The 9 Best Deals For DC’s Restaurant Week

Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week is back from August 12-18. There are over 200 participating restaurants this year, with set multi-course menus for three meals: $25 or $35 for brunch and lunch, and $40, $55, or $65 for dinner. To help you narrow things down, we made a list of nine participating spots that we love, in alphabetical order.

THE SPOTS

Bar Chinois

The deal : $25 brunch menu, $40 dinner menu

Bar Chinois is doing a brunch and dinner menu for Restaurant Week, and both include one of our favorite dishes: the gyoza de boeuf, which comes out piping hot and fully stuffed. Both deals are good, but before you book, keep in mind that Bar Chinois’s monthly drag brunch and Restaurant Week (sadly) don’t overlap. If you come to this Chinese spot in Mt. Vernon Triangle for dinner, plan to stick around for cocktails—and maybe a little dancing—when it switches over to a nightclub vibe after 9pm.

El Presidente

The deal : $35 brunch and lunch menus, $55 dinner menu

This Mexican restaurant in Union Market is one of the most fun dinner spots in DC, so skip the brunch and lunch deals and reserve a table in the evening instead. The full menu isn't listed yet, but one important detail we do know is that it comes with a cocktail or wine pair.

Fiola Mare

The deal : $25 lunch menu, $65 dinner menu

If dinner with your parents is on the calendar for August and you’re the one footing the bill, book the dinner deal at Fiola Mare. The $65 deal at this seafood and Italian restaurant in Georgetown is on the pricier side, but does include a crudo, which we consider the star of the menu. Beyond that, you can choose between two first courses and two second courses, plus two desserts. Just don’t expect any caviar.

Kyojin Sushi

The deal : $65 dinner menu

On a normal night, our move at this Georgetown sushi spot is the chef’s choice sushi platter with 10 cuts of nigiri—it’s solid, and just so happens to be one of the most affordable ways to have a meal here. As such, we trust whatever they plan to whip up for Restaurant Week. If you can, try to snag a table on Friday or Saturday night—that’s when a meal here is the most fun.

Ottoman Taverna

The deal : $25 brunch and lunch menus, $40 dinner menu

Ottoman Taverna is one of our favorite Mediterranean restaurants in DC , and a great place for brunch. During Restaurant Week, the set menus for brunch and lunch are $25, and dinner caps off at $40. Book a table for a group, and expect to snack on things like tavuk köfte.

The Grill

The deal : $25 brunch and lunch menus, $65 dinner menu

The Grill is a solid option for picky eaters, and a reliable Wharf date night pick. Whatever you come here for, if the onion jam burger is on the menu, add it to your table—you’ll likely clock it on the majority of the ones around you, too.

Via Ghibellina

The deal : $40 dinner menu

Your favorite neighborhood restaurant might not be participating in Restaurant Week. But Via Ghibellina, which is one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants in Ivy City, is. Book a table at this Italian restaurant for things like housemade pappardelle and pan-seared branzino with broccolini. During the $40 dinner deal, you can pick from three different options for your first, second, and dessert courses.

Villa Yara

The deal : $35 brunch and $35 lunch menus, $55 dinner menu

At brunch and lunch, $35 will get you three mezze, with the option to spend another $20 for unlimited mimosas. (Well, technically unlimited—they’ll cap you at five refills). Dinner is a bit pricier at $55, but you'll get an extra mezze and the option to add a house bottle of wine for $30.