Woodley Park / Cleveland Park Restaurants

Follow the black suited maître d' through this restaurant and wine bar, which features retro black and white movie motifs on the walls, and, on a nice day, up to the rooftop terrace. Enclosed with only eight tables, reservations are recommended, but downstairs, there are plenty of nooks for medium and large parties. Check out the 14-seat community table which is perfect for the restaurant's Sunday Supper special, when customers create their own prix fixe menu for $30. Young professionals and families alike enjoy signature small plates like Brussels sprouts with pistachios, apricots and yogurt; or marinated chickpeas with goat cheese, carrots and arugula. But there are also plenty of savory pizzas and cheeky pastas (think: rabbit bolognese with ricotta agnolotti and carrot puree).

A little trendy, very laid-back, and ultra-artisan, it's all about meat and cheese at Ripple. There are 16 different types of cheese from all over the world, which you can pair with charcuterie like speck and salami. From 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, order from the grilled cheese bar. Staff will cut your fancy cheese on butcher block in the front of the restaurant, and out will come a delectable sandwich with homemade potato chips. Interesting combinations of the after-school staple include the Swiss Bank Account (prosciutto, Challerhocker and truffle butter) or Krusty Krab (jumbo lump crab imperial with béchamel). Other ever-changing menu items focus on farm fresh ingredients, like heirloom tomato salad or grass-fed lamb with zucchini puree. Ripple's artsy and colorful décor make way for unique tipples from the mind of barman Josh Berner.

Inspired by a 19th century love story about a potato grower and steak restaurateur in Deauville, France, where steak frites was made famous, this restaurant serves just and only that: culotte steak and fries with a secret sauce. A three-course prix fixe: bread, salad, steak and fries is available every day for $19.50. At Sunday brunch, get bottomless Bloody Marys, fruit or yogurt, and a choice of savory entrees like steak and eggs, or eggs Benedict with sliced steak ($23). The carefully curated wine list – there are only eight, mostly French– doesn't really change either. Desserts like apple pie, double chocolate cake and cheesecake are served a la carte in the contemporary interior with exposed brick walls and dark wooden ceiling beams, but red striped tea towels for napkins are a throwback to French tradition. On nice nights, park it under globe lights on the corner patio with friends and reminisce in the Deauville tradition.