Union Market

Logan Circle, U Street & Columbia Heights


The cool crowd hobnobs at this food hall, where culinary entrepreneurs sell their banana-ginger chocolates, herbed goat's cheeses and smoked meats. Among the stalls featuring prepared foods, everything from Burmese milkshakes to Indian dosas to Korean tacos boggle taste buds. Craft beers and coffee provide added sustenance. Tables dot the sunlit warehouse, and many locals make an afternoon of it here, nibbling and reading.

Bivalve fans should seek out the Rappahannock Oyster Bar for straight-from-Chesapeake-Bay slurping. The market also hosts lots of free events such as yoga classes and Friday night drive-in movies; check the website for the schedule. Union Market is about a half-mile walk from the NoMa Metro station, in the midst of several other food supply warehouses.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Logan Circle, U Street & Columbia Heights attractions

1. Gallaudet University

0.28 MILES

The first university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the world occupies a lovely manicured campus of bucolic green and Gothic accents north of…

2. National Public Radio

0.68 MILES

Fans of Morning Edition and All Things Considered can see where the magic happens at National Public Radio's ecofriendly headquarters. Hour-long tours…

3. Union Station

0.92 MILES

DC's main rail hub, a 1907 beaux-arts beauty designed by Daniel Burnham, is an eye popper. The Grand Concourse is patterned after the Roman Baths of…

4. National Postal Museum

0.95 MILES

The Smithsonian-run Postal Museum is way cooler than you might think. Level 1 has exhibits on postal history from the Pony Express to modern times, where…

5. Union Station Plaza

0.98 MILES

This grassy space with a large fountain cascade spreads in front of Union Station. The area is also known as Columbus Circle, since the fountain is a…

7. National Japanese American Memorial

1.2 MILES

Tucked back from the road and providing a peaceful sanctuary, the memorial centers on a statue of two cranes bound with barbed wire. During WWII, some 120…

8. Supreme Court

1.3 MILES

The highest court in the USA occupies a pseudo-Greek temple protected by 13,000lb bronze doors. Arrive early to watch arguments (periodic Monday through…