Restaurants
If you enjoy dining out, you’ll find no shortage of restaurants and cafes, plus bars and lounges to choose from. D.C. has always been known for its power lunches and elegant state dinners, but over the past few years, virtually everyone has begun enjoying the diverse culinary experiences the region now offers.
While almost every major restaurant chain and franchise has a strong presence here, the D.C. area is also home to many unique, one-of-a-kind restaurants—some of which have been around for decades, along with many that are brand new, and that were conceived by well-known celebrity chefs from around the globe.
As in many major U.S. cities, you’ll find upscale and highly recommended restaurants, like the Palm, the Capital Grille, Charlie Palmer Steak, Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Shula’s Steak House, and Smith & Wollensky, where you can enjoy an elegant lunch or dinner.
However, if your taste buds are craving something beyond traditional steak or seafood dishes, you’ll find all types of international cuisine served at many other restaurants throughout the area. For example, D.C. is home to Ethiopian restaurants, along with Asian, European, and South and Central American dining establishments. Some are stand-alone restaurants, while others can be found within the popular hotels.
Magazines like Bon Appétit—and their readers—have begun to sit up and take notice, and several Washington chefs have won international reputations. Metro Washington offers a customer base that is diverse, well traveled, and affluent. Suffice it to say there are plenty of folks here who appreciate good food and who can afford to dine out regularly. Not to say that you can’t dine reasonably. There are some bargains, especially among Washington’s ethnic eateries.
This section offers just a small sampling of the hundreds of restaurants in the Metro D.C. area. All establishments listed accept most major credit cards unless otherwise noted.
Restaurants are divided first by geographic areas: Washington, Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Within each area we’ve broken down the list by ethnic cuisine, and restaurants under each ethnic heading are in alphabetical order. While you might be inclined to automatically choose a restaurant you’re already familiar with, some of the best dining experiences can be had at the lesser known restaurants, so keep an open mind and experiment during your visit.
You can also learn about local restaurants from the Official Visitors Guide for Washington, D.C., which is published by Destination D.C. (the region’s tourism office). The guide is distributed free of charge, and is updated every six months. To request a copy, call (800) 422-8644 or visit www.washington.org.
If you’re an iPhone user and need more help choosing from the plethora of local restaurants, I recommend downloading the Find a Restaurant, Urban Spoon, or LocalEats application from Apple’s App Store to help you learn more about the local dining choices.
Bon appétit!
1. Ben’S Chili Bowl
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 667-0909
Address: 1213 U Street NW
Description: Ben’s is a Washington, D.C. institution—a gathering place for neighborhood workers, politicians, celebrities, and students. Opened in 1958, it weathered the riots that afflicted the U Street neighborhood in the late 1960s. Now it attracts a diverse clientele, particularly late at night, when young adults stop here for a late bite after a night on the town. The signature dish here is the chili half-smoke (half hot dog, half sausage, served on a bun and smothered with chili, onions, and mustard). Also try the chili cheese fries and the handmade milkshakes for a decadent treat.
2. Blue Duck Tavern
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 419-6755
Address: 1201 24th Street NW
Description: When the Park Hyatt Washington closed for renovation, Chef Brian McBride of the hotel’s Melrose Restaurant left to perfect his technique. The hotel reopened with a new destination restaurant, Blue Duck Tavern, designed by Tony Chi and again featuring McBride at the helm. On the menu, you’ll find tasty creations like pork loin with bourbon-soaked peaches. Dessert is also a treat; a warm chocolate cake comes with a splash of bourbon flamed tableside. Ice cream is hand-cranked and delivered to the table in a glass bowl for sharing. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
3. Cafe Du Parc
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 637-7000
Address: 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Description: Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this newly reinvented restaurant recreates a savory French bistro in the center of D.C. The dining experience is informal, but every bit as classic as the historic hotel in which it’s located. A la carte dinner entrees range in price from about $20 to $30 each. The restaurant features an open kitchen and an outdoor terrace.
4. Café Saint-Ex
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 265-7839
Address: 1847 14th Street NW
Description: This comfortable Logan Circle gathering place takes its name from author/pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and you’ll notice an aviation theme in its decor. The restaurant itself is cozy and unpretentious—a good place to meet a friend for brunch or to listen and groove as DJs take over the downstairs lounge space, Gate 54. When the weather is pleasant, you can sit outside and people-watch. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday and for dinner nightly.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Address: 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1819 Columbia Road NW
7. Chadwicks
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 333-2565
Address: 3205 K Street NW
Description: It’s tough to avoid comparisons with the local Clyde’s chain (see below), but Chadwicks should view it as a compliment. It’s easy to find something to like in this warm, inviting Georgetown saloon/restaurant, be it the woodsy atmosphere, the selection from the bar, or the hamburgers. Indeed, this may be one of the best burgers in town, thick and charbroiled to your taste. The rest of the menu is the usual saloon fare, served in generous portions: seafood, soups, salads, pasta, and the like. Chadwicks serves lunch and dinner daily, and Sunday brunch. The only hard part for the uninitiated may be finding this place, which sits literally beneath the Whitehurst Freeway near the foot of Wisconsin Avenue.
8. Cityzen
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 787-6868
Address: 1330 Maryland Avenue SW
Description: When CityZen opened in the Mandarin Oriental Washington D.C., it made critics concede that the Nation’s Capital had truly arrived as a restaurant town. After all, the city managed to attract the culinary talents of Eric Ziebold, who earned acclaim under legendary chef Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Napa. Both CityZen and Ziebold have amassed an impressive list of awards and achievements from top culinary magazines. Expect an ever-changing, multi-course dining experience that’s nothing short of elegant, prepared with ingredients that are fresh and often unusual. The dining room is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner; it is closed Sunday and Monday.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Address: 3236 M Street NW
10. Dean & Deluca Cafe
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 342-2500
Address: 3276 M Street NW
Description: Shopping in Georgetown and want to grab a quick bite? Do you need some takeout to stock your hotel room? This self-service counter, serving lunch and dinner daily in one of D.C.’s premier gourmet markets, will fit the bill with passable-to-yummy soups, sandwiches, salads, and fresh baked goods. The Cafe also provides classy catering for cocktail parties and wedding receptions. For those who need an extra shot of energy, there’s also an espresso bar.
11. Georgia Brown’S
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 393-4499
Address: 950 15th Street NW
Description: If upscale soul food’s your bag, this is the place, but if you prefer traditional preparations, you may be startled by some of the innovations at Georgia Brown’s. You’ll find black-eyed peas, grits, and collards—and one of the city’s most decadent Sunday brunches. Give the brown-sugar-grilled pork chops and hearty Carolina gumbo a try, if you make it through the spread of brunch classics like eggs and crunchy French toast. Georgia Brown’s also serves lunch weekdays and dinner nightly.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Address: 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
13. Komi
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 332-9200
Address: 1509 17th Street NW
Description: Chef Johnny Monis is part of a class of talented young chefs in Washington, D.C. who operate their own restaurants. After your dining experience at Komi, you’ll find it hard to believe that Monis is barely 30 years old. Among the other restaurants on 17th Street, Komi stands out as a star. The dining room itself is intimate and sparsely decorated, letting the cuisine take center stage. Monis’s Greek roots shine through with hints of the Mediterranean in his creations and in the largely Greek wine list. You can order a la carte or indulge in a five-course tasting menu; on Friday and Saturday, only the tasting menu is served.
14. Matchbox
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 289-4441
Address: 713 H Street NW
Description: Matchbox is suitably named—a narrow, three-story restaurant on the edge of Chinatown. While pizza is the main course here, the prime attractions are the mini-hamburgers, available in orders of three, six, and nine and served on toasted brioche, piled high with parmesan cheese–coated fried onions. If you opt for pizza, you’ll find a fine selection of meat, cheese, and vegetarian toppings, and the crust is thin and crisp. Matchbox is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
15. Mr. Smith’S Of Georgetown
City: Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (202) 333-3104
Address: 3104 M Street NW
Description: You won’t be able to see the lovely patio garden from the street, yet it’s the main draw at this saloon/eatery in Georgetown. You’ll find standard pub fare here at reasonable prices and, at night, a piano bar. In fact, Maryland-raised Tori Amos sang here as a teenager. If you like fancy cocktails, this place features daiquiris and other frozen drinks in a dozen varieties. Mr. Smith’s serves lunch and dinner daily and Sunday brunch.