2009 Inauguration Survival Guide » Food For Thought: Restaurant Guides

Food For Thought: Restaurant Guides

Posted by admin On December - 21 - 2008

Any Washingtonian worth his or her salt will be able to rattle off a list of favorite watering holes — the perfect place for an after-work drink, a quiet corner for a romantic date, that place with just the right energy for a particularly festive celebration… but instead of giving you mine (because, of course, I have my own biases), here’s a list of some restaurant guides that you might find useful. If you know your schedule I suggest you try to make reservations now. Many DC restaurants use OpenTable, so you may not even need to talk to a live person if you don’t want to.

Media/Commercial:

Personal/Blogs:

Tyler Cowen’s Ethnic Dining Guide (might be particularly useful if your hotel is out in Virginia. Many of Tyler’s restaurant picks are way past the beltway)
Metrocurean
Capital Spice
DC Foodies
Urban Spoon DC

And just for kicks, I’ll throw in some of my own restaurant choices:

Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse: Set up like an old movie theater inside and shows second run films along with live stand up comedy. The food is only okay, but the experience is fun.
Austin Grill: Local affordable Tex-Mex chain with locations in Bethesda, Old Town Alexandria, Rockville, Silver Spring, Penn Quarter, etc.
Bangkok Bistro: Thai restaurant on Prospect Street in Georgetown. Nice atmosphere and moderate prices.
Bistrot Du Coin: Informal French bistro and wine bar in Dupont Circle. Good food and great atmosphere but gets a little too noisy for table conversation in the evenings.
Bistro Francais: Classic French bistro cuisine in Georgetown. One of my favorite restaurants period. Open late with pre- and post-theater menus.
Brickskeller: Although they serve food, you go here for the beer (they advertise hundreds of varieties but only expect about half to be in stock at any given time). Open late in Dupont Circle.
The Bombay Club: Perhaps my favorite Indian restaurant in the DC area. Pricey but you’re paying for the food, the service, and the downtown location.
Busboys & Poets Restaurant: Coffeehouse and restuarnt in Shirlington, 14th St., NW (near U street), and Mt. Vernon Square. Good for brunch.
Cafe Bonaparte: Small French cafe on Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. Best for pasteries, soups, sandwiches, and crepes.
Cafe Divan: Turkish cuisine at the north end of Georgetown. Has had its ups and downs but was good last time I visited.
Café Saint-Ex: Contemporary American/French bistro-style food two blocks from the U Street metro station
Ching Ching Cha: Chinese teahouse on Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown (half a block south of M Street). Lunchboxes and sweets but best for just relaxing with a cup of tea.
Eden Center: Vietnamese Mall near Seven Corners in VA. You should be able to get good Vietnamese food at any of the restaurants here.
Et Voila: Wonderful Belgium/French restaurant on MacArthur Blvd in Foxhall.
Harry’s Tap Room: Excellent food (American cuisine) in Clarendon (Arlingon). I’d recommend just about everything on their menu.
Indique: Contemporary Indian cuisine in Cleveland Park right at the metro station.
The Italian Store: Essentially an Italian Grocery store on Lee Highway in Arlington but sells great Italian subs to go.
Jaleo: Really good Spanish tapas in Gallery Place/Penn Quarter.
Kotobuki: Great little sushi bar on MacArthur Blvd. in the Foxhall neighborhood. Also serves Kamameshi.
Lauriol Plaza: Serves both Mexican and Spanish food between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. They don’t take reservations, and it gets really crowded at night, so lunch might be a better bet.
Leftbank: Contemporary American, French, and whatever else restaurant in Adams Morgan. Nice for brunch. It looks like they’ve added a sushi bar since I last visited.
Maggiano’s Little Italy: Huge family-style restaurant in Chevy Chase (border between DC and MD) and Tysons Corner (VA). Great for large groups because the portions that you share around the table are absolutely enormous. Good for carryout too.
Malaysia Kopitiam: Malaysian restaurant on M Street near Dupont Circle
Mandalay: Burmese cuisine in Silver Spring, MD. If you’ve ever wondered what Burmese food tastes like, I recommend checking it out.
Mandu: Korean cuisine in Dupont Circle. If you want authentic Korean food, definitely go to Annandale. But if you’re in the area, it’s not bad (despite what you might read elsewhere).
Mark’s Kitchen: Asian-American diner in Takoma Park, MD just a short distance from the metro station. Mostly organic, lots of vegetarian options, busy with a mostly local crowd.
Nam-Viet Pho 79: Old school Vietnamese restaurant in Clarendon (Arlington, VA) and Cleveland Park on Connecticut Avenue. Inexpensive food perfect for a cold winter day.
Rays Hell Burger: Great burgers in a little storefront on Wilson Blvd. between Rosslyn and Courthouse in Arlington. No sign out front last time I checked, but it’s two doors down from Rays the Steaks in a strip mall on the right side of the street.
Sette Bello: Good contemporary Italian restaurant in Clarendon. Affordable sister restaurant of Cafe Milano (Georgetown) and Sette Osteria (Dupont Circle).
Straits of Malay: Malaysian restaurant on 18th Street between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan (across the street from Lauriol Plaza)
Sushi Taro: Very Japanese but rather formal restaurant in Dupont Circle.
Sushiko: Sleek, modern-decorated sushi bar and Japanese restaurant north of Georgetown.
Taj of India: Warm, friendly Indian restaurant on M Street in Georgetown. Excellent food.
Teaism: Asian tea and food in Dupont Circle, Penn Quarter, and Lafayette Park (different menus at each location). Nice for lunch or a mid-afternoon snack. The second-floor of the Dupont Circle location has great atmosphere, but the other two locations have more extensive menus.
Ulah Bistro: Contemporary American cuisine with Italian influences on U Street. Brunch and late night menus — great for weekend brunch but arrive right when they open because it’s really popular.
Whitlow’s On Wilson: A Courthouse (Arlington) staple with live music, trivia night, and good food too.
Zaytinya: Greek/Mediterranean tapas in Penn Quarter. Chic restaurant, great food, close to things downtown. What more can you ask for?