@movernie
I luv Washington DC, USA! I went on a road trip long time ago driving from Toronto to Washington DC. Another time, I flew to Washington DC for a travel conference in 2017 and it was called IPW. And recently, I went to a Press Trip in 2023 covering the World Cultural Festival (WCF).
Every time I visited this destination, there’s always something new and different for me to explore and to experience.
This is a destination that has something for everyone, whether as a solo traveler, couple vacation or family trip!
MoVernie Top Recommendations: Restaurants & Bars in Washington DC, USA
Below are my recommendations of what you and your loved ones can dine & drink when visiting Washington DC.
Diversity:
Washington DC is a very diverse destination, many people from around the world calls Washington DC their homes. In fact, they are so diverse that they hosted the World Cultural Festival (WCF) in September 2023, inviting and welcoming people from around the world to visit and celebrate diversity.
I was covering this festival during my Press Trip and it was very wonderful to meet with other people, respecting and learning each other’s culture and custom traditions. It was cool to see so many people wearing their traditional outfits that represents their countries.
I am a proud Asian-Canadian, witnessing this unique and amazing sea of people celebrating life and diversity. I am grateful and thankful that the Washington DC Tourism Board invited me to be apart of this special moment and occasion.
Cultural Food:
During the World Culture Festival (WCF), food vendors were selling various food that were available from all parts of the world. I got to try some of the food such as Indian food and beverages.
Moreover, Washington DC is home to many restaurants that offers diverse food offerings. For example, during this Press Trip, I went to many restaurants, bars, cafes to indulge all the great food & drinks.
Chinatown:
For example, Chinatown was located just a block away from the Riggs Washington Hotel (where I stayed). I simply walked around Chinatown. And interestingly, Chinatown offers more than just Chinese food, you could go for Japanese food, Korean food, Taiwanese food and many other cultural food nearby.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
Kura is popular and famous in Japan. It’s so popular that it expands with franchise locations in all parts of the world, including having one in Chinatown, Washington DC. It was just a short walk for me from my Riggs Washington Hotel.
If you have been to Japan, you will appreciate how authentic this Kura sushi place is. If you haven’t been to Japan, trying the food and culture at Kura is a great start as you can see the food revolving on the conveyor belt. You can also use the tablet to order some specialty food that they deliver them via a mini train right at your table. It’s super neat and food and drinks are good and prices are reasonable.
Daikaya – Ramen Shop (Ground Floor)
Daikaya is a popular ramen shop in Washington DC. It’s also just a block from Chinatown. Many people come here to get their ramen fix.
Once they finished slurping their ramen, they paid their bill and go upstairs to the 2nd floor for the Daikaya Izakaya (read the next section about the Izakaya).
Daikaya – Izakaya (2nd Floor)
I thought it was very smart for the Daikaya management team to create 2 different style of Japanese cuisine while utilizing 2 floors of its venue space. People got their ramen fix downstairs for lunch or dinner. And then they come up to this 2nd floor for Happy Hour or some Japanese Whiskey or skewers as snacks.
I luv the ambience at this Izakaya with high stools table bar counter that you can mix and mingle with the mixologist. Or if you are in a bigger group, there are tables everywhere that could accommodate larger group. While I was there, there were 2 groups of people who came here to celebrate someone’s birthday, so I could hear the Happy Birthday songs here.
Good snack bites, amazing skewers and awesome selections of specialty cocktails and ice cold beer on tap.
Love, Makoto Japanese Trendy Food Hall
Love, Makoto is a chic & trendy Japanese Food Hall offering authentic Omakase Sushi Tasting Menu at one section. Japanese BBQ in another. Izakaya at the back with a nice high stool bar. And then if you want to get take-out and on the go, there is a casual, quick bite table setting or grab and go. You choose how you want to enjoy your meal.
Furthermore, I really like the surroundings around this area. Everything seems new and fresh. There are a number of new condos and residential area, along with new business buildings and commercial offices.
I got sometime in between my coverage at the World Culture Festival (WCF) and my dinner reservation. Thus, I came here on a weekday late afternoon and what perfect timing? Hiya Izakaya, located at the back of the Love, Makoto Food Hall was offering Happy Hour from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. I ordered a few rounds of skewers and snacks with a few drinks. It was a great way to mix and mingle with other locals who were sitting next to me around the high stool bar counter.
Click here to read more details of my visit here at Love, MoKoto.
