It is still summer and Lil C is still enjoying summer camps. That means that the Ice Tyrant gets to explore more of DC. This also means that my mornings this week will be spent at more DC coffee houses as the DC coffee express returns! Let me just start by saying that my first coffee shop of the week was a real miss on my first run through. The Royal was on my list to hit for coffee goodness, but due to its location to the zoo I ended up at Tryst. I do not regret that choice since Tryst ended up being the ultimate coffee house experience. However, I think The Royal could have given Tryst a run for its money. As I will explore here, there are a lot of reasons to like The Royal.
Ambiance
The Royal is meant to be a restaurant first and foremost. But that doesn't mean it fails to score big as a cafe. It is not as big inside as Tryst, but there is a nice cafe/bar area right as you walk in. There are tons of various seating options between high tables, stools at the coffee bar, outside seating, and bench seating against the wall with tables. Whatever your preference, The Royal has it. You can also sit upstairs where the restaurant is located with even more seating options and a view of the street outside. The Royal is located on Florida Ave. and 5th Street. The neighborhood was pretty quiet during my visit, but outside seating faces Florida ave. and the people watching is adequate.
The place was not overly crowded while I was there. There was constant foot traffic from the street and the baristas did a nice job of moving product. There was comfortable ambient music featuring Adele and various cover artists. It felt right for the space and experience. There was really good WiFi with no password required. It was a little chilly in the cafe area. Perhaps the AC was turned up for the coming heat of the day, but after about an hour it was noticeable. There is not much in the way of artistic flair, but the decor has a subtle latin flair.
Both baristas were pleasant and very prompt with their service. They gave me the option to open a tab so I could just order coffee and food without paying each time. I like this option and this seems to be unique to The Royal. Frankly, I have never thought of this kind of payment arrangement at a coffee house, but much like being at a bar it makes total sense if you plan to stay and do some work or socialize for a time. The comfort factor wasn't great as compared to the luxury of Tryst and their assortment of big comfy chairs and couches. So it gets a bump down there. However, it definitely is a step above most of the other coffee houses I have visited.
Ambiance Rating: 4
Coffee
Cortado
The coffee offerings were pretty standard, but they did feature a special of the day called Cold Hearted. It is a chilled espresso drink with vanilla syrup and steamed milk. It did not appeal to me at the time as I wanted hot beverages in the cold AC, but it sounded really delicious. I ordered a Cortado and a drip. The Cortado was delicious and well presented in a clear glass cup obviously made for the drink. I like it when a coffee house has the proper vessel for serving various drinks. The drip was not as delicious. It did not taste fresh, almost as if it had been brewed several hours before. It did have a slightly fruity profile and was medium roast, which was not a bad option after the sweeter Cortado. I paid $2.95 for the Cortado and $2.50 for the drip, which is in line with my other pricing experiences. I probably just had a bad batch of the drip so I will come back and update this post if I get the chance. However, coffee in DC is serious and you need to bring quality all the time if you want to be remembered.
Coffee Rating: 4
Food
The food is really where the Royal separates itself much like Tryst. The menu features some really nice options for breakfast/lunch. House baked muffins, croissants, and pastries are available. The hot menu though stands out with some latin flair food items. I ordered the egg arepa for $8. It was delicious. There was also bagel options with some interesting spreads as well as meatier options with chorizo and bacon sandwiches. The food tasted better than what I tried at Tryst. Keep in mind that later in the day the cafe turns into a full blown restaurant and bar. So that makes this a place you can come visit morning/day/night. I might have to come back to try it out for dinner or drinks.
Food Rating: 5
At last we have a competitor to Tryst's crown. The Royal has everything to offer. A nice inside and outside seating area, good location, solid coffee offerings, great food, and good service. While I bumped down the rating a notch in coffee and ambiance, the score is still really good. I would still stake my flag with Tryst as the overall winner, but The Royal takes a close second place at this point. My recommendation is to go around 10:30/11:00 AM and stay for lunch. You will not be disappointed.
Overall Rating: 4.5
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