Bombay Club

Location, Locaton, Location

Food

Service

Atmosphere

I would bet that the majority of restaurants "lauded [by the most respected critics] as one of DC's top" __ (insert genre to which restaurant is trying to conform here (quote from review above)) are within 1.5 miles of Scott Circle, as the Bombay Club is.

Given the distribution of hotels, museums, and tourtist attractions, not to mention the hype (often deservedly) of such neighborhoods included in this area such as DuPont Circle, Adam's Mordan, etc., this to be expected. But savvy travelers, looking for the truth as to DC's best ethnic food have to find out for themselves what Tom Sietsema (my favorite Washington Post critic) has been telling readers for years: that immigration trends in recent years has changed one DC restaurant paradigm: that as rent in the city, especially NW, has risen, ethnic communities have increasingly moved out to the suburbs of Virginia and Maryland (see the present DC Chinatown as an example, compared to the vibrant ethnic communities of Arlington (Columbia Pike), Fairfax/Falls Church (The Eden Center or Annandale), and so on) taking with them their authetic and delectable tastes.

I read the review above, and it tells the whole story regarding the Bombay Club's atmosphere and dining experience, minus its food: movie stars, excellent service, atmospheric details do not an authentic ethnic eating experience make. That may explain the price on Bombay's menu, its chic, relevant location, however DC, like any other large American city has a bigger story to tell than the 40+ blocks around Scott Circle relay, and while the suburbs do not have the the most expensive restaurants, the detailed coverage in the guide books, or the museums, they do warrant a closer examination than they have gotten, expecially in terms of the authentic culinary rewards that reside therein. Consider the price tag of restaurants in the outer areas, and your metro/bus trip there is paid for.