Tastes of Washington D.C.
Something about me is that I will find the city’s most delicious eateries. Period. My approach to this trip was to find DC’s best restaurants. This is my third trip to the Nation’s Capital, but my previous travels have always been with school-guided groups. With this, I haven’t been able to explore the real dining options that DC has to offer.
Eat in DC with me…
I have linked the Instagram page and pictures for each of the restaurants I visited
The Red Hen - Right around the corner from my Airbnb, this Italian restaurant was delicious and the atmosphere was perfect for a late-night dinner. Of course, I am under the age of legally ordering alcoholic beverages, so all of the mocktail options were very appealing to me. I ordered the Amalfi Spritz and it was great.
There were plenty of different pasta options and it was hard to choose just one. I ordered the Bucatini Mushroom Pasta and it was definitely ranked at the top of the list.
I didn't order any dessert but the options looked delicious too.
Overall - 9/10
Dua DC - This coffee shop has a BIG history, which actually made me choose this option. It’s the first Indian-inspired and locally female-owned establishment in DC. I ordered the Kopi SUSU iced latte and a lemon and cherry scone. The coffee was sweet but definitely had a deep and rich flavor as well and the scone was fresh.
I would love to try some of the other drink options if I ever visit again.
Overall - 8/10
River Club DC - WOW. This restaurant was outstanding. From the inviting and warm atmosphere, the attentive service, and wonderful food; I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the waterfront in Georgetown. This Lebanese, Italian, and Spanish-inspired menu set the stage for well-crafted and unique dishes.
Because I dine solo, I tend to only order from the small and medium plate menus. My first course was Croquetas with a Béchamel sauce and paired with a basil-infused lemonade. My second course was Whipped Labneh with a mint oil, lemon shavings, and pita for dipping and I paired this with a raspberry and melon refresher.
The dessert menu was intriguing as well, with different flavored sorbets and other options. I ordered the Baklava Cheesecake. The presentation was beautiful but the flavor was, very, plain. All of the Baklava I have previously tasted has been nutty and sweet and this was bland with just a dusting of pistachio.
Despite the restaurant being fine dining and delicious, it was a smidge too expensive in my opinion.
Overall - 8/10
Greggory Coffee - Due to me arriving so early for my visa appointment, I had some time to waste and did not want to venture too far from the application agency so this spot was right on a nearby street corner. I ordered one, plain iced latte. It was tasty. This must have been a vegan and gluten-friendly restaurant because all of the sweets and pastries in the case seemed to be very dense and flavorless.
Overall - 8/10
Tatte Bakery - If I lived in downtown DC, I would be at this cafe every day. The modern, yet traditional restaurant was large for guests and had plenty of seating areas for those meeting with friends or students working on homework. Many local and well-known patissiers support this famous bakery. There were lots of house-crafted specialty menu options and a very extensive selection of sweets and desserts at the counter. It was very rainy in DC on this day, so I stayed in the bakery for almost 3 hours because it was a great space to relax and people-watch.
First, I had a Tatte House iced latte, espresso infused with honey and cardamom, which was one of the best coffees I’ve had HANDS DOWN. I also ordered a fruit and yogurt bowl for breakfast, topped with a variety of fruits, homemade granola, and local Greek yogurt.
A few hours later, I ordered a sparking matcha lemonade. I like matcha, but this combo was even better! Since my middle name should be Sugar, I also ordered Tiramisu. It was great!
Overall - 9/10
Seven Reasons - After researching ‘The Best Restaurants in Downtown DC'.’ I found this restaurant. It was one of the only open due to it being a Monday evening. The atmosphere and decor were very American, creating a fun dining experience. With wall art, plants, and deep green foresty colors; the ambiance of the night filled the room. Not to mention, there was a very cool in-the-wall fountain with colored lights reflecting from the stream of water.
I wanted everything on the menu. Truly, everything appealed to me.
First, I ordered a zero-proof tequila passionfruit drinks and the Arepitas. Which were soft, fried cotija cheese spheres with a sweet sugar cane sauce on the bottom. The first bite, I entered heaven.
Second, I ordered the cauliflower gnocchi. All of the gnocchi I have tried before have been tossed in pasta sauces and tend to be very thinks and tough to chew, but these were not. The softer texture with the mango chutney, charred apple, and manchego cheese created a perfect medium plate.
There were also things like falafel, octopus, and pork belly dishes I would have loved to try but I was already getting full from these and the sweetness of the drinks.
After soaking in the atmosphere a little while after my second course, I requested the dessert menu. BIG MISTAKE. I also wanted everything on this too.
It was between the melting cloud and the guava cheesecake. I knew the guava cheesecake would have been delicious but the melting cloud would have been a fun table-side experience, so this is what I ordered.
It was a lemon custard inside a cookie crust surrounded by a bubble of marshmallow cotton candy, which was torched tableside. This method created small crystal-like sugars on the dessert that were honestly unpleasant but the overall dessert was great.
Overall - 9/`10
BlueBottle Coffee - Now, I know this is a chain coffee company, but it is really popular on social media, so once I saw that the Union Station in DC had a storefront, I had to give it a try.
I had the black cardamom iced latte and it was eh. I also had a pear and apple muffin, which was pretty good.
Overall - 7/10
