USVI-On-Line

To all you folks in the DC area...we're headed there next weekend for some sightseeing fun and am looking for some restaurant recommendations. We're traveling with our usual group - including 5 kids - and staying at the Grand Hyatt Washington. I haven't had much success in searching the internet for restaurants and would like to have some places in mind instead of searching aimlessly. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Our daughter used to live in DC and her favorite neighborhood restaurant was Matchbox (7th and H Streets)
http://matchboxdc.com/
It's great because the adults can have a meal they like and the kids can have great brick oven pizza.

Tony and Joes, Georgetown waterfront, nice views of the river and the Kennedy Center, go early outside seating gets busy if its a nice night. It also has a very nice water fountain area as you walk in the plaza of the waterfront. You will in enjoy it. It is one of my favorite places to go out for dinner and drinks.

Sandy

Ooooh, Grand Hyatt? Nice neighborhood! Y'all will have a ball. It helps if we know the price range and food preferences. But, that whole area is ripe with restaurants. Jason Oliver, the brewer at Gordon Biersch, is quite accomplished - 900 F Street and right next to the spy museum. Also in that neighborhood is Jaleo, Cafe Atlantico, Legal Seafood and about 25 other great places.

I would definately use the concierge at the hotel, they will be able to steer you to good places.

Cheers, RickG

I live west of DC in VA. I almost never go into DC, but I did take some relatives sightseeing there last year and we went to the Hark Rock Cafe. My son had a good time there as did the adults. The food is OK, but its mostly about the atmosphere. Im sure you wont have any trouble finding suitable restaurants..there are hundreds of them!

Thanks for your quick responses. As far as parameters, we're not worried about price, need somewhere with a decent wine list, possibly a nice steakhouse, Italian, or seafood, but somewhere that won't frown on bringing our kids.

Also, for those of you familiar w/the location of our hotel (RickG), will we be within walking distance of our hotel, or should we plan on taking the metro to get to these restaurants? Thanks again for any help!

I know you can walk to Matchbox, Legal Seafoods, and a new Clyde's from the Hyatt -they're all located within a block of 7th and H at the Chinatown gate. There is a new circulator bus (the red one) that runs a great cheap route to Georgetown, plus another that goes down to and around the mall area. Ask for a map at the hotel.

Chef Geoff's is around the corner from the national theater and across from the Warner Theater. Good food, nice wine selection and very kid friendly. Took the step grandaughter there. She's 8. They had a kid's menu and if memory serves, crayons and a coloring sheet with jokes and riddles on it as well.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I've made a reservation at Gordon Biersch (love it based on the website alone) and had to email Matchbox to see what their availability is, hopefully it will work too.

I'm relieved to have this taken care of so easily. You're all great. Will let you know how it all goes. Thanks again!

I second Chef Geoff's, great reputation.

Another source to check out is the Washington DC Restaurant Week - http://www.washington.org/restaurantwk/. All of Jose Adnres' restaurants are doing restaurant week the full month of August. Most of his restaurants are walking distance from 10th&H: Jaleo (kids' favorite), Cafe Atlantico, Zaytinya and Oyamel.

My kids also love Les Halles for the best pommes frites (french fries!). My youngest gets the steak frites and my oldest usually goes for duck. The only disk I don't recommend there is the cassoulet. The choucroute garni is great. They have a large outdoor dining area.

Have fun!!

Cheers, RickG

you will need to take a cab to Georgetown, metro does not go there. There are other resturants on the waterfront to choose from, Tony and Joes is seafood. Also, there is great shopping in Georgetown. Take your camera there also. Very historical too, The C & O canal is there also.

I would recommend a restaurant that is on a terrace of the Washington Hotel. The food is just okay, but the view is awesome! Overlooks the White House and the Mall. I hear the banana foster is great but I haven't tried myself.