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Restaurants Overview

West African delicacies such as moi-moi, a jumble of black-eyed peas, tomatoes, and corned beef; feijoada, a rich Brazilian casserole of black beans, pork, and smoked meats; bouillabaisse, the fish stew from France; Italian favorites such as pasta carbonara; succulent lamb kabobs or crisp falafel (vegetable fritters) from the Middle East; crunchily addictive Vietnamese spring rolls; spicy Carolina shrimp with steaming white grits; and some of the finest marbled steaks and butter-soft prime rib this side of the Mississippi: these are just a few of the dazzling dishes you'll find in the nation's capital.

As host to visitors and transplants from around the world, Washington benefits from the constant infusion of different cultures. Despite D.C.'s lack of true ethnic neighborhoods and the kinds of restaurant districts found in many other cities, you can find almost any cuisine here, from Burmese to Ethiopian. Even the city's French-trained chefs, who once set the standard in fine dining, have been influenced by contemporary cooking, spicy Asian and Mexican fare, sushi, and appetizer-size Spanish tapas. High-end restaurants in town have also begun to add bar menus with smaller plates that are much less expensive than their entrées but done with the same finesse.

Wall-to-wall restaurants line 18th Street NW, which extends south from Columbia Road. In this section of Adams-Morgan, small ethnic spots open and close frequently; it's worth taking a stroll down the street to see what's new and interesting. Although the area has retained some of its Latin American identity, the newer eating establishments tend to be Asian, contemporary, Italian, and Ethiopian. Parking can be impossible on weekends. You can walk from the nearest Metro stop, Woodley Park/Zoo, in 10 to 15 minutes, but even though it's a relatively safe stretch at night, arriving by taxi may be more convenient. Woodley Park has culinary temptations of its own, with a lineup of popular ethnic restaurants near the Metro.

"Downtown" covers everything between Georgetown and Capitol Hill. The "new downtown," centered at Connecticut Avenue and K Street, has many of the city's blue-chip law firms and deluxe eateries -- places that feed expense-account diners and provide the most elegance, most attentive service, and often the best food. But "old downtown," farther east, is where the action is these days. Restaurants of all stripes (usually casual and moderately priced) have sprung up to serve the crowds that attend games at the MCI Center. The entire downtown area, however, has been in a state of culinary flux, with famed restaurants closing their doors and new ones -- including some upscale, trendy spots -- blossoming. Stylish lounges and microbrew pubs are also part of the scene, and Chinatown has been suffering as rents go up and long-standing favorites have to close or relocate.

Chinatown itself, centered on G and H streets NW between 6th and 8th, is the city's one officially recognized ethnic enclave. Here Burmese, Thai, and other Asian cuisines add variety to the many traditional Chinese restaurants. The latter entice you with huge, brightly lighted signs and offer such staples as beef with broccoli or spicy kung pao chicken with roasted peanuts. But discriminating diners will find far better food at the smaller, less flashy restaurants.

Capitol Hill has a number of bars that cater to congressional types who need to fortify themselves with food and drink after a day spent running the country. Dining options are augmented by Union Station, which houses some decent -- if pricey -- restaurants. There's also a large food court offering quick bites that range from barbecue to sushi.

Dupont Circle, which lies south of U Street and north of K Street, is dense with restaurants and cafés, many with outdoor seating. Chains such as Starbucks have put fancy coffee on every corner, but homegrown espresso bars, such as the 24-hour Kramerbooks & Afterwords, as well as Teaism, have more character and are more interesting for breakfast and light or late fare.

Georgetown's main drags are Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, and here white-tablecloth establishments coexist easily next to hole-in-the-wall joints. The closest Metro stop is Foggy Bottom, a 15- to 20-minute walk away; consult the Georgetown map before you set out, and consider taking a cab. Restaurants in the adjacent West End -- bounded roughly by Rock Creek Park to the west, N Street to the north, 20th Street to the east, and K Street to the south -- are worth checking out as well. North from Georgetown on Wisconsin Avenue, there are good restaurants in the Glover Park area, including one of the city's best sushi bars, Sushi-Ko.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the U Street corridor, which begins just down the hill from 18th Street, was the place to enjoy a late-night drink and hear jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker. After decades of neglect and devastation from riots in the 1960s, the area saw a burst of revitalization. With some of the hippest bars in the District, quirky vintage stores, small and lively nightclubs, and numerous cafés, the neighborhood draws a young crowd day and night. The area is still rough around the edges, however, so use caution. Restaurants stay open late on weekend nights and serve everything from burgers to gourmet pizza and Ethiopian dishes at low prices.

Interesting restaurant districts also thrive outside the city limits and are accessible by the Metro. Downtown Bethesda, Maryland, is luring the cognoscenti from Georgetown with Spanish, French, Italian, Vietnamese, and Thai fare. Bethesda is a 20-minute drive from Georgetown up Wisconsin Avenue; by Metro it's a 15- to 20-minute ride from Metro Center to the Bethesda Metro stop or a five-minute ride from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop.

Virginia has its own ritzy Georgetown equivalent in Old Town Alexandria, and bragging rights to some of the D.C. area's best Asian restaurants go to Arlington. There, Wilson Boulevard is lined with popular Vietnamese establishments and branches of D.C. restaurants. The Clarendon Metro station makes these Asian restaurants readily accessible, but the King Street Metro station is, unfortunately, a 15-minute walk from most Old Town Alexandria eateries.

Farther afield, the Eden Center in Falls Church, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Washington, is home to Vietnamese shops and groceries and a clutch of Vietnamese restaurants. One of the best is Huong Que, or Four Sisters, whose namesakes, along with their parents and brothers, own and run the place.