Austin Graff
One of the best bakeries in Washington, D.C. is here. Their original location is near Union Market with this location at The Wharf being their second. Here’s what’s going for them.
1) Food & Drink: Every pastry they make is worth the money and calories, especially their pain suisse. (It’s the best I’ve ever had.) You can go savory with their quiche or ham and cheese croissant or go sweet with monkey bread, basque cheesecake, and more.
To drink, they have a full coffee menu and free water in a jug at the condiment counter.
2) Service: Despite busyness, their staff often are patient, calm, and efficient.
3) Space: It’s much larger than their original location with several long tables, small tables, window seats, and more. There’s a unisex restroom in the back and a door that connects to their neighbor Politics & Prose.
4) Area: There are many restaurants and shops nearby along the water. Parking can be expensive or hard to find so take the Metro (Southwest Waterfront) or ride Capital Bikeshare.
… moreDondré
Big fan of this coffee shop/bakery. The chai was good and the service was great. I didn’t get any baked goods but they looked amazing. What’s really cool is that there is a book store that is connected. Pluma has a decent amount of seating and the outside area is just beautiful.
… moreAnnie S
Great pastries. Croissants are one of the best places I’ve tried. Their danish and quiche are also delicious. For the drink, I strongly recommend latte, cappuccino, and cortado as they are always excellent. Not so impressed with spanish latte and brewed coffee. Staffs are very nice and friendly and service is good.
One thing I want them to change is the serving drinkware for hot beverages. Sometimes, latte is served in a tea cup style cup with no handle. Impossible to hold. It seems they picked that for presentation.
… moreShanan Z
I was trying to find a cute yet artisanal coffee shop while in DC and a friend found this one for me. I was pleasantly surprised by my flat white, although it was slightly more foamy than I would prefer as a barista. But the flavor of the beans was quite nice, and I enjoyed sipping it in the cafe. There isn’t much seating inside and the design is fairly minimalist. I thought it was cute to have the bookstore right next door. I didn’t try any of the baked goods so I can’t vouch for those, but I’d say this is a solid place to get a nice espresso drink for here. It’s right on the Wharf and is a nice area to walk around. It was on the expensive side but I wouldn’t expect any different for the area.
… moreLinsay Culver
Stopped in for a mocha breve. It was exceptionally good. I didn’t have to ask for them to make is half sweet or anything. They use the perfect amount of chocolate. The half and half was steamed perfectly and not overdone. If I had known this coffee shop was here a year ago I would have come to is more. It’s right beside Prose and Politics.
I also purchased the brown butter financiers which also were gluten free. They were delicious and even kid approved. Highly recommend them for coffee and pastries.
As far as seating, it’s very minimalist. Not a place I’d want to come hang out. Maybe grab the coffee and find more comfortable seating outside. Otherwise, way above average coffee and pastries.
… moreNoemi Crespo Rice
Nice visit today to pluma. I ordered a cappuccino – it was ok. Coffee tasted a little on the burnt side for me. The banana bread pudding was very good and my sister enjoyed the chocolate cheesecake. Super pricey – a long stick of sourdough bread was $8.00. I was pretty shocked and the loaf would have been $15. Very overpriced. Love the shop and atmosphere. The bookstore next store added a super nice touch.
… moreMorgan Goodman
The food we had was good but the menu was limited and everything was expensive. We loved the monkey bread. Order at the counter and they call it out when it’s ready. Seating is limited.
… moreKyle Kelly
Food here was quality. Really enjoyed the OG Sammy and pistachio and chocolate croissant.
Pork belly was thick and crispy with a beautiful egg and tasty comte. Shokupan had a nice bounce and wasn’t at all dry.
Croissant was flaky and crispy although slightly sweet (but what can you really expect).
Flat white was solid although proportions seemed slightly off. Maybe a bit too much milk.
… moreLauren M
I’m so happy this bookstore cafe opened at the Wharf – it was a much-needed addition to the neighborhood, and it’s connected to Politics and Prose, so you can come here to read your new book! They serve beautiful pastries as well as lunches, so it’s a good meeting place for friends. There isn’t much seating, for now, so I would recommend that they add smaller tables or outdoor seating to make the most use of the beautiful space.
… moreArthur Oganesyan
We’ve been waiting for Pluma to expand ever since we went to the Union Market location. This Pluma is just as delicious, however the space itself is larger.
One of us grew up in France and this is the best ham & cheese croissant we’ve experienced on this side of the Atlantic.
Their pistachio croissant au chocolat is also delectable. See the picture.
The service was very kind. We accidentally ordered an item with dairy and they let us replace it for an item without any free of charge.
In terms of improvements if they had some sugar free syrups for the coffee that would be great. Right now they have lavender, vanilla, and simple syrup.
We’ll be coming back here for sure
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