Peregrine Espresso

Peregrine Espresso opened on Capitol Hill in 2008, founded by Ryan and Jill Jensen, and it is a favourite stop for coffee on the Hill. Its original café is on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, close to Eastern Market, and there is a second branch inside the Union Market District in north-east DC.

The coffee comes from Small Planes Coffee, the company's own roaster, which supplies rotating single-origin beans and seasonal blends. That means the menu changes through the year and there is usually something new to try, whether you drink espresso, filter coffee or milk drinks. The Eastern Market branch also serves nitro coffee, which is not offered at Union Market.

The Eastern Market café is open from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and from 8am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. That makes it an easy first stop before a morning at the weekend market, or a mid-afternoon pause after visiting the Capitol and the Library of Congress. To skip the queue, you can order ahead online through Square and collect your drink at the counter.

The café is a practical rather than a showy place, focused on the coffee itself. It suits coffee enthusiasts, locals on their way to work and visitors exploring Capitol Hill on foot. Allow 15 to 30 minutes, longer if you are lucky enough to find a seat at a busy time.

If you are staying near Union Market instead, the branch at 1309 5th Street NE is open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm at weekends, and it is a good way to start a visit to the food hall. Both cafés can be contacted by phone, and the company has a general email address for enquiries. Ask the barista which single origin is on that day if you want to try something different from your usual order.

The Pennsylvania Avenue café is a short walk from Eastern Market itself, and it sits among the shops and restaurants of Capitol Hill. Rose's Luxury and the restaurants of 8th Street SE are a few minutes away, so it fits easily into a day spent in this part of the city.