My family of four is staying at the Renaissance Mayflower next week, and it seems that the Dupont Circle area may be our best bet for dinners. I'm wondering about attire though. Obviously this will vary by restaurant, but in general, how dressy are the restaurants in this area? I'm wondering most about my kids (ages 10 and 12) -- will they be able to get away with jeans at many places, or should I pack dressier clothes for the evening? Also, I would appreciate any casual restaurant suggestions for the area.

Places are mostly casual these days. Try this to find what you like.

www.washingtonian.com/dining

Our favorite in that area is Bistro du Coin.

Have a great trip!

Dupont Circle is pretty casual, I wouldn't worry about it.

You don't need to worry unless you're going to high-end restaurants.

Agreed. At most, a pair of chinos or khaikis instead of jeans/shorts will do the trick.

Two restaurants we tried and enjoyed in the Dupont Circle area were Johnny's Half Shell and Otello. The crabcakes at Johnny's were excellent, it's a nice, casual place. Otello is a casual, neighborhood red sauce Italian restaurant with a good, reasonable menu. Luna Grill is also very popular for diner fare. Good luck.

Forgot to mention a great restaurant resource for Washington DC, menupix.com. Sorted by area and cuisine, it's very helpful to see the menu offerings and price when trying to choose a restaurant.

Casual places within a few blocks of the Mayflower include:

http://www.famousluigis.com/

http://www.lunagrillanddiner.com/

http://www.cffolksrestaurant.com/ (M-F lunch only - get the daily specials)

There are many other spots along 19th st. between L st. and N st.

Potbelly 17&L st. - Breakfast/Lunch

A casual fine dining place walkable from the Mayflower is Komi (reservations required) -
http://www.komirestaurant.com/

Restaurant Recommendations...

Lauriel Plaza for dinner...awesome!

Rosa Mexicano in the downtown /Chinatown area...awesome!

Zatynia in the downtown / Chinatown area...awesome!

8-)

With kids and for a nice Washington atmosphere, I highly recommend Old Ebbitt Grill (I think it is 15th Street). I went to college in DC and lived there for a number of years and it is the one place I always want to go back to. Your kids would be fine with jeans there and the menu is very family friendly. You can book online at opentable.com We were at the Mayflower two weeks ago and the walk is a few blocks. You can take the metro a little closer if you want, but it is a nice walk.

Lots of good casual spots in Dupont. Be careful with Bistro du Coin, plenty of negative experiences on Chowhounds lately.

Komi is a great rec.

But also consider hoping the Red Line from Dupont to Gallery Place/Chinatown for a change some night. Zaytinya is excellent, but Penn Quarter is a real up and coming area overall.

Wow, thanks for all of the excellent suggestions! We're really looking forward to the trip.

Repete: I haven't been to Bistro du Coin in awhile. Guess I better check the reviews. I wonder if they have changed hands - don't want to steer someone wrong!

Old Ebbitt's Grill is part of the Clyde's chain I think so it is basic but good. Not the way it was in the old days but what is!

I am sure you will have a wonderful time - the weather is perfect.