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I like the recommendations for the Tabard Inn and Firefly. I've had consistently good experiences at the Tabard Inn where I frequently go to for brunch. Tabard is very charming. Firefly is great for comfort food and has a pleasant ambiance. A few of my favorite dishes at Firefly are the roasted chicken and truffled fries.
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Tabard Inn
1739 N St NW, Washington, DC 20036 -
How far are you willing to go? Walking distance? Cab? Take the metro a few stops?
I vote for Blue Duck Tavern or Obelisk
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re: Flaxen_Vixen
Will arrive early Sunday morning to "do the sights" all day...and would like to have a nice dinner Sunday night hopefully, within walking distance from Mayflower. Do we need ressies at these restaurants? No much open on Sunday night, stayed at JWMarriott last time on a Sunday and ate a a little French restaurant around the corner from the hotel, one of the only places available.
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re: rosemar
Another possibility, for what you're looking for, is the Vapiano at 18th and M -- it can get loud and it's not waiter service (you order at stations and they make your pasta or salad or pizza fresh for you). It's very close to your hotel definitely casual, and you asked about Italian -- not the best in town or anything, but fresh food and relaxed. A further, but not bad walk is Pizzeria Paradiso on P St. There's also an Italian restaurant on L between 19th and 18th (I think), but I'm completely blanking on the name -- it's a little more upscale, I believe.
Another casual place quite close to your hotel is Luna Grill and Bar on Connecticut, that's basically American comfort food (again far from tops in town, but could be what you'll need that night).
Your hotel is also near Heritage India -- the "hawker menu" makes it not like a typical Indian restaurant, and you wouldn't need to be dressed up there.
Tabard Inn could be really nice (although I've always had weird service, and last time I was there, last winter, it was absolutely freezing in there, right next to the fireplace, but my experiences seem to be anomalous). It's plenty casual, I think.
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re: mselectra
Joe H
Oct 27, 2009 04:55 PM
Vapiano? Are you serious? I was just in the original in Hamburg...it was crowded on the Sunday I was there and, yes, I was really thankful that it was open. But mselectra, this was not a seriously good meal; rather it was good for the price. And the price, honestly, was rather cheap. With the Euro @1.51 to the dollar this was a real find!!! But not for the food, rather for the price. Please forgive my criticism.
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re: Joe H
I was trying to think of low-key places very near the Mayflower and Vapiano occurred to me -- I think my description is pretty accurate, it wasn't exactly a resounding recommendation on my part, just thought it might be useful for the OP to know it was there when making the dinner decision in case close and easy and perfectly good but not great food turned out to be good enough.
And, rosemar -- although I think the consensus suggestion quite rightly is Tabard Inn, I just wanted to follow up on my totally vague mention of another Italian restaurant near the hotel -- it's Spezie, between Connecticut and 18th just a block away, you can almost see it from the Mayflower's entrance. I haven't been there, but I think it gets good reports. Just FYI, not to cause more confusion!
(ETA: I didn't add these links myself, they just appeared -- New weird chowhound technology, and not sure why the suggestions others made aren't also appearing. Here, I'll see if I type them if they do: Firefly, Central.... ETA2: no, they didn't...)
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Vapiano
1800 M St NW, Washington, DCTabard Inn
1739 N St NW, Washington, DC 20036Spezie
1736 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
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re: rosemar
I would go to Tabard Inn and make a reservation for dinner. Other options would be Hank's Oyster Bar (no reservations) for seafood or Pizzeria Paradisio for great beer and pizza. If you like Chinese food I love Sichuan Pavilion at 18th and K....casual, no frills but a yummy menu.
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re: rosemar
Joe H
Oct 27, 2009 05:04 PM
Well....the Tabard Inn is closed for dinner on Sunday. Obelisk is closed for dinner on Sunday. My guess is that this going to come down to what is open and this may not be anything really special for food unless you are willing to walk or take a cab for what could be a mile or more...
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re: Joe H
Joe H
Oct 27, 2009 05:09 PM
Rosemar, you're going to have to take a cab. Go to either Central which won the James Beard Award as best new restaurant in the United States in 2008 or Brasserie Beck which, I think, is just as good. Both are open on Sunday night. You will feel comfortable dressed casual and you will leave either loving the restaurants in my city, thankful that you found a good one of a night when most everything else is closed!
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re: Joe H
Thank you...I will check these out. Sunday night is limited. We did run into this problem last year. We are down from Boston, we love DC and swing through DC after attending the Navy football games in Annapolis. I thank everyone for their suggestions on this issue of Sunday night dining. After touring all day, we just want to relax and have a nice dinner near the Mayflower. Thanks!
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re: rosemar
Got it! Firefly will only be a few blocks away and has a really lovely atmosphere. You can comfortably go in jeans. And I checked - it's open Sundays.
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re: rosemar
Tabard Inn's restaurant is generally open on Sundays for dinner, and I suspect the others mentioned here are too, although they might be quieter than normal (which could be good for you).
Central is very near the Natl Mall (short walk from Natural History Museum), so it could work if you want to go to dinner before going back to the hotel, depending on where you're touring.
And, if you're really tired, I'll just mention that the Mayflower bar's happy hour -- well, at least during the week -- includes enough food (free with a drink) to make a meal, not great food though. And likely not on Sundays, but FYI in case.
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