While visiting Washington, DC you may be looking for places to have a good meal. You are in the right place, DC does not have a shortage of places to sit down for a good meal. In this article we will go over some places you should consider. We cannot deny that the District is a culinary destination, as the city receives the Michelin Guide treatment annually. The city also has a collection of innovative mixologists, which means having a drink at a bar can be just as much of an adventure as enjoying a meal, and who does not like a good drink after a long day of exploring.
Best Restaurants in DC
Del Mar
This beautiful restaurant is owned by a delightful married couple. They have now expanded what they offer in Del Mar. Known for their Italian style food, they have now dove into Spanish tapas. Inside you will be welcomed with many colors from the plates to the decorations, even down to the attire worn by wait staff. Here you can view the river, and it is a site to see. You can fill your belly with their food from the raw bar or if you prefer your food cooked you can enjoy dishes such as Andalusian gambas al ajillo, charcoal-baked potatoes. and if you have saved some room for a tasty dessert you should try their chocolate hazelnut churros.
Le Diplomate
This place is best compared too a Parisian bistro located right in the middle of the well known 14th street. When you enter you will see red booths, green tile, as well as a zinc bar. Some of the travelers favorites are bistro dishes like the seafood plateau, house cheeseburger, steak frites, pricey dover sole meunière (available on Thursdays), and trout amandine. If you are looking for a busier place this is your spot to bring your friends for a late night group of people to get to know and share the experience with.
Bad Saint
Bad Saint, is a no-reservations hot spot in Columbia Heights that always brings a big crowd, Bad Saint is tiny, with only 24 seats crammed into every last millimeter of available space. chef Tom Cunanan keeps the menu—creating interpretations of the Filipino dishes he grew up eating, but you’ll want to try as many dishes as you can fit in your belly while visiting here. The list does changes frequently, but past favorites have included ukoy, a fritter with shrimp and sweet potato, and adobo with turmeric, chicken, and burnt coconut. Do not be overwhelmed while you are ordering there’s a reason this Filipino cooking has won huge national acclaim.
The Oval Room
If are looking for the place a congressperson (or a lobbyist) would go to relax this is the one. The fine dining restaurant, located near the White House, has been around for more than 20 years, and restaurateur Ashok Bajaj has built it up as a major power-player spot. Yet this isn’t your typical expense-account steakhouse. Rather, it’s a tweezers-out, edible flowers–on sort of place; crispy skin branzino with pork compressed plum. The pre-set lunch is a relative bargain—$20 or $37, depending on the number of courses. Low cost with a classy atmosphere to enjoy some food like one of the pros from the White House.
No matter where you end up picking to do your dining, you will not be disappointed. Most of the chefs are celebrity chefs who have been in the business a long time and have cooked for some of the worlds most well known people. Do some research and look for what you are craving and pick from a large list of options, depending on how long you plan to stay in the DC area, you can pick a different site and soak in all the local gossip and learn so much more by just lingering with the locals.