Arista

Metro Center isn't the best area for food in DC. For dinner, your best bet is to walk to the Penn Quarter, as others have suggested. For breakfast, you might like the Corner Bakery. It's a chain (Texas-based, I think), but one of the better ones. I like their panini (grilled sandwiches) and for breakfast they have them with eggs, ham, bacon, etc. The pastries look good, though I've never had one.

kakalena

I wouldn't recommend Teaism for tea, fairly sad actually.

I like the Willard (near White House)better than Four Seasons (Georgetown) in terms of food but both are good if a bit expensive. Willard has a harpist but serves in a corridor, Four Seasons in the dining room.

The British tea place in Alexandria is poor.

For a coffee and pastry try:

Furins in Georgetown. They do catering and have all manner of salad, entree, soup and sandwich too.

http://www.furins.com/

NO more than $25 dinner entree places.

Georgetown places to eat:

Clyde's for moderate priced dinner

Chadwick's for a burger

Sequoia for atmosphere outside on the river. People here think the food is so-so and overpriced but you can look at the menu online. I was there this afternoon and we both had very good food at a reasonable price. Gorgeous day.

Daily Grill on Wisconsin Ave

Pizza Paradiso

Near White House:

Old Ebbitt near White House (it's also owned by Clyde's)

Occidental Grille at Willard Lunch

Georgia Browns

7th Street/Penn Quarter:

Jaleo

Cafe Atlantico

Clyde's

I'm not crazy about Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan restaurants.

Kinkead's is way over-rated. I've eaten there so many times for business reasons and wish someone would take it off the best restaurant list.

Capital City Brewing is a bar/ restaurant and mingle spot.

MelissaHI

siiigghhh
once again! So many restaurants, so little time! The world is my buffet.

bardo1

kakalena,

Daily Grille?!? They have mediocre cooking at best. It's a middle of the road, chain restaurant catering to a lowest common denominator.

<<I'm not crazy about Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan restaurants.>>

Why? Which chefs? All off them? Many of the best restaurants in DC are in the Dupont area. Adams Morgan also has some standout cooking. Is it that you simply prefer other neighborhoods irrespective of the quality of the food?

LOTRHP

great feedback!
Any more thoughts on nice cafes to go into for a little bite or some coffee and relaxation? Or some brunch/breakfast places (quick and leisurely)? Also, any reccomendations for a nice/fun/elegant place to sit down and have a drink?

curiousgeo

LOTRHP, well if you are feeling a bit adventurous, you could try the Florida Avenue Grill, not far from Howard University. A DC institution, known for southern style diner food, it also serves a great breakfast. Inexpensive, casual and delicious. Check out the review at Roadfood.com to get a sense of the place.

kakalena

bardo,

I included Daily Grill for the price (under $25 entrees) and the location is good in Georgetown. I've taken lots of business people there. It's comfortable and they don't rush you. Yes, it's straight up American fare.

As for Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan I have failed to be impressed over the years. The restaurants are generally claustrophobic. I often find gunk on my silverware, see critters on the floor, smell the garbage fermenting on the curbs and best of all have actually witness two very tall rats boxing on their hind legs in Adams Morgan as we ate one night. Someone closed the door quickly before they "took it inside."

I do a lunch here or there but not worth the trip for dinner for me especially with the awful parking situation and other more attractive venues in the city.

LOTRHP

Thanks, I certainly appreciate your thoughts on the various areas. Actually, I will be taking public transportation so I don't want to deviate too far off from where I'll be (Capitol, Downtown, K Street, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, the Mall, Alexandria....)
Earlier there was a yeah then a no for the 'British Tea place' in Alexandria...what's the story there? (I do love a good tea!)
Any more breakfast advice? Hoping to find a few good places, either around the Foggy Bottom metro area or near the basic tourist sites....
I've already looked into many of the places you all have taken the time and care to send me info on. Very interesting places, I've already made a few reservations! Any more great input on your thoughts on the various eateries is always appreciated, and I'm sure is of tremendous help to all who look at this forum thread for travel guidance.

kakalena

RE: Afternoon tea

The Tea Cosy is the name of the British Place in Alexandria. This link has a pic of the tea provided. Basically a cup of tea and a forgettable scone.

http://www.alexandriacitywebsite.com...Connection.htm

Here are the links for the 4 Seasons and the Willard with menus. They are both nicely done but different.

http://www.fourseasons.com/washington/dining_10.html#

http://washington.intercontinental.c...dining_05.html

Teaism is an Asian tea place and I wouldn't recommend you go there for a typical British afternoon tea.

I've been to all of these places and there are others.

MikeT

How much do you want to spend for breakfast? As has been said before, DC is not a town with lots of diners and places where people eat breakfast. A typical DC breakfast is stopping at Starbucks, Corner Bakery, COSI, Au Bon Pain.

Hotels will have breakfast, but they will be expensive.

bardo1

Here's a spot for great diner-type breakfast. Juse south of Dupont circle on Conn. Ave.:

http://www.lunagrillanddiner.com/About_Us/about_us.html

kakalena

Breakfast near Foggy Bottom

Hotels: Melrose Hotel, Circle Bistro @ One Washington Circle Hotel, Fairmont Hotel (formerly Monarch Hotel), Park Hyatt, Ritz Carlton.

I've had breakfast at all of them. The Circle Bistro is run by George Washington University at their hotel and is closest to Foggy Bottom.

There is a Starbucks in GW Hospital adjacent to the Metro escalator.

Furin's at 2805 M Street (over the bridge from Foggy Bottom a block or two) starts breakfast at 7:30 AM and is a caterer, very cute place.

http://www.furins.com/catering_contact.html

At 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue is an indoor arcade with shops and restaurants and is a part of the GW campus. There is an Au Bon Pain in there as well as another very good carry out deli Primo? and an excellent Italian bakery called Vaccarro's .

Food Arcade in Marvin Center at GW and a separate Starbucks near that.

Gourmet coffee shop (I forget the name) at corner of Washington Circle and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Breadline at 1751 Pennsylvania Avenue opens at 7AM for carry-out breakfast.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...file&id=796896

Bread and Chocolate on M Street is French, opens early but the service isn't great. Pretend you are in France.

http://www.iexpediter.com/demo/brdnchoc/wwa.htm

There are also a couple of patissieries in Georgetown but farther away.

RAF3

If they haven't already been mentioned, I'd recommend Obelisk (Dupont Circle)(reservations well in advance) and Palena (Cleveland Park -- Connecticut Ave above the Zoo) if you'd like excellent dinners (upper end).
Cheers...

mcnyc

Thanks RAF3! I was trying to remember the name of the restaurant I went to near the Zoo. Palena, which is right off the red line's Cleveland Park stop.

I will second the Bread Line, and if you want to treat yourself, a nice breakfast at the Willard's dining room (approx $20/person).

I'm back in DC in 2 weeks, so will come back if I find any new recommendations.