Day Trips and Excursions

Whatever your taste buds have a yen for is available in Washington, D.C. area restaurants. The nation’s capital is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. It is home to immigrants from every country drawn here in search of a better life. Thankfully for everyone concerned, they bring their customs and native recipes with them. Following are some of the favorites of NAHC staff members.

Addis Ababa

If you are looking for the best in Ethiopian food this is for you. This trendy bistro in the Adams Morgan area has been a local favorite for almost 20 years. Live entertainment is featured on the weekend. 2106 18th Street, NW, (202) 232-6092. Moderate.

Aditi Indian Cuisine

This cozy spot located in Georgetown is a frequent winner of Washingtonian Magazine’s Blue Ribbon Award for best Indian food. 3229 M Street, NW, (202) 625-6825. Moderate.

Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben’s Chili Bowl

No other restaurant in the U Street area was able to with stand both the 1968 riots and the construction of Metro’s Green Line in the late 1980s – except Ben’s Chili Bowl. Ever since it opened in 1958, Ben’s has been a gathering place for Black Washington and has since become a Washington institution. No other place in town attracts such a cross-section of the city – students from Howard University, tourists, lawyers, lobbyists and basically anyone who likes a good bowl of chili and a hot dog (or half smokes as they are known here). 1213 U Street, NW, (202) 667-0909. Inexpensive.

B Smith’s at Union Station

This restaurant is located in Washington’s train depot called Union Station, only two blocks north of the Senate Office Buildings. It is a fine place to go if you are in the vicinity and like good old American food. 50 Massachusetts Ave, NE, (202) 298-6188. Moderate.

Café Milano

Who could resist a place that George Clooney visits when he’s in Washington? This is definitely one of those trendy, see and be seen kind of places but for good reason -- this is a fantastic Italian restaurant and is in the heart of Georgetown. 3251 Prospect Street, NW, (202) 333-6183. Expensive.

Capital Grille

This is the “in” spot on Capitol Hill, located just six blocks west of the US Capitol. The menu features the best of steaks and chops. It is also one of the best places in town to watch the rich and the powerful raise a glass. Reservations are a must. 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, (202) 737-6200. Expensive.

DC Coast

DC Coast

Located at 14th and K streets, DC Coast is a great place to have lunch, drinks or dinner. A giant mermaid stands as a sentinel at the entrance to this New Orleans and Cajun-inspired seafood restaurant. Chef Jeff Tunks’ food is masterful. 1401 K Street, NW, (202) 216-5988. Moderate to expensive.

Dubliner Restaurant and Pub

This fine Irish pub also serves pretty good food. It is a favorite of many NAHC members who go there for a late-night toddy. 520 North Capitol Street, NW, (202) 737-3773. Moderate.

Filomena Ristorante of Georgetown

Many people think this is the best restaurant in town. Your first view of the eatery is of charming middle-aged women making fresh pasta, dressed in authentic Italian peasant costumes. It gets better and better. The food is wonderful and desserts are to die for. 1063 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, (202) 337-2782. Moderately expensive.

Georgia Brown’s

If you like Southern fried chicken, black-eyed peas, biscuits and gravy, this is the place for you. 950 15th Street, NW, (202) 393-4499. Moderate.

Kinkead’s

Located in Foggy Bottom, an area around George Washington University, west of the White House but east of Georgetown, Kinkead’s is one of the top-rated fish restaurants in the city. They are also famous for their jazz pianist named Hilton, who has played there for years. Reservations required. 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, (202) 296-7700. Expensive.

L’auberge Chez Francois

Great Falls, Virginia is famous for three things: first, the magnificent falls created by the Potomac River which inexplicably drops several feet successively; second, it is the place where the CIA headquarters is located; and third, this restaurant. It is the finest French restaurant in the area. Reservations are almost as hard to get as Washington Redskins tickets. 332 Springvale Road, Great Falls, Va., (703) 759-3800. Expensive.

