Restaurant Week is finally here, and there are ways to try new restaurants and new meals on a budget. News4’s Tommy McFly reports.
Winter Restaurant Week is one of the best reasons to go outside in January. It’s back from Monday, Jan. 16 to Sunday, Jan. 22.
Dozens of restaurants will offer deals for multi-course brunches and lunches ($25) or dinners ($40-$55). Some menus offer wine pairings, cocktail specials and to-go options.
Here's the full list of participating restaurants. You know the drill: Make reservations early.
Restaurant Week Pro Tips
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
News4's favorite foodie Eun Yang tells us she's always looking to try someplace that's quite pricey, or a neighborhood restaurant she hasn't visited yet.
Her recommendations? All Purpose Pizzeria (Capitol Riverfront/Shaw), L'Ardente, Le Clou, Nama Ko, The Salt Line (Capitol Riverfront/Ballston), Ruthie's All-Day, Mandu, Dauphine's and Pennyroyal Station.
Anna Spiegel, food editor at Washingtonian Magazine, says she’s rediscovering classic D.C. restaurants such as Equinox. She also looks for restaurants offering significant discounts — such as Del Mar on The Wharf.
Cornelia Poku, the woman behind Black Girls Explore D.C. on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter — plus our Scene Setter in The Weekend Scene newsletter — appreciates restaurants that offer their entire menu for Restaurant Week, such as Alta Strada (The District/Mosaic).
Over a mouth-watering lunch of grilled oysters, beef carbonnade and cheesy tartiflette at Belgian restaurant The Henri, News4's Tommy McFly asked Poku and Spiegal to share their best advice.
Pro tip #1: Do not skip lunch.
"Do not miss out on the $25 three-course lunch options. They are harder to find, but there are so many to choose from," Poku said. "Check out the website and dig around to see who is offering lunch, and then double check the menu to make sure it costs $25."
Glam Italian restaurant L'Ardente is among those places with a solid lunch deal. We also found the $25 lunches at Al Dente, Art and Soul, Crazy Aunt Helen's, Fig & Olive, J. Hollinger's, Osteria Morini, Rasika, Spanish Diner, Supra (which counts a glass of house wine as a dessert option) and Yardbird.
Pro tip #2: Meal plan with friends.
"If you’re comfortable with sharing, remember that the more friends you go with, the more dishes you can taste and try! Who doesn't love a bite of something different?" Poku said.
Pro tip #3: Spot red flags.
Spiegel also suggests looking for red flags on the deal menus.
“If you notice there are things like chicken breast or salmon, whereas there’s usually things like wagyu steak or branzino, they might be dumbing down the menu a little bit,” Spiegel said.
Where to Eat on Winter Restaurant Week 2023
Not sure what to pick? Here are some highlights from the smorgasbord:
- Foray into fine dining at Bresca or Cranes, where each Michelin-starred restaurant offers a $55 menu, or L’Ardente and Estuary, serving deals just for lunch.
- City Cruises hosts its first-ever Restaurant Week dinner cruise for $55.
- D.C. restaurants participating for the first time include Ellington Park Bistro, Le Clou, Nama Ko, Rosemary Bistro Cafe, Surveyor, Takara 14, Tiki on 18th and Vagabond, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington says.
- In Virginia, the newcomers include Bar Ivy (Arlington), Big Buns 50 (Fairfax), Franklin Farm (Herndon), CIRCA at Boro (Tysons) and North Italia Reston in Virginia, according to RAMW.
- ICYMI: Tommy's still salivating over the summer Restaurant Week offerings from Taqueria Xochi and Bar Chinois, so we may have to go back.
- Many restaurants opt to extend their dining deals. So far, we've heard that Alta Strada (D.C. and Mosaic), Bar Ivy, Dovetail, Joselito Casa de Comidas, Nama Sushi Bar and SER will go until Sunday, Jan. 29. The Henri, Michele’s (dine-in dinner only) and Nama Ko will offer deals until Saturday, Jan. 28.
Want to know what's up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.
