DMV Summer Restaurant Week starts today
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Panna cotta at Centrolina, one of many D.C. spots partaking in Restaurant Week. Photo: Scott Suchman/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
D.C. restaurants don't stop — and like in any challenging environment, they're ready to welcome diners. Cue the DMV's biggest summer restaurant week, which starts today.
The big picture: Restaurant week is designed to combat the summer slump by enticing diners with deals.
- And with restaurant reservations plunging in D.C. since the federal takeover — plus tourism projecting downwards — it's more important for businesses than ever. Plus, a stressed public could use a meal break and some community.
State of play: RAMW Summer Restaurant Week (Aug. 18-24) includes hundreds of local spots across D.C., VA and MD offering set menus for lunch and brunch ($25/$35) or dinner ($40/$55/$65).
The intrigue: As a longtime D.C. food writer, I've covered a lot of restaurant weeks, and have some tips and tricks. (Number one — study menus in advance!)
- The best deals are always at lunch and brunch.
- Pick pricey places (better bang for your buck).
- New restaurants are fun, but don't sleep on classics.
Here, my picks in each ⬆️ category.
✨ New: Tapori (H Street) for vibrant Indian-Nepalese street food.
- Also: Bar Angie (meal + a scene in West End), Fish Shop (local seafood, Wharf), Sushi Sato (AYCE sushi on H Street), Minetta Tavern (throwback glam near Union Market).
🍸 Classic: Sushi Taro (Dupont), where I've had many great RW meals.
- Also: Rasika (genre-defining Indian in Penn Quarter, West End), Central (enduring downtown Michel Richard brasserie), Blue Duck Tavern (elegant farm-to-table in West End).
🥂 Luxe: Centrolina (City Center) serves a gorgeous-looking, seasonal Italian prix-fixe ($65) that doesn't skimp on ingredients.
- Also: Fiola Mare (especially for $35 lunch on the Georgetown waterfront), Mita (Shaw's plant-based award magnet).
🍅 Lunch: Casa Teresa (K Street) for divine gazpacho and lots of choices (e.g. grilled fish and steak), plus $20 pairings to make it a wet one.
🍳 Brunch: Osteria Morini (Navy Yard), where a $25 Italian prix fixe on the waterfront feels like a steal (ditto for Cucina Morini in Mt. Vernon Triangle).
- Also: Lulu's Wine Garden (includes a brunch bev on U Street), Del Mar (fancy tapas at the Wharf).
😢 Last call: Both Tail Up Goat and Petite Cerise will host their final Restaurant Weeks before closing (end of year and Aug. 24, respectively).
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Osteria Morini (not Cucina Morini) is in Navy Yard, and that Cucina Morini is also offering the $25 prix fixe.