Here is the good news about restaurants in Washington: It is hard to find a bad meal within two square miles of the Washington Hilton Hotel. On the downside: If you are a person of “certain years,” within this radius many of the restaurants do not accept evening reservations, meaning up to an hour's wait to be seated, and tend to be on the LOUD side. Your best bet for dining comfortably, upscale and for under $60 a person for dinner, is to eat before 7:30 p.m. or request outside seating, which in June can be either glorious or steamy.
In the eight blocks south of the hotel on Connecticut Avenue, there are probably 30 inexpensive to moderately priced restaurants. One block away is Bistrot Du Coin, which features exceptional French onion soup and steamed mussels. Farther down the avenue, around Dupont Circle proper, on P Street, try New Orleans-inspired Johnny's Half Shell, which serves great po'boy sandwiches along with more high-class fare. In the same block is the reliable Al Tiramisu and Mimi's, with a New York influence, including singing waitstaff.
Three blocks east of the hotel is Lauriol Plaza, Inc., a three-story structure at 18th and T Street with outdoor seating on both top and street levels. It's always crowded but usually has a short wait and is consistently good and reasonably priced. The ample portion of perfectly grilled salmon on top of fresh greens with house dressing is hard to beat for $10. Also in the neighborhood is Rosemary's Thyme Bistro that has terrific fisherman's soup, blackened tuna wrap, and a varied omelet selection for brunch. Venturing farther east, one comes upon the “Boulevard,” the 17th street corridor, from R down to P Street, host to several recently reviewed fine restaurants. One of these is Hank's Oyster Bar, which has a small but lovely outdoor space, some of the best service in town, and all around great seafood. A short block down is the Greek influenced Komi, which, along with Hank's, was named recently by Washingtonian Magazine to be in the top 100 restaurants in Washington. Komi just reopened after closing for a month to install noise reduction measures in its small but beautifully appointed space.
Another neighborhood with excellent restaurants that is also within a six-block walk of the hotel is Adams Morgan. Every type of food is represented in the short strip on 18th street between Columbia Road and U Street—Ethiopian, Brazilian, French, Italian, and others. Two of the consistently well-reviewed on Columbia Road are Cashion's Eat Place, the sister establishment of Johnny's Half Shell at Dupont Circle, which boasts the best rated shrimp gumbo in the city, and the Brazilian, The Grill from Ipanema.
Washington is really a small city, so although one may dine well in the immediate neighborhood, do not fear venturing a subway ride or cab trip or even more far-reaching if one has friends locally who have transport. Even restaurants in far-flung shopping malls in Virginia and Maryland are included in Zagat and Washingtonian Magazine. In downtown D.C., where prices are higher, the dress code more formal, the noise level lower, and reservations are taken, consider The Prime Rib, Washington at its most pristine. Coat and tie are required for men, and the waitstaff wear tuxedos. In addition to succulent beef, the crab imperial is the best in town, as is the service, and the tab is very, very high. Another elegant dining experience may be found at less cost and formality at Oceanaire Seafood Room (unless you want the surf and turf entree which is $89). Vidalia serves excellent southern cuisine and for a softly lit Asian food experience, try Asia Nora.
If you decide on a dinner and theater combo evening, head for Studio Theatre (see companion article on culture in D.C., page 8), which is either a 25-minute walk or shorter cab ride. Within two blocks of the theater are half a dozen excellent, moderately priced restaurants. Rice serves Thai food and has a teeny but exquisite outdoor seating spot, and Veridian, next door to Studio, specializes in small plates ranging from $5-$15. If the Shakespeare Theatre appeals, you will land via cab in Penn Quarter where Café Atlantico is a must, either before or after the show or for Latino dim sum at brunch on Sunday. The theater is also close to the Spy Museum and the moderately priced but trend-seeking (read noisy) restaurant, Zaytinya, and hip, colorful Poste, located in the former post office where the Pony Express delivered the mail.
Accessible by cab, other nearby neighborhoods that have excellent restaurants are Georgetown and Cleveland Park. In Georgetown, try Sushi-Ko, the oldest sushi bar in Washington where “tuna six ways” and soft-shell crab are recommended. Sophisticated American cooking under formal, federal style architecture may be found at “1789.” Whereas the better-known Georgetown restaurants are expensive, good food is to be had nearly everywhere. At Moby Dick's you can find the best chicken souvlaki sandwich in the city for $7. Heading out north of Georgetown on the main artery, Wisconsin Avenue, are two additional local favorites, Bistrot Lepic, which serves reasonably priced French food in a Left Bank atmosphere. A bit farther up Wisconsin is Café Deluxe, where APsaA member Bill Goldstein and his wife Karin eat dinner every Sunday night.
Cleveland Park is two metro stops away from Dupont Circle and well worth the trip, if for no other reason than to eat at Polena, a restaurant within a restaurant (meaning two different price levels). The less expensive menu actually has more interesting food, such as fried lemons, a potato plate, perfectly dressed salads, and a hot dog made on site that is so good it makes local news.
You should be satisfied wherever you choose to eat, but you will be happier still if you call the restaurant in advance to determine if reservations are accepted. If reservations are not required this means the dress code is casual and remember, on Friday and Saturday nights after 7:30 the wait for a table may be up to an hour.