Capitol Hill

Bistro Italiano

If you come to this neighborhood restaurant, everyone will necessarily assume that you are a local. It's your traditional Italian-American checkerboard tablecloth restaurant, and only a little larger than a hole-in-the-wall. The food for the price in this neighborhood is exceptional.

Flagship location of the soon to be franchised burger joint. Renowned locally for its handmade burgers, handcut fries, handspun ice cream.

Mangiardo & Sons

It's far from the action and has limited hours, but this deli has served classic Italian subs to locals for about 55 years, who will universally tell you these are the best sandwiches in the city. Order the "G-man" if you want a local favorite.

Pete's Diner

Somehow there's a little greasy spoon next to the Library of Congress. The prices are extremely low in these parts, the waitresses are friendly, and the diner food is certainly adequate.

Some argue that Cafe 8 is being outshined by newer flashy Mediterranean cooking on the Hill like Cava Mezze, but this remains a reliable, established place for a good dinner on Barracks Row. The head chef hails from Cafe Divan in the Northwest, and the best items on the menu are accordingly skewed towards Turkish cuisine. As with Divan, the mezzes oddly enough are overshadowed by the great kabobs especially the Iskender, and good Iskender is hard to find outside of Turkey. The Turkish very thin take on pizza—pides, are also a hit, and a cheaper option.

Dinner is overpriced and not in the same league as other options on the Hill. Lunch before 4PM, on the other hand, is a steal. And the back patio is a wonderful place to drink a few draught German beers on a warm day.

Well above par Salvadoran and Mexican cooking, with very fresh ingredients, in the heart of Barracks Row. On weekends, it gets very crowded, but if you can get a table, it remains a fun spot for a meal.

Some of D.C.'s best upscale soul food and Creole cuisine is served here, in a beautiful, dining room, which was once the presidential waiting room at the station. B. Smith's is rather famous with visiting celebrities, as well as national politicians. They'll probably get a private room, but you might nonetheless see some famous fellow diners. Best for brunch/lunch.

One of the neighborhood's longest running favorites on Barracks Row serves perfectly fine Belgian cuisine, and has at all times at least five fine Belgian beers on tap and a host more besides. Reliable food, best for dinner, and pricey.

Charlie Palmer is a national celebrity chef, and his steakhouse vies with two others for the title of the city's favorite steak and those Republicans like their steak. On the scale of the three, it sits comfortably between trendy and traditional. And of course, it sits somewhere the other steakhouses do not—literally right across the street from the Capitol Building. The views are fantastic. Don't worry if you don't like steak, as this is an all-around outstanding restaurant, with a variety of excellent American dishes.

Montmarte

D.C. has only a few standout, dedicated French restaurants, and this is one of them. It's considered one of the best restaurants throughout all of Capitol Hill, and one of the better French restaurants in the city. The atmosphere, unlike the cuisine, is casual.

The current dining rage in the country is Italian-inspired cooking with the California philosophy of simplicity, fine Californian wines, and local ingredients. This restaurant has excelled in this category, and packs in serious foodies into a crowded, but very trendy space—reservations are a must every day of the week. The lounge upstairs is similarly beautiful and fashionable and crowded, with a fireplace and big windows.