Café Citron

A group of six of us came in after work for a few drinks and some happy hour food. I’m going to skip talking about the food because it isn’t what merited the one star review. Each of us ordered two beverages with liquor, and determined that there was little to no actual liquor in them. Not feeling like creating animosity between ourselves and the bartenders, we switched to bottled beer for the remainder of our evening.
After asking for our check and paying, I brought this up to the FOH manager along with a mention to her that the bartender thought that the IBA was a type of beer and that a standard IBA daiquiri was «a type of liquor that we don’t have.» We were not asking for comped drinks or any kind of break on the tab; we just wanted the management to know that our experience was unsatisfactory so that the issues we encountered would be addressed in the future.
The MOD informed me that they «aren’t known for watering down [their] drinks» and that she had tended bar professionally for fourteen years and had never heard of the International Bartenders Association (the aforementioned IBA). Further, any negative experience was, to her, ultimately our party’s fault because we did not bring it to her attention at the time and she didn’t «know what I wanted.»
I will not be back, and I feel reasonably certain that none of my party will be. The quality of the drinks could be forgiven. The quality of the management cannot.

After waiting to get our drinks for over 20 minutes, the blonde bartender in the basement held my friend’s credit card and wouldn’t give it back until she left her a tip. Once my friend signed the receipt and didn’t leave a tip due to the waiting time and the fact that the bartender kept the credit card in her hand after serving us our drinks, the bartender proceeded to call my friend a bitch and poured the drink on the counter and walked away. I was livid at this point because after wasting our time there waiting for a mediocre mojito for 20 minutes, the bartender had the audacity to hold my friend’s credit card until she had received a tip. In the heat of the moment, I threw my drink at her. She ignores it and continues talking to one of the customers about how rude it is to not tip. My friend and I decided to go to security to have this situation resolved. As we were walking towards one of the security men, the bartender yells at us calling us bitches and whores. I’ve had it at this point so I walk back to where she was and I told her her attitude is why she doesn’t get a lot of tips. Then the other bartender, an African American female, decides to butt in and starts hollering over my friend and I when we were trying to let security know of what happened. She followed us all the way out, kept hollering, and interrupting us whenever we asked for the manager. One of the security men calls the manager and she comes out. We explain the situation and she acts surprised claiming «they’ve worked here for years and that’s not like them». She wouldn’t void my friend’s transaction until after they review the tapes which will take up to a few days. And if that bartender ends up reading this, you get tips for providing satisfactory service, not because you’re catty and have a bitchy attitude and demand it.

I loved this spot. Great drinks, great food, great happy hour, great atmosphere. Keep it up!

Happy hour food was good and fair priced. The place has a vibrant atmosphere but staff was a little slow and i wasnt able to redeem the check in reward.

Came here for drinks one night with a group of friends and it was an okay spot. Has a cool vibe and not bad drink prices. Would come back here for sure to explore more of the food options as well.

It’s a great happening vibe. I had one bad incident that pretty much spoiled all of the great things about this place.
One of the bartenders in the top floor would not give me back my credit card until he read my tip. I’m a generous tipper, but this was a blatant insult. I informed the management, but I suspect he is still working there holding credit cards ransom for tips.

Not too bad, I came here recently and it was fun. It was pretty small to my surprise. The drinks were pretty expensive as expected. The music was fun to dance too, and supposedly they have these free salsa lessons which I think is pretty cool. I think I would need to go again to make my final decision.

I absolutely love Café Citron. The white sangrias are hands down the best sangrias I’ve ever tasted. The food is beyond good and the prices are extremely reasonable.

My hubby and i in town for some sight seeing, walked by there, decided to make reservation for late dinner after the walkathon trying to see everything :), , from beginning to end Awesome!!! Greeting, service, food, drinks, our server … Came back to dance off my meal, Dj was ok our server for dinner, then the bartender on the second floor where super super sweet and attentive :) great place would definitely visit again when i am in town

Café citron truly distinguishes itself from all the other clubs in DuPont area. It doesn’t have the modern trendy décor and the interior is kinda dated. But the vibe and the music compensates if you feel like salsa/​bachata or simply dancing. I have been here a few times with different company. The crowd here is mostly Latino. Some clubs in DuPont are not ethnically diverse, just like gryphon next door reminds me of a middle eastern market. Nonetheless, it doesn’t bother me at all.
The music here is mostly Latin, dj occasionally throws in some hiphop/​top40. Bartenders are very friendly. The only downside here is it gets overly crowded due to the amount of people and the floor is a little bit sticky because of drinks spill on it. But i can overlook it anyway. Other than this, I am totally a big fan.

