Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Until recently, tourists who trekked north from the Mall hungry for something more than Smithsonian cafeteria food were stranded Downtown with little but high-end options. Now, young Washingtonians are taking advantage of residential development and moving off Capitol Hill to Downtown, Penn Quarter, and Chinatown, where nothing short of a restaurant revolution has taken shape in the last decade.
Modena, the Italian restaurant by DC restaurateur Ashok Bajaj, takes power dining to the next level with deliciously beautiful dishes inspired by the Italian region and beyond. Start your meal with a perfectly executed negroni and a starter from the antipasti trolley that stops at each table so diners can choose their favorite starters, from braised artichokes to panzanella salad. Main dishes include handmade pasta and proteins like branzino and pork collar cooked on a charcoal grill.
Give in to sensory overload at this homage to the railway dining rooms that catered to the prewar European elite. The food is just as rich as you'd expect: entrée-size salads with Belgian frites, fruits de mer platters with enough shellfish for a small army, and a dizzying lineup of artisanal beers. Every detail of Beck's interior exudes luxury, from the vintage-accented clocks that stand above mahogany booths to the exposed stainless-steel kitchen. The production is impressive, and you'll remember the food fondly after returning home—but you might consider a fast the next day.
This bright, airy Italian osteria has an adjoining market and a daily changing menu that is all about locally sourced meats and produce and sustainable fish. Authentic and innovative with pasta and sauces made in-house, and the specials change regularly. Eclectic, fresh, and fun, the restaurant is in the CityCenterDC development near the convention center. There's a fun bar with knowledgeable, friendly bartenders and a casual vibe. There's also a full-service coffee bar. Don't forget to pick up some fresh biscotti or olive oil in the market on your way out.
Dauphine’s, a restaurant inspired by the playful spirit and iconic cuisine of New Orleans, is a new, exciting addition to the D.C. dining scene. The menu pays homage to the diverse cultural influences and rich culinary traditions of New Orleans. On the menu, you will see classic Louisiana dishes like pommes soufflé, trout amandine, and other original dishes inspired by New Orleans. The expansive 145-seat restaurant features a large sunken dining room anchored by a custom raw bar and wood charcuterie case, a double-height wrought-iron pavilion linking the dining room and bar area, and an intimate mezzanine and adjoining private dining room.
Inside trendy Hotel Monaco, Dirty Habit woos diners with a towering skylit space that until 1901 was the general post office. Homing in on globally inspired shared plates, the chef conjures up such satisfying dishes as poached hen dumplings and smoked Chilean sea bass. In warmer months, the neoclassical courtyard is a popular spot for fruit-infused cocktails and brunch. The bar is a mix of travelers, people coming in for pre- or post-concert drinks, and locals ready for a night out.
Make a meal of the long list of tapas at celebrity chef José Andrés's lively Spanish bistro, although the five types of handcrafted paella are the stars of the ample entrée menu. Tapas highlights include the gambas al ajillo (sautéed garlic shrimp), tender piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese, and the grilled homemade chorizo, which also comes draped in creamy mashed potatoes. Cocktail specialties range from sweet and fruity sangria to a half-dozen herbal riffs on the gin and tonic.
Visitors and employees from surrounding offices flock here to drink at the several bars, which seem to go on for miles, and enjoy well-prepared buffalo wings, hamburgers, and hearty sandwiches (the Reuben is a must). Old Ebbitt also has one of Washington's best-known raw bars, a 160-year-old institution (it claims Teddy Roosevelt may have "bagged animal heads" at the main bar). Pasta is homemade, and the late-night menu runs from hummus to tacos until 1 am seven days a week. Despite the crowds, the restaurant never feels cramped, thanks to its well-spaced, comfortable booths. Nevertheless, service can be slow at lunch and during happy hour when the oysters are half-price.
