You are here
Neighborhood Guide to Summer Restaurant Week in Washington, DC
Savor delicious deals as part of Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 13-19
Summer in the District would not be complete without Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week, which runs from Aug. 13-19, 2018. Throughout the promotion, over 100 restaurants across the DC area offer three-course, prix-fixe meals for brunch, lunch and dinner, with brunch and lunch priced at $22 and dinner at $35. And good news, you can reserve your table now and sign up for the Diner Rewards Program! And while you're dining out, don't forget to check out the latest food crazes to hit the city.
With so many great Summer Restaurant Week participating restaurants to consider, we’ve broken down some popular options by neighborhood below.
Adams Morgan
While the neighborhood is known for its millennial-friendly scene featuring a diverse mix of bars and lounges and hip stores, a burgeoning restaurant scene adds another reason to visit this cultural hub. Check out Mintwood Place (dinner deal only), a French restaurant cooking up creative yet classic dishes that have the city’s gourmands clamoring for reservations. You can also enjoy a delicious restaurant week lunch or dinner at Erik Bruner-Yang's sophisticated Brothers and Sisters at the happening LINE Hotel. The Asian-influenced lobby restaurant, tea room and bar was recently named to Bon Appétit's 2018 list of the 50 best new restaurants in America.
Capitol Hill
Have you tried Balkan cuisine before? Ambar is the perfect place to dive in, with tasty breads to share and rakia (a Balkan fruit brandy) to sip. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, tuck into Southern-style favorites at Art and Soul or dive into Spanish fare at the intimate 70-seat Joselito Casa de Comidas.
Capitol Riverfront
Whaley’s is one of the District’s most-talked about seafood restaurants, so stop in for a brunch or dinner filled with catch-of-the-day perfection. Diners can also choose from lunch or dinner at Bluejacket, where housemade beers are paired with eclectic American fare, the sleek District Winery for vino-filled waterfront views and unique new American dishes, or upmarket Osteria Morini, which focuses on Northern Italian specialties in rustic-modern surrounds. Before catching Bryce and the gang for a weekend series against the Miami Marlins, lock in a reservation at Declaration Nats Park for Italian-inspired fare like a ricotta-slathered crostini teeming with prosciutto and the bucatini Pomodoro, a pasta dish heavy on the basil and garlic.
Downtown / Golden Triangle
Get transported to Louisiana at Acadiana, where gumbo and seafood come together like a second line jazz band on Bourbon Street, or sample contemporary American fare at The Oval Room, Ashok Bajaj's sophisticated dining establishment. Savor the all-American flavor of The Hamilton, or dig into indulgent seafood and prime cuts of steak at Ocean Prime (dinner only). Politicos near the White House frequently dine at Old Ebbitt Grill, an historic DC restaurant that still packs plenty of modern flair and flavor on its menu. If bottomless is your thing, taste your way through South America with unlimited tapas from Toro Toro (you can even add unlimited drinks for $20).
Visit chef Hamilton Johnson's Honeysuckle for an eccentric culinary adventure that melds Southern-style cuisine with Nordic cooking techniques. Delight in the flavors of India at DC power-dining staple The Bombay Club, another Bajaj restaurant frequented by presidents and world leaders. Nearby, happy hour hot spot Barcode dishes out fan favorites (think lobster rolls and steak) for lunch and dinner.
Dupont Circle
Located inside The Darcy, Robert Wiedmaier's stunning Siren focuses on the fruits of the sea amongst hues of blue and aquatic decor – you can practically smell the salty seabreeze here (restaurant week deal is only available for dinner). Discover Japanese cuisine inside the Michelin-starred Sushi Taro, which offers an authentic experience, from the service to the sake to the sushi. Continue your culinary travels down the street at Agora, which brings the flavors of Turkey, Lebanon and Greece to live in the form of warm, puffy pita and fragrant mezze dishes. The Hotel Palomar's URBANA focuses on Italian cuisine made with creativity and quality ingredients. Along with the Restaurant Week special, you can also enjoy a happy hour combo featuring margherita pizza and a beer for just $10.
Foggy Bottom
Rasika West End (lunch only) has been dazzling diners since 2005 – prepare your taste buds for award-winning, authentic Indian food in a gorgeous setting (we highly recommend the tandoori lamb chops). Nearby, District Commons features all of your favorite American dishes, including a dynamic burger and delicious crab cakes.
