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Neighborhood Guide to Summer Restaurant Week in Washington, DC
Savor delicious deals throughout the District as part of Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 12-18.
Summer in the District would not be complete without Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week, which runs this summer between Aug. 12-18, 2019. 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 while you're dining out this summer, don't forget to check out the hottest food and drink crazes across the city.
With so many great Summer Restaurant Week participating restaurants to consider, we’ve broken down some popular options by neighborhood below.
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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, and Erik Bruner-Yang's Brothers and Sisters, an Asian-influenced lobby restaurant, tea room and bar at the LINE DC that has the city’s gourmands clamoring for reservations.
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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 a a dry-aged New York strip at Charlie Palmer Steak, dive into Spanish fare at the intimate 70-seat Joselito Casa de Comidas or savor Southern cooking at Art and Soul.
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Capitol Riverfront
The vino doesn’t travel far from the barrel at Ana (dinner only), District Winery's in-house restaurant dishing out fresh, seasonal takes on classic dishes. Diners can also choose from upmarket Osteria Morini, which focuses on Northern Italian specialties in rustic-modern surrounds, and the Arsenal at Bluejacket Brewery, which features a rotating selection of 20 beers and five cask ales along with an all-American food menu.
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Downtown / Golden Triangle
Savor the all-American flavor of The Hamilton, or dig into indulgent seafood and prime cuts of steak at Ocean Prime (dinner only). Your adventure continues down the street at Cherry inside the W Hotel Washington, DC, where "farm-to-fire" cuisine comes to life as simple, local ingredients sizzle over a 15-foot wood-fired grill.
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. Diners also delight in the flavors of India at DC power-dining staple The Bombay Club, an Ashok Bajaj restaurant frequented by presidents and world leaders, and Wisconsin-based RARE Steakhouse, which pairs Midwestern charm with a first-rate upscale steakhouse experience.
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Dupont Circle
Get cozy by the fireplace for brunch, lunch or dinner at Iron Gate, a timeless, romantic restaurant starring delicately cooked Mediterranean fare. Discover Japanese cuisine inside the Michelin-starred Sushi Taro, which offers an authentic experience, from the service to the sake to the sushi.
You can also try a ceviche gastrobar when you stop in Pisco y Nazca, which serves up delicious Peruvian cuisine, or continue your culinary travels at Agora, which brings the flavors of Turkey, Lebanon and Greece to life in the form of warm, puffy pita and fragrant mezze dishes.
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Foggy Bottom
The Watergate Hotel is home to Kingbird, a modern American restaurant with a French twist, and its unique dining room by famous designer Ron Arad. Rasika West End 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). For a delicious steak, head to Prime Rib, which will remind you of a mid-century supper club, or taste world-renowned sushi in a sophisticated setting at Nobu, the Japanese-meets-Peruvian restaurant and lounge from famed chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa.
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Georgetown
1789 Restaurant, one of the most historic and refined restaurants in the city, is ideal for a date night (jacket required, dinner only). Savor the atmosphere of a French country inn at La Chaumière, where a central stone fireplace makes it a must-visit for those who enjoy a rustic and romantic setting. 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.
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H Street NE
Maketto effortlessly combines a cafe, fashionable retail outlet and a restaurant into one of the most unique locales in the District. Chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s kitchen churns out Cambodian and Taiwanese-style dishes that linger in your memory, making this an outstanding Summer Restaurant Week dining experience.
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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 hybrid for brunch and dinner during restaurant week.
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Logan Circle
On buzzworthy 14th Street, sample Michelin-starred fare at Chef Ryan Ratino's Bresca (dinner only), where an inventive menu melds tantalizing flavors. B Too is a must-try Belgian eatery from chef Bart Vandaele, complete with waffles and a beer list that goes beyond 180 selections.
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Mount Vernon Square
For an authentic Italian dining experience, step inside RPM Italian's swanky, glass-enclosed building for a wide array of pastas made in-house. It’s all meat, all the time at Texas de Brazil (dinner only), a Brazilian churrascaria that emphasizes good old fashioned Texan hospitality. Nearby you'll find Farmers & Distillers, a distillery-restaurant that pays homage to George Washington, who was, as you may have guessed, both a farmer and a distiller.
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Penn Quarter & Chinatown
Window shop through CityCenterDC before dining at DBGB Kitchen & Bar, where floor-to-ceiling windows offer a glimpse of the cozy concept from world-famous chef Daniel Boulud and Fig & Olive beckons crostini-lovers for brunch, lunch or dinner. There's also celebrity chef David Chang's Momofuku CCDC, where a lineup of dumplings and family-style dishes are the stars of the show.
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. Part food market and part restaurant, Centrolina is home to the mastery of Chef Amy Brandwein and her take on regional Italian cuisine. Expect pastas made in-house daily and wood-fired meat and fish, or discover the flavors of the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, Italy and Greece at Olivia.
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Shaw
DC diners revel in the Shaw food scene, one of the hottest dining neighborhoods in the District. Supra brings cuisine from the Republic of Georgia to the nation’s capital, so prepare yourself for a joyous celebration starring delightfully buttery housemade khachapuri, a multitude of meats, kebabs and Georgian wines that pair perfectly with what’s on your plate.
Conveniently located next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Espita Mezcaleria dishes out delightful southern Mexican cuisine for brunch and dinner, while Unconventional Diner features unique twists on your favorites during Summer Restaurant Week. For forward-thinking French-American creations sure to wow everyone in your party, head to Cedric Maupillier's Convivial (dinner only).
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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. Indian street food is the name of the game at Bindaas, where 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.
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Southwest Waterfront / The Wharf
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 and you’re guaranteed a second date. Nearby, there's Kaliwa, which specializes in Filipino, Thai and Korean cuisines, pairing waterfront views with eclectic Asian cooking.
Looking for more dining hot spots? Check out the full Restaurant Week list and discover more hot restaurants in Washington, DC.
