From January 2006 100 Very Best Restaurants

THE SCENE. This Foggy Bottom roost isn't a favorite only of the K Street business crowd--it's also popular with out-of-towners and legions of locals who cherish it for providing the pampering, but not the fussiness, of fine dining. Regulars know to dine at the lively downstairs bar, packed at lunch and dinner and alive with the sounds of terrific jazz piano.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE. Pristinely fresh, carefully sourced seafood, attentive service, and consistency through the seasons.

WHAT YOU WON'T. If Kinkead's has a lingering fault, it's that the place runs so efficiently that it feels like a well-oiled machine--hardly the spirit of the brasserie it claims to want to invoke. Expect a perfunctory greeting at the door and service that can be more stilted than personable.