Ellē
Cafe · Mount Pleasant
3221 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
Highlights
All-day cafe with stellar breads, pastries, sandwiches & coffee
All-day cafe with stellar breads, pastries, sandwiches & coffee
"Eater DC’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year energizes sleepy Mount Pleasant with rustic baguettes, breakfast sandwiches, guava turnovers, lemon poppy pound cake, dimly lit dinners, and an undeniable devotion to fermentation. Served on a sesame potato roll, the hit breakfast sandwich includes brisket pastrami that’s brined for two weeks, smoked for eight to 10 hours, crusted with peppercorns and coriander, and steamed until tender. On top of that, tender farm eggs, white cheddar cheese, and fermented chile hot sauce complete the sandwich. The bakery and cafe by day flips into a full-service restaurant by night, with indoor dinner seatings available on Resy. Online ordering here." - Tierney Plumb
"By night, Ellē is a cozy date spot, with new American food that’s heavy on fermentation and served on mismatched vintage dishes. But our favorite time to come here is in the morning, when you’ll find a bakery counter full of fresh, not-so-run-of-the-mill pastries, and one of the best breakfast sandwiches in the city. Weekends are packed with families and neighborhood locals who will point you toward the best pastry (it’s the guava turnover) or the must-order drink (the tarragon date latte with black pepper and hint of lime). There’s often a long line to order, but the brisket breakfast sandwich and quiche of the day are both worth the wait." - omnia saed, mekita rivas, tess shiras, allison robicelli
"The pastries at Ellē are so good they’ll inspire you to move to France, enroll in culinary school, and lead a life making buttery guava turnovers. Until then, enjoy the best mudslide walnut cookies that life has to offer alongside freelance poets sipping on $6 lattes that are most definitely being written off on their tax returns. If you’re looking for a quiet workspace, head to the secluded backroom where you can lean against the cool brick wall and knock out whatever assignment you’re working on." - omnia saed, allison robicelli
"This acclaimed all-day cafe attracts folks from all over D.C. to Mount Pleasant. A display case up front is filled with desserts from co-owner Lizzy Evelyn. Her best-selling goat cheese cheesecake, currently made with roasted strawberry and brown butter shortbread, stems from a recipe she came up with 20-plus years ago as pastry chef at Bar Pilar. A seasonal cherry sorbet surrounded in candied almonds and coriander seed is also a hit, and an elaborate collection of cakes are available for preorder." - Tierney Plumb
"Mount Pleasant’s ultimate neighborhood cafe serves a simple breakfast menu from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. The egg sandwich showcases superlative brisket, while savory quiches and sweet pastries tempt customers from a case at the counter. There are also miso caramel lattes, guava turnovers, biscuit sandwiches, and a host of other treats to consider." - Tierney Plumb
