Washington, DC's culinary landscape is dotted with all the well-heeled pomp and circumstance one would expect to find in the nation's capital, while also retaining the diversity of ethnic cuisines reflected in its citizenry.
As you fly over Washington, DC and into National Airport, you can almost imagine the taverns where Washington himself imbibed brews, the paneled room where Lincoln had his last meal, the restaurant whose flight of steps Gerald Ford surely toppled down, and the Japanese restaurant where George Bush, Sr. couldn't stomach his sushi.
It's important to note that in the District and surrounding area (suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia), restaurant chains like The Cheesecake Factory, TGIFriday’s, and Outback Steakhouse are enormously popular. In town—particularly on Capitol Hill—any restaurant with a happy hour (which is more common than not) is peppered with white-collar politicos, lawyers, and nonprofit do-gooders talking shop. Debate + food & drink = FUN (in this town, anyway). Enough with the red tape; DC has enough of it! On with the choices...
1789 1226 36th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 (202) 965-1789
Another "Modern American" entry, 1789 is exactly the type of colonial Georgetown townhouse one imagines for the federal city. Grilled sirloin, roasted pheasant, and a selection of seasonal entrées are consistently well prepared and served by genteel wait staff. The restaurant’s rooms, with their hardwood floors and working fireplaces, add a touch of Old World sophistication to the diner. One may half expect to sign one’s check with a quill dipped in ink. Gentlemen, remember to wear a jacket; anything less would be uncivilized.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Day–Open, Easter–Open, Thanksgiving–Open, Christmas Eve–Open, Christmas–Closed, New Year’s Eve–Open
THE CAPITAL GRILLE 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004 (202) 737-6200
The Capital reeks with power. Senators and their staff members huddle over large, impeccably broiled steaks. Congressmen puff away on fat cigars and sip cognac at the bar. Various lobbyists fill full tables and toast to their latest successes. Even if the food weren't so damn good, you could still come here just to see the capital bigwigs winding down after a hard day’s work. But there’s more to this mighty meat market than DC celeb-spotting—it also serves the best steak in town.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Day–Closed, Easter–Open, Thanksgiving–Closed, Christmas Eve–Open, Christmas–Closed, New Year’s Eve–Open
ETETE 1942 Ninth Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-7600
Hours:
11am–1am daily
For all the diplomatic license plates you see on the street and the many languages you hear on the Metro, Washington, DC—city of embassies and diplomats—has surprisingly few ethnic communities. But a “Little Ethiopia” it does have. Along with crab cakes and sirloin steaks, injera, wat, and tej have recently become staples of the DC diet. Etete proves that Washington’s top restaurants don’t all have to be large and in charge. This small restaurant offers delicious food for reasonable prices and into the wee hours of the morning. Imagine that. You don’t even have to wear a tie or a pearl necklace. And we insist that you eat with your hands.
President Reagan, President Bush, and President Clinton have all eaten here during their administrations. While this doesn't mean that Filomena is the best restaurant in town, it does show that it is very, very good. Kitschy, it is. (They actually have a room on the way in, encased in glass, that showcases two elderly Italian women making fresh pasta... While it presents proof-positive evidence that the pasta is homemade, it is remains quite bizarre). Mezzogiorno (Southern Italian) fare is found here, as well as an abundance of hearty ragus and the famous "boule" (the original peasant bread bowl). Filomena is known as a "celebration" restaurant and when nearby Georgetown and George Washington Universities are graduating their seniors, there are a number of families spending the last of their tuition on great fettuccini.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Day–Closed, Easter–Closed, Thanksgiving–Closed, Christmas Eve–Open, Christmas–Closed, New Year’s Eve–Open
THE INN AT LITTLE WASHINGTON Main & Middle Streets, Washington, VA 22747 (540) 675-3800
Although it’s not bus-friendly, Metro-friendly, or even inside the Beltway, the Inn at Little Washington is worth the trip into the Rappahannock County boondocks. On everyone's short list of great DC restaurants (despite not actually being in DC), the "New American" menu (don't call it fusion, please) has everyone raving. The staff is friendly and famously attentive, and the décor is the stuff of Country Living dreams. There is an outdoor garden and patio for those who would rather take in the fresh rural air, and the Inn is quite possibly the most romantic restaurant in this hard-nosed East Coast region. Save up for months, and don’t even think about showing up without a reservation.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Day–Open, Easter–Open, Thanksgiving–Open, Christmas Eve–Closed, Christmas–Closed, New Year’s Eve–Open
JALEO 480 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 (202) 628-7949
Believe me: Washingtonians don’t like to share. So imagine the importance of a restaurant that compels power-hungry folks to a) agree upon a selection of dishes, b) divvy up the small plates amongst themselves, and c) pour each other glasses from a communal pitcher of fruity sangria. Welcome to Jaleo, the Spanish dining room that taught DC to love tapas—specifically patatas bravas, spicy chorizos, and roasted red peppers stuffed with goat cheese. Jaleo is such a crowd-pleaser that it opened up secondary and tertiary locations in Bethesda, MD and Crystal City, VA. But the downtown restaurant, with its mosaic tiled tables and larger-than-life flamenco dancer painted on the wall, remains the original charmer.
THE PRIME RIB 2020 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 (202) 466-8811
Hours:
Mon–Fri Lunch: 11:30am–3pm Mon–Thur Dinner: 5pm–11pm Fri–Sat Dinner: 5pm–11:30pm Bar is open all day
It’s fitting that the Prime Rib sits on K Street. The prices are high. Formal dress is strict and mandatory. The prime rib (ahem) and prime aged steaks are timeless. And good thing too, because this restaurant does not change. Will not change. If you want to show out-of-towners what it means to tear into a hunk of beef and feel important, you will bring them here. There’s no room for error at this DC institution. It’s not exciting, it’s not fresh, it’s not edgy—but it is classic DC with all its fabulous testosterone, carnivorism, and diplomatic code of conduct.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Day–Closed, Easter–Open, Thanksgiving–Open, Christmas Eve–Open, Christmas–Closed, New Year’s Eve–Open
SEQUOIA 3000 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 (202) 944-4200
Talk to twenty different people and you'll get twenty different opinions. Sequoia is loud, it is enormous, and it is crowded. Its fashionably fusion menu doesn't take too many chances and the service can, at times, be poor due to the volume. But you do not go to Sequoia because the salmon is fresh from the Bay of Fundy, or because the potatoes are brimming with golden russet goodness. You go because Sequoia because in a town with no waterfront to speak of, this restaurant sits on a lovely bend of the Potomac River, affording diners a beautiful view through floor-to-ceiling glass windows—with an outdoor patio to boot. Sequoia is also the biggest singles pick-up joint in the city, with Washington’s beautiful people networking and flirting (sorry to be redundant) while knocking back margaritas.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Closed, New Year’s Eve-Open
In recent years, pan-Asian restaurants have popped up all over DC and beyond. But whereas others feel like a one-stop, catch all smorgasbord, TenPenh brings together the ingredients and spices of Asia, folds in some international traveler sensibilities, and pumps out some delectable dishes. Feast on Filipino lumpia (South Pacific islander spring rolls) or Korean beef ribs, and wash it all down with a fabulous mango cocktail. The décor and wait staff’s dress (both draped in silk) are incredibly chic, and even if you walk in off the street, you’ll find it difficult to dine here and not feel that you are celebrating a special evening.
VIDALIA 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 659-1990
Yes, folks: it's a basement restaurant. In New York, seemingly half of all restaurants and bars are subterranean and no one complains. In DC, some people make this an issue. But the space is charming and certainly roomy enough—even when packed. And it’s fitting that a restaurant named for an onion should thrive below ground. For those who don't know, the Vidalia onion is the sweetest of all American varieties, and only bulbs from Vidalia, Georgia can legally bear this distinction. The little veggies are incredible when served grilled or fried; Vidalia knows this and prepares them to perfection. Add in the freshest biscuits in town and some mean garlic mashed potatoes, and you’ve got yourself a local hit.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Day–Closed, Easter–Closed, Thanksgiving–Open, Christmas Eve–Open 5:30pm–8:30pm, Christmas–Closed, New Year’s Eve–Open 5:30pm–11pm
The Top List of Great Restaurants - Washington, D.C.