This post has been updated with new information from the Restaurant Association.
Winter Restaurant Week is moving forward around DC—though a little later than planned. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington announced an extended two-week promotion from January 25 through February 7—a week later than originally planned “given the fluid nature of activities and regulatory measures tied to Washington, DC’s current State of Emergency affecting the region,” according to RAMW president Kathy Hollinger. In addition to roadblocks and intense security around the inauguration following the mob attacks last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser is likely to announce an extension of DC’s indoor dining ban through January 24.
Still, when it eventually moves forward, Winter Restaurant Week will offer a bunch of new deals to entice patrons of every Covid comfort level to support the local hospitality industry in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Similar to Summer Restaurant Week, the winter version will have a new emphasis on takeout and delivery for meals, to-go cocktails, and mobile wine pairings. There’s also more flexibility in price. Participating restaurants will offer multi-course dinner menus for $35 or $55 per person, and may also serve family-style packages for two ($60 to $100) or four ($130 to $210). Multi-course lunch and brunch menus will also be available for $22 per person. Optional drink pairings will be listed a la carte.
The promotion comes at a time of growing regional restrictions on indoor dining, including bans in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. Depending on where participating restaurants are located—and where restrictions stand in late January—you may or may not find deals on indoor dining (a few businesses also plan to offer protected outdoor options).
Check out the website for participants, deals, hours, etc.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
