Afterwords Cafe, opened in 1976, was the first Bookstore/Cafe in the country to feature cappuccino, espresso, a full bar and food. Since its inception it has established itself as 'Washington's pre-eminent cafe'.

"The action at Kramerbooks & Afterwords starts with Breakfast and the morning papers at 7:30 AM, and keeps throbbing until well after midnight, seven days a week, complete with indoor and sidewalk cafes, a full-service bar and live entertainment. The sounds are diverting, the smells are delicious, the sights are tempting..."The Washington Post

"Kramerbooks is a cultural landmark of sorts...Many people do not consider themselves true Washingtonians until they have received a phone call that begins as an invitation for drinks after work and ends with "I'll meet you at Kramer's. "Kramerbooks & Afterwords is definitely an institution. There is no place like it here. It is known throughout the town, almost entirely through word of mouth. Of course, anything worth knowing in Washington almost always is." The New York Times

1517 Conn. Ave., NW - Just Above Dupont Circle
Across from Dupont Circle 'Q' St Metro Exit
Open Early to Late 7 Days a Week
- All Night Fri & Sat -
Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Late Supper
Live Music Wed - Sat Night
Serving Latte to the Literati Since 1976

Hours - 7:30 AM - 1:00 AM Daily, 24 Hours Fri-Sat; Break, Lunch, Dinner & Late Supper; Prices from $6; Smoke Free; MC/Visa,Amex,Discover; Liquor, Wines by the Glass & Bottle, Draft Beer

Reservations – Accepted for Parties of 6 or more on the Mezzanine only; Handicapped Access

By The Books
by Phyllis Richman
Sunday, January 10, 1999
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe

Lamb chops and books may not be a natural match, but the double-cut lamb chops at Afterwords Cafe are as delicious as any novel, ...... with a green vegetable and a big mound of skin-on mashed potatoes worthy of a Pulitzer Prize, they're a bargain (though the potatoes as a side dish for $2 are more so). Afterwords doesn't fit the usual mold for a bookstore cafe; it's a complete restaurant tacked on to the rear of Kramerbooks, and it has waiter service. The benefit it reaps from its bookstore relationship is that it's open late every day, and all night on Friday and Saturday. It also serves brunch all day on weekends, and offers 15 minutes of free e-mail at the bar – perhaps to check whether Amazon can get you a title Kramerbooks doesn't stock.

The tables are packed tight in this glassed-in dining room. Space is so short that the restrooms are two flights up. Still, it aims for broad appeal, with a pages-long menu that ranges from veggie chili (loaded with fresh vegetables and black beans...), to massive bowls of pasta well endowed with toppings ... to sandwiches too big to handle with a book in one hand, to fancy trendy entrees such as pomegranate chicken. There's a full bar, a long beer list and plenty of wines by the glass .... If you want quiet and a bookish environment, come for breakfast or in mid-afternoon; late in the evening there's live music, Wednesday through Saturday. You might worry about the greasy home fries ruining your newspaper and your digestion, but the chicken-and-cheese quesadilla  is big and irresistibly gooey, and the hangar steak sandwich, though chewy, is thick and flavorful. Desserts are as massive as a Tom Wolfe novel. No wonder this cheery, sunny cafe is a perennial bestseller.