The Monocle

Waiters have a lot of experience and make you feel that you should be glad they are serving you. Very expensive for what you get but this is a place you pay to see the history. Likely see spoiled congress members there that should have been subject to term limits long ago.

I have been coming here for 15 years and it is one of my favorite venues. Excellent staff and a good variety of well-prepared food.

A bit off the beaten path. Very very good! Went the night before thanksgiving so it was pretty quiet as most govt workers had left for the holiday. Food was top notch. Simple upscale American fare but done quite well. Crab imperial was excellent, good sized portion and quite reasonable at $15. Filet was cooked perfectly and reasonable by DC standards at $39. Even the bread basket was tasty. Look forward to returning.

For those from the Buckeye State, there's a photo of U.S. Senator John Glenn prominently displayed on the wall.

I have been going there for years. It is always like going home. Nick and the staff have a knack for connecting with patrons of long standing. The consistency of service and food are above standard.

Just a sensational dinner. Quiet Friday night - Congress out (great for America). Crab cakes were perfect. Kind, personal attention from staff.

It’s been years since my last visit ... hasn’t lost a step. Ready to return!

Food was delicious and service awesome - look forward to our next meal there!

The wine list was thin but the steaks were phenomenal and the service on point.

We had a fabulous meal. Our server was excellent. Well all had a different meal and no one was disappointed! The liver and onion dish was extra special for our friend who loves it and let’s be honest it’s not a dish that most would put on their menu. She was extremely excited and was very satisfied.

A treasure in DC!

The Monocle is always excellent. The food is great, the service is wonderful, and the wine list is lovely. We always receive a warm welcome from the staff, and have never had a bad meal. The Monocle is one of our favorite date night spots on Capitol Hill.

Great service and convenient for dining on the Hill. Friendly staff, excellent daily specials.

My brother and our wives went to the Monocle for dinner on 12 October 2018. From the moment we walked in to the time we paid our bill we were treated as family by the host and waiters. The menu is outstanding and the drinks are phenomenal. Plus, the place has an air of old-school charm and ambiance that has a cool factor you can't in many any other restaurant in the city. We'll be back!

This is a restaurant more well known for the people you might see dining there than the food on which they dine. The entrees we ordered were solid, but not memorable. It's pretty loud, so not so hot for a business dinner. I lay most of the blame for the noise, however, at the feet of other diners who felt the need to converse and laugh at the top of their voices.

Always a great restaurant. Superior service and food. Highly recommended.

Classic place near the Capital and the DC attractions. Mingle with your legislators and thier staff while enjoying good food at a reasonable price.

The restaurant looks dated rather than classic. We felt rushed. Main course arrived while we were still eating our starter. Food was filling rather than tasty. The wine was the highlight of our dining experience.

The service was great! Couldn't have asked for better. Food was delicious as well.

Restaurant week was s good experience here!! A couple steaks were not delivered with the rarity ordered but it was overall quite good food. Waiter and staff were welcoming and very friendly. Very glad we tried this spot!!

Great service, convenient location, good traditional food, quiet. Great value.

This is our go to place for Restaurant Week. I wish we could afford to eat there more often. Did see one celebrity this time. Quintessential Washington, DC.

Excellent food, friendly waiter (Joel), and awesome history!

Standard business lunch spot on the hill

This restaurant was a quick Uber ride from our White House area hotel. It was somewhat quiet since Congress is in recess this week. My husband had the Salmon and I had the Chicken Milanese - both were excellent. We split a Ceasar salad - also very good. Service is exceptional so I would definitely go back the next time we are in DC.

Nice place for a business lunch. Short walk from Union Station

GREAT experience, we were greeted as soon as we walked in, sat down right away. The staff was excellent, food was amazing. Definitely will be returning when we visit the area again.

Overall a good experience. The happy hour is fantastic.

Amazing experience! Service was great. They were attentive by always clearing our table when we were finished and refilling drinks without having to ask. This made our first night in DC memorable. I’ll definitely come back.

All of the employees were very friendly and made us feel welcome. (We were tourists.) I have celiac disease and need to eat gluten free, and the waiter was very helpful with that.

I always love bringing folks to the Monocle when in DC for advocacy work.

Great restaurant in a very good location in close proximity to the Senate office buildings. Staff highly professional and always helpful. Food very consistently excellent. A pleasure to dine at the Monocle.

A classic DC gathering spot. Excellent food and service. Great location to watch for politicians

Fantastic!

A unique American restaurant right on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Classic American dishes (steak, seafood) well prepared. Attentive service and great people-watching!

Wonderful food and great service. Will definitely go back for lunch.

The Monocle is an old school D.C. steak and seafood restaurant. It certainly lives up to its rave reviews! The Monocle is housed in a building that was built in 1885, and the interior decor is elegant simplicity. The service was outstanding. We began with the Jumbo Crab Meat Imperial appetizer. My friend, as is her wont, had a crab cake for her entrée. It was served with summer veggies and a unique sauce. I had a 14 oz New York strip steak, although 10 or 12 ozs would have been sufficient. The meat just melted in my mouth. My steak came with potatoes au gratin. We also shared a side of zucchini, red peppers & grilled onions served in shallot butter. We completed our repast with slice of dark walnut cake á la mode in a cognac syrup. It was the perfect dining experience.

Great food and service.

The Monocle is one of Washington's first and surviving power lunch locations. It's on Capitol Hill on the Senate side. You will see Senate staffers and senators eating here. The food is good.

Having said that, we went because a retired friend and I decided to get together for lunch, and he said the Monocle was on his bucket list. We both had a glass of red wine and ordered the chopped waygu beef stuffed with a mild, local blue cheese. I ordered mine medium rare, but it was only a little pink. Maybe that's unfair because the chopped beef was fairly thin.

Service was attentive, and it was easy (but not rushed) to be finished in an hour.

I probably will get back there before I retire in a year or two.

We dined at the Monocle on a Friday night after a long drive to DC. It was the perfect choice. I ordered the Chicken Milanese and my husband had the pork chop. Both were excellent as was the warm shrimp over pesto bean salad appetizer. The wine list had lots of good choices. If we lived in the neighborhood we would dine at the Monocle frequently.