Riggs Washington DC Hotel
Riggs Washington DC Hotel, the property that I had stayed for my entirety of my Press Trip in Washington DC was a phenomenal hotel with so many amenities and establishments. The hotel guests luv chillin’ here. The locals comes here and you know it’s good stuff when locals luv to visit the bar, restaurants or host private event here at the Riggs Hotel.
In fact, during my stay, a newly wed hosted their guests up in the rooftop. Luckily, a day prior to their wedding, I was exploring the rooftop and was able to appreciate the nice view high up the terrace. I did, however, wish the hotel utilize the rooftop more by perhaps run a Happy Hour session so hotel guests and the locals could enjoy the view more vs only for special guests at a private event.
Cafe Riggs (Inside Riggs Washington DC Hotel)
The Bar at Cafe Riggs (Inside Riggs Washington DC Hotel)
Silver Lyan Bar (Inside Riggs Washington DC Hotel)
In addition to the nice bar, cafe, restaurant at Riggs Washington DC Hotel (where I stayed), there were also many restaurants and bars around the block. If you want fast food, there were a number of them. And if you want fancy high-end restaurants, there were a few just across the street.
Award Winning Michelin Star Restaurants in Washington DC:
In particular, in case you don’t know, Washington DC is home to many award winning Michelin Star restaurants. And there were quite a number of them around my hotel.
Cranes – 1 Michelin Star Japanese/Spanish Fusion Restaurant
Cranes is a “1 Michelin Star” restaurant, lead by Chef Pepe Moncayo, serving an unique combination of Japanese-Spanish fusion cuisine using unique technique and ingredients.
Cranes is relatively a young resto as it opened its doors back in 2020 during the pandemic and during its young season, words spread of its amazing food and culinary and eventually, Cranes received “1 Michelin Star” in 2021 & 2022.
I had the tasting menu here at Cranes and it was one of my favourite meals during my Press Trip here in Washington DC!
Zaytinya by José Andrés – Michelin Bib Gourmand
Zaytinya by José Andrés is another great restaurant located near my hotel (Riggs Washington DC), it’s also located super close to the Martin Luther Jr. Memorial Library.
Zaytinya received Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. Zaytinya’s menu reflects the rich regional diversity of classical Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines. This restaurant serves light small dishes so the customers can order a bunch of small dishes to try and taste, which I appreciated as I ordered a few dishes to try during my lunch time. I do have to say though, despite it’s a small light dishes, the food portion was still pretty substantial, a bit like the bang for the buck!
Zaytinya serves Mediterrean cuisine with a nice outdoor patio and indoor dining. I really enjoyed the super tall glass windows, allowing natural sunlight thru.
China Chilcano by José Andrés
José Andrés is a very well-known chefs in USA, in particular, he is famous in the Washington DC area, opening a variety of different cultural cuisines.
China Chilcano takes on José Andrés own spin on Peruvian fare with Asian & Spanish accents while serving pisco cocktails.
I came here during the Happy Hour (before I fly back home to Toronto, Canada), this was my last stop.
The food were made fresh and it felt right at home as the culinary team takes kept the traditional food items that I normally indulged and put a spin on them, it was well-received by me and it was interesting yet somewhat familiar comfort food.
Dim Sum usually are being served with traditional Chinese tea, so it’s a nice spin to enjoy Asian Fusion dim sum with some of its specialty cocktails. It’s a very nice well-balanced combo!
Nama Ko – Japanese Restaurant
Nama Ko is located at the vibrant and lively 14 St NW. It’s an up & coming Japanese restaurant serving great food & drinks.
What’s interesting about the layout of this restaurant is that…one end it has a bar. On a 2nd end, it’s kitchen facing offering Omakase tasting menu.
The 3rd side, where I was seated that evening, is an open sushi station where you can see the sushi chefs preparing the fresh sushi rolls and sushi.
And the 4th side? It has windows that open to bring in fresh air in a hot evening, sending in breeze. This is a very useful venue space.
the Gibson (Speakeasy Bar)
The nightlife at 14th St NW in Washington DC seems to be the hoppin’ spot. There are tons of nice trendy restaurants and bars. Many of these establishments were still busy and lively during late nights. I could confirm that coz I stayed up late to experience some of these places.
After my wonderful dining experience at Nama Ko (one of my recommended spot in this MoVernie BLOG), I walked a few stores down to this Speakeasy Bar called “the Gibson”.
