The Restaurants You Have To Eat At In Washington DC

Blue Duck Tavern

Serving creative American cuisine, the Michelin-starred Blue Duck Tavern offers a warm, contemporary atmosphere to relax and dine with friends and family. This celebrated restaurant near Georgetown features an open concept kitchen with a wood-burning oven and custom-designed Molteni range from France. Diners can sample some of the best wines in the city from our extensive wine list while watching your dinner perfectly prepared and plated.

STK

This dapper outpost of STK is located in trendy Dupont Circle. It is at the top of the list for the well-heeled carnivore, who comes here for the steaks, chops and the scene.

It's highly recommended that guests arrive dressed to impress--more for nighttime action than for business dining because STK is lively and engrossing and the atmosphere is not of the typical steakhouse. It's modern and chic for anyone who finds the traditional American steakhouse a tad on the boring side. When your mouth drops from the stunningly modern restaurant space, don’t forget to fill up on the juiciest, most tender cuts of steak around.

Bourbon Steak

Nestled inside Georgetown’s Four Seasons Hotel, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina regularly draws in celebrities, socialites and political elites, including the Obamas, and it’s easy to see why. Not only is the modern steakhouse’s ambiance utterly posh, the menu is impressive with a whopping 24 different cuts of meat to choose from with rib-eye being the biggest crowd-pleaser. Whether you order a juicy wagyu, bone-in or bison rib-eye, consider your steak craving satisfied. Of course, make sure to check out the lengthy list of bourbons.

Charlie Palmer Steak

The spectacular design of the restaurant and the elegance/simplicity of all the dishes, pushes this restaurant all the way to the top, aligning them with the best steakhouses in the country.

The location is just amazing. Right on constitution avenue and gives you that DC feel of high end senator / lobbyist power lunch or dinner. There is a beautiful all glass wine cellar in the middle of the restaurant, and next to it there is a water fountain that adds to the ambiance.

Le Diplomate

When restaurateur Stephen Starr armed 14th Street with a slice of pre-War Paris in spring 2013, he had an instant classic on his hands, and what seems to be a perennial, highly lauded favorite. Part brasserie, part café, part bistro, Le Diplomate is France-meets-DC. Brown butter-infused trout almondine and perfectly cooked steak au poivre – rest assured, it’s peppery – share the menu alongside chilled oysters, a famed roast chicken and ever-munchable pommes frites.

Cafe Milano

Be sure to have your suit dry-cleaned and your diamonds sparkling before you go to Café Milano. Because at this eatery, looking good goes hand in hand with fine dining. Owner Franco Nuschese came from the Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas properties and knows more than a little something about style, showmanship and marketing. Offerings include fava bean and baby artichoke salad with pecorino, house-made gnocchi, and risotto with roast veal or lobster. Desserts are exceptional here — lemon and raspberry mousse or the chocolate hazelnut cake filled with Nutella, for example.

Al Tiramisu

This festive eatery ripples with laughter and conversation, drawing celebrities and politicians to its doors. Al Tiramisu offers classy Italian cuisine in a pleasant environment and is great for a romantic night out or dinner with a group of friends. Seafood is the specialty, especially when it's grilled and served with olive oil and lemon. Veal, beef, and duck draw rave reviews, too, as do pastas, which include spinach-ricotta agnolotti and lobster-topped linguine with cherry tomatoes. Reservations required for dinner.

Bibiana

Bibiana is an award-winning restaurant from the Knightsbridge Restaurant Group. Chef Jake Addeo brings 16 years of distinguished experience working at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in New York City and Hong Kong. Jake has cooked in several famous restaurants with James Beard award- winning chefs including Abboccato Italian Kitchen, where he served as Chef de Cuisine; Esca under Dave Paternack and Mario Batali and at Felidia under Fortunato Nicotra and Lidia Bastianich. Chef Addeo is bringing some of the most delectable regional Italian food to Washington, DC.

Tony & Joe's Seafood Place

Tony & Joe's Seafood Place is a family-owned restaurant located in Georgetown's Washington Harbour, serving only the freshest seafood. Our dining room and spacious outdoor terrace offers sweeping views of the Potomac River, the Kennedy Center and the beautiful Washington Harbour fountains. Tony & Joe's Seafood Place is the perfect venue for private events, casual events, family events, birthdays, anniversaries, company events, bar mitzvahs and bridal showers. Tony & Joe's Seafood Place offers buffet style dining and a la carte dining.

Old Ebbitt Grill

Established in 1856, Old Ebbitt Grill is the oldest dining saloon in Washington, DC. Across from the White House, Old Ebbitt serves American Cuisine, and offers the largest selection of oysters in DC. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night dining, and Saturday and Sunday Brunch. Casual dining with service to locals and visitors alike.

POV Rooftop Lounge and Terrace

Located next door to The White House, the historic Hotel Washington - one of the city’s oldest hotels – has been reinvented into W Hotel Washington. The luxury hotel was remodeled in 2009 and infuses bright colors and contemporary design while preserving the building’s Beaux Arts architecture.

Kennedy Center Terrace Level

Enjoy a fantastic culinary experience and unequalled skyline views through two-story windows high above the Potomac River. The contemporary interior features chrome, glass, suede, and wood with accents of granite. Check out the critically-acclaimed Sunday Kitchen Buffet Brunch. The Roof Terrace Restaurant & Bar is located on the Roof Terrace level of the Kennedy Center above the Hall of Nations.

Ben’s Chill Bowl

Ben's Chili Bowl is a landmark restaurant in Washington, D.C., located at 1213 U Street, next to Lincoln Theatre, in the Shaw neighborhood of northwest D.C. It is known locally for its chili dogs, half-smokes, and milkshakes, and has been an integral part of the neighborhood's history since its founding in 1958. It was frequented by both police and protesters during the 1968 Washington, D.C. riots, and is regularly visited by celebrities, such as Bill Cosby and Chris Tucker.