Just a stone’s throw from the White House and across from the Treasury Department (where pre-election economic calculations are made) is a bustling mahogany restaurant with booth seating and the best steak you’ve ever eaten.
Old Ebbitt Grill is an institution. One can only imagine the topic-changing discussions that have taken place at the white tables over the decades.
Walk into the warmth of the place on any weekday and you’ll find a line of professionals in suits waiting for a table. It’s worth booking in advance, but if you don’t, the wait is worth it.
Old Ebbitt prepares simple dishes exceptionally well and places emphasis on the highest quality products.
Starting with a raw bar that features oysters from a Massachusetts marina to rivers in Maine, each bite is traced to its origin and its flavor explained accordingly.
As your waiter may suggest, a mix of all of the above is available and that’s exactly what I chose. With a tart-sweet taste, lemon and honey and a cocktail to top it off.
The list of starters is extensive. I opted for a lighter option to leave room for the hearty mains and chose a beet and burrata salad, garnished with perfectly crunchy pistachios.
For the main course, you can’t go past the steak frites with shallot-Dijon cream sauce. It may seem like a starter, but on its own it’s definitely enough for one person. Together with a strong red wine, this was the meal of my trip.
Washington’s oldest saloon was founded in 1856 and has been at its current location since 1983.
Old Ebbitt is part of the Clyde’s Restaurant Groupwhich it took over in the 1970s.
The more relaxed restaurant The Hamilton is popular for its live music and sushi happy hour.
Filomena Restaurant
This underground mud house in the Washington suburb of Georgetown exudes Nonna’s charm and American self-confidence.
The guests at the next table summed it up best: “I have never been so impressed by a restaurant before eating.”
Despite its big personality, it has a small street frontage. Enter Filomena just off the main M street and walk down the steps to a dark but lively restaurant where groups large and small laugh, chat and clink glasses.
The menu is engraved with the names of famous people who have eaten here, and their favourite dishes are in bold. I’m told the menu hasn’t been updated in 10 years – the menu wouldn’t fit in your hands if it contained the latest list!
Founded by JoAnna Filomena and named after her mother Filomena, this restaurant serves an extensive selection of pastas and main dishes with sauces such as ossobucco and parmigiana, as well as the indispensable cheesecake for dessert.
The restaurant is decorated with Filomena’s original furniture, antiques and knick-knacks, and has a dining room in the kitchen reserved only for fame and fortune (ask for a tour!).
Wines from all over Italy and beyond are offered. I ordered a glass of the house Cabernet, but the waiter, Tom, knew I could get more. He impressed me with a bottle of full-bodied Sicilian wine. Trust Tom.
I had homemade burrata, slow-cooked ragu pasta, and a slice of chocolate caramel cheesecake to finish. The dishes got better in that order. They were all delicious and far too generous for me to finish.
Tables are traditionally cleared: a crystal glass with Sambuca or Amaretto liqueur, into which three coffee beans fall, is supposed to symbolize luck, health, wealth and love.
And because Nonna wouldn’t let you leave without a takeaway, everyone leaves the store with a doggy bag in hand.
Reservations are essential. Filomena’s has a phenomenal atmosphere.
Via Sophia
If you need another reason to believe that DC does Italian as well as New York City, this osteria under the WashingtonPost is delicious.
I stumbled upon this Italian restaurant by chance and returned with the intention of going there a second time.
The rigatoni with duck ragout (gluten-free) and the crispy Brussels sprouts with butter, pine nuts and golden sultanas could challenge New York’s Italian restaurant scene.
Because of the location of this incredible osteria, I felt like I could eavesdrop on important reporters preparing for the election results.
Founder of Farmers Fisher and Bakers
If, like me, you’re craving fresh food among fried foods on your trip to the USA, this place on Washington Harbor in Georgetown is the place for you.
Overlooking Roosevelt Island, this restaurant is open all day daily for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks and serves real, freshly prepared food.
From kettle corn to calamari, cornbread and ceviche, this chain, co-owned by more than 50,000 farmers, traces ingredients back to their origins.
The flour comes from farmers in North Dakota, the meat from independent American farms and the spirits for the cocktails from a farmer-owned distillery in DC.
It was too early for me to try the latter, but I can vouch for the sustainably caught seafood and the colorful variety of vegetables in the mixed Cobb salad.
Here you can eat well and do good at the same time. The company has a charity that funds sustainability efforts and supports neighboring communities.
Drinks
Near the Old Ebbitt Grill is the Willard InterContinental Hotel. Enter the fabulous and infamous hotel lobby, turn right and you will come to the Round Robin Bar.
Nicknamed the “Oval Office Bar,” this iconic round bar has been a popular hangout in DC’s bar and restaurant scene since 1847.
Serving classic cocktails and the signature Mint Julep, made famous here by former US Senator Henry Clay, try your luck and grab a seat in this usually crowded and must-see spot.
What I liked most about Washington’s hospitality:
- Waiters wear suits, but guests can dress as casually as they like.
- The staff are generally very attentive to customers’ needs and any dietary requirements.
- Tips are usually included in the final bill, so you don’t have to guess how much to tip after each meal.
- Unlike some other American states, the meals were not overly large.
Checklist
WASHINGTON DC, USA
Arrival
Fly with Delta Airlines from Auckland via Los Angeles to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
DETAILS
washington.org
delta.com
Madison traveled to Washington DC with the hospitality of Destination DC and Delta Airlines and dined with the hospitality of Destination DC and Old Ebbitt Grill.
Start planning your adventure visit to Washington DC washington.org
