At this stylish neighborhood addition, a rooftop infinity pool (a rarity for D.C.) raises the hotel luxury bar. Need a last-minute restaurant reservation? Ask your personal concierge.
Known as “Washington’s correct address,” the 356-room Federalist-style downtown hotel recently received a silver-hued redo.
There’s a certain neo-Jetsons look to the whimsical Donovan House, in the up-and-coming Thomas Circle neighborhood.
The renovated hotel pays luxurious homage to the president with Monticello-inspired design (parquet floors; toile de Jouy drapery).
With a sceney rooftop lounge overlooking the White House, the W brand managed to inject nightclub-meets-Wonderland flair into what had been a lackluster hotel.
A top-to-bottom makeover has brightened up all 222 rooms, as well as the power-breakfast hot spot Seasons.
The sophisticated taupe-and-mahogany rooms come with views of the Potomac River.
Enter the lobby of this Tony Chi–designed retreat, and you’ll see photographs of cherry trees printed onto 10-foot-tall glass panels. Upstairs, rooms are decorated with American folk art.
Generations of presidents (Coolidge, Truman, Reagan) and stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor have checked in to the gray stone mansion, formerly the Carlton Hotel.
It’s got a prime location near the Mall; one of the District’s top restaurants, City Zen; and a Presidential Suite in eye-popping black-and-gold chinoiserie.
This Beaux-Arts icon holds pride of place at the White House’s front door. At night, the hotel’s Off the Record bar is the after-work hangout for politicos of all stripes.
A classic men’s haberdashery if ever there was one, this place specializes in the sort of conservatively stylish suits, shirts, ties, and shoes that are the telltale marks of D.C. movers and shakers.
The racks in Marlene Hu Aldaba’s two-story clothing shop are stuffed with of-the-moment brands including Yigal Azrouël and the Row (the Olsen twins’ award-winning line).
The hostess-gift go-to for any well-heeled Georgetown guest: expect European artisanal accoutrements, tabletop items, and handmade objets d’art selected by owner Adam Mahr.
This boutique in Cady’s Alley—D.C.’s design strip—is run by fashion insider Nancy Pearlstein, who chooses from a short list of notables including Dries Van Noten, Marni, Jil Sander, and Balenciaga.
Stylist Kelly Muccio carries key brands—Rogan and Band of Outsiders among them—at her men’s store, a converted town house complete with a bourbon bar and a showroom for personal-shopping clients.
Now a museum, the hilltop mansion was Honest Abe's summer White House, where he drafted the Emancipation Proclamation and coordinated much of the North’s military deployment during the Civil War.
Designed by Philip Johnson in 1963, this petite gallery is as captivating as the Impressionist and Modernist works it contains (paintings by Cézann, and Braque, plus sculptures by Calder and Rodin).
Inside the Hillwood’s museum and garden are 18th-century Russian and French art and antiques collected by owner Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the General Foods fortune.
D.C.’s historic music hall on Black Broadway has reopened as a super-club, booking major R&B, jazz, and pop acts. Bonus: chef Marcus Samuelsson oversees the restaurant.
A haute Dupont Circle spot that takes Greece as a starting point (slow-roasted baby goat with pita and tzatziki; foie gras and Wagyu-beef-tongue gyro).
Wolfgang Puck's sleek and spacious glass-and-steel dining room in the Newseum plays with pan-Asian flavors, skipping from China to Japan, Korea to India.
D.C.’s elite, from CNN’s Wolf Blitzer to Virginia Senator Mark Warner, flock to this classic Indian restaurant for authentic northern Indian cuisine. Ask the server for guidance, and share everything.
Chef Daniel O’Brien turns out an ever-changing multicourse menu during the Wednesday-through-Saturday 12-seat dinners at this specialty pop-up market in the Shaw neighborhood.
Spanish-born star chef José Andrés jump-started his career in his new home city with tapas restaurant Jaleo. Sample a classic paella or a tortilla with sobrasada, onions, and Mahón cheese.
If you’re looking for something more daring than José Andrés’s tapas restaurant Jaleo, head to nearby Minibar, where one-bite molecular concoctions take center stage.
A 60-plus-year-old institution known for its no-frills grub. Our favorite: the Chili Half Smoke, a pork-and-beef smoked sausage on a steamed bun with mustard, onions, and Ben’s signature chili sauce.
A clubby speakeasy serving classic cocktails. Order one (or two or three) of the old-fashioned fizzes or sours, plus olives or another light bite from the snack menu.
Don’t visit this retro-nautical low-key bar and restaurant without ordering a platter of oysters, accompanied by a light white wine or local microbrew.
An ode to tapas in a chic, loftlike space. The roasted shishito peppers and the montadito (a Spanish open-faced sandwich) of duck and foie gras are menu highlights.
An upstairs/downstairs, beer-focused restaurant and gastropub. At Birch & Barley, order the cavatelli and flounder tartare; at Church Key, Tater Tots and charcuterie.
An upstairs/downstairs, beer-focused restaurant and gastropub. At Birch & Barley, order the cavatelli and flounder tartare; at Church Key, Tater Tots and charcuterie.
Chef José Andres tells us he comes for here for a little escape: walking through the vast halls always inspires him.
Catch a free performance every night at 6 p.m.
Fill up on Southern comfort food and yummy cocktails at this neighborhood favorite.
Chef Todd Gray’s seasonal menu is perfect for an upscale dinner with clients near the Golden Triangle.
The Jefferson hotel’s bar serves excellent wines—some dating back to the 1800’s.
For a hearty breakfast, head to the tavern and feast on short-rib hash and pecan sticky buns.
Nancy Pelosi is a fan of this hairstylist, along with soigné military officials.
