Where to Eat After Sightseeing in D.C.

Close to: Lafayette Square

This well-appointed Spanish restaurant is the perfect spot to cool off after exploring Lafayette Square, a scenic and historical park located just north of the White House. Kick things off with a sangria or a mezcal margarita, and then order as many tapas as you are in the mood for. Grilled artichokes with romesco sauce are always a hit, and roasted mushrooms come dotted with brandy-soaked raisins. Too tired from sightseeing to choose? Consider selecting one of the restaurant’s multi-course set menus, where the chefs select their best dishes for you. The set menus are a play-by-play of the venue’s top hits, including pan con tomate, Donostia-style fish grilled over open fire, and a luscious Basque cheesecake or sugar-dusted churros.

Close to: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

When your feet are aching and your stomach is rumbling after hours of sightseeing, nothing hits the spot like great Mexican cuisine. Make the 15-minute stroll from the Smithsonian to Mi Vida, which offers a mix of traditional and contemporary Mexican dishes in jaw-dropping surroundings; for example, there’s classic cheese empanadas and carne asada, yes, but guacamole can also come plussed-up with blue cheese, grapes, and smoked almonds if you so wish. If you’re too tired to order, there’s a family-style feast designed for groups, with churros for dessert.

Close to: President Lincoln’s Cottage

Aside from President Lincoln’s Cottage (where President Lincoln lived for many years and wrote the Emancipation Proclamation), much of Petworth is largely residential. It does, however, happen to be home to the Hitching Post, an unassuming spot that has been a bastion of Soul food in D.C. for well over 50 years. The classic dishes that have kept the restaurant popular for so long are still among the best you can find in town: chicken is fried to order, you can get your catfish blackened Cajun-style, and bone-in pork chops are as satisfying as it gets. Vegetarians should order the coconut milk-infused vegetable curry and there’s a strong menu of sharing dishes for the table, like fried spinach doused in a spicy tamarind dressing and buttery mac and cheese.

Close to: White House

This local franchise, which has four locations in the area including one just a few steps from the White House, celebrates the diversity of Washington D.C. as a city, as well as the immigrants that make up the majority of most restaurants’ staff. The dishes served here reflect the wide range of cultures and heritage of D.C.’s immigrant hospitality staff and have plenty of finesse behind them — understandable when you clock that Michelin-starred chef Enrique Limardo (of Imperfecto and Seven Reasons) is an owner. You’ll love the Venezuelan tequeños, oozing with melted queso blanco, as well as the spicy shrimp ceviche, Indian samosas, and Filipino-ish adobo-spiced fried chicken.

Close to: African American Civil War Museum

At first glance, there isn’t much on the menu at Beau Thai that you haven’t seen at other Thai restaurants before. But that’s how Aschara Vigsittaboot, who opened her first Beau Thai in 2010, likes it: traditional Thai dishes done right. And once you tasted one of her made-from-scratch curries or noticed how the pad thai is a perfect balance of sour-sweet-salty, you’ll understand why this spot is so beloved by locals. Stop by for lunch or an early dinner after visiting the African American Civil War Museum, which closes at 4pm.

Close to: The Wharf

If you happen to be a French visitor, you might want to skip this charming restaurant — it’s so spot-on that you may think you’re back at home dining in your favorite neighborhood bistro. The menu has all the Parisian classics, such as pillowy gougères; a house made quiche due jour at lunch; a hearty vol-au-vent with flaky puff pastry smothered with poached eggs and a mushroom ragout for brunch; and fluffy Parisian gnocchi for dinner. Everyone else planning on visiting the waterfront for a boat ride or just strolling along the pier should absolutely make time for a meal here.

Close to: National Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

This opulent Italian restaurant might just be the opposite of a tourist trap — the beautiful decor and attentive service are on par with any fine-dining destination in town, and there are plenty of opportunities to splurge after a day on your feet (hello, black truffle supplements), but the extensive menu also has many options at very reasonable prices. The pizzas and pastas — both available for lunch and dinner — will easily fuel you before or after you embark on the 20-minute walk to the Air and Space Museum and also happen to be fantastic. Save room for dessert too – the tiramisu is flambeed tableside and the butterscotch budino is downright dreamy.

Close to: Embassy Row

One of the unique aspects of D.C. is Embassy Row, a street lined with embassies showcasing impressive architecture and flags from around the world. Take your time to peruse the area and be sure to indulge in a leisurely lunch afterwards — head to Alta Strada, which could be the setting for the archetypal Washington power lunch in any film, with its sleek wood, tables set with white tablecloths around larger upholstered booths, brass fixtures. All the Italian dishes that founding chef Michael Schlow has on the menu are tempting, but you can’t go wrong with the arancini, small spheres of fried risotto stuffed with cheese and mushrooms, the rigatoni alla vodka which is oh-so-comforting, or the earthy, fragrant tagliatelle swirled in truffle oil.

Close to: The Lincoln Theater

The D.C. area is home to the largest Ethiopian diaspora in the U.S., so an Ethiopian dining experience should be on your itinerary regardless of how many days you’re in town. Eatopia is a relative newcomer that’s quickly established itself as one of most noteworthy in the city. The kitchen serves up classic fare like Berbere-spiced chicken doro wat and minced beef kitfo, but has also created creative versions of classic Ethopian dishes such as mushroom tibs which swaps out the usual steak cubes for seared mushrooms but keeps the onion, jalapeno, tomato and rosemary, or tuna kitfo made from minced Ahi blended with olive oil (instead of clarified butter), mitmita spice, and a hint of extra cardamom. To drink, there’s a creative cocktail list as well as tej (Ethiopian honey wine) and traditional brewed coffee.

The venue itself is as buzzy as the food and drinks served, with live music several nights a week, artwork from within the Ethiopian community on the walls, and regular pop-ups enlivening the chic space. It’s right next to the 100-year-old Lincoln Theater, making it a super convenient spot to dine before or after a show.

Close to: Rock Creek Park

Frank Ruta (along with, according to the menu, his sourdough starter from 1988) is in a new spot but is still serving the farm-to-table food Washingtonians love him for. If your stomach is growling after wandering around Rock Creek Park (one of the oldest national parks in the country and D.C.’s largest and most popular urban park), then visit Rosedale, where the dishes are rustic and approachable but made with great attention to detail. The savory dishes offer a fun nod to landmarks in D.C.; there’s a Rock Creek pizza with mushrooms, cheese, and walnuts, as well as a Tidal Basin pizza with fennel, onions, clams, lemony breadcrumbs and a drizzle of chili oil for some heat. Desserts are also works of culinary art: what looks like a regular sundae turns out to be roasted apple ice cream with Zinfandel sauce and cheddar crumble — sure, that’s a sundae, but probably not one you’ve tasted before.

Close to: National Gallery of Art

As the popularity of small plates has grown, the meaning of the word ‘tapas’ has been stretched to its limits, so it’s refreshing to see tapas being taken back to its roots, which is what chef Pepe Moncayo does at his acclaimed Penn Quarter restaurant. The patatas bravas here might be the best in town, simply because the potatoes have been cut to the size of small dice, so that after they’re fried they have the perfect ratio of crispy exterior to creamy interior. Recognizing there’s more surface area on these patatas the kitchen sends them out with a generous pool of smokey brava sauce. The fire-roasted leek served with romesco and leek ash is also not to be missed. If you’ve worked up an appetite exploring the massive National Gallery of Art, you can move on to paella and other enticing Catalan dishes. Insider tip: Arrels also serves up great happy hour snacks, and an all-you-can-eat tapas brunch on the weekends.