This Pint-Sized Bar Slings Truly Original Cocktails and Drinking Snacks
Just off a nightlife-covered corner of H Street, Providencia is perfect for pre- or post-dinner drinks (or a small dish-filled meal)
Travel into a mural-covered alley to visit Providencia, a flower shop transformed into a cozy two-story neighborhood bar. Bartenders Pedro Tobar and Daniel Gonzalez’s eclectic menu uses innovative cocktails to transport you to a family pupuseria in El Salvador or night markets in Taipei that chef Erik Bruner-Yang visited with his grandmother. Bruner-Yang and pastry chef Paola Velez have filled the food menu with bar snacks and desserts that reflect the owners’ heritage and D.C.‘s immigrant community, with freshly made pupusas, tamales, and even a crab-stuffed milk bread sandwich.
What to order
- Order the huge heirloom masa chip, with a crunchy, air bubble-filled texture, and the roasted eggplant pupusa filled with nutty gruyere cheese and topped with optional brisket.
- For dinner, order a few small dishes and the whole fried duck leg covered in kimchi, plus fresh radish and cucumber. The crispy duck is balanced with the spice and acidity in the gochujang vinaigrette.
- While the towering Baked Alaska shaved ice is a showstopper, the subtle flavors of the hojicha tiramisu make the best dessert order.
What to drink
- I can’t visit this bar without ordering the Ni de Aqui Ni de Alla, a surprisingly smooth drink that marries mezcal and bourbon with a spiced plantain syrup.
- Tobar calls the Lights of the Night Market, a pandan and coconut-flavored martini variation, a good “halfway” through-your-meal drink. Order while you are enjoying your last savory dish, as it pairs well with salt and sweetness.
- The Nube Morada is dessert in a glass, with taro, aquafaba, and oat milk coming together in a creamy purple cocktail.
Insider tip
The bar offers a $1 oyster happy hour, selling Prince Edward Island oysters from 10 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday, which just happens to be when walk-in customers tend to slow down, and you’re more likely to get a seat.