This was part of our margarita march yesterday. It was our 2^nd favorite on the list. Ordered chicken wings & ceviche while testing our margaritas. The ceviche was very fresh & flavorful and the chicken wings had a slight kick to them which we all loved. Loved the bartenders standing on the bar pouring shots in everyone’s mouth. This place was a blast and we will definitely be visiting again to spend more time. I loved how loud & excited everyone was. A few places we went to were quite boring but when we stopped here it made us happy again!

This was part of our margarita march yesterday. I’m was our 2^nd favorite on the list. Ordered chicken wings & ceviche while testing our margaritas. The ceviche was very fresh & flavorful and the chicken wings had a slight kick to them which we all loved. Loved the bartenders standing on the bar pouring shots in everyone’s mouth. This place was a blast and we will definitely be visiting again to spend more time. I loved how loud & excited everyone was. A few places we went to were quite boring but when we stopped here it made us happy again!

The music and the crowd was LIVE… I don’t really like hanging in Dupont and that’s something I won’t do for another 2 years. Great spot though.

UPDATE: Went here April 13^th, again for me and my friend’s bday (my bday is the 10^th, her’s is the 17^th).
We had a Unilocal deal that the bartenders would not let us use (found out later that we could have), one bartender played on his phone while the other continued to talk about how sick she was (breathing on our drinks and food, mind you), and to top it all off, at the end of the night, when we asked for our bday shots, had the audacity to question us about how we knew about the shots and tell us that it wasn’t neither of our bdays but they would let us have them this time. Needless to say, I went off on them and ended up speaking with a manager that said all of hat was unnecessary and untrue.
We won’t waste anymore bday celebrations here…
My friend and I have been going here every year for our birthday celebration. I always leave happy and full!

We had fun taking over this place on Tuesday night salsa dancing. Showed up here with about 60 friends. Yup 60 as we came from a conference. The bartenders were totally overwhelmed but we didn’t give them any warning.
The bartenders were super nice when we closed down the place at the end of the night.
Fun place!

Came here with my foodie friend and essentially ordered everything on the first page of the happy hour menu. I’d been here before for drinks, free salsa lessons, and just to dance in general. One time they had someone giving out free shots. This was the first time I came specifically for food.
The food was fantastic.
Like seriously, guacamole and chips=Good. Empanadas=Really good. Calamari=Great. Fried cheese=Delicious. Tacos (a lot of them)=Amazing. Taquitos=Best I ever had. We were so stuffed because we ate pretty much everything. The two of us. Tiny, short girls. Who ordered… $ 45 worth of food. That’s right. ALL of that for $ 45.
While we didn’t drink we saw that they had a happy hour drink selection. The happy hour (food and drinks) runs until 8pm and depending on the day there are extended happy hour specials.
The music (and the fact that it always sounds like a party in there), the dancing, the food, free salsa lessons, extended happy hours… Come on! That’s great! If you don’t like loud music or Latin dancing then you probably won’t like this place. If you do, and want some good and reasonably priced food, café citron is a winner. It can get crowded because they aren’t that big, but overall they offer so much for the space that they have so I have to give them big props for that.

Went here for a night of dancing and had a so-​so time the first time around. Came back later and the music was much better. It’s a very small dance area, and not just space wise but I’m pretty tall and couldn’t put my hands up because of the low ceiling. Staff was nice and drink prices were comparable to other places in the area

My husband and I had a great time. The music was awesome. Had reservation at 9:30 to eat and stayed till 1:00am dancing.

AWESOME place. Food is good, drinks are good, and the bartenders are really sweet. I love it!

The Salsa lesson was fun and professional, drinks where good. I had a situation with one of my friends and security guys help me immediately. Overall excellent costumer service!

This place is great for Mojitos and music at night. I would skip having dinner here though. I ordered off the menu and the food was really bad.

Best Latin Club in Washington, DC!
I went here for my birthday party and everyone from our lovely bartender to the manager Juanita were really incredible!
The drinks were great and within a wonderful price. Paired with empanadas and fajitas for dinner it was great!
The bottle service from Jessica was so much fun! All the glow sticks and sparklers were a fun touch!
Not to mention the music was really great! Mostly Latin, but just enough hip hop and top 40 to keep it fresh, light and amazing!
Thanks for the best birthday party ever!

Sangria was better than I expected. This place is always fun, always a nice crowd, nice choice of music. I had left my jacket (not cheap!) the night before, and next morning I contacted, and they found it — very nice operation as well ! thank you.

My hubby and I went for his birthday because they also have FREE salsa and we loved it! Who else has happy hour specials on a Saturday night? It was great. We ordered several items, including drinks (FABULOUS drinks!!!) and both of us enjoyed our meals. I recommend the Tropical Breeze. Delicious!
Since it was his birthday they brought out his dessert with sparklers! Cool touch! When we finished we headed downstairs for the salsa lesson. It was pretty crowded and the instructor was personable and fun. We had a blast. We will definitely be back!

Great place for dancing and partying. They have conga drums and people dance on the tables!!! I know I burned almost 1000 calories dancing to salsa, bachata, samba, and a host of pop. Drinks were inexpensive. Also, the venue is small, so be ready to bump into strangers-​but it’s part of the fun. I would most likely return sooner than later :)

We came here as part of the Mojito March and ordered some snacks as the menu looked good. We tried the spinach empanadas and the «Venezuelan chicken corn flour deep fried empanada» (aka an arepa). Both were served with a spicy garlic and cilantro aioli; the garlic of course was raw and therefore a bit too pungent. We really enjoyed the spinach empanada, but the chicken arepa lacked flavor; the filling was bland and you couldn’t tell it was meat. The mojito was one of the better ones we tried, but still too sweet for both our tastes.
The music was great. I’d love to come back for their bachata and salsa nights.

Probably some of the best mojetos I’ve drank. The staff small but pretty efficient so made me happy

I don’t care what anybody says — went here on a recommendation, and it resulted in the single craziest night of partying that I’ve ever had in a public space. People dancing on tables, great drink quality, prices and friendly service, and awesome music. Just epic.

This place is absolutely need to work more on their human resource development, the bold man on the door is very rude.
I am a 29 years old and I showed him my official International ID he answers «not on this place «I explained to him I drive with this ID all over the world and its been recognized by the USA government, plus Its late and it takes me long time to get here and I am hungry. He keeps saying «not on this place «like he make his on rules .
I am a professional diplomatic person and I have ever faced this kind of stupid situations since I was a kid.

Came on a Saturday night and this place had a cool vibe to it. There was a DJ on the second level playing Latin music with a few American songs thrown in every now and then. Later in the night they had some guys playing bongo drums in the front. Too bad I don’t know how to dance to Salsa because everyone was goin’ at it. They had the AC unit blasting towards the back so that’s where me and my friends decided to dance lol.
I had a mojito and it was really good. It was $ 10, but that’s what I expect to pay at a DC bar. There was a really cute bartender who would hop up on the bar and hand out free shots straight from the bottle. And just a heads up, they hold on to your ID when you keep a tab open. I’ve never heard of a bar doing that before…
There’s also some tables around so you can rest a bit if you get tired. Overall, it was a good spot to dance and get drinks to start our night off.

Café Citron is a Latin American bar and club just south of Dupont Circle. It’s right next to Big Hunt. It’s a popular destination for salsa dancers.
Pros
— Has a Happy Hour, but the deals aren’t noticeably better than other places around the area. Deals range from $ 3 to $ 8.
— Nice staff; our bartender made sure we were happy and checked in regularly with us.
— Has a basement where most of the dancing happens
What I got/​what I thought
— Margarita, $ 5
— Nothing special. Store-​bought mixer and tequila.
Notes
Café Citron is more of a club than a bar. Think neon lights and loud reggae and salsa music. Mostly the late-​20s to early-​30s crowd comes here.

This little gem of a bar is packed with colorful and interesting people, the bar food is cheap and tasty, the live DJ Latin dance music set the groove, the bartenders were always there for us and the jalapeño infused Cuervo tequila was outstanding! Loved Café Citron for happy hour and beyond.
The only odd part was that we all had 5 shots of tequila each and none of us got very drunk — either the shots were small or watered or whatever, but it was actually better that way, Café Citron got us right in the zone to keep the night going.

From the ⁶⁄₈ bars we hopped for Margarita March, this spot stood out to me mostly for its cute décor and intimate space. It was cozy! Ain’t gonna lie, their wings were more fresh, crunchier and well-​done than Buffalo Billiard’s.
And our bartender had some tricks up his sleeves. I’m sure he would’ve done more if we rallied him on a little!

You have to try their wings! The wings are crispier than the buffalo wings that most people are used to. However, their buffalo wings are crispy and salty. It’s a delicious wing.
I do want to say that the drink that I ordered tasted like it was loaded with lots of artificial flavoring. It almost had a chemical back tone. There was also a fake tangy aftertaste. The drinks are strong though and will get you tipsy. But I have to be honest I was not a fan of their drinks.
I do have to say that the interior is something you would expect with a name like café citron. I felt like the music was very fitting as well. I do wish there was more bar seating so that all my friends and I could sit and enjoy our food and drinks.
One thing that really stood out to me was the pretty black and white bar tabletops. I took a picture of it, isn’t it so cute?!

Café Citron is one of the few Spanish dancing spots in the District. Their happy hours are fun and the music they play includes salsa, merengue, reggae, techno and tons of mainstream. Last weekend, the DJ even played some throwbacks that had me reminiscing on my childhood family parties. There’s something about dancing to Celia Cruz’ «La Vida es un Carnaval» that makes the crowd go wild.
Their basement is sometimes used to teach free dance lessons. I’ve never actually taken one, but I’ve observed and they seem like a lot of fun.
Their mojitos are great, although not too strong. As the evening progresses, the music gets louder so if you’re looking for a place to have a quality conversation, this is not it. If you come here, be prepared to show your moves.
Only con is that it’s a very tiny spot that gets extremely crowded – the type where you don’t have space to walk, let alone dance kind of crowded, which can be overwhelming sometimes.

Nightclub review: I’ve never arrived at Café Citron with anything on the brain except dancing and drinks, so I cannot speak to the food or the ambiance during more tame occasions.
What I CAN speak to is the loud, heaving, pumping Euro and Middle Eastern techno music… the sweaty bodies… the very international crowd… the constant shots of vodka… the bongo players banging away… the multitude of revelers dancing on booths and on the bar. If this sounds like a good time to you (or might sound like a good time to you once you’ve had a few), definitely stop here on the pub crawl. It’s a ridiculous cacophony of multi-​ethnic revelers and their lust for life (and other things) will surely making a lasting impression.
It’s not the best club in DC, but it’s got personality. I’ve never been here and felt good the next day. My positive feelings are often in retrospect, many days later when the nausea and headache have worn off. And then I usually go back for the pain all over again. Worth checking out if you’re interested in the international scene in Dupont Circle.

I came to Café Citron as part of Mojito Madness and it was one of the best stops on the crawl. This bar is three different levels with the top being my favorite. Even though the upper floor is small and can get tight, it has the best bartender at least the day I was there and therefore it is the best.
The mojito I had upstairs was pretty made, great blend of rum, sweetness with a nice lime finish. The upstairs bartender was great at her job, fun, friendly and interesting, she really made the visit for me.
I was able to try the Caribbean wings, decent but nothing really to wow me, a little on the small side and lacking the tangy kick that I would expect from anything related to the Caribbean.
The mid level and the lower level weren’t as fun as upstairs but had their positives as well, the music is good on the lower levels and the downstairs bar has a few interesting tokens and things that catch your eye.
I hear the big selling point here is the dancing, so I’ll have to return to cut a rug one day but it is worth a visit for the upstairs bar mojitos alone.

Une bonne adresse à Washington pour boire un verre mais aussi pour dîner autour de plats d’Amérique du sud. C’est bon les prix sont raisonnables en plus l’ambiance du lieu est très festive, jeune et sympathique. Par contre –21 ans s’abstenir on vous demande votre pièce d’identité à l’entrée.