A longtime D.C. food writer's guide to restaurant week
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Tartar at Del Mar, which serves a $25 lunch. Photo: courtesy Del Mar
A record number of DMV dining spots are participating in Summer Restaurant Week, which runs Aug. 12-18.
The big picture: The high participation rate (over 350 spots!) plus some elaborate, exciting menus suggest local restaurateurs and chefs are all in on restaurant week this year — and you'll need a strategic plan to find the best meals and deals.
State of play: As a food writer in D.C. for over 15 years, I've covered a lot of restaurant weeks. And things have definitely changed.
- For one, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW)'s restaurant weeks — the biggest in the area — are larger and more expensive.
- The association introduced more pricing options last year to accommodate a range of dining budgets and to encourage a wider swath of restaurants to participate. Everything from casual $25 meals to $65 fine dining dinners.
But there's also a shift in attitude.
- Pre-pandemic, it wasn't uncommon for industry folks to openly hate on restaurant week (not without reason). Downgraded, airline-style menus (chicken or fish?) were common.
- Now with a stressed dining economy and tons of competition, chefs are upping their restaurant week game to get diners in the door and create repeat customers.
How it works: The major RAMW promo includes multi-course lunches and brunches for $25 or $35 per person, and dinners for $40, $55, or $65.
- Alexandria Restaurant Week starts on Friday, with dinners set at $27.50, $40, or $50 per person plus some cheaper fast-casual offerings.
Fun fact: The restaurant week concept was launched in NYC by dining guide guy Tim Zagat as a "goodwill gesture" to reporters covering the 1992 Democratic National Convention.
- Journalists got an affordable meal, restaurants got publicity, and it worked so well that it became a national phenomenon.
Here are some golden restaurant week rules I dine by:
Snag the best deals at lunch and brunch
- You can spend $25 at Sweetgreen these days. A $25 or $35 meal at glitzy seafood restaurant Fiola Mare, sister Spanish spot Del Mar, or Japanese-Spanish Cranes feels like a gift.
- Brunch is the best bet for drink deals. Imperial includes their terrific espresso martini and other bevs in the $35 brunch. Others offer discounted pairings, like at Cucina Morini ($10 drinks!) or Chaplin's, where an extra $15 includes two cocktails.
Pick pricey places
- A $65 prix-fixe menu isn't a big bargain — unless you'd usually pay double. Several Michelin-starred tasting rooms fit the bill, including modernist Colombian spot El Cielo, wood-fired Spanish restaurant Xiquet, and mod-French Bresca (the latter two are extending restaurant week through the end of August).
Don't overlook older restaurants
- It's fun to try a new hotspot. But classics like Rasika and Bombay Club, Sushi Taro, and Central have dealt many hands in the restaurant week game and may provide an expert experience.
Decode menus
- A good sign: Lots of crossover with the regular menu, like at Convivial, where you can pick any two ($47) or three ($55) plates. Also, places that offer signature dishes, like Casa Teresa's DIY pan con tomate.
- Or on the flip side, super creative fare like at Wafu Japanese restaurant Tonari, which is doing a five-course summer menu with new creations ($55 including a cocktail).
- I also look for quality ingredients without a surcharge, like at upscale Korean steakhouse Ingle, where the generous $65 lineup stars wagyu cuts.
Set expectations
- Restaurant week is, ideally, mutually beneficial — restaurants get a boost and diners get a deal or an experience in a restaurant they might not afford or try otherwise. It's not business as usual, and it's not designed to be. A little patience and kindness go a long way all around.
And remember: Just because the menu is discounted doesn't mean tip less.