It feels bit bittersweet to have left DC after nearly five years here in total. While I guess I always knew I would leave eventually, this city has felt more like home to me than any of the other cities I've lived in since I left home for college. Here are some of my favorite places from over the years, including a few spots outside of the district itself. I'm sure I missed some and might update this list/map periodically if I think of them. As always, feel free to reach out if you're looking for anything in particular.
Vivian's Washington, DC Address Book
To see / do:
National Gallery: Not only my favorite museum in DC but my favorite museum in the entire country. I have spent countless hours here over the years poring over collections and exhibitions with pieces spanning millennia. Go walk across the Multiverse light sculpture surrounding the walkway between the East and West galleries. Go on a guided tour at the top of the hour at the Rotunda. Go do a scavenger hunt to interact with the art in a different way. Go to National Gallery Nights and Jazz in the Garden in the summer. I will miss the National Gallery the most when I leave.
National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum: Technically two museums in one building; I usually walk back and forth between the two when I visit. This one is open until 7:00pm so it's easier to squeeze in before dinner, and it's a bit more centrally located than the Smithsonians along the National Mall. The Kogod Courtyard is a beautiful oasis in the center of the two museums and worth checking out on its own.
National Museum of Women in the Arts: One of the only museums dedicated solely to displaying work by female artists. The collection has works that span centuries but most of the art on display is more recent. I loved the Rodarte exhibit they had in 2018. You normally will need to pay for a ticket, but they also offer free admission on a couple select days a month.
Hirshhorn Museum: The Hirshhorn is the city's largest modern and contemporary art museum in a hollow, circular building on the south side of the National Mall. My favorite exhibits have all been the special ones, like Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Pulse series (2018) where you could upload your heartbeat to the hundreds of flickering lightbulbs installed in the curved hallway or the Yayoi Kusama One with Eternity (2022) Infinity Mirror rooms, including a new one that debuted in DC. A bonus: tickets were much easier to get than the sister exhibit at the Tate Modern in London.
Renwick Gallery: A smaller gallery across the street from the White House (and technically an offshoot of the Smithsonian American Art Museum) that features rotating exhibits of craft objects. I miss David Best's Temple, an intricate wood installation that was a part of the Burning Man collection in 2018, for feeling like a non-religious spiritual sanctuary in the middle of downtown.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: One of the DC classics dedicated to aviation and space. This one seems to have surged in popularity in recent years and requires booking tickets in advance. If you have access to a car, the Udvar-Hazy Center near the Dulles Airport has an even more impressive collection of historic air and spacecraft.
Smithsonian Natural History Museum: Another DC classic focused on natural history. This is the most popular museum in the city and contains some of the most famous natural artifacts in the world, from life-size replicas of extinct animals to the Hope Diamond. My best friend visited DC in middle school and brought me back a set of postcards of some of the gems on display; many years later I finally got to see them in person in the gems and minerals hall.
National Museum of African American History and Culture: The latest addition to the museums on the National Mall and one of the tougher museums to gain entry into given its popularity. The building itself is beautiful from the outside, and the exhibits are thoughtfully curated to demonstrate the impact of African American history across the centuries.
Planet Word: This is a smaller museum dedicated to language nestled in the downtown area, and the last "new" museum for me before I left. The interactive exhibits were engaging, especially the ones on advertisement copy and where words in the English language come from.
Dupont First Fridays: A dozen or so galleries near Dupont Circle open their doors to the public in the evenings on the first Friday of each month. Some artists will come to their own exhibits to talk about their work, and the neighborhood has many great restaurants to check out before or after an art walk.
U.S. Capitol: The U.S. Capitol is technically a working building, although you're unlikely to actually meet any Members of Congress during visiting hours since most floor votes take place in the early evening. You can only see the Capitol via tour group or as a guest of a Congressional staff with their badge; if you're a U.S. resident and available to do a tour on a weekday, I recommend inquiring with your local Representative or Senator's office for a more comprehensive tour because they take you to more spots than the official guided ones. I used to be the intern giving these tours to visitors from my corner of Washington state during my first year in the city, and talking about the art and history was my favorite part of that job. (Tours of the White House are significantly harder to get but can also be arranged by your Member's office.)