Chicken + Whiskey (Speakeasy Bar)
If you are hungry after a few drinks during a late night, no worries, Chicken + Whiskey would be a great place for you to fuel up and meets your crave.
Moreover, this place is more than just a chicken spot, it also serves as a Speakeasy Bar at the back. It’s quite discreet and you wouldn’t hear any loud music from outside, so either you know or you don’t. The popular saying goes “If you know, you know #IYKYK)”!
The Old Ebbitt Grill – Seafood & Steakhouse
Cheesecake Factory (Downtown Washington DC location)
Majority of people luv the Cheesecake Factory and myself included. I like the massive variety of food selections, their portions are ridiculously massive that most of the time, you will need to ask for take-out containers.
If you prefer some comfort food, Cheesecake Factory is a great option, especially you are familiar with this brand.
There are a number of locations in Washington DC but I chose this 1426 H Street NW location as it’s located right at the heart of Downtown Washington DC and it’s only a short walk away to check out The White House and other outdoor sculptures or monuments around the area.
Gregory’s Coffee
Every morning, I need a good cup of nice coffee. As I woke up and roamed around the city, I stumbled upon this Gregory’s Coffee. It caught my attention as the company’s logo resembled a bit of my face, spikey hair with glasses, it just look like me!
Additionally, there are patio tables and chairs outside so that I can people watch while sitting outside. And in a timely fashion, I saw a herd of po-po cars escorting 3 black SUVs. I have no idea who was inside but I would think they are important people to get such special treatment. These are situations that you have to be at the right place at the right time.
Anyhow, if you prefer to sit inside, this cafe has a very nice interior design. It’s brightly LIT while allowing natural sunlight to penetrate thru the tall bay windows. I also luv the red colour thru out the space with nice floor tiles.
Moreover, there are a bunch of comfy sofas that you could sit and relax and start your day!
Bryant Street Community:
Bryant Street is a hidden gem that I only knew about when I asked Executive Chef Derek Watson at Nama Ko any recommendations for up & coming restaurants and bars. He mentioned about Moon Rabbit by Chef Kevin Tien. He said Kevin is a very talented chef and his Moon Rabbit has just been relocated to a new sport in Bryant Street.
Hence, this urge me to take an Uber ride to check it out and it didn’t disappoint.
Bryant Street is a community of its own.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
It has a nice multi-level cinema playing the latest films there.
I got to admit that at first glance, I thought this was a craft brewery that crew its own beers and serve patrons here on premise. But on a second look, it was a cinema. Not sure if the naming rights make sense here, I hope I am not the only one that got confused it with a brewery than a cinema. LOL
MetroBar
Across the cinema is a very retro and funky looking bar called “MetroBar”. The old Metro subway train as an indoor bar area intrigued me.
Furthermore, there were tons of open outdoor spaces surrounded by containers with patio picnic tables and patio chairs, just perfect for larger group outings just to chill and enjoy the breezy evening.
That evening, there was a private party on the other side of the Metro train bar area. And then a DJ spinning on a stage pumping out beats to the rest of the outdoor venue space. There was another bar section across the patio serving local craft beers.
Moon Rabbit
I made a reservation to dine at Moon Rabbit to check out Chef Kevin Tien‘s creation and his culinary team. This restaurant was attached internally to a Food Hall that serves some diverse food options.
I saw Bold Dumplings.
And then the franchise chain of “Tiger Sugar”, serving its signature bubble tea.
Moreover, there was an Alegria Bar serving specialty cocktails. Meanwhile, there were tons of tables, chairs, sofas for patrons to sit and cheer. This was quite a venue space and concept in this Bryant Street Community.
City Center DC
City Center DC is home to many luxury brands, clothing and shoe stores. So, if you luv shopping, this is THE place.
I personally don’t shop often as I am more a casual comfy type of guy. However, there are many nice restaurants and bars in the area. And this City Center DC hosted various special events, festivals and occasions welcoming the locals or tourists to check it out.
For example, during my Press Trip visit, there was a Luxury Car Show with luxury cars such as Lamborghinis and McLarens.
I went to a coffee shop in the shopping complex, ordered a freshly brewed drip coffee, sat outside its patio chair for a bit and then went to the central outdoor location of the City Center DC, people watching, sipping my coffee, adsorbed some sunshine and listened to live music while checking out the luxurious cars on display. That was quite a treat.
