Washington, DC + Add a trip

Dupont Circle for easy reading

I really enjoy the mellow atmosphere of several coffee shops around Dupont Circle. I read my first free newspapers in DC while sipping an Arabica coffee in an airy cafe there, after walking through a lively urban park that seems to attract those wearing suits and those wearing thongs in the summer.

Good Ethiopian Food

DC has some of the best and cheapest Ethiopian restaurants. If you like Ethiopian food then I would highly recommend you try some of the restaurants here. I've been to three Ethiopian restaurants and all of them were very nice.

Ben's Chili Bowl

Awesome diner food, particularly the chili half smoke, chili dog, chili fries, chili anything, plus a great staff make this joint a must-visit.

A true gem of a restaurant...

In a town which can't quite get it's restaurant legs, *Hank's Oyster Bar* is a wonderful break from the mediocrity. Dupont Circle: 1624 Q St. NW Washington DC 20009 T 202.462.HANK (4265) http://www.hanksdc.com/

Ethiopian

Two specific Ethiopian recommendations: Zed's in Georgetown, 28th & M St. NW (swanky) Red Sea in Adams Morgan 2463 18th St NW (more casual).

Both very authentic

Hard Times over Ben's

I'd have to recommend Hard Times Cafe for chili over Ben's chili, though Hard Times is just across the river at the Clarendon Metro Station in Arlington Virginia on the Orange Line.

Matchbox

Awesome place!

El Pollo Rico - cheap, tasty food (Virginia Sq/GMU Metro)

The finest rotisserie chicken and fries anywhere, and you can get a meal for under $5! (I hear the slaw is top-notch, too, but I don't like slaw, so.) Absolutely fantastic food. I've been going there since 2004. I recently went vegan, but I walked in here intending to get just fries and lapsed HARD. Good pupusa and empenadas, too. Drink Inca Kola!

Go to Murky Coffee

They have best coffee, hands-down, in the area. You won't find anything better until you get to New York or North Carolina.

Pizza Paradiso

Good pizza and an incredibly good beer selection.

Eastern Market - Market Lunch

A DC institution, in temporary quarters due to a fire. Crabcakes are written about in travel magazines, and lunch is a tradition for dozens of Congressional staffers and locals.

Best coffee in town

The best cup of java in D.C. can be had at the Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale, hands down.

Coffee

Murky went out of business (collected city tax, but didn't pay it--don't know what the status is). Try Swing's (DC coffee roasters since 1916). If politics is your thing (it's not mine--I'm a DC native, so I'm kind of jaded on the whole politics thing) check out the 17th and G St location--WH staffers stop in.

Montmartre @ Eastern Market Delicious brunch. Tempting desserts.

327 Seventh St. SE Washington, DC 20003

Just about anywhere over on Barracks Row in Eastern Market. Some of my favorites -

Banana Café & Piano Bar Belga Café Old Siam

http://www.barracksrow.org/ShopDine.htm

1789 Restaurant and Prime Rib are coat and tie required. I also recommend Jockey Club. They are all very pricey and well worth it if you'd like to mingle with the politically powerful.

Also, the Bourbon Steak Restaurant at the Four Seasons has some of the best steak along with BLT Steak and Charlie Palmer's Steakhouse.

Bistro Bis in the Hotel George. Mandarin Hotel. Kabob Palace

For a Greasy Spoon Breakfast: Jimmy T's on East Capitol

For a Great Brunch: Martin's Tavern

For a Sandwich: Booeymonger's, Jetties, The Original Wisemiller's Deli (not Healthy Wisey's)

For a Beer and a Pizza: Kavanagh's Pizza Pub

2 Amys pizza in Glover Park.

http://atlasparasite.com/2009/09/26/bens-chili-bowl-in-washington-d-c/

This is one of my favourite book stores in the world. Great and comprehensive selection of books, good atomsphere in a crowded but cosy way, very friendly and helpful staff. A great place to spend hours browsing the shelves or reading in the in house bar. I always go here when I'm in DC.

