As finals season starts crashing down around you, it's important to make sure you have a place to study that isn't crowded with hundreds of students stress-crying and chugging energy drinks. For Georgetown students, while Starbucks and Peet's are pretty obvious choices, it's the little details of ambience and baked good selection that can determine whether you bomb a final or walk out of there with a huge smile.
To make things a little easier and quicker for every student, I found the best coffee shops in Georgetown that are less crowded and have a few extra perks. All you have to do is pick the most appealing and aggressively claim a table.
1. Blue Bottle Coffee
If you are looking for a calmer and quieter study spot, Blue Bottle Coffee is the place for you. Their coffee is amazing, and the room is open and light with plenty of space to spread out all of your study materials. They even sell their coffee in the store if you are looking for a quick and easy coffee-lover Christmas gift.
2. Allegro Cafe (Amazon Books)
Downstairs in the brand new Amazon Books on M Street is a hidden study gem, the Allegro Cafe. There is plenty of seating around the edges of the room, and the area is fairly quiet because most of the foot traffic is upstairs. The only drawback is that people are shopping on that level too so there may be some distractions. Thankfully, you have coffee to give you supreme focus.
3. Grace Street Coffee
If you haven't had a chance to explore Grace Street yet, I would highly recommend checking it out. Not only is it attached to South Block and Sundevich, but it has a great study area in the front and the back of the space. A huge perk of studying here is that you could technically stay here all day and have a variety of sustenance in açai bowls and sandwiches, with some caffeine to keep you studying. I would say that the access to food is what truly makes it one of the best coffee shops in Georgetown.
4. Dog Tag Bakery
Dog Tag is the perfect cozy spot for studying in the winter months. The whole space smells like their delicious pastries and pies, and their chai latte is the perfect way to toss you into the Christmas spirit. Definitely the most decorated coffee shop on the list if you are feeling homesick for some Christmas cheer.
5. Ladurée
Ladurée is definitely the most *pricey* spot on the list, but sometimes you just need to feel like a real person and not a shell of what used to be a person before finals hit you like a bag of bricks. Their macarons are absolutely lovely, as well as their coffee. Also, huge plus is their very plush chairs, so you could really take a study nap if it's necessary.
6. Starbucks
I do understand that some people have loyalties and a specific love for Starbucks coffee, so I had to include it on the list of the best coffee shops. If you are gonna study at Starbucks, the new location on M Street is definitely more of a study space. The couches and chairs are much more comfortable than those in the other M Street location, and the barista area is a lot less cramped. The whole space is much brighter and gives you a little room to spread out. The traffic on this end of M Street is also much quieter, and it is much closer to campus.
7. Peet's Coffee
Ok, I am aware that Peet's is an oldie and most everyone has gone there to study or grab coffee at least once, but it is really such a great study area that I had to include it. I love their espresso, and the upstairs area is something that is hard to find in Georgetown coffee shops. The people who work there are so friendly, and it just happens to be right next to Georgetown Cupcake if you need a study snack to get you through the day.
You are now equipped with a list of the best coffee shops to fill your veins with caffeine while being productive, and there is nothing that can stop you from crushing that final. While this may have been a long-winded way of convincing everyone to leave the library so I have more room to study, it is also some new spots to check out for a little more room and baked goods.