Le Diplomate

Ten years on—and at a time when the DC restaurant scene is thrumming with French restaurants—Stephen Starr’s Logan Circle brasserie is still packed. One of the main ingredients in his secret sauce is consistency. The menu hasn’t changed much since opening day, and the double cheeseburger, the cream-laden mussels, the ultra-cheesy onion soup, and even the bread basket are as terrific as they’ve always been. The faux-Parisian dining room is also one of the most versatile places on this list: It’s as well suited to a Champagne-soaked birthday celebration as it is to a round of pancakes with three-year-olds or a weekday power lunch.