Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in District of Columbia

OpenTable

Updated October 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in District of Columbia? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Lafayette Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (1596)

$31 to $50

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Washington’s destination for power dining, the Lafayette Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With large windows opening onto Lafayette Park and the White House, this sun-lit dining room is one of the most elegant settings in the capital and is certain to complement any dining experience.

Top review

Marija

Dined 4 days ago

Steak was excellent, but the soup surprisingly didn’t taste as good as the steak. Service was good. I recommend it for lunch.

DeCarlo's Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (604)

$31 to $50

Italian

Tenleytown

About the restaurant

Lucy DeCarlo created DeCarlo’s Restaurant 40 years ago bringing the warmth and love of the Italian tradition to her restaurant. DeCarlo’s aims to be your home away from home and is a wonderful retreat from the demands of the city!

DeCarlo’s Italian Restaurant is the ultimate expression of a charming neighborhood restaurant! It is considered a local secret, where you can almost always hear Sinatra or Bocelli playing in the background. DeCarlo’s represents a dining experience where you can relax, talk, and enjoy a wonderful meal. The ambiance is a timeless feel of elegance – yet casual. DeCarlo’s is devoted to providing you personal attention with the highest standards of quality.

Join us in the main dinning room, Terrace Room, or alfresco on our patio. DeCarlo’s is the perfect setting to join friends and family. The menu features a diverse selection of Italian favorites and daily specials. DeCarlo’s feeds the body and soul!

Top review

Cosvip

Dined 2 days ago

It's in an odd location and is a bit confusing to get to. However, it is worth the trip up to this Italian gem. The food and the service are amazing. Lucy still makes the rounds to visit with her clientele.

Jônt

4.9

4.9 (68)

$50 and over

French / Japanese

U Street Corridor

About the restaurant

At Jônt, we are a team of young and inspired chefs taking down the walls between kitchen and guests and taking you on a culinary adventure. Immerse yourself in a progressive tasting menu focusing on the simple, yet luxurious, ingredients around the world with deep inspiration from Japanese cuisine.

We challenge the seasons, navigate beyond the limits of time and break with tradition— getting playful with process and tricky with techniques at the intersection of place and possibility.

Jônt has been recognized with two Michelin stars since 2021.

Top review

Eliot

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent nonalcoholic beverage pairing. Really great food. Pricey, but you get exquisite preparations of some of the world's finest ingredients, and the staff and friendly and accommodating.

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Experience

Chef's Tasting Menu

Experience

$295 Chef's Tasting Menu

Experience

Krug Champagne Dinner

Elizabeth's

4.9

4.9 (1262)

$50 and over

Vegan

Downtown

About the restaurant

Elizabeth's offers an extraordinary dining experience every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. We merge our gorgeous venue with a prix fixe Vegan Tasting Menu at $110 per person. Elizabeth's is a destination for special occasions and adventurous cuisine.

Our sommelier curates a pairing of wines and beverages sourced from around the world at an additional $85 per person. We also offer a non-alcoholic beverage pairing comprised of non-alcoholic wines, mocktails, and infusions for $65 per person.

Fully raw menus are not available. Please call the restaurant (202-347-8349) in reference to any allergies prior to making your reservation. Regarding reservations of 5 or more, please call the restaurant directly.

We source and prepare the freshest ingredients for our exclusive fine dining experience. For this reason, reservation confirmations are required 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your understanding of the commitment that is made to creating a memorable dining experience.

Top review

LiliPvip

Dined 2 days ago

Super impressed with the menu creativity AND the amazing attentiveness of the staff! Everything tasted wonderfully - the main entree was a little bit salty for me but the amazing flavors and presentation of everything else more than made up for it. We chose to add the caviar option and it was incredible! The “half” wine pairing gave us the option to not over-indulge and Michael the sommelier was spot on with his pairing choices! The birthday card with the printed menu to mark our celebration was a thoughtful touch to a marvelous evening. Love love love it!

The Greenhouse at The Jefferson, DC

4.7

4.7 (1056)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in downtown DC, just four blocks from the White House, breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch are served under The Jefferson’s historic skylight in The Greenhouse. Natural light streams from above, creating an airy atmosphere that complements the light, fresh and energizing fare on our seasonal menus.

Top review

Ken

Dined on Oct 5, 2024

Great atmosphere. Excellent service. Decent food. Not pricey, given it’s at The Jefferson. You can’t beat the service at the Jefferson everywhere you go.

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Experience

The Wine Cellar at Greenhouse

Experience

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Jefferson Hotel

Causa

4.9

4.9 (32)

$50 and over

Peruvian

Shaw

About the restaurant

Causa is our Michelin-Starred tasting room where the world of Peruvian culinary tradition comes to life, thanks to the artistry of Chef Carlos Delgado. Here, you'll embark on a journey through the gastronomic heritage of the Peruvian geographical regions.

Reservations are released on the 1st of the month at noon for the following month for our Causa dining experience. This prix-fixe menu is priced at $179. Taxes and service charges are added separately. Enhance your experience further with a Remarkable Wine Pairing to compliment your 6-courses or venture into North America's rarest pisco selection and fully immerse yourself in the bounty of Peru's national spirit.

If you have any questions or need clarifications on allergens or restrictions, reach out to antonio@causadc.com prior to booking.

Causa only accepts inKind House Account credit and is unable to accept general inKind credits. Please reach out to inKind support for further clarification.

Top review

Michael

Dined 1 day ago

Destination spot. Food is gorgeous & precise both visually & gustatorily. Ambience is lights-up and chatty (in a nice way) w the service: they delight in their work & want to share what they’re doing. We were at the bar, which is where I always want to be

The Prime Rib

4.7

4.7 (3426)

$50 and over

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

D.C's premier steakhouse with tuxedoed waiters and a 1940s Manhattan supper-club setting since 1976. Top five romantic restaurant in America (Food and Wine magazine). Live piano nightly. Valet parking. business casual for gentlemen.

Top review

Yen

Dined on Oct 4, 2024

The food and service were excellent. Nice piano music.

Eatopia Eatery

4.8

4.8 (11)

$31 to $50

Ethiopian

U Street Corridor

About the restaurant

Welcome to Eatopia Eatery, an Ethiopian fine dining experience located in the heart of the historic U Street Corridor. We offers a luxurious dining experience with a communal touch. Indulge in the vibrant atmosphere from our wide window seats while our excellent service ensures that every moment is memorable.

At Eatopia, our culinary artisans craft each dish with love, using authentic ingredients and traditional techniques to bring the flavors to life. Signature dishes include our tantalizing Doro Wot & our savory Shiro (Chickpeas ) to our wide plant based selections, sea food entrees. You got to try the Eatopia Beef Tibs and Lega Tibs (Lamb)

Join us for a dining experience where the present meets the future, and every bite is a celebration of hope, heritage, and tradition.”

Eatopia is just steps away from iconic landmarks such as the Lincoln Theatre and the African American Civil War Memorial and close to DC's main attractions, including the White House and the National Mall.

Top review

OpenTable Dinervip

Dined on Oct 1, 2024

Food was amazing! Service great with recommendations and explanation.

Fitzgerald's

4.7

4.7 (76)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Georgetown

About the restaurant

Fitzgerald's Cocktail Bar and Restaurant, located two doors down from the 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown at 1232 36th St NW. Featuring classic & creative cocktails, Japanese whisky, extensive wine list.

Top review

Maria carmela

Dined 7 days ago

The cocktails were excellent, and the atmosphere was truly delightful. The live music was enjoyable, and the band played very well. The service was top-notch, and the food was not bad. Overall, a great find!

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Experience

Wednesday - Saturday | 5 - 6:30 pm

The Dabney

4.8

4.8 (216)

$50 and over

American

Shaw

About the restaurant

Located in historic Blagden Alley in D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood since 2015, The Dabney continues to pay tribute to the wonderful farmers, watermen, and purveyors of the mid-Atlantic region whom provide some of the best and most unique products in the country. We celebrate these ingredients by preparing them in a large wood burning hearth which is the centerpiece of our open kitchen. The current dining room experience is an 8-course tasting menu honoring the Mid-Atlantic's bounty. We offer an additional 3-course experience at our bar and bar area tables. Walk-in guests are welcome to enjoy the bar area as well.

The Dabney has been awarded one Michelin star every year since 2017, James Beard Foundation Best Chef Mid-Atlantic for Chef Jeremiah Langhorne in 2018, and Washingtonian Magazine's #1 restaurant in 2023.

At this time we are unable to accommodate severe allium and dairy allergies as well as vegan and vegetarian diets.

Top review

OpenTable Dinervip

Dined 4 days ago

Anniversary

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Experience

8 Course Tasting Menu in the Dining Room

Experience

3 Courses Prix Fixe in The Bar Area

Experience

6 Course Tasting Menu in the Dining Room

Explore Diners' Choice best of District of Columbia