Waterfront & seafood · Wharf St SW and Water St SW from the Municipal Fish Market (1100 Maine Ave SW) to M Street Landing
The Wharf
Wharf St and Maine Ave SW.
A mile of new waterfront along the Washington Channel in Southwest, where a handful of shops on District Square and Water St sit among piers, restaurants and the Municipal Fish Market, open since 1805. Best for an afternoon that mixes a bookstore and local-maker shopping with crabs, oysters and a walk on the water.
Fish market · Waterfront · Piers
Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- In our directory
- 16 shopseach one verified
- Where
- Wharf St SW and Water St SW from the Municipal Fish Market (1100 Maine Ave SW) to M Street LandingWaterfront & seafood
- Right now
- Typical hours10am–8pm
- Getting here
- ParkingWharf Garage 1 (entrances at 20 Blair Alley SW, 19 Sutton Square SW and 700 Water St SW), Garage 2 (21 Riley St SW, 21 Parker Row SW) and Garage 3 (602 Water St SW) are open 24/7, from $6 for 30 minutes to $23 for 2 hours on weekdays. Waterfront station on the Green Line is a two-minute walk; the free SW Shuttle connects to L'Enfant Plaza Metro and the Mall, and water taxis run from the Transit Pier to Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria and National Harbor.
The directory
16 shops, all in one place.
Tap a shop or a dot on the map to see it.
Dining6 places
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Oyster bar in a restored circa-1912 oyster shed at the Municipal Fish Market, serving Rappahannock Oyster Co. shellfish, small plates, wine, craft beer and cocktails.
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Two-level waterfront Spanish seafood restaurant from Fabio and Maria Trabocchi, inspired by Mallorca and known for its paella, with the casual outdoor Cafe Del Mar alongside.
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Chef Jamie Leeds's seafood restaurant with indoor and waterfront patio seating, an urban beach food menu, happy hour and a rotating cocktail list.
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Restaurant and cocktail bar on Maine Ave with shareable American plates, brunch and espresso martinis, and one of the largest patios at the Wharf.
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Wood-fired barbecue restaurant on Wharf St with Southern sides and halal options, listed in Washingtonian's June 2026 Wharf guide.
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Southeast Asian restaurant in the former Kaliwa space, with live music until 2am Thursday through Saturday, per Washingtonian's June 2026 Wharf guide.
Specialty3 places
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Bottle shop focused on local and small-producer wine, beer and spirits across a range of price points, with staff trained in each category and regular in-store tastings.
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Family-owned optical shop with eye care services and designer frames from Jacques Marie Mage, Cartier and Garrett Leight, the waterfront outpost of a longtime DC optician.
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Todd Thrasher's urban rum distillery making four Thrasher's Rums, sharing a waterfront building with the Tiki TNT bar. Tours run Tuesday to Saturday; a tasting and cocktail is $18.
Food & drink3 places
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Municipal Fish Market vendor since 1939, run by the Evans family of Smith Island, MD. Large raw seafood selection, live crab specials and prepared shrimp, crab and chowder; crabs cooked to order.
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Saturday-morning farmers market of local produce and food vendors at M Street Landing, moved here in April 2026 from its old spot near Waterfront Metro. Runs April through November.
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Locally owned Kilwins confectionery selling chocolates, handmade fudge and ice cream, open until 10pm or later every night for an after-dinner stop along the water.
Books1 place
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Waterfront branch of DC's best-known independent bookstore, selling books, stationery and gifts and hosting author events, signings and classes. Two minutes from Waterfront Metro.
Gifts1 place
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Shop selling only goods made by DC artisans: apothecary, apparel, art, furniture, jewelry, home decor and stationery, plus DC-themed gifts, maker classes, events and pop-ups.
Beauty1 place
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Custom lip color studio where an on-site color expert mixes clean, vegan lipsticks, balms and glosses to order, with your choice of shade, flavor, finish and engraved case.
