Cuisine: Lobster with oxtail broth? Spiced beer jelly? Expect the unexpected at this cozy Georgetown bistro/wine bar, where executive chef Barry Koslow turns out inspired terrines, pastas, and fish with lots of little surprises.

Mood: A crowd of urbane families and polished thirtysomethings settles into this narrow dining room—California cool with blond wood, flagstone, and blue-sky murals.

Best for: Casual romantic dinners, hanging out at the sophisticated bar, winetasting and cheese-nibbling.

Best dishes: Oysters roasted with garlicky gremolata, chopped chard, and bacon; duck pâté dotted with pistachios; open-faced ravioli with chanterelle mushrooms and sheep’s-milk ricotta; braised suckling pig with shavings of grana padano cheese and soft gnocchi; quail with pheasant-sausage stuffing; black bass with hazelnut-coriander crust and blood-orange sauce; apple-stuffed beignets with cinnamon ice cream.

Insider tips: Not in the mood for a big dinner? You can graze wonderfully here on artisanal cheeses—cloth-aged Vermont cheddar, pungent Hudson Valley Camembert—and house-made terrines and pâtés. By-the-glass selections on the mostly West Coast wine list come in usually generous half pours.

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