National Arboretum: The original Capitol columns found a new home here and they look like well preserved classical ruins from afar. This is another good spot for early spring blooms or expansive park walks in the fall. The National Bonsai Museum here is fun to wander through.
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens: DC's pink flowers are not just for spring; the lotuses and water lilies at Kenilworth are in bloom in late June and July. The lotuses grow to up to seven feet tall!
Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Garden: Marjorie Merriweather Post's DC home is well worth a visit for the French-style interior design and her extensive collection of Russian art, which includes two Fabergé eggs. The gardens were beautiful too, although I didn't spend much time there due to the pouring rain. The afternoon tea at the Merriweather Cafe is also probably one of the most affordable afternoon teas I've seen in the district.
Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens: The museum is free and has a collection of Byzantine and Pre-Colombian art, but the real attraction here is the sprawling gardens, which are only open in the afternoon and require booking tickets in advance. The orangerie in particular is stunning. If you are around in April, Dumbarton Oaks has some of the best wisteria.
Politics and Prose: George and I came up here once every couple of months even though it's a bit out of the way. I'm constantly impressed by how quickly they update their display shelves across new releases and older books I hadn't heard of before; I always come away with dozens of new titles to add to my hold list at the library, and the few books I bought in the past two years have been from here exclusively (I have commitment issues: I only buy books I know I want on my "forever shelf" if and when I finally stop moving). At least 60% of the books I read in the past two years were titles I saw first at Politics and Prose.
Dupont Farmer's Market: This farmer's market has grown on me, even though it's a bit pricey. Go before 10:30am to beat the crowds. I've gotten half a dozen different kinds of loose leaf tea from Pearl Fine Tea. Sundays only.
Georgetown: Do neighborhood recommendations count? Even though it's a bit out of the way from the metro, Georgetown is the most pleasant neighborhood in the district to walk around. Go to Book Hill to take in the views; go to the waterfront and rent some kayaks or just walk along the Potomac; go to M St and Wisconsin Ave for shopping. There's a French market here in May, and the residential neighborhoods in the fall have some of the best fall foliage in the city.
Kramers: It was still Kramerbooks & Aftewords when I first came here in 2018, and I will always be a sucker for the bookstore + restaurant/cafe combos. I used to come here more frequently when I worked in Dupont Circle in my earlier DC years and I always find myself wandering in when I'm early to a dinner in the neighborhood.
To eat:
Le Diplomate: My favorite restaurant in DC, even after six years since my first visit. I always look forward to the three (!) types of bread they serve with whipped butter to start, and have never ordered a dish I didn't like. Get the warm shrimp salad, macaroni au gratin, foie gras parfait, onion soup, bouillabaisse on a Friday, steak frites, duck breast, brown butter scallops...and of course the creme brûlée for dessert (or creme l'orange in the fall). 14th Street.
Rasika: Rasika is one of the DC restaurants people who haven't visited have heard about and strikes a nice balance for an upscale Indian restaurant between recognizable dishes and modern takes. They're famous for the palak chaat, and my favorite dish is the black cod. The West End location typically has more tables available than Penn Quarter.
Tonari: This has become one of my favorite restaurants in DC and my first foray into Japanese-Italian fusion food, which blends Japanese ingredients and flavors with Italian mainstays like pizza and pasta. Chinatown.
Lapis: This was my first intro to Afghan cuisine and offers a nice combination of more traditional dishes and incorporating the flavors in familiar brunch offerings during the day. Try the Afghan dumplings and the firnee for dessert. Adams Morgan.
Maydan: This Middle Eastern/North African restaurant was one of the most difficult reservations I've ever secured but I finally made it during my second to last week in town. The tawle (family-style set menu) offered an amazing spread of different dishes and saves you the hassle of figuring out what combination of things you should get from the a la carte menu. U Street.
Off the Record: The most DC hotel bar in the basement level of the Hay-Adams, right across the street from the White House. Whatever you're thinking of when you think "where can I go in the city that looks like a gentleman's club and make me feel like I'm in a political TV show and ready to discuss a compromise on the latest bill," it probably looks like Off the Record does. The drinks here are pricey but they come with political cartoon coasters and warm nuts. Downtown.