Coffee1 place
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Cuban cafe serving cafecito, pastries, sandwiches and cocktails from 8:30am, a good coffee stop at the Pearl Street end of the Wharf before the shops open.
No shops in that category here yet.
Insider guide
Shopping The Wharf.
The story
A mile of new waterfront along the Washington Channel in Southwest, where a handful of shops on District Square and Water St sit among piers, restaurants and the Municipal Fish Market, open since 1805. Best for an afternoon that mixes a bookstore and local-maker shopping with crabs, oysters and a walk on the water.
The mix: dining like Rappahannock Oyster Bar, Del Mar de Fabio Trabocchi, Hank's Oyster Bar; specialty like Cordial Craft Wine, Beer & Spirits, Georgetown Optician, Potomac Distilling Company; food like Jessie Taylor Seafood, Farmers Market SW, Kilwins The Wharf.
This week
At The Wharf this week.
Typical hours
Most shops keep the hours below.
Hours vary by individual store. Always check with specific retailers.
Eat, drink, stay
Between shops, close by.
Top hotels nearby
All of Stay →- Michelin Key
Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf
A 131-room waterfront hotel with a heated outdoor pool, a spa and the Moonraker rooftop for sushi and Japanese whisky.
655 Water Street SW ·
Ratings are the scores saved in our directory and are not live. Check the listing for the current score.
Getting here
Parking and transit.
- PParkingWharf Garage 1 (entrances at 20 Blair Alley SW, 19 Sutton Square SW and 700 Water St SW), Garage 2 (21 Riley St SW, 21 Parker Row SW) and Garage 3 (602 Water St SW) are open 24/7, from $6 for 30 minutes to $23 for 2 hours on weekdays. Waterfront station on the Green Line is a two-minute walk; the free SW Shuttle connects to L'Enfant Plaza Metro and the Mall, and water taxis run from the Transit Pier to Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria and National Harbor.
- PMetro: Waterfront (Green) or L'Enfant PlazaWaterfront is a short walk to the fish market endMetro fare
Keep exploring
If you liked this block of the city, try these next.
Navy Yard
The Capitol Riverfront neighborhood around Nationals Park, rebuilt from the old naval industrial yards, where the shopping is a small cluster in the Boilermaker Shops at The Yards plus food shops, a winery and a brewery near the river. Best paired with a ballgame or a walk along the Anacostia rather than as a shopping trip on its own.
This week
Penn Quarter
The downtown blocks around F Street and 7th Street NW, from the National Archives up to the Chinatown arch, where museum stores, a big Barnes & Noble, a pen shop and national chains sit between the Smithsonian art museums and Capital One Arena. Best for folding real shopping into a museum, game or theater day.
This week
CityCenterDC
A five-block development between New York Ave and H St NW where the European fashion houses, jewelers and leather-goods brands have their DC boutiques, most of them on pedestrian Palmer Alley. It is the place for designer shopping downtown, with gelato, Italian restaurants and a garage underneath for a long, polished afternoon.
This week
Guides for The Wharf
All guides →Union Market and The Wharf: A Market Day
A food-and-shopping day across two of DC's market districts: bread, spices and small makers at Union Market in the morning, then crabs at the Municipal Fish Market and bookshop and maker shopping on the Southwest waterfront.
Read guide →Washington DC Hotels Near the Best Shopping
Fifteen MICHELIN-selected hotels, including all seven of Washington's Key holders, sorted by the shopping you can walk to: CityCenterDC and Penn Quarter, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, the Wharf, Union Market and Old Town Alexandria.
Read guide →Washington Holiday Markets 2026
Dates, hours and locations for the 2026 holiday markets in and around DC, from the DowntownDC Holiday Market on F Street to Heurich House's Christmas Markt and Old Town Alexandria's parade weekend, plus the events that haven't posted dates yet.
Read guide →Stay in the loop
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