Washington Post's "Best Restaurants" Guide came out this past Sunday, October 18th. And should be available online from the web site.

This is a great bar and restaurant - haunt of newspaper hacks apparently. Great atmosphere, good service and a beautiful place. Well worth a visit.

Zengo in chinatown has excellent asian fusion food in a modern setting.

Decent Italian food, very reasonably priced.

Amazing family-run neighborhood Italian restaurant with delicious food.

Zaytinya has some delicious mediterranean tapas-style, small-dish dining, while Founding Farmers has some of the most amazing organic cocktails and everything from fried green tomatoes to arugula salad with goats cheese. So much of it is homemade, you really should check it out.

For more casual fare I suggest Matchbox in Chinatown, which has some pretty solid pizza and good noodles. And of course it wouldn't be a stop to DC without a trip to Potbelly's for an awesome $5 sandwich.

Great food, cozy, good service, and a good value. One of my favorites. Order one of every appetizer and you won't have to order dinner. The pumpkin dishes are great!

This is the best place in D.C. close to the Washington Monument and the White House. In fact, it is just a block from the White House, across the street from the Treasury Department. A perfect place to go if you've spend the day doing the obligatory sightseeing thing. The wait can be long in the evenings but usually doesn't take much more than 20 minutes and it is well worth the wait. My favorite are the desserts!

I love Kramerbooks for their selection because it is so much fun to browse! My favorite part of the place is the cafe... Afterwords! Their breakfast and desserts are amazing! I usually go there just for drinks and dessert or a mid-morning brunch.

I wouldn't say President Obama is Ben's most famous visitor. That honor seems to have been given to Bill Cosby a long time ago (he always eats free; President Obama was offered the same courtesy but opted to pay for his meal).

As for the food, it is good. It may take a few days until you want to go back, but if you're visiting DC, make the trip up to U Street at least once. Ben's is right across from the metro.

While you're there, Cake Love is a few blocks west. Their Love Cafe is a great place for dessert.

Going on a Thursday night, to eat, is impossible. Good food, but it's a very uncomfortable place to eat.

Amazing (and huge) food. Friendly waiters. I recommend this place to anyone.

Great Mexican Food. Fast and cheap. Close to the best Georgetown stores.

Had a George Stephanopolis sighting here!

Fantastic hot pots, curries, papaya salad, noodles (both pan-fried and regular).

It is now closed and gone.

If you want great Mexican Food, skip Qdoba (as suggested above; what was that guy thinking?) and head to the intersection of 18th and T Streets, NW. It is a relatively short but scenic walk from the Dupont Circle Metro - Q Street exit. There you will find Lauriol Plaza. I suggest anything with mesquite in the name and more than one serving of chips and salsa. If you want a margarita, order a pitcher as it is more economical. On a wonderful Spring, Summer or Fall evening, I prefer the front patio over the rooftop because the people watching is more enjoyable and it is a little less noisy. Again, sometimes there is a wait, but there is a wait because it is worth it.

Absolutely fantastic food. I've been going there since 2004. I recently went vegan, but I walked in here intending to get just fries and lapsed HARD. Good pupusa and empenadas, too. Drink Inca Kola!

If you like Ethiopian food then I would highly recommend you try some of the restaurants here. I've been to three Ethiopian restaurants and all of them were very nice.

The finest rotisserie chicken and fries anywhere, and you can get a meal for under $5! (I hear the slaw is top-notch, too, but I don't like slaw, so.) Absolutely fantastic food. I've been going there since 2004.

I used to work here so I'm a little biased, but the food is amazing...classically American and true to Ris Lacoste's "comfort food" description....perfect for the college student that misses a home cooked meal!! Staff is friendly and welcoming, worth every penny.

Enjoyed lunch at BLT Steak last week. The crab cake is quite delicious.