Best Restaurants for People Watching in Penn Quarter

36 restaurants available nearby

A photo of matchbox Penn Quarter restaurant

1. matchbox Penn Quarter

4.4

Price: Moderate

• American • Penn Quarter

Booked 25 times today

Come and enjoy our 3.6.9 mini burgers, blazing hot pizzas, or any one of our chef-crafted dishes.From its prime perch on bustling E Street NW in Penn Quarter, matchbox delights neighborhood workers, visitors, and residents with a casual, welcoming spot for a quick weekday lunch, lively happy hour, bottomless weekend brunch, and dinner for both date nights and groups. An expansive bar area with ample seating attracts sports fans and concert-goers heading to Capital One Arena, and boasts numerous TVs for game-day viewing as well. A definitive element of the matchbox dining experience is the custom pizza oven that fires up signature thin-crust pizzas within minutes, and its surrounding pizza bar that offers a front-row view of the action. Outdoor seating along E Street offers plentiful people-watching in warmer months.

A photo of The Bazaar by José Andrés - DC restaurant

2. The Bazaar by José Andrés - DC

4.7

Exceptional(1041)

Price: Very Expensive

• Spanish • Penn Quarter

Booked 108 times today

Set in the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, The Bazaar is the culmination of a 30-year dream for Chef José Andrés. Drawing inspiration from this iconic location, which first opened in 1899 and served as DC’s General Post Office until 1914, The Bazaar is a multi-level destination reinvented with avant-garde and Americana-inspired decor.

3. Dauphine’s

4.6

Exceptional(1405)

Price: Expensive

• Contemporary American • Downtown

Booked 38 times today

Dauphine’s is a modern day incarnation of the dramatic Grande Dame establishments of New Orleans, brought to you by the award winning Long Shot Hospitality - the team behind DC's beloved The Salt Line Restaurants. Dauphine’s utilizes Mid-Atlantic ingredients to prepare classic New Orleans fare while also creating original dishes inspired by the legendary city. All brought to you in a breathtaking spacious downtown restaurant setting with the most beautiful bar in downtown DC, plenty of patio dining, and a festive outdoor bar and garden area. Located in the Midtown Center, Dauphine's is just steps from the White House, National Theater, Convention Center, Cap One Arena and most downtown attractions and provides an elegant yet relaxed dining atmosphere for any occasion. Dauphine’s serves Dinner seven nights a week and Brunch on weekends, with Happy Hour every day 4pm-7pm and an ALL DAY Happy Hour on Sundays - plus don't miss our signature Sunday Live Jazz Brunch! We hope to see you soon!

A photo of The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea restaurant

4. The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea

4.4

Awesome(337)

Price: Very Expensive

• Afternoon Tea • Downtown

Booked 7 times today

Luxuriate in the hotel’s grand lobby lounge for one of our most cherished afternoon traditions. Enjoy the finest selection of teas from Dammann Frères, exquisite tea sandwiches, delicious sweets, and homemade scones. Feel free to lavish your experience with our selective optional Champagne pairings. $109,00 per person, excluding tax & gratuity. Available Thursday - Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:45pm.

5. Georgia Brown's

4.4

Awesome(8809)

Price: Expensive

• Low Country • Downtown

Booked 45 times today

Come and experience our lively interpretation of South Carolina Low-Country cuisine. Enjoy good southern food, servers who bubble over with hospitality, and a dining room that is truly distinctive. With its golden woods and bronze sculptures that crawl across the ceiling, designer Adam Tihany has created an atmosphere to awaken your senses. What better place to enjoy low country cuisine than in this contemporary environment celebrating the south. Offering the flavor of the South - the Soul of Washington; where we will be sure to leave a light burning in the window for you, our guests.22% service charge is included on every check. 18% is distributed directly to service workers on top of their base wages, and the remaining 4% is used to help pay for all staff costs due to the District of Columbia's Initiative 82. You may choose to leave an additional tip!https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaBrownsRestaurant/https://www.instagram.com/georgiabrowns_dc/http://gbrowns.com/

A photo of Milk & Honey - The Wharf restaurant

6. Milk & Honey - The Wharf

4.2

Awesome(133)

Price: Moderate

• American • Southwest Waterfront

Booked 65 times today

Milk and Honey is a New Orleans themed Southern Brunch that features Award Winning Shrimp & Grits, Chicken & Waffles, RumChata French Toast and specializes in other slow cooked mouth-watering favorites. No matter the type of experience you are looking for, we have the dish for you. Join us for brunch with friends, lovers, family and everyone in between. Carryout available at all locations. Milk and Honey Wharf is located along the beautiful Southeast Waterfront in Washington DC. A Southern Brunch Restaurant and one of our “Full Service” locations, we are excited to share a delectable menu featuring Butter Glazed Biscuits, Old Bay Wings, and award-winning Shrimp & Grits.

