Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in District of Columbia

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in District of Columbia? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Lafayette Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1611)

$31 to $50

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Washington’s destination for power dining, the Lafayette Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With large windows opening onto Lafayette Park and the White House, this sun-lit dining room is one of the most elegant settings in the capital and is certain to complement any dining experience.

Top review

Debra

Dined 1 day ago

We had a fabulous meal in a wonderful atmosphere. Jose took wonderful care of us. We highly recommend it if you are looking for a quiet elegant atmosphere!

Elizabeth's

4.9

4.9 (1280)

$50 and over

Vegan

Downtown

About the restaurant

Elizabeth's offers an extraordinary dining experience every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. We merge our gorgeous venue with a prix fixe Vegan Tasting Menu at $110 per person. Elizabeth's is a destination for special occasions and adventurous cuisine.

Our sommelier curates a pairing of wines and beverages sourced from around the world at an additional $85 per person. We also offer a non-alcoholic beverage pairing comprised of non-alcoholic wines, mocktails, and infusions for $65 per person.

Fully raw menus are not available. Please call the restaurant (202-347-8349) in reference to any allergies prior to making your reservation. Regarding reservations of 5 or more, please call the restaurant directly.

We source and prepare the freshest ingredients for our exclusive fine dining experience. For this reason, reservation confirmations are required 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your understanding of the commitment that is made to creating a memorable dining experience.

Top review

Joan

Dined 2 days ago

Yesterday evening we celebrated my daughter's 38th birthday at Elizabeth's- and now all of us are ready to go back tonight.The minute you walk in the door of Elizabeth's you feel as if you have been welcomed into a cosy and elegant historical home. We were greeted warmly by Elizabeth and the staff, all of whom are incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and culinarily multi-talented. And the dinner experience is similar to being served a new piece of artwork with each course. Would I ever be able to replicate the Klamath Return, a kombu-marinated chioggia beet, caraway crisp and celery root, or the Cleopatra's Ambrosia, with sea buckthorn, pink banana sorbet and kinome leaf, or the Velvet Immortal with the saffron pickled enoki mushroom? Not in my wildest dreams. My family normally inhales their food, but this time conversation was at a minimum as we took time to appreciate each new amazing taste sensation. Our party consisted of one vegan, one vegetarian , and two omnivores, and all of us agreed Elizabeth's is the best restaurant in DC.

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4.8

4.8 (3449)

$50 and over

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

D.C's premier steakhouse with tuxedoed waiters and a 1940s Manhattan supper-club setting since 1976. Top five romantic restaurant in America (Food and Wine magazine). Live piano nightly. Valet parking. business casual for gentlemen.

Top review

ConradVIP

Dined 2 days ago

like eating in an old New Yorker cartoon. great atmosphere, drinks food. Prices are out of control.

Bombay Club

4.8

4.8 (5313)

$31 to $50

Indian

Downtown

About the restaurant

The Bombay Club emulates characteristics of the old clubs of India. The elegant environment with pale pastels, ceiling fans, and a profusion of greenery is designed to create a warm and inviting gathering place for relaxation and regeneration. The cuisine is the finest of India, utilizing only the best quality ingredients to create a harmony of subtle flavors. Specialties prepared by Executive Chef Nilesh Singhvi, include tandoori salmon and green chili chicken. The sophisticated cuisine is enhanced by refine service and live piano music. Distinguished Restaurant of North America Award.

Top review

JayVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Another absolutely fabulous dinner at Bombay Club. A true DC treasure!!

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The Greenhouse at The Jefferson, DC

4.7

4.7 (1075)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in downtown DC, just four blocks from the White House, breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch are served under The Jefferson’s historic skylight in The Greenhouse. Natural light streams from above, creating an airy atmosphere that complements the light, fresh and energizing fare on our seasonal menus.

Top review

Lisa

Dined 1 day ago

The Christmas decor was absolutely beautiful. The lamb was delicious!

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Experience

The Wine Cellar at Greenhouse

Experience

Christmas Eve at The Greenhouse

Experience

Christmas Day at the Greenhouse

Causa

4.9

4.9 (57)

$50 and over

Peruvian

Shaw

About the restaurant

Causa is our Michelin-Starred tasting room where the world of Peruvian culinary tradition comes to life, thanks to the artistry of Chef Carlos Delgado. Here, you'll embark on a journey through the gastronomic heritage of the Peruvian geographical regions.

