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Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe

Bookstore, Café, and Bar

Northwest Washington, Washington

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8.6^/10

1,441

ratings

Ranked #6 for bookstores in Washington
The experts at Washington Post and Michelin Travel & Lifestyle recommend this place
"Breakfast here after browsing & buying books is one of life's joys."(12 Tips)
"good selection of books, delicious cakes, friendly staff."(9 Tips)
"Eat the Goober Pie after reading the latest new releases!"(7 Tips)
"The crab cake pasta is to die for!"(10 Tips)

317 Tips and reviews

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Tammy GordonAugust 13, 2013
My favorite bookstore! Great for classics, fun fiction, DC tour books and gifts. Bonus: neat bar/resto in back.
Upvoted Jun 20
Maggie MacGMarch 23, 2014
My favorite place to go in Dupont since the '90s. Great food and amazing desserts if you want some interesting people watching while getting a little something sweet.
Upvoted 3 hours ago
Víctor SánchezNovember 12, 2012
Great bookstore w/ great energy & a plethora of choices. If ur of the picky type (like me); have an idea of what ur looking for. Regardless, it's quite nice to dip into multiple worlds on a visit.
Brent GatewoodJune 19, 2018
I’m torn. I love the feel of the place and the beer selection in the cafe. I had one meal - Mac and Cheese, won’t have it again. Good cheese, noodles over cooked. I’ll be back and try something else.
David DerrickAugust 30, 2014
Been here 10+ times
Far and away my favorite cafe and book store in DC! Unique way of displaying books face up makes for enjoyable browsing. Delightful brunch in the outdoor seating area! Small bar is ideal for meet-ups.
Behrad EatsAugust 20, 2014
The Sushi Tuna & Avocado Salad is fresh and delicious, made with: fresh sushi-grade tuna - pan-seared rare - soy, wasabi & honey vinaigrette fresh avocado - edamame - soba noodle salad.
Ali KortayAugust 27, 2017
Berry Pancake with Scrambled Egg and in addition baked potatoes.
PeggyApril 21, 2019
Love this place! Browse and buy a book in the store, then walk over to the cafe to grab a bite (and read your new book!).
Hannah LuddyJanuary 11, 2017
Great selection of books at reasonable prices, with a lovely community-feel cafe. Try the waffles and bacon, and wander a bit to find something new to read. Location is convenient to bus and metro.
Mikael WagnerFebruary 17, 2014
I went to this gem on our snow day on a Thursday and it was a delight. I had delicious mussels and a seared tuna carpaccio. Delicious. Best part cocktails by Molly--a people person gold star staff.❤️
Mikael WagnerJanuary 26, 2014
A very cool place to simply chill-lax. Best place to hang is in the bar area. The night I wS there it was jammed packed so we got a table and shared a peach cobbler dessert and coffee w/booze
dancingqueen fAMedevoLv3xionJuly 29, 2017
Mondays hh $5 handcrafted martinis is top notch, historic institution of DC known for its chocolate & desserts-used to be 24/7 diner/bookstore now 24hr Fri-Sun-Dysfunctional Family Sundae is the Best!
Shirin JafariAugust 7, 2017
Get the New Orleans Fettuccine!! It was one of the best pastas I've had! And you can never go wrong with their desserts!
ᴡ CorreaAugust 18, 2016
The Cuban sandwich was amazing and they had a great selection of beer. Nice place to go with a mixed younger crowd
Washington PostAugust 1, 2014
The benefit it reaps from its bookstore relationship is that it's open late every day, and all night on Friday and Saturday. It also serves brunch on weekends. Read more
Rebecca BrownOctober 25, 2017
Tasty granola! Great opening times.
Ghosts of DCJanuary 27, 2012
Sit outside on a spring day with a couple friends and some beer. This is a great place for some people watching along 19th St. Check out our post on the history of the building. Read more
Mauricio M.November 16, 2016
Definitely one of my favorite places in DC. Great place to brunch, nice selection of beers (try the Hefeweizen) and good cakes.
MeshaFebruary 26, 2018
A wonderful place, every book lover should visit. They got good list of events which updated monthly.
Aleksandra ArcipowskaAugust 12, 2017
Absolutely amazing! Great selection of books (incl. art and architecture sections); nice atmosphere and a cozy cafe. I will be back soon!
Jeff ParkDecember 11, 2018
Very cute bookstore and a great place to bring a date - has nice cafe inside and a bar
Sasha TkachenkoNovember 10, 2016