A photo of CIRCA at Clarendon restaurant

7. CIRCA at Clarendon

4.7

Exceptional(1465)

Price: Moderate

• American • Arlington

Booked 31 times today

All of our CIRCA restaurants are neighborhood bistros serving delicious food and drinks. Each CIRCA is warm, inviting, and offers an energized social scene.Whether dropping in for brunch, lunch, dinner — every meal is accompanied by an extensive wine list, including over 20 wine offerings by the glass and a seasonal cocktail list. Our patios are located on the best city corners for a vibrant dining experience. Join us and dine well!Our Dining Room and Patio are Open!

8. Peacock Café

4.9

Exceptional(1982)

Price: Moderate

• Contemporary American • Georgetown

Booked 47 times today

Maziar Farivar, Chef/Proprietor serves contemporary American cuisine with flavors of around the world in an elegant, comfortable & cosmopolitan setting. Celebrating over 28 year Anniversary in Georgetown, Peacock Cafe is a dining experience not to be missed when in Georgetown. In addition to our wonderful lunch menu, we do offer a selection of our popular breakfast items as well on weekdays (11am-4pm). Chef Maziar, on dinner menu offers a greater variety of small plates and entrees from contemporary American to small selection of Contemporary Iranian (Persian) dishes. Enjoy a comprehensive wine list from boutique wineries to large labels and fabulous signature cocktails from the bar to compliment your dining experience.

9. Floriana

4.7

Exceptional(3857)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Dupont Circle

Booked 33 times today

Floriana offers authentic Italian recipes with handmade pastas in the most comfortable of environments. Located in DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood, in a historic brick stone row house that has been converted into a cozy restaurant, but hasn't given up the feel of coming over to someones home for dinner. Offering a seasonal menu of fresh and local ingredients Floriana has developed a reputation for consistent, high quality, authentic, feel good dishes at a great value. Our pledge of superior service is matched only by our ability to make every guest feel welcome and comfortable when joining us for a DC dining experience.We pay special attention to every guest that chooses Floriana.

A photo of Chef Geoff's West End restaurant

10. Chef Geoff's West End

4.3

Awesome(1604)

Price: Moderate

• American • West End

Booked 43 times today

A vibrant, modernized iteration of the original Chef Geoff’s offering seasonal dishes full of flavor. You will feel welcome here for any occasion large or small. Our made from scratch menu offers something for everyone. From pizza, salads and burgers to our more elaborate main dishes, one thing is for certain, we don’t skimp on flavor! Our bar covers all ends of the spectrum from our famous Supermugs (giant beers) to our handcrafted cocktails. Enjoy our open air dining, people watching on the patio or or our beautifully designed dining room!

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

W
william
Washington, D.C. Area •1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
Simply stated both the food and the service were excellent, and I can highly recommend this restaurant
More info
The Bazaar by José Andrés - DCPrice: Very Expensive• Spanish• Penn Quarter
•
4.7
M
Marcelle
Washington, D.C. Area •2 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
The beignets are AMAZING!! Table on the mezzanine level overlooking the main dining room felt like the best seat in the house.
More info
Dauphine’sPrice: Expensive• Contemporary American• Downtown
•
4.6
P
Phyllis
Virginia •1 review
5.0
Dined on 4 Jan 2025
It was absolutely fabulous and my fried whole red snapper was prepared just right. An amazing dining experience.
More info
Georgia Brown'sPrice: Expensive• Low Country• Downtown
•
4.4
B
Brittany
Washington, D.C. Area •5 reviews
5.0
Dined on 1 Jan 2025
Great overall experience with customer service and food!
More info
matchbox Penn QuarterPrice: Moderate• American• Penn Quarter
•
4.4
A
AnthonyVIP
Washington, D.C. Area •5 reviews
4.0
Dined on 1 Jan 2025
At $120 a person without a tip, this was a treat for me and my family. I'd only booked it because I had seen that the experience also came with a white house ornament and I was disappointed to see that they no longer include this as a benefit. Moreover, they seated our group right by the main entrance to the hotel, which would be fine had it not been winter and being met with a rush of frigid air every single time someone entered or left the hotel (which happened without fail at least 1-2 times every five minutes). A member of our group even wore her heavy winter coat the entire time because it was so cold where we were seated. Finally, at times the wait staff was nowhere to be found, so there were a handful of times throughout the evening when I needed new silverware or waters and had to wait an unusually long amount of time. The space is stunning but this is absolutely not worth the expense or the physical discomfort and inattentive service.
More info
The St Regis DC - Afternoon teaPrice: Very Expensive• Afternoon Tea• Downtown
•
4.4

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Penn Quarter

Best Restaurants for People Watching in Penn Quarter

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36 restaurants available nearby

1. matchbox Penn Quarter

2. The Bazaar by José Andrés - DC

3. Dauphine’s

4. The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea

5. Georgia Brown's

6. Milk & Honey - The Wharf

7. CIRCA at Clarendon

8. Peacock Café

9. Floriana

10. Chef Geoff's West End

See what locals rave about

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