2 hours ago - Food and Drink
D.C. Summer Restaurant Week: New restaurants and can't-miss classics
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Hop into Rye Bunny for summer Restaurant Week. Photo: Scott Suchman
It's reservation time. Washington's biggest summer Restaurant Week returns Aug. 24-30.
Why it matters: Over 200 DMV restaurants participate in the summer promo, with some great deals — whether you're after a $25 brunch or a $65 splurge.
The big picture: Restaurant Week lands a little later than usual this year, after D.C.'s inaugural IndyCar race. Otherwise, the formula is familiar: three-course brunches and lunches ($25-$35) and dinners ($40, $55 or $65).
Worth noting: Some spots sweeten the deal with drink specials (especially at brunch).
- Others are stretching the celebration beyond a week. Knead Hospitality and Bresca, for example, are running "Restaurant Month" specials throughout August, while L'Ardente and its sister spots run through Sept. 6.
🍽️ Newcomers worth booking
- José Andrés' newly reimagined steakhouse inside the Waldorf Astoria is offering a $35 brunch. Pro tip: Brunch/lunch at spendy spots are typically the best Restaurant Week deals. Here, you'll get a full meal for about what one steak tartare normally costs.
- Chef Timothy Yu's modern Cantonese restaurant in Navy Yard is serving crowd favorites like chili wontons and black pepper wagyu, plus an $80 duck feast for two. There's also a $25 lunch if you're keeping things budget-friendly.
- Navy Yard's New Orleans newcomer is going all in with $35 brunch and lunch plus a $55 dinner. Another perk: August prime frozen cocktail season on their patio.
- One of the city's best cocktail bars also serves surprisingly excellent food. The Restaurant Week menu is still under wraps, but Hive Hospitality (Bresca, Jônt) earns its buzz.
- The Adams Morgan breakout hit hadn't posted its $55 Restaurant Week menu as of publication, but after multiple visits, I'm confident it'll be as delicious as it is popular. They also just added daily dinner.
- Dupont's buzzy new sushi destination is serving a five-course $65 dinner featuring longtime favorites like hamachi crudo and the fried milk dessert.
Classics you can't miss
- The Rasika restaurateur's first fine-dining Indian restaurant always charms — yes, that's live piano in the dining room — with a terrific vegetarian thali included at $35 brunch and $55 dinner.
- Restaurant Week at the late Michel Richard's Penn Quarter institution is a D.C. rite of passage — just like the goat cheese Caesar and Michel's legendary fried chicken ($35 lunch, $55 dinner).
- There's a reason celebrities have flocked here for decades. The Georgetown favorite is serving red sauce classics like meatballs and nonna's gnocchi during $35 lunch and $65 dinner.
- José Andrés' first restaurant is a Restaurant Week go-to — especially at $35 lunch — plus they're offering a $55 dinner.
- Chef Ris Lacoste's menus are as warm and generous as the restaurant itself, with comforting dishes like French onion soup and clam linguine — plus the option to swap a course for a glass of wine or beer.
- I've never had a disappointing Restaurant Week meal here over the past decade-plus — and they've been going over 40 years. Before the $65 dinner, they're running an anniversary happy hour through August 14 that's a great deal.
- White tablecloths, impeccably dressed servers and some of downtown's best martinis. Long before throwback was trendy, Tosca perfected it — and the Restaurant Week menu ($65 dinner) is full of classics.