A perfect spot for breakfast/lunch. Good coffee (the Latte is huge), nice house sodas and great Red Velvet cake. Try Cuban sandwich!
Amy CummingsAugust 12, 2017
This is a great spot to sit on the patio and have a drink if you're looking for something chill.
Janna H.March 28, 2017
A very cute bookstore. Really great breakfast everything the table had was great.
Rachel OrrAugust 10, 2014
Been here 10+ times
Couldn't say enough good things about this place. Cafe is fantastic for brunch and dinner. A bit pricey but totally worth it. The bookstore and are bar are open so late on the weekends!
John (aka “PHATFoodFan”)August 21, 2019
Get the crab omelette! Such a good spot to read and relax. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Zldkijh_W/?igshid=tk80kcc50o9w
Kim PDecember 20, 2012
Been here 5+ times
I love stopping in here to browse the books and to have a drink in the little bar area. They have a great selection of craft beers as well as liquor. This place is a gem.
M BJuly 4, 2017
They go all in on the Chicken Pot Pie. Tons of chicken that falls apart, tender carrot and potato, and the pastry is killer by itself!
A RJuly 15, 2016
Awesome bookstore. Slices of pie are huge. Beer selection is good.
Arpi Tavil-ShatelyanJuly 25, 2015
The desserts are amazing! Try the salted caramel vanilla cake, it's incredible.
Christy CloutierJune 13, 2019
The crab cake burger was very good and the seasoned fries were EXCELLENT. Fish tacos not so much: dry and lacking flavor.
Michael LucasJanuary 24, 2013
Awesome bookstore and a nice cafe inside for some classy cafe food and drinks. Great place to spend a few hours to relax or just chat with old friends.
Sarah HarkerAugust 25, 2012
Saturday brunch is great... Good entrees. $3 Bloody Mary doesn't skimp on the vodka. Great coffee. Fun atmosphere. A little pricey for brunch but worth it!
Evan L.August 11, 2013
Found this on Urban Spoon at 2am on a Saturday. Best food ever. The butternut squash ravioli was probably the best thing I've had in my entire life.
Michelin Travel & LifestyleAugust 12, 2012
The front of Kramerbooks houses an array of current and classic literary titles and in the back the cafe serves food, wine, beer and dessert into the early hours of the morning. -- Green Guide Editor
Jase WMarch 20, 2015
This bookstore is amazing. It's not spacious or has a lot of places to sit, but it's full of amazing books. Way better than the local B&N.
Tom MaxwellFebruary 23, 2018
This bookstore has a bar in it so you can read and get smashed. What more do you need?
Walter WhitakerMay 27, 2014
crab meat omelets were fantastic as was the bookstore. A friend who used to live near there and a cab driver both recommended and they were right! A must do in DC
Richard EfthimSeptember 21, 2015
Brunch was wonderful. For a brie, spinach omelet which was delish. Reservations recommended to avoid long waits though browsing the bookstore is fun too
BobbyJanuary 14, 2017
Chicken pot pie with a cute presentation!
Y.Arman BarlasFebruary 15, 2017
You can read and eat. They have great cafe.
Hailey CaldwellJune 1, 2017
Not the most spectacular breakfast in the world, but they make up for it with the amazing bookstore that will leave you wandering around for hours.
LaurenAugust 17, 2012
I adore Kramerbooks because whether I'm in need of a good book or a good slice of dessert, this bookstore provides! Their brunch is also yummy and well worth the wait.
Maynard TannMarch 24, 2018
Opens late, past midnight
Vijaya ThakurOctober 2, 2011
Been here 5+ times
Open 24hrs with live music on Fri and Sat! Also, one of my absolute fav bookstores in the world. Diverse selection. Grab a good read and a great beer, it'll be a beautiful day.
Lahaina Mae MondoñedoDecember 30, 2011
Been here 5+ times
The butternut squash ravioli and cheesecakes are what I always come back for. Also, if you can get a table, try the brunch. You can't go wrong with the berry, berry pancakes!
Camille WrightMarch 4, 2015
The squash ravioli is yum - o - lishous. Great to go with kids because books store is attached to restaurant.
Marissa E.June 21, 2011
This bookstore has great, diverse selections of literature. Every time I leave this place I've got books jammed under both arms. This is definitely a go to bookstore in DC for literature lovers.
MariaJune 4, 2015
Great books, great cafe! I had the soft shell crab sandwich with roasted corn and salad with pecans and crumbled blue cheese.
Murad GürmeriçJanuary 17, 2017
Been here 5+ times
A very good bookstore, restaurant and cafe/bar combined and open until 1 AM every day! Heaven on earth!

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