Hands down, Café Saint-Ex is my favorite bar in Washington, D.C. Actually, I’m afraid to post a review on here, because I don’t want it to become TOO popular. Located in the eclectic U Street Corridor, Café Saint-Ex is a small, intimate bar that offers a great night out, whether it's for happy hour, dinner, or dancing. It's a great space with great food/drink/tunes and a nice mixture of people.
The upstairs is not a large space, but tables throughout offer you the chance to sit and eat the New American cuisine. Grilled seafood dominates the dinner menu, but they also offer tasty hamburgers and other bar noshes.
Speaking of bar, there is a full bar with an eclectic mix of brews (from Stella Artois and Chimay Triple to Magic Hat #9 and Sam Smith) and great cocktails. This is the only place I've found in D.C. that makes a decent Manhattan. Happy hour is from 4 to 7 pm, where you can pick up a Yeungling lager for only $2.
Downstairs is an equally small basement dubbed Gate 54, which goes along with Saint-Ex's vintage aircraft theme. (Decorations throughout recall the Golden Age of air travel, along with some modern flourishes.) DJs spin some great tunes, and by 10:30 or 11pm, the place is hopping with people dancing, talking, and drinking. Gate 54 also hosts iPod Jukebox Night the second Wednesday of each month, where you can plug in your mp3 player and be a DJ for a song or two.
This is not a good place for large groups, as it is not a large bar, but your gang of four or six would be quite happy here.
Metro: U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (Green Line)