts to a bar after 9pm on weekends! So all 6 of us go in, grab a seat, and order up some beers. One server was exceptionally nice to us, didn't catch his name but he's got the cute little moustache from the 3 musketeers era. Another bartender got us situated with some custom shots (not to be mistaken as drinks due to my friend yelling "NOT DRINKS....SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS"....what a priceless moment). We offered the bartender a shot but he declined and said he was 1 month in on a 3 month "no drinking" cycle...he said it was good for people in the industry...well let's just hope he's not cycling off of other fun things! OH MISTER!!! I think our cute server guy managed to eyehump all of us at least 3 times, which was AWESOME! We enjoyed our drinks, the atmosphere, etc. Many young people here drinking cawwwwwwfeeeeeee on a Saturday night and doing some studying, or just hanging out and chitchatting about fun things (swore I heard one group of girls going on about cuckolding...wow what a topic!) Anyways, 5 stars for this posh little spot. When I come back to visit Frank Underwood, I will be coming to Tryst! read more

Fun coffee shop / restaurant. Last visit I had a salted caramel affagoto that was very good. All the couches give me a "Central Perk" vibe. Their baked goods look great but I have not tried them yet. The only challenge can be parking, depending on time of day and you may have to wait for a seat or get cozy with a stranger. Must try when in DC! read more

I have loved this coffee shop for years. I love their vibe and I'm obsessed with their chaipuccino. I've always received excellent customer service. The food is delicious too. read more

Love this place!! My man and I go a couple times a week. Aya is just a greta guy and we usually get him as our waiter! Oh and Stacy you know I love you "SWEET POTATO" magnificent....Americano with cream, sit and yap, read the paper, always a pleasure. read more

This is the type of coffee house that most coffee houses strive to be, but just don't cut it. The ambience exceeds the expectations that most would have upon stumbling upon this Adams Morgan hangout. I echo the sentiment of other reviewers in that it strikes the perfect balance between a lounge and a living room - you can nod your head to the trance music while easily holding a conversation with your friend or date sitting next to you. Definitely will be visiting again. read more

Such a neat eclectic coffee shop! I came in for a quick breakfast not realizing it was table service, breakfast wasn't as quick as I had hoped since we needed to get to the airport. They have a really nice tea menu so I went with their mint tea. It did come a few minutes after the food, which I didn't really love. Lets talk about the food, the butternut squash quiche is the way to go! It was the fluffiest, most flavorful quiche I have ever eaten. The eggs were soft and not over cooked at all. I highly recommend it! It also comes with a side of either fruit or salad, the fruit had a pretty decent variety. We were in on a late Friday morning and the place was really busy. They did have the patio open, but it was a bit too chilly for that for me. We were lucky and a two top had just opened up when we walked in. Great place to grab a coffee and some breakfast, the lunch menu looked super delicious as well. read more

This place is usually mediocre, which has kept me coming back because of convenience. But sometimes it veers into inedible. And that has now happened increasingly and one too many times. So I will not be back. One star is for the coffee. The other is for the 10% of wait staff that seems to be trying. read more

Great work space and light foods! I like to work here and have nachos or humus dip! The cappuccinos are amazing and so cute with animal crackers read more