Little Pearl: I never made it to Pineapple and Pearls, but their more affordable offshoot Little Pearl offers a great pre-fixe dining experience for a fraction of the cost. You may get seated at the big table with other patrons, so it's up to you if you want to mingle or not. The warm cookie and mini glass bottle of milk to go at the end of the meal was a nice touch. Capitol Hill.
Old Ebbitt Grill: Allegedly the oldest saloon in Washington. This is my personal favorite of the "power lunch" restaurants near the White House even though there are at least a half dozen restaurants in this area that serve similar menu options. The oyster happy hour is one of the main attractions. Downtown.
José Andrés restaurants: These always end up on my DC restaurant recommendations for a number of reasons: the restaurants are spacious so tables are not too hard to come by; José Andrés is DC's most famous chef (both for his restaurants and for his humanitarian work with World Central Kitchen); and the Penn Quarter location of most of his restaurants are easily accessible from a day of touristing at the National Mall. My favorite is Zaytinya, the Mediterranean restaurant of the bunch. China Chilcano (Peruvian-Japanese-Chinese fusion), Jaleo (Spanish tapas) and Oyamel (Mexican) are all excellent too. If you're feeling extra fancy, there is also Minibar, one of the only 2 Michelin-starred restaurants in DC, and Barmini, its cocktail bar. Penn Quarter.
Un Je Ne Sais Quoi: A French patisserie in Dupont Circle with some of the best pastries in town. They are most famous for their merveilleux, a dessert made with meringue, whipped cream, and ganache. Come early to avoid the lines, especially on weekends. Dupont Circle.
Dolcezza: My favorite gelato, quite possibly of anywhere. They have a solid collection of regular flavors (coffee and cookies and roasted strawberry) and the best seasonal flavors throughout the year. The Portuguese lady checking our tickets for an attraction in Porto said that this was her favorite place she went to in DC when we were chatting about how George and I were from the area. Maybe it will be your favorite spot too? Multiple locations; after the Logan Circle one closed, I went to the one at CityCenter the most.
Sushi Taro: My favorite Japanese restaurant in DC. The lunch sets pre-pandemic were the best value higher-end sushi in town, although I believe they are dinner only now. The fish is high quality but the standout to me are the desserts: not too sweet. 17th St.
Tiger Dumplings: This became a regular spot as soon as it opened, and not just because it was a stone's throw from where we lived. Tiger Dumplings has a more modern take on dumplings (especially the potstickers) but the flavors are well balanced and the presentation is beautiful. If you're hungry, Set A and Set B are a great way to taste most of the menu beyond just the dumplings. Clarendon.
Northside Social Coffee & Wine: Another local fave with great coffee, pastries, and hot food if you're here to linger. We came here a lot for the quiches and breakfast sandwiches too. Clarendon.
A&J Restaurant: For Northern Chinese breakfast foods, A&J is the place to go. I prefer these dishes to the more popular Cantonese dim sum, so I'm glad I was able to find this in the area. Multiple locations; we typically went to Annandale.
Peter Chang: A classic Chinese mainstay for the DMV area. We went to the no-frills location in Arlington most frequently but honestly any of the restaurants in the Peter Chang universe are great. Mama Chang in Fairfax has a more extensive menu; Peter Chang in McLean has some great homestyle dishes and lovely decor; Chang Chang in Dupont Circle is a bit more upscale but has a lot of the same dishes.
Kogiya: My favorite all you can eat Korean BBQ in Annandale; the sauces and banchan are great here, and the portions are generous. Annandale.
Soricha Tea & Theater: Ending this list on a sweet note. The bingsu is the obvious highlight, but the ambiance of calming scenes projected on the wall (especially on a rainy day) and Korean tea and coffee offerings made this place worth the 25 minute drive to just sit and relax for an hour or two. Annandale.
Honorable mentions: Wiseguy Pizza (pizza); Toryumon (Japanese); Teaism (Asian fusion); Yellow (Levantine cafe); Dua (Indonesian coffee); Baked & Wired (cupcakes); Pho 75 (pho); Ambar (Balkan); Carbonara (Italian); Bob's Shanghai 66 (Chinese); Peking Gourmet Inn (Chinese); Tachibana (Japanese).
xoxo, vivian
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