Georgetown
1789 Restaurant, one of the most historic and refined restaurants in the city, is ideal for a date night (jacket required, dinner deal only). For waterfront views and a menu packed with creativity and American favorites, check out Farmers Fishers Bakers. While far from new, Filomena Ristorante has been a Georgetown favorite for more than 30 years, with lovingly crafted Italian cuisine served right next to the scenic C&O Canal – you know you’ve found Filomena when you spot the Italian matriarch hand-making pastas in the front window.
Ivy City
Head to the recently opened City Winery in this up-and-coming Northeast DC neighborhood for a guaranteed good time. You can sample locally sourced fare at this winery-full-service restaurant-concert venue combo for dinner only during restaurant week. At La Puerta Verde, you'll be transported into a space that melds a warehouse-chic atmosphere with the vibrant colors of Mexico. Start your culinary adventure with grilled avocado guacamole and wash it down with cocktails refreshingly priced at $10 and under.
Logan Circle
B Too is a must-try Belgian eatery from chef Bart Vandaele of Top Chef, complete with waffles and a beer list that goes beyond 180 selections. On buzzworthy 14th Street, dine on must-try Latin-Asian small plates ranging from sushi to wings at Masa 14, enjoy a Hemingwayesque brunch or dinner at Bar Pilar or a rustic farm-to-table dinner at Birch & Barley.
Penn Quarter & Chinatown
Window shop through CityCenterDC before dining at Chef Amy Brandwein’s Centrolina, featuring a menu of regional Italian dishes that are always seasonal, prepared in the restaurant’s expansive open kitchen (deal offered at dinner only). Nearby, the floor-to-ceiling windows of DBGB Kitchen & Bar offer a glimpse of the cozy concept from world-famous chef Daniel Boulud and Fig & Olive beckons crostini-lovers for brunch, lunch or dinner. Culinary sensation José Andrés has restaurants all over Penn Quarter, including the Peruvian-Asian mix of China Chilcano, the Spanish small plate sexiness of Jaleo, the Mediterranean stylings of Zaytinya and the Mexican creativity of Oyamel.
Penn Commons, located next to the Capital One Arena, goes all-American with its sporting vibe, extensive beer list and flavor-packed offerings. Taste Edward Lee's blend of Southern cooking and Asian flavors at Succotash, the former Top Chef contestant's stunning, multilevel restaurant situated in an historic bank from the early 1900s. For an authentic Italian dining experience, step inside RPM Italian's swanky, glass-enclosed building for a wide array of pastas made in-house. In addition to the standard Restaurant Week offering, Dirty Habit also features a special cocktail menu that allows you a cocktail tasting, a 4 oz. glass of white wine and a 4 oz. glass of red wine for just $20.
Shaw
DC diners revel in the Shaw food scene, one of the hottest dining neighborhoods in the District. Conveniently located at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the Unconventional Diner (dinner deal only) features unique twists on your favorite diner classics: Meatloaf is dressed in a sriracha glaze and morel gravy, while cheeseburgers are made with wagyu beef and topped with tomato chutney and dijonnaise. Just across the street, Espita Mezcaleria dishes out delightful southern Mexican cuisine for brunch and dinner during Summer Restaurant Week. For forward-thinking French-American creations sure to wow everyone in your party, head to Cedric Maupillier's Convivial (dinner deal only).
Upper Northwest
The tree-filled upper northwest neighborhoods of DC offer more than just historic homes and the National Cathedral – there are plenty of enticing Summer Restaurant Week dining options in the area as the city’s urban vibe turns suburban. Choose from brunch and dinner options at Bindaas, where Indian street food is the name of the game and diners rave about the avocado golgappa, a fried pastry stuffed with a delectable combination of avocado, tamarind chutney and sweet yogurt. Directly next door is Sababa, which means “cool” in Hebrew, and lives up to its name as it transports diners on a delicious culinary journey through the flavors of Israel. There's also Casolare, a coastal Italian spot from James Beard Award-winner Michael Schlow in the Kimpton Glover Park Hotel.
The Wharf / Southwest Waterfront
An exciting riverfront hot spot, The Wharf has all the makings of the perfect date night destination. Add in handmade guac and chihuahua cheese-stuffed chicken enchiladas from Mi Vida, one of The Wharf’s newest restaurants, and you’re guaranteed a second date. Nearby, The Wharf puts on its best Riviera impression at La Vie, a stunning space channeling sophisticated Mediterranean vibes perfect for a Restaurant Week dinner.
Looking for more dining hot spots? Check out the full Restaurant Week list and discover more hot restaurants in Washington, DC.
