Tryst
Tryst Coffee Review
Coffee: 9
Smooth, rich coffee served in a for-here cup and accompanied by an animal cracker. Sometime messy presentation does not detract from the flavor. Be prepared: It’s hard to make conversation while coffee remains in your mug.
Community: 8
The kind of diversity you would expect of our nation’s capital: A mélange of languages mingles with the ever-present live jazz to make for a perfect noise cloud. Not a place that feels like “Cheers,” but stick around long enough and you might just become one of the gang.
Place: 10
Not your typical coffeehouse experience: A bar, a restaurant, and a go-to locale for project collaborators, it would be possible to visit Tryst and never get the depressed poet vibe. (Except for the thick scent of creativity the place asserts). Stay forever, put your feet up.
Smooth, rich coffee served in a for-here cup and accompanied by an animal cracker. Sometime messy presentation does not detract from the flavor. Be prepared: It’s hard to make conversation while coffee remains in your mug.
Community: 8
The kind of diversity you would expect of our nation’s capital: A mélange of languages mingles with the ever-present live jazz to make for a perfect noise cloud. Not a place that feels like “Cheers,” but stick around long enough and you might just become one of the gang.
Place: 10
Not your typical coffeehouse experience: A bar, a restaurant, and a go-to locale for project collaborators, it would be possible to visit Tryst and never get the depressed poet vibe. (Except for the thick scent of creativity the place asserts). Stay forever, put your feet up.
Rolling up to Tryst during the summer months is a sure recipe for developing a case of ADD. In fact, it’d be excusable if you missed Tryst’s storefront with its open windows leaking live jazz, as that particular part of 18th Street feels like one large sidewalk café: The patrons of the bars, restaurants, yoga studio, and cafe merge into one animal of arms, legs, and jovial interaction; Tryst anchors the madness. 2459 18th could easily be the birthplace of xtreme People Watching.
The over-stimulation Tryst provides is a positive maxing-out. Like being rolled to shore by a furious ocean wave, getting caught in the whorl of music, chatter, work,
and mood-lit flirtation in one of the joint’s dark and cozy corners will leave you discombobulated and grinning. Geographical location inside the shop is pivotal. The “Seat Yourself” sign is an alert that your evening begins with a choice: Do you grab the main table, big enough to seat twelve? A two-person table? A couch? A seat at the bar? Unlike many coffee shops that try to do it all, café, bar, music venue, Tryst manages to meet the varied needs of its patrons with an eclectic seating mix that creates distinct realms within the shop. Where you sit determines the night you have.
We gambled and set up shop at a two-person table near the front. A waitress promptly set us up with menus and waters, and left us to our own devices. Genial and off-handed, the service is quick and polite, but doesn’t hover, allowing you to get on with your night.
To begin, we ordered two coffees: one hot latte and one iced mocha. Both arrived on white saucers, two animal crackers nestled up to the vessels, adding a touch of whimsy to a seriously good coffee. Tryst prides itself on emulating the tradition of northern Italian coffees: A focus on quality in both taste and presentation. While the mocha disappointed a bit, the syrup and coffee weren’t properly combined, the latte was a conversation stopper. Until the last drop disappeared, it was hard to set it down.
As we whiled away the evening, friends came and went, sipping martinis, nodding appreciatively to the band; a group of old men ordered their second coffees and re-applied themselves to a game of cards, and a young couple next to us played footsie and smiled at each other over their glowing computer screens. It’s that kind of place: Sweat pants or fedoras, you can be whomever you like under the cover of equalizing darkness.
*Tryst does not take its featured coffees lightly—unless, of course, we’re talking about the flavor of its roasts. Generally, they strive for a light roast that brings out the citrus and nutty notes of its coffees. They work with Counter Culture and various farmers to present a unique roast specific to Tryst and the season.
The over-stimulation Tryst provides is a positive maxing-out. Like being rolled to shore by a furious ocean wave, getting caught in the whorl of music, chatter, work,
and mood-lit flirtation in one of the joint’s dark and cozy corners will leave you discombobulated and grinning. Geographical location inside the shop is pivotal. The “Seat Yourself” sign is an alert that your evening begins with a choice: Do you grab the main table, big enough to seat twelve? A two-person table? A couch? A seat at the bar? Unlike many coffee shops that try to do it all, café, bar, music venue, Tryst manages to meet the varied needs of its patrons with an eclectic seating mix that creates distinct realms within the shop. Where you sit determines the night you have.
We gambled and set up shop at a two-person table near the front. A waitress promptly set us up with menus and waters, and left us to our own devices. Genial and off-handed, the service is quick and polite, but doesn’t hover, allowing you to get on with your night.
To begin, we ordered two coffees: one hot latte and one iced mocha. Both arrived on white saucers, two animal crackers nestled up to the vessels, adding a touch of whimsy to a seriously good coffee. Tryst prides itself on emulating the tradition of northern Italian coffees: A focus on quality in both taste and presentation. While the mocha disappointed a bit, the syrup and coffee weren’t properly combined, the latte was a conversation stopper. Until the last drop disappeared, it was hard to set it down.
As we whiled away the evening, friends came and went, sipping martinis, nodding appreciatively to the band; a group of old men ordered their second coffees and re-applied themselves to a game of cards, and a young couple next to us played footsie and smiled at each other over their glowing computer screens. It’s that kind of place: Sweat pants or fedoras, you can be whomever you like under the cover of equalizing darkness.
*Tryst does not take its featured coffees lightly—unless, of course, we’re talking about the flavor of its roasts. Generally, they strive for a light roast that brings out the citrus and nutty notes of its coffees. They work with Counter Culture and various farmers to present a unique roast specific to Tryst and the season.
Address: 2459 18th Street NW
Phone Number: 202-232-5500
Website: www.trystdc.com
Hours:
Mon - Wed 6:30am - 12:00am
Thurs 6:30am - 2:00am
Fri - Sat 6:30am - 3:00am
Sunday 7:00am - 12:00am
Beans: Counter Culture*
WiFi: Yes
Snacks: Full menu, desserts, pastries, full bar
Phone Number: 202-232-5500
Website: www.trystdc.com
Hours:
Mon - Wed 6:30am - 12:00am
Thurs 6:30am - 2:00am
Fri - Sat 6:30am - 3:00am
Sunday 7:00am - 12:00am
Beans: Counter Culture*
WiFi: Yes
Snacks: Full menu, desserts, pastries, full bar
