Washington DC

Eating out in Washington DC

Gourmet

At Citronelle, proprietor and world-renowned chef Michel Richard Citronelle combines award-winning innovative cuisine with elegant surroundings and atmosphere. The result is a dining experience that is heralded as unparalleled. While the spacious restaurant has several private dining rooms, advance reservations are recommended. 3000 M Street.

Highly Recommended

Bis, is a modern bistro featuring French cuisine with American sensibility. It's both trendy and sophisticated while still retaining a warm, intimate ambiance amid 17-foot high ceilings, an extensive list of French wines, and a cigar-friendly lounge with a view of the street below. 15 E Street.

Local Flair

America Restaurant makes everyone feel like they're in their own backyard with over 200 entrées from all over the country and a wide assortment of microbrews and coast to coast American wines. Featuring six elegant dining areas on four levels, this famous restaurant in historic Union Station is a favorite with locals. 50 Massachusetts Avenue.

Romantic

Ristorante i Ricchi serves authentic Tuscan cuisine in an exquisite setting. Dining on meats grilled over live oak coals, homemade antipasti, pasta, Italian breads, and traditional desserts, you will experience the sensuous delights of genuine Italian cooking. The décor is beautifully punctuated by terra cotta floors, a mural, and frescoed walls and ceilings, all illuminated by the warm glow of candlelight and a fireplace. 1220 19th Street.

Going party in Washington DC

From barhopping and brewpubs to military bands and comedy clubs, Washington's after-dark offerings are bound to please everybody.

Butler's - The Cigar Bar

This very classy establishment has 1920's chic and nightly jazz, while keeping in line with the trendy flavors of today. It features an impressive selection of fine cigars, a liquor bar serving a large variety of drinks including a house micro brew.

Joanna's 1819 Club - A Gentlemen's Club

This upscale nightclub and restaurant offers nightly adult entertainment including dancers and performers, as well as an endless array of cocktails.

Buffalo Billiards

It's not just pool tables and cue chalk here. With a spacious 15,000 square-foot layout featuring unique Western décor and DJ-hosted dancing nightly, this is one of DC's premier clubs.

John Harvard's Brew House

This casual restaurant specializing in American cuisine is also a microbrewery. Chase your meatloaf, pot pie and other traditional American fare with a freshly brewed beer while enjoying pampering, attentive service.

Improv

Big-name headliners are regulars at this heavyweight on the Washington comedy circuit, and soon-to-be-stars fill out the stand-up roster.

Capitol City Brewing Company

This spacious and friendly saloon is DC's first brewpub since the repeal of Prohibition! It remains one of the more popular watering holes, a place where you will often brush shoulders with a politicians and pundits.

The Rock Sports Bar and Restaurant

DC loves sports bars, and the "The Rock" is the largest and most popular sports club in town. Its staggering 3 levels feature multiple large screen TVs, pool tables, private party rooms, and a DJ-hosted dance floor. There is even rooftop Tiki bar!.

B. Smith's Jazz

A full schedule of evening performances by the brightest jazz musicians awaits you at B. Smith's. The epitome of what a jazz club should be, you can expect a fine night of music, with good food and drink, as well.

Common events in Washington DC

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday

Commemorating the birthday of one of the civil rights era's most prominent figures, the celebration includes speeches, dance, choral performances, and special readings. January.

Robert E. Lee's birthday

Marked with 19th-century music and food at Arlington House, the Lee heritage mansion located in Arlington Cemetery. January.

African-American History Month

This month long commemoration of African-American heritage features special events, museum exhibits, and cultural programs. February.

Lincoln's Birthday

Relive history with a reading of the Gettysburg Address and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial. February.

George Washington's Birthday

Celebrations in honor of the nation's first president are highlighted with a parade down Washington Street in Old Town Alexandria, a historic-homes tour, and a re-enactment of the Revolutionary War. February.

St. Patrick's Day and Festival

A parade down Constitution Avenue is just the beginning, as the following days feature theatre, folk music, and live concerts to keep the Irish and non-Irish smiling. March.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival

Commemorating the 1912 gift to Washington of 3,000 cherry trees from Tokyo, this festival has been one of the city's more colorful for 65 years. Heralding spring's arrival to the capital, the 2-week-long celebration includes concerts, cultural entertainment and educational events, and tree planting ceremonies. March-April.

The White House Easter Egg Roll

In a light-hearted holiday tradition dating back to the 1870s, The White House's current residents host children ages 8 and under on the South Lawn with many Easter-themed activities. April.

The Georgetown House Tour

Now in its 70th year, this organized tour offers the opportunity to view many of the private homes of some of the nation's most famous and influential citizens, public servants, and lawmakers. April.

Joint Services Open House

Held at the Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland, this traditional military fanfare features 2 days' worth of aircraft and weapons displays, precision parachute jumps, and either the Navy's Blue Angels or the Air Force's Thunderbirds aerobatic shows. May.

Memorial Day Weekend

Washington's services commemorating the nation's war dead include a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra on the West Lawn of the US Capitol and wreath-lying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, the US Navy Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. May.

Jazz Arts Festival

This summer-long showcase features some of the world's most accomplished and innovative musicians in free concerts at different venues in the DC area, many of them outdoors. June-September.

Shakespeare Free for All

A series of free, nightly performances at the open-air Carter Barron Amphitheater by the Washington Shakespeare Theatre Company. June.

Independence Day Celebration

These festivities in the national holiday include a grand parade that marches past many of the capital's historic monuments, a free performance of the National Symphony Orchestra on the steps of the Capitol, and a grand finale of fireworks over the Washington Monument. July 4.

National Frisbee Festival

Taking place on the National Mall, this is the nation's largest non-competitive gathering of professional Frisbee hurlers. But the real fun is in watching in the disc-catching canines, which routinely steal the show from their 2-legged partners. August.

Labor Day Weekend Concert

This event features the National Symphony Orchestra performing on the West Lawn of the US Capitol. September.

Veteran's Day

Commemorative activities include services at Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the US Navy Memorial, as well as a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. November.

Christmas Celebrations

Major events start early in the month, and include tree lighting ceremony, an open house at the National Cathedral, Christmas walks, and candlelight tours. December.