Best Restaurants for People Watching in Washington

36 restaurants available nearby

1. Avenue Grill

4.7

Exceptional(315)

Price: Expensive

• American • Downtown

Avenue Grill is located at the corner of 14th St. & Pennsylvania Avenue inside the JW Marriott. Its design celebrates the history of America’s Main Street and its cuisine features classic American fare, showcasing locally and sustainably sourced ingredients. Currently offering both a Full Breakfast Buffet, with made to order omelets, as well as a la carte breakfast menu options. The perfect place to start your day, join us in Avenue Grill.*Menus subject to change based on seasonality and availability

2. Dauphine’s

4.6

Exceptional(1394)

Price: Expensive

• Contemporary American • Downtown

Booked 13 times today

Dauphine’s is a modern day incarnation of the dramatic Grande Dame establishments of New Orleans, brought to you by the award winning Long Shot Hospitality - the team behind DC's beloved The Salt Line Restaurants. Dauphine’s utilizes Mid-Atlantic ingredients to prepare classic New Orleans fare while also creating original dishes inspired by the legendary city. All brought to you in a breathtaking spacious downtown restaurant setting with the most beautiful bar in downtown DC, plenty of patio dining, and a festive outdoor bar and garden area. Located in the Midtown Center, Dauphine's is just steps from the White House, National Theater, Convention Center, Cap One Arena and most downtown attractions and provides an elegant yet relaxed dining atmosphere for any occasion. Dauphine’s serves Dinner seven nights a week and Brunch on weekends, with Happy Hour every day 4pm-7pm and an ALL DAY Happy Hour on Sundays - plus don't miss our signature Sunday Live Jazz Brunch! We hope to see you soon!

A photo of The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea restaurant

3. The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea

4.4

Awesome(334)

Price: Very Expensive

• Afternoon Tea • Downtown

Booked 1 time today

Luxuriate in the hotel’s grand lobby lounge for one of our most cherished afternoon traditions. Enjoy the finest selection of teas from Dammann Frères, exquisite tea sandwiches, delicious sweets, and homemade scones. Feel free to lavish your experience with our selective optional Champagne pairings. $109,00 per person, excluding tax & gratuity. Available Thursday - Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:45pm.

4. Georgia Brown's

4.4

Awesome(8801)

Price: Expensive

• Regional American (Low Country) • Downtown

Booked 32 times today

Come and experience our lively interpretation of South Carolina Low-Country cuisine. Enjoy good southern food, servers who bubble over with hospitality, and a dining room that is truly distinctive. With its golden woods and bronze sculptures that crawl across the ceiling, designer Adam Tihany has created an atmosphere to awaken your senses. What better place to enjoy low country cuisine than in this contemporary environment celebrating the south. Offering the flavor of the South - the Soul of Washington; where we will be sure to leave a light burning in the window for you, our guests.22% service charge is included on every check. 18% is distributed directly to service workers on top of their base wages, and the remaining 4% is used to help pay for all staff costs due to the District of Columbia's Initiative 82. You may choose to leave an additional tip!https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaBrownsRestaurant/https://www.instagram.com/georgiabrowns_dc/http://gbrowns.com/

A photo of CIRCA at Clarendon restaurant

5. CIRCA at Clarendon

4.7

Exceptional(1461)

Price: Moderate

• American • Arlington

Booked 5 times today

All of our CIRCA restaurants are neighborhood bistros serving delicious food and drinks. Each CIRCA is warm, inviting, and offers an energized social scene.Whether dropping in for brunch, lunch, dinner — every meal is accompanied by an extensive wine list, including over 20 wine offerings by the glass and a seasonal cocktail list. Our patios are located on the best city corners for a vibrant dining experience. Join us and dine well!Our Dining Room and Patio are Open!

6. Peacock Café

4.8

Exceptional(1978)

Price: Moderate

• Contemporary American • Georgetown

Booked 17 times today

Maziar Farivar, Chef/Proprietor serves contemporary American cuisine with flavors of around the world in an elegant, comfortable & cosmopolitan setting. Celebrating over 28 year Anniversary in Georgetown, Peacock Cafe is a dining experience not to be missed when in Georgetown. In addition to our wonderful lunch menu, we do offer a selection of our popular breakfast items as well on weekdays (11am-4pm). Chef Maziar, on dinner menu offers a greater variety of small plates and entrees from contemporary American to small selection of Contemporary Iranian (Persian) dishes. Enjoy a comprehensive wine list from boutique wineries to large labels and fabulous signature cocktails from the bar to compliment your dining experience.

A photo of Chef Geoff's West End restaurant

7. Chef Geoff's West End

4.3

Awesome(1592)

Price: Moderate

• American • West End

Booked 15 times today

A vibrant, modernized iteration of the original Chef Geoff’s offering seasonal dishes full of flavor. You will feel welcome here for any occasion large or small. Our made from scratch menu offers something for everyone. From pizza, salads and burgers to our more elaborate main dishes, one thing is for certain, we don’t skimp on flavor! Our bar covers all ends of the spectrum from our famous Supermugs (giant beers) to our handcrafted cocktails. Enjoy our open air dining, people watching on the patio or or our beautifully designed dining room!

A photo of CIRCA at Foggy Bottom restaurant

8. CIRCA at Foggy Bottom

4.6

Exceptional(3043)

Price: Moderate

• American • Foggy Bottom

Booked 15 times today

A photo of Milk & Honey - The Wharf restaurant

9. Milk & Honey - The Wharf

4.1

Excellent(119)

Price: Moderate

• American • Southwest Waterfront

Booked 25 times today

Milk and Honey is a New Orleans themed Southern Brunch that features Award Winning Shrimp & Grits, Chicken & Waffles, RumChata French Toast and specializes in other slow cooked mouth-watering favorites. No matter the type of experience you are looking for, we have the dish for you. Join us for brunch with friends, lovers, family and everyone in between. Carryout available at all locations. Milk and Honey Wharf is located along the beautiful Southeast Waterfront in Washington DC. A Southern Brunch Restaurant and one of our “Full Service” locations, we are excited to share a delectable menu featuring Butter Glazed Biscuits, Old Bay Wings, and award-winning Shrimp & Grits.

10. Floriana

4.7

Exceptional(3843)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Dupont Circle

Booked 12 times today

Floriana offers authentic Italian recipes with handmade pastas in the most comfortable of environments. Located in DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood, in a historic brick stone row house that has been converted into a cozy restaurant, but hasn't given up the feel of coming over to someones home for dinner. Offering a seasonal menu of fresh and local ingredients Floriana has developed a reputation for consistent, high quality, authentic, feel good dishes at a great value. Our pledge of superior service is matched only by our ability to make every guest feel welcome and comfortable when joining us for a DC dining experience.We pay special attention to every guest that chooses Floriana.

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

R
RenaVIP
Caribbean •14 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
TiShonda was absolutely great. She triple checked our orders against food allergies in our group. She kept checking on us. She was friendly and very helpful. Everything we ordered was simply delicious.
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Georgia Brown'sPrice: Expensive• Regional American (Low Country)• Downtown
•
4.4
C
Chris
Washington, D.C. Area •1 review
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
Great time for afternoon tea. Food and service were both very good. If it is cold out, recommend getting a spot away from the door, it can be drafty. Looking forward to coming back for drinks and dinner.
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The St Regis DC - Afternoon teaPrice: Very Expensive• Afternoon Tea• Downtown
•
4.4
C
CarolineVIP
New York City •14 reviews
4.0
Dined 5 days ago
I had a good time overall. The food was worth it, and the staff was so kind. Unfortunately, I had a not-so-nice encounter with a customer who was staying at the hotel. She ordered food from her chair and shouted at the lady doing omelets. I found this to be extremely rude. The woman who ran the Omelette station handled the incident with care, but I felt the encounter should have been addressed on a higher level. It does not matter what or how much money you may have; you should not yell at anyone to fix you an omelet from across the station while other customers have waited in line.
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Avenue GrillPrice: Expensive• American• Downtown
•
4.7
F
FadaVIP
Washington, D.C. Area •147 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
We truly appreciate the fabulous food (I had the salmon salad and my sister had a salad with shrimp). The ambiance is always welcoming (although it is generally cold since the vents blast air), and the service is remarkable. We enjoy CIRCA so much.
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CIRCA at ClarendonPrice: Moderate• American• Arlington
•
4.7
K
Kenny
Washington, D.C. Area •2 reviews
5.0
Dined on Dec 18, 2024
Oysters are fresh and the bread is amazing! They can even split entrees in two plates if needed.
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Dauphine’sPrice: Expensive• Contemporary American• Downtown
•
4.6

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Best Restaurants for People Watching in Washington

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36 restaurants available nearby

1. Avenue Grill

2. Dauphine’s

3. The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea

4. Georgia Brown's

5. CIRCA at Clarendon

6. Peacock Café

7. Chef Geoff's West End

8. CIRCA at Foggy Bottom

9. Milk & Honey - The Wharf

10. Floriana

See what locals rave about

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