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Galileo
Galileo tops many DC foodies' lists for its wonderful array of pastas, risottos and grilled meats. Owned by DC's Italian cuisine wonder kid, Roberto Donna, Galileo is a favorite power-dinner spot for the times when you need to impress. For extra special occasions, book the Laboratorio, where 10 to 12 guests dine in a private space and observe the preparation of their custom meal.
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Georgetown Café
The place claims to stay open 24-hours but has been known to shut early on slow nights. Greasy-spoon American fare, steaming mugs of coffee and bleary-eyed partiers greet you late night.
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Georgia Brown's
Sunday brunch at Georgia Brown's has become a veritable DC institution ever since it was rumored to be Bill Clinton's favorite place to get down-home food. Serious Southern cooking with an emphasis on savory Low Country dishes combines seafood from the Carolina coast with flavors from West Indian plantations. Georgia's is popular with the K St lobbying crowd, black urban professionals and anyone craving a good plate of grits.
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Hard Times Café
This menu features four distinct chilies: traditional Texas, hot and sweet Cincinnati (traditionally served over spaghetti), hearty vegetarian and the house original Terlingua Red, a tribute to the ghost town that hosted the first chili cook-off. Experimental types may want to try chili on a dog, in a tortilla or even over a bowl of Frito's, known as 1940s Frito Pie. Monday to Friday happy hours feature half-price draughts.
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Ice Cream Parlor
When the American History museum reopens in 2008, make sure you stop in at this traditional ice-cream parlor for a spot of dessert. Thick milkshakes, hot-fudge sundaes and the mountainous Star-Spangled Banner Split taste fantastic in this quaint Victorian-era setting.
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Indebleu
This dramatic looking space is an oasis of hipness in the heart of Downtown. Reach the muted beige-and-cream dining room on the second floor via a futuristic catwalk to join Washington's beautiful people - from sports stars and politicos to TV personalities and local hipsters - in an exotic explosion of Indian-influenced French grub. Attentive service and delicious food are plusses, although the pulsating house track din drifting up from the lounge makes conversation hard. If you'd rather just grab a cocktail, join the Euro crowd at the orange-hued mod bar downstairs.
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Islander Caribbean
Spicy cuisine and tropical drinks will whisk you to the islands - a perfect spot to be on a humid, DC August evening. Service is decidedly laid-back, but it's worth the wait for grilled fish, fried plantains and rum smoothies, all set to a Caribbean beat.
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J Paul's
J Paul's house favorite, the jumbo lump crab cakes, is what you should order. Skip the appetizer sliders, which have too much bun and not enough meat, and stick to the mains instead. This atmospheric old dining saloon features a popular raw bar (where live raw shellfish are shucked and served) and does a busy happy hour trade. Only in the mood for booze and munchies? Try the cheesy crab-and-shrimp dip (around US$11 ) and a perfect martini.
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Jaleo
Although 'Jaleo' can refer to a popular Andalusia dance, in this case the alternative definition is more appropriate: revelry and merrymaking.
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Jimmy T's
The ultimate in neighborhood joints, this tiny corner diner is jammed on weekends with locals swilling coffee and reading the Post at the little counter and in the scuffed-up booths. Breakfast is served all day along with short-order sandwiches and burgers.
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Johnny's Half Shell
Happening Johnny's is the place to come for local specialties: Maryland crab cakes; fried oyster po'boys; and sautéed soft-shell crabs. The barbecued shrimp with asiago cheese grits are 'better than my mother's,' according to one Southern patron. The friendly bar always seems to be hopping and boasts strong drinks, but don't come here without sampling the seafood.
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Kabob Bazaar
That this place is often crowded with swarthy men and Middle Eastern families is proof the spicy meat skewers and fresh veggie salads are top-notch. Cool green walls and faux marble columns add to the exotic atmosphere, not to mention the open kitchen, which allows guests to catch a glimpse - and a whiff - of the juicy meats roasting over the flame.
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Kaz Sushi Bistro
Fusing East and West, chef Kaz Okochi presents his own invention, 'free-style Japanese cuisine.' The sushi on its own is fresh and flavorful and good enough. Many clever combinations, however, add a certain je ne sais quoi to the traditional tastes.