Reservations can be booked two months in advance. This prix-fixe menu is $179 (tax & gratuity not included). Enhance your experience further with a Remarkable Wine Pairing to compliment your 6-courses or venture into North America's rarest pisco selection and fully immerse yourself in the bounty of Peru's national spirit.

If you have any questions or clarifications on allergens or restrictions, reach out to info@causadc.com prior to booking.

Gift Card? Please use a credit card to book hold your reservation and we will refund you upon completion of your meal. Causa accepts inKind House Account credit and is unable to accept general inKind credits. Please reach out to inKind support for further clarification.

Top review

Haley

Dined 2 days ago

My fiancé and I had an amazing experience dining here. The food was outstanding, but so was everything else. The attention to detail was impressive. As soon as we stepped through the door, we were given a short tour of the restaurant which made us feel welcome and at home. This is not a pretentious place even though the food is world-class. We hope to come back again sometime!

Jônt

4.9

4.9 (103)

$50 and over

French / Japanese

U Street Corridor

About the restaurant

At Jônt, we are a team of young and inspired chefs taking down the walls between kitchen and guests and taking you on a culinary adventure. Immerse yourself in a progressive tasting menu focusing on the simple, yet luxurious, ingredients around the world with deep inspiration from Japanese cuisine.

We challenge the seasons, navigate beyond the limits of time and break with tradition— getting playful with process and tricky with techniques at the intersection of place and possibility.

Jônt has been recognized with two Michelin stars since 2021.

Top review

TracyVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Amazing offerings. Variety. Top service. Longtime between servings.

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Experience

$295 Chef's Tasting Menu

4.7

4.7 (261)

$50 and over

American

Shaw

About the restaurant

Located in historic Blagden Alley in D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood since 2015, The Dabney continues to pay tribute to the wonderful farmers, watermen, and purveyors of the mid-Atlantic region whom provide some of the best and most unique products in the country. We celebrate these ingredients by preparing them in a large wood burning hearth which is the centerpiece of our open kitchen. The current dining room experience is an 8-course tasting menu honoring the Mid-Atlantic's bounty. We offer an additional 3-course experience at our bar and bar area tables. Walk-in guests are welcome to enjoy the bar area as well.

The Dabney has been awarded one Michelin star every year since 2017, James Beard Foundation Best Chef Mid-Atlantic for Chef Jeremiah Langhorne in 2018, and Washingtonian Magazine's #1 restaurant in 2023.

At this time we are unable to accommodate severe allium and dairy allergies as well as vegan and vegetarian diets.

Top review

MichaelVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Outstanding from start to finish! Loved the catfish sliders!!

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Experience

8 Course Tasting Menu in the Dining Room

Experience

3 Courses Prix Fixe in The Bar Area

Amazonia

4.7

4.7 (129)

$50 and over

Peruvian

Mount Vernon Square

About the restaurant

Venture into the relaxed ambiance of Amazonia, our inviting upstairs bar, dining room and rooftop hideaway. As one of the first Amazonian restaurants in the U.S., discover the exotic flavors and ingredients from Peru's rainforest, as well as favorite Peruvian staples. Here you can explore a thoughtfully curated selection of pisco and imaginative cocktails. The dishes you'll enjoy in Amazonia are meant for sharing, and are expertly prepared by the very same skilled kitchen team from Causa downstairs.

Top review

GriffinVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Ambiance and decor is great. Cocktails are very creative and tasty. The food was great. Fish/ceviche were very fresh and had great flavor. The rice was cooked perfectly and had amazing flavor as well. The pasta was very good but rich/heavy from oils. We had it as our last course and were already semi full. The service was slow. Staff was very nice but they needed more servers. It seemed like they had one server for the entire roof so it took about 20 min to get our first course of raw fish and then after we finished that it was another 25-30 min before the second course came. It was a 3 hour dinner.

Morrison-Clark Restaurant

4.5

4.5 (556)

$31 to $50

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

The Main Dining Room is highlighted by gilded mirrors, Italian marble fireplaces, and crystal chandeliers. The tantalizing cuisine is innovative and fresh, its style is regional American. The Morrison Clark Restaurant is consistently rated among Washington's finest. Experience the storied legacy of a 19th Century Victorian mansion, now a full-service hotel and restaurant, proud to be on the National Register of Historic Places.

Top review

Steve

Dined on Nov 28, 2024

The Thanksgiving menu was great. It had something for everyone’s taste. We stuck to a traditional turkey course which was outstanding. The portions were generous and the service was very good.

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