Tatte Bakery & Cafe
After roaming around, I was a bit hungry so I went to another popular cafe, called “Tatte Bakery & Cafe”. Good suggestion by the media relations contact from City Center DC who happened to have a booth at the complex to offer their recommendations about the City Center DC complex.
Tatte Bakery & Cafe was super busy and vibrant when I was there. I had to go for a short lineup before it was my turn to order.
You could smell lots of fresh bakeries just came out of the oven. I luv the natural sunlight penetrating into the cafe.
It’s a great place to people watch as well as there were tourists, families, couples, solo people enjoying their lunch before they headed back to work nearby and there were people sitting outside the patio and doing some work on their laptops.
Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee
I luv a good cup of coffee and Dolcezza offers drip coffee, just the way I like it. I always have time for a good coffee, coz it’s worth the wait.
This place also offers gelato but it’s too early for me in the morning to indulge any gelato, so I opted for a coffee. Special thanks to the media relations from City Center DC who recommended me to try Dolcezza for a nice cup of good coffee. They sure know their stuff!
The Wharf
The Washington DC Tourism Media Relations Team recommended me to check out the Wharf. They told me that The Wharf has new buildings and restaurants and bars and that it’s a good blend of good mix of old and new vibes in the area.
And I was super glad that I took an Uber to check out The Wharf. First of all, it’s located near the harbourfront and there were tons of luxurious good looking hotels nearby. On one end, there were many new condos, new park and new office buildings such as the new library.
It was a beautiful sunny day to roam around. There were tons of people around, perhaps many of them were tourists during the beautiful weekend. Mind you, I also noticed the World Culture Festival (WCF) were hosting some special events here at the theatre on The Wharf.
One of the highlights of my visit was when there was an outdoor live music performance at the mini stage located right at the shore. There were a number of different talented artists taking turns to perform and brought some nice music and vocals for the crowd. The best part? Another FREE activity, Washington DC has so much FREE stuff for the locals and tourists to do. Just flat out amazing!
The Wharf was truly special during my visit. On one end, there were the classic, traditional fishing boats selling fresh seafood on their boats that were parked along the shore. The public could stand up high overseeing all the seafood on the boat.
Many people purchased the seafood and bring them home to cook later in the night. If you are like a tourist who is not from Washington DC and don’t have a place to cook your own food, no worries, many of these fishing boats offer services to help you cut, prepared and boiled the seafood on premise, for just extra money, they will do that for you so it’s cooked and ready for you to take home and eat or reheat.
I ordered a bunch of fresh oysters and giant clams where the staff shucked them open on the spot, placed them in a clear containers, provided me with sauce and condiment so I can find a spot to enjoy.
MoVernie TIP: There are some steps, stairs or tables and chairs for you to indulge your seafood. However, it’s first come first served basis though.
Along the pier, there were many nice bars that serves wine, beer and other types of food if you prefer to a sit-down meal. There were tons of options.
The Brighton – The Wharf
The Brighton sports bar at The Wharf was a great place for a snack bite and a quick drink. When I was there, they were playing the an NFL football game. There were some friendly rivalry as Washington Commanders were playing against the Philadelphia Eagles, so you saw fans from both teams were enjoying watching the game while munching on some snacks and ice cold beer.
Speaking of ice cold beer, this place has so many taps!!!! I mean, the beer taps stretched from one long end of the counter all the way to the other side of the bar counter. Insanely amazing!
I enjoyed the local craft beer and the friendly bartender offered me her recommendation on her favourite beer choices.
If you prefer fine dining experience, there were also a great tons of selections for you to choose from. Of course, I highly recommend you to book your table ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
While I was strolling along the pier, I saw Gordon Ramsey Hell’s Kitchen overlooking the harbour.
On another end of the hotel building, I saw Philippe Chow fine dining Chinese food.
Food Trucks Culture
In Washington DC, you can find many food trucks throughout the entire city, they are everywhere. In particular though, you will find the majority of them gathered at the Constitution Street NW, it stretches a good 6-8 blocks along the street. I have never seen anything like it. It’s back-to-back-to-back of food trucks staggering one after another along the street that cover all the museums, art galleries and parks.
You can find hotdogs, burgers, fries, bubble tea, coffee, Falafel, burritos, all kinds of food you can think of.
If you are a food truck lover, then the food truck scene along Constitution Street NW is perfect for you!
