Restaurant Week brunch is often the best deal of all—a $25 three-course meal without the weekday rush.
Bar Chinois
455 I St., NW
Lucky Danger chef Tim Ma teamed up with cocktail maven Margaux Donati for this new dim sum-and-drink parlor in Mt. Vernon Triangle. The Restaurant Week dinner and brunch menus both offer plenty of options. For weekend mornings, think red chili wontons, breakfast fried rice, Singaporean fried fish with rice and eggