Steak was done right, however the two gentlemen attending our table acted like they were just "bored" with the whole customer service concept, and almost grumpy even though we gave them plenty of smiles and kind words to brighten their mood. Wine selection is very limited and not impressive for a steakhouse.

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT, FOOD, SERVICE,and AMBIANCE! ...but very expensive.

I make it a point to eat here every time I m in DC. Great food place to sit and relax after a day on the Hill. The lemon curd pie and service are Outstanding!

Tons of character, excellent food, lots of history. Great place to make a deal or talk about current challenges!

Hadn’t been here for 30 years...it was terrific.

Since my first visit both the Manager and proprietor remember me upon arrival and I am routinely shown to a good table. Far from a weekly patron, their courtesy stems from my sharing a surname with a relative of the proprietor and their recognizing me as a Veteran. My "fame" is far from that of the Supreme Court Justices and Members of the Senate and
House who often occupy the tables, and whose photos are on the walls.

The food is superlative and I am delighted with the Calf's Liver with Applewood Smoked Bacon and grilled onions — a comfort food dish from my youth. The Monocle has a well-stocked bar and wine cellar, and the wait staff imparts the feeling that you are being protected from making a mistake, or being disturbed. Truly an original establishment which would be difficult to replicate.

Easily the best restaurant on Capitol Hill, it has a clubby atmosphere without being intimidating. I highly recommend it for a special date, a business meeting, or a special family occasion.

Wonderful experience. Delicious food. The best service. Highly recommend.

Excellent food! Came here after our elopment and it was perfect!

Great food and great hospitality. Will definitely make the stop everytime I'm in DC.

Delicious and a restaurant with "professional" waitstaff., which these days is a thing on the past. We will be back when we are in the city and would definitely recommend.

I think good is pre-prepared and reheated. Could have been very good with a little more attention.

Loved the Monocle. Food and services were both exemplary. Wait staff are well experienced and the outmost in professional as well as friendly and accomodating your every need.

We have eaten here before and this place does not disappoint!!! We have eaten all the steaks on the menu and the Salmon and all in our parties have been completely satisfied!! You will pay 55-75 per person which for DC isn’t bad at all. The only bummer was they didn’t have Moscato wine. This is a must try especially for the quality of service and food!!! Both were superb!!!

Excellent food and great service. We had crab cakes and calamari. Lots of professional political and diplomatic discussions. We arrived early and were seated right away. By the time we left afternoon it was very packed. Great place, would recommend.

The food and service were excellent. Our server was very attentive. Good selection of wine by the glass. Thank you.

It's always reliable...very good food, great service, a treat in the era of no table cloths (it has them), it's quiet enough to actually talk, relaxing, very fair pricing, and perfect location if near the Senate and Capitol.

I've passed by this unassuming place on the Hill for years before finally coming in for lunch. I had kind of low expectations, but this place puts out tasty food with great service. I had the salmon entree with creamy leek sauce, mashed potatoes (good amount of butter in there), and steamed asparagus. Each component was seasoned, tasty, and cooked perfectly. Portion was a little small. My dining colleague had the salmon BLT with a large helping of fries. Great service throughout the restaurant, which is no surprise given the clientele. The dining room is cozy and open, with low back booths--a place to see and be seen. Make reservations for lunch because this place filled up quick at noon, but it emptited out by 1:30. Prices are fair, especially for a DC "power lunch."

Makis basically ruined our experience...very rude, refused our requests, was notably in a bad mood and mumbled so quietly we couldn’t hear the specials. It’s shocking that a waiter like that would be allowed to have a job there and be SO disrespectful. On top of that we both ordered steak and it was below average. I would never go back.

The 3 of us, including a special friend, enjoyed our lunch overall. The steak was reportedly delicious. My "calf's" liver was tough, either overcooked or not from a calf. I should have sent it back but was distracted by hosting our friend all the way from Chicago. At first the host and the waiters were gruff, not particularly welcoming but they did warm up a little and we enjoyed them too. The drinks were good. The novelty of being in this Capitol Hill restaurant with politicos was fun. Being from Baltimore, is this a one time only visit or will we return? Dunno.

Waiter did not share the specials to us. Not great service at all, very unattentive. Food was delicious though.

This is the Senate-side haunt for staff and lobbyist when Congress is hopping. When Congress is in session, it is best to have a reservation.

The food is reliably good, and this is the best service for the price that you'll find in Washington.

When I need a business lunch venue close to Union Station, The Monocle is the only spot for me.

A classic landmark that provides excellent service.

All 5 in our party were very happy with their meals, from appetizers to dessert and drinks. The Monocle is a 'can't miss' for a good meal.

Took our 13-year-old son to The Monocle for his DC birthday trip. He loves politics and The Monocle seemed like a perfect "special" dinner. For a $200 meal, I was very disappointed with the service.

The pace of the evening was weird. After waiting about 5 minutes to be greeted at the table, the waiter seemed very rushed. When we finally ordered, our appetizers came out almost instantly. It made me feel like the food was just sitting around under a heat lamp waiting for us to order it.

When dinner was over, we asked for a dessert menu. It took quite some time for the order to be taken. Our son order cheesecake and my wife and I decided to both have a cocktail. Again, the food came out almost instantly. The drinks, however, took at least 10 minutes. So, we had hoped to sip on our drinks while our son ate, instead, he had to sit around and wait for us to get our drinks and then finish them. I would have canceled the order, but no wait staff came by to check on us or clear our son's empty plate.

Finally, when we were all finished, I just wanted to pay and leave. However, we couldn't get the attention of our waiter to get the check. After about 10 minutes of trying to grab him, I flagged the maitre de, asking for our check. He grabbed the waiter but took another 5 minutes for him to come to the table.

Finally, upon leaving we went to grab my wife's coat. The attendant pulled out a wicker basket with cash in it and said, "that'll be $2." I was caught off guard by the charge since there was no signage. I was embarrassed because I had no cash on me and apologized. She gave me the most indignant look and made the "shoo" motion with her hand.

In all, it was a bad experience, which is sad because I had such high hopes for this historic restaurant. I would not return here, rather seek out another political hot-spot like Ebbitts to see if we could have a better experience.

First time at the Monocle but looking forward to going back. Our meals were quite good and the price is better than some of the other nearby places.

It was extremely crowed and thus noisy and our server was not able to be as attentive as we would have liked. I certainly will try it out again.

The Monocle is Washington's top power lunch restaurant. If you don't know people who dine at The Monocle, you are keeping the wrong company. -- Carter L. Clews

Fabulous dinner!!!! Not knowing where to spend Valentine’s Day in DC, we went online and chose an established, family owned option. I have to admit we were a little skeptical as sometimes older restaurants lose their sheen and don’t stand up to their reputations. We were very happily surprised, and my faith in reputations has been restored. The food was superb, and classically prepared. The flavors and textures were perfectly balanced. I am having a hard time describing just how good our dinner was. The staff was equally delightful. My compliments to everyone there. Thank you!

Food and drink was excellent as was atmosphere and service. Little noisy but only because of a function in an adjacent room. We will absolutely be back. 👍👍

Lovely dinner for business discussion; Nick and staff all were accommodating, gave us time to talk in between check ins with us. Food was perfect.

I took a couple of business friends there for lunch. It is a historic and authentic Capitol Hill spot. The food was simple but good quality. I would definitely go there again, alone or with others.

This was recommended by a patron at another establishment. We loved the food and the surroundings. Very interesting to see some of the inner workings of DC done over the dinner table. I would definitely go back. The lamb was amazing!

The Monocle is always a high quality choice. The owners have been on the hill for many years and even though it's an institution, they make sure quality and service are top notch. Great place.

I was expecting a solid restaurant-week meal at Monocle but was pleasantly surprised at the excellence of all the dishes sampled from our table's gathering: Best beef tenderloin--so buttery and tender; perfectly-cooked pork chop; outstanding tuna tartare; creamy cheesecake and lemon curd pie. And our party of 5 could actually hear one another's conversation! We have rediscovered this long-time Hill establishment and will be back.

Was in the area so we went for restaurant week. Wife had the flatiron steak and I had she'll fish linguine. Everything was excellent and the service was first rate. We even got to see Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his wife who joined us for dinner! Along with his security detail of course! We will definitely be dining here again when we come back to DC. It was a great experience from start to finish.

Came here for lunch during Restaurant Week. Soup was excellent. Was like a cabbage and kale soup. Had Wagyu Steak and dessert was a lemon cheesecake. Service was attentive. Would recommend.

Upscale comfort food prepared perfectly. A wonderful staff to make you feel at home and glad to spend your money there. Gem.

Great meal

The restaurant week menu looked fantastic, but the food was mediocre.

I love the restaurant. I have dined there three times.

The chicken and the salmon were both outstanding. Excellent and unhurried service.