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King Street Blues
This crazy Southern 'roadhouse' diner serves really good baked meatloaf, country fried steak, Southern fried catfish and other favorites. It's strewn with colorful papier-mâché figures floating across its three levels, while shiny chrome furniture and multicolored tablecloths lend it an attractive retro air. There's live blues Thursday nights.
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Kinkeads
The seafood here arrives so fresh you can taste the sea, and it is always artfully combined with inventive spices and sauces. Acclaimed chef Robert Kinkead's imaginative specialties include pepita-crusted salmon, roasted cod with crab imperial, or - as an appetizer - tuna carpaccio. Even if you can't stay for dinner, a half-dozen oysters and a stiff whiskey here are the antidote to your midwinter blues.
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Komi
A favorite with DC's foodie crowd, this eclectic new endeavor offers a delectable array of gourmet fusion cuisine (although sometimes chef Johnny Monis takes his ambitious cooking a little too far out of the ballpark). The five-course tasting menu is DC's best deal for fine dining; for a bit less there is the constantly changing à la carte menu. The setting is Venetian fairytale romance with plaster walls and antique candle sconces.
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La Tomate
A favorite for years now with folks working and living in the neighborhood, La Tomate has prime people-watching location on the corner, which it takes advantage of with tables clad with starched white linens hugging long glass windows. The ambiance is reminiscent of an Italian bistro and there are daily pasta and salad specials.
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Lauriol Plaza
This lively spot is popular for its pitchers of margaritas, its huge rooftop terrace and its gentrified Tex-Mex dishes. Grilled marinated quail and pork roasted in Seville's bitter oranges are among the fancier items on the menu. But never fear, there are enchiladas and fajitas here too.
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Le Tarbouche
With its lovely, rich decor of saffron-colored walls accented by ultramarine glassware, Le Tarbouche - meaning 'fez' - serves refined Lebanese-French cuisine with innovative spice and ingredient combinations. Candlelight and lots of nooks and crannies make this a prime spot for romancing. The internationals come out late on Saturday nights to dance to world-beat Latin and Middle Eastern music.
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Lebanese Taverna
This family-run Middle Eastern joint ranks among our favorite DC restaurants. Make a whole meal out of meze, like creamy labneh (yogurt cheese), tangy grape leaves, kibbeh (beef-stuffed pasta) and garlicky foole m'damas (fava-bean dip), which please both vegetarians and meat eaters. An outdoor patio makes this a fine summertime choice.
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Legal Seafoods
A beloved Boston export, this place serves some of the freshest seafood in town. The menu features New England favorites like creamy white clam chowder and lobster plates, but also focuses on local specialties - the Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes are delicious. There are quite a few locations scattered across the metro area, including at Reagan National Airport. It has a sedate and polished steakhouse atmosphere; service is fast and professional.
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Local 16
Voted best pick-up spot by Washington Post readers in 2006, this trendy restaurant-lounge serves mouthwatering concoctions like balsamic filet mignon and pan-seared salmon with a healthy side of pheromones. Ruby-colored walls, clean lines and jazz music strike the mood for dining, and the place is filled with the young and beautiful on the prowl. Head to the lounge upstairs and roof deck for the hottest drinking experience on the block.
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Majestic Café
It's hard to say what's more appealing, the Majestic's modernized diner setting or its mouthwatering modern diner menu. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has recognized this Art Deco café for the extremely slick renovation of its historic building. But the menu is no afterthought: it changes regularly, depending on what is fresh and seasonal, but it is always perfectly divine.
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Mama Ayesha's
This neighborhood institution has changed little since it opened 50 years ago, including neither prices nor decor. Mama's specializes in Syrian takes on hummus, kebabs and other Levantine classics.
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Marcel's
Located on the edge of Georgetown and the West End, this gem offers French fare with Flemish flair. That translates into fresh fish, farm-raised produce and high-quality ingredients whipped up into dishes like roasted rack of lamb with polenta and goat cheese garlic confit, or pan-seared salmon dusted in coriander and fennel seeds in citrus sauce. One classy touch: Marcel's offers a complimentary limousine service to the Kennedy Center and a prix-fixe menu (around US$48 ), so this is an ideal spot for pre-theater dining.