Lebanese Taverna*

“I never met a small dish here I didn’t like” say those digging into meze at this family-owned, “family-friendly,” casual local chainlet. The “fail-safe” menu encourages group dining with “authentic” Middle Eastern ingredients. 2641 Connecticut Ave., NW, between Calvert St. & Woodley Rd., (202) 265-8681. Moderate to expensive.

Market Inn Restaurant

This restaurant is located three blocks SW of the Capitol, tucked up against the railroad tracks, but the restaurant and its food are legendary. Lobster is the specialty of the house but you can get other things, even steaks if you like. 300 E Street, SW, (202) 554-2100. Moderate.

Michel Richard Citronelle

Washington Post Food Critic Tom Sietsema calls Citronelle “the most sophisticated food in the city and some of the best, anywhere.” Located near George Washington University, this French restaurant is brought to life by French native, Chef Michel Richard. Don’t think about the check (because, it will be expensive), just enjoy the superb French cuisine. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to try to make reservations several months in advance. 3000 M Street NW, (202) 625-2150. Very expensive.

Mr. K’s Restaurant

Many consider this the best upscale Chinese food in Washington. Try the orange/mimosa beef. 2121 K Street, NW, (202) 331-8868. Moderate to expensive.

New Heights*

“Year in, year out” this Woodley Park New American hot spot takes diners to “cutting-edge” heights with “seasonal” ingredients in “original combinations,” “gracious” service and “gorgeous” views over Rock Creek Park from a “serene” second-story Arts and Crafts dining room give it the feel of an “ethereal” “getaway,” still, despite high marks for “creative cuisine,” dissenters wonder if it hasn’t “plateaued.” 2317 Calvert St., NW at Connecticut Ave, (202) 234-4110. Moderate.

Pizza Paradisio

A tiny restaurant featuring the best thin-crust pizza you’ll ever put in your mouth. Of course, they don’t take reservations. Please be prepared to wait. There is usually a line out the door and down the steps but it moves very fast and is worth the wait. 2029 P Street, NW, (202) 223-1245. Inexpensive.

Prime Rib Restaurant

Voted best steakhouse in Washington, according to the Zagat Guide, this place is perpetually full of contented customers. Please be aware they require gentlemen to wear jackets for dinner. 2020 K Street, NW, (202) 466-8111. Expensive.

Sake Club

Sake Club*

Go for “high-class, innovative Japanese . . . from Koreans” at this sleek “oasis for the soul” near the National Zoo; a mix of Asian antiques and modern flourishes (like concrete tabletops) combine for a “relaxed, dark” vibe that might help the place “turn into a hipster” hang; “unusual offerings alongside old standards,” plus a long list of the namesake rice wine, are “expensive but worth it.” 2635 Connecticut Ave., NW between Calvert St. & Woodley Rd. NW, (202) 332-2711. Expensive.

Sushi Kappo Kawasaki

This is one of the most recommended sushi restaurants in downtown Washington. 1140 19th Street, NW, (202) 466-3798. Moderate.

Tabard Inn

This place is described as a country inn in downtown Washington, D.C., Diners are invited to partake of their cozy Victorian settings, seats by the fireplace or in the garden. It is picture perfect, and the food is pretty good as well. 1739 N Street, NW, (202) 785-1277. Moderate to expensive.

Taverna, The Greek Islands

This unpretentious place located two blocks east of the House office buildings provides authentic Greek food and lots of it for a very reasonable price. It is the favorite of many Representatives and staff members. 305 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, (202) 547-8360. Inexpensive.

Ten Penh

Ten Penh

Another one of Chef Jeff Tunks’ restaurants, TenPenh focuses on cuisine that is Asian-Pacific inspired. Tunks mixes the textures and tastes of Asia with his French, American and Creole cooking background and turns the menu at TenPenh into something that is awe-inspiring. 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, (202) 393-4500. Moderate to expensive.

Windows Over Washington

This restaurant is located in Washington’s only revolving rooftop restaurant on the top of the Doubletree Hotel. It is located just minutes from Ronald Reagan Airport. It offers reasonably good food, and a great view of Washington, providing you don’t have any problems with motion sickness. 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Va., (703) 416-3894. Moderate.