Retrospect Coffee and Tea

I travel, a lot, and tend to use coffee shops as an encouragement to wander new cities. I also use them as a place to hang out, work, and «be».
Retrospect is a lovely, independent coffee shop that is worth visiting. The ambiance is quiet and low key, the music is 30’s to 50’s jazz and similar, the staff is very personable, and the coffee is superb. They have a selection sandwiches that is quite satisfying.
You could easily sit here for hours and not feel rushed or stressed. (If you do, please buy a second or third cup of coffee!)
As an aside, if you see a tip jar, and like the service, tip. I was in line behind some obviously affluent business people who were somewhat particular about their order, well cared for, and who didn’t tip anything. Come on.

Cute independent coffee shop with a friendly, laid back vibe. I like the «retro» décor and music (pleasant jazz/​brass band, not too loud or distracting). My café au lait was great and the service was good. Baked goods looked tasty and fresh but didn’t try it. The only odd thing is the barista asked if I wanted my coffee for here or to go and after I said «for here» he gave me a to-​go cup. Maybe that’s all they have? But then why ask? I definitely recommend this place and will return!

Great coffee and service staff. Has a cute atmosphere.

Met someone for coffee there this morning. What a nice spot! Lots of different styles of coffee to try, a great, peaceful atmosphere, friendly people behind the counter… I’m a fan. When it took me FOREVER to dig my wallet out of my purse, the man behind the counter was patient, and there was nobody behind me tapping their foot. It’s an unhurried, cozy space, with great music. Great place for a coffee date!

Coffee tasted terrible with a nasty salty aftertaste.
Great location and looks clean from inside.
Pastry looked homemade. Staff seems friendly but a bit easily distracted.
I would not buy coffee again from there despite that they offered 50 percent off for a review on Unilocal

Friendly staff, great music (Billie Holiday, Dean Martin, etc), nice tea and coffee selection, and comfortable seating. While they had lots of tempting baked goods on display, I asked the young woman at the register if they had any healthier options available and she threw together just what I was in the mood for – a hard boiled egg and an apple to go with my masala chai.

Just meh.
I used my Unilocal offer for a large iced latte for $ 1.75.
it’s like the barista had to go pick the espresso beans first! I’ve never waited so long and I was the only customer in there!
The coffee wasn’t amazing, but I’d go back with another Unilocal offer. And it’s a good quiet, clean spot for a meet up or interview.
They had pastries for sale that looked good, but definitely not made in-​house.

Retrospect is an awesome downtown coffee shop with unique and high-​quality coffee and espresso offerings.
Pros
— Cool, unique coffee and espresso options such as Turkish, Swedish, Soviet, Pour overs, Vietnamese, French presses, etc.
— Knowledgable baristas
— Free Wifi
— Convenient location, close to Farragut West
Cons
— Can get expensive. $ 1 for soy, breve & almond milk, .75 for a pump of syrup flavor.
**Edit**
Apparently the chai tea is gross. Don’t get it.

I love this place. If you like supporting small, local businesses, and you have an appreciation for amazing coffee, Retrospect is the best place to go in downtown DC.
My daily latte from this coffee shop has ruined my ability to drink coffee anywhere else!

Welcoming little coffee shop with friendly service. It took a little while to get my drink but was definitely worth the wait. Best mocha I’ve had in the DC area. Will definitely be back.

Located in an area that is limited in independent coffee and free WiFi options, Retrospect Coffee and Tea is a golden nugget among the dirt.
Travel the world with options such as Swiss café, and Turkish, Soviet, and Vietnamese-​style coffees. But quite honestly, I’d go with their Unilocal check-​in offer which is any size latte for only $ 1.75. You can’t even get coffee that cheap at the gas station! Heck, you can even splurge and add almond milk for an extra .80 cents more.
WiFi is easy to connect to (password is their phone number with no hyphens) and there are plenty of outlets nearby if you need to juice up your computer.
The baristas are very friendly and look like they actually enjoy their job which is a plus in my book. They were singing along with the tunes (a mix of Marvin Gaye, Beach Boys, and Erykah Badu) which made my whole experience all the more happier.
I definitely would come back if I were in the area.

I moved to Washington, DC, from Denver, Colorado, and was concerned that independent coffee shops would not have the presence that they did out west. I was correct, but happily I found Retrospect and have been going frequently since I started working on K Street.
The food is good and reasonably priced, the coffee and teas likewise. The music is good, and it’s normally quiet enough to get work done in the seating area.
Definitely a good place to spend time.

Had the best coffee I’ve had yet in DC here. I ordered the borana pour-​over coffee. It does take a few minutes to make and is expensive at $ 5 for 12 ounces, but if you’re a person who enjoys a good quality coffee, give it a try.

This hidden gem in the business district around Farragut metro stations is a fun throwback with fake old newspapers and black-​and-​white photos along the wall. Victor, the owner, is a dedicated coffee enthusiast and in addition to offering a variety of excellent coffee and espresso drinks, you can also get his «Soviet coffee», which is the daily drip mixed with condensed milk.
The dining room is small but usually not very crowded so I like to sit and do work there. The baristas are friendly and attentive.

i came here upon the recommendation of my roommate and I wasn’t disappointed. If i had more time in DC and didn’t find out about this just before I needed to move, I could definitely see myself at Retrospect more. It’s definitely a chill place where you can get some studying done alongside a variety of coffee, tea, and pastries.
I ordered the Turkish Coffee and my friends got chai tea lattes. They informed me that their drinks were more bitter and less sweet than they anticipated, but I feel like this is based one’s taste preferences. If you want more of a tea-​like feel to your chai tea latte, this is where it’s at. I personally don’t mind this, but if you’re used to your starbucks chai tea latte… maybe order something else. I really enjoyed my Turkish Coffee! It was strong, but delightful and kept me wired for hours on end!
The best thing about the place was the service. The baristas were very helpful and kind to us because it should be noted that 1) We took forever to decide what we wanted 2) When we received said drinks and pastries, my roommate and I basically had a photo shoot of said items and 3) I didn’t realize until later, but we stayed for at Retrospect for almost 2.5 hours! One of the baristas (who I am also assuming is the coffee shop’s owner) also gave me a free Turkish coffee to try because he added something new to the mix in it (basically a tasting)! Not sure if this happens often, but it should be duly noted that the baristas here really care about their customers!
Also, if it’s still available use the check-​in offer! You can get $ 1.75 when you check in on ANY size latte! What a steal!

You’re nuts if you don’t get the pour-​over. This place has the best coffee in DC, and definitely the most brew methods I’ve seen on a menu in DC. When it all is said and done, however, the pour-​over of their single-​origin coffees is worth the nearly-​$ 5. Every time. Every time I come here I’m reminded of my favorite spots in SF, except here they’re nice!

This is my favorite place for coding. Quit and different from Filter or Starbucks. A jazzy and classy. Free WIFI and good quality coffee. This place serves MADCAP Coffee now, which I was told is the best in town.

Quiet, and different.
Several reviewers have commented on the coffee preparation methods, I’m not an expert there so I can’t say much but I had a friend give me an honest review of their Americano and he said it was great. A couple of those reviews also mentioned how they went to starbucks afterwards… I don’t know how anyone who cares about high quality coffee would do that. I guess some people are just really stressed here and need caffeine no matter what.
But I’m editing this to say that when I had coffee here, it did taste pretty bad compared to good coffee. Bitter and not aromatic much. Now that I’ve had many more cups of coffee I definitely question what brew I drank here.
Anyway, I like the retro style here, it’s simple. The seating is nice and it’s not crowded even during lunch when pret a manager and bourbon are packed.
They also have great tea choices and they use loose leaf teas. If you want tea to go, they put the loose leaf tea in a separate fresh tea bag in the cup for you. It’s high quality stuff so I recommend it.
I think they could improve their image a bit by selling healthier more interesting drinks, not stuff you see at a regular convenience store like coke. This place is definitely original, quiet, has wifi, has good music, and has great tea.

I came here for the first time last week before a Dr. appt in the same building. Because of the cold weather, Retrospect was almost empty. The guy who took my order was very nice and even gave me a frequent user card so after 5 drinks (I think) you get a free one. Prices were reasonable too.

This is my daily stop on the way to work. I love the French Press and pour-​over coffee. So much better than Starbucks.
I’ll keep coming back.