SimoneSassett

Hi, all. We're heading to DC in September for a week. Found a great deal at the Washington Hilton (where Reagon was shot) on Connecticut in Dupont Circle for only $109/night, including full breakfast for two. So, we'd like to splurge and have our wedding anniversary dinner at the Ritz-Carlton. But, I understand there are two Ritz hotels to choose from.

Which would you pick and why?

We want something elegant and memorable for a wedding anniversary dinner. p.s. We chose the Ritz, only because we got married at the Ritz-Carlton here in our city, and thought it might be sentimental to go to another Ritz for the anniversary.

Thanks for your opinions.

MikeT

The Ritz's restaurant near DuPont Circle in Foggy Bottom seems notorious for never being terribly busy. The Ritz in Georgetown is fairly new and the restaurant has gotten very mixed reviews. Neither are known for being great restaurants.

TopMan

Personally, I'd forget the Ritz Carlton for dinner and have a more memorable one at the 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown.

Louiseee

If you will have a car then go for Maestro, the restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton, Tyson's Corner, Virginia, about 20 miles outside of D.C. This would be the elegant and memorable wedding anniversary dinner you are looking for. If, however, you will not have a car, then I, too, would recommend that you not waste your anniversary dinner on either of the restaurants at the Ritz-Carlton's in D.C. There are a lot of good restaurants in the city that would be perfect for a wedding anniversary dinner.

SimoneSassett

Interesting... I had not heard of this other Ritz-Carlton in Virginia. 20 miles is not that far, in my opinion. Thanks for the recommendation!

Honestly, I didn't expect that the Ritz would be "all that great" to begin with. But, for our actual anniversary, I thought it would be nice to reminisce being at the Ritz again.

We'll have an entire week in DC to try out much better gastronomical delights, I'm sure. =)

gnrbernstein

With all the wonderful restaurants in DC, why the Ritz-Carlton? I personally would go to one of the restaurants in the Willard if you want to eat at a beautiful hotel.

gnrbernstein

(oops. Missed the part about reminiscing (sp?))

gnr

gnrbernstein

By the way, isn't there a Ritz at Pentagon City? Do they have a restaurant?

E

Simone, a quick warning about driving out to Tysons Corner: that 20 miles will take you well over an hour to drive from downtown DC! And the area is nothing but a huge mall--a very nice mall, but really, not worth driving out to. I would strongly suggest you have drinks and/or dinner at the Ritz in G'town--IMO, it's a slightly more attractive neighborhood than Foggy Bottom (which would also be fine). For what it's worth, I think it's a sweet idea to spend your anniversary at the Ritz, since you were married there...

andy

Ritz Carlton Hotel
1150 22nd St, NW
Washington, DC
20037
Tel: +1 (202) 835-0500
Fax: +1 (202) 835-158

This is the NEWEST Ritz in the DC area..

Here is the name of it's restaurant:
Kobalt, the hotel restaurant (named after the Ritz?s signature cobalt blue glassware), has a private dining room for 16 people. The bar features a pianist, and an adjacent room serves high tea in the afternoons to the accompaniment of a harpist.

However, I definitely agree with another post who recommended the 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown--small,intimate,elegant and FABULOUS FOOD..

I personally would have my DRINKS at the RITZ and dinner elsewhere...

andy

Simone--here is a review of 1789-:The 1789 Restaurant provides... by Kentbein


Type:
Other

Description:
The 1789 Restaurant provides exceptional food, relaxed atmosphere and gracious service in an elegant, award winning environment. (Ask VT traveler, Krystine from Singapore!! She loved it!) It is located at 1226 36th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. (202) 965-1789 in Georgetown, directly adjacent to the Georgetown University campus. It has five distinctively decorated dining rooms, both upstairs and down. Extremely comfortable. They offer ?American cuisine? (whatever that is) featuring venison, (deer) rack of lamb, veal, Maryland rockfish, crab cakes, soft?shell crabs and lobster, and seasonal foods. Their pastry chef offers a daily selection of house?made breads, fruit desserts, chocolate deserts and a very good créme brûlée. Stay away if you?re watching your waisteline.

It also located directly adjacent to a fun ?watering hole? (bar), the Tombs. Check out both of them. Great time and in a very interesting part of the DC area, Georgetown. This is the area where the movie ?Exorcist? was filmed. It is best experienced on a nice, foggy, cold Washington, DC evening.

It?s expensive, so don?t plan on going there all the time. You?ll go broke and you?ll gain a million pounds of weight.

This impressive restaurant comprises of two levels. I would suggest that you make a special request to be seated on the main floor (i.e. downstairs) where the ambience is cosier and more 'romantic'. There's also a fireplace here. How quaint! Oh, and enjoy your meal

kelgrove

If you have your heart set on celebrating your anniversary at a Ritz restaurant, I highly recommend Maestro in Tysons Corner. It would be a truly memorable meal -- but make reservations soon, as it is very popular. If you want to stay in the District, I recommend the Georgetown Ritz over the one in Foggy Bottom.

repete

I can't think of many romantic buzz killers that are worse than trying to drive the Va. suburbs.

While I don't know the R-C dining rooms, I can't believe the Tyson's rooms would be that much better as to justify that headache.

If you do go elsewhere, 1789 is a very good suggestion.

FauxSteMarie

I absolutely agree with the advice about the 1789 restaurant.

If you want to go out of town, rather than end up at a shopping mall, I suggest you go out VA Rte. 193 to Auberge Chez Francois. It is just north of downtown Great Falls, VA. Dollar for dollar, in my opinion, it is the best restaurant in the DC area. You get a fixed price meal (depending on your main course) and the food is excellent. Besides, it is very nice dining in the country. It is the restaurant where I always take out of towners who visit me.

ttangomd

Maestro at the Ritz in Tyson's is the best restaurasnt in the DC area and top 10 in the entire country.

Inn at Little Washington might get the pub, but Maestro w/Chef Fabio has been beating it for a couple of years now. The menu, service, and decor are all superior and worth the trip from NYC, let alone the District. As it has caught on it has been gettting tougher and tougher to get a reservation. Go to http://www.chowhound.com (the definitive food web site) for more opinions on this restaurant and others.

As for the other RCs. The West End on 22nd (which is definitely NOT the newest Ritz in DC) has the Grill. It's pretty good (Top 30 or so), but not top-notch.

Farneheit in the Gerogetown Ritz (the newest DC Ritz) has incredible decor and is a great spot for hollywood/d.c. style star-gazing. The food is pretty good, but is outshined by the great decor. It is the best room to eat a meal in the District IMO, even though the food might be one step behind. This <90 room hotel is now firmly placed as the best hotel in the DC area. The FS or other RCs really can't compete with it.

The Pentagon Ritz has adequete restaurants, but the Lounge for tea and drinks is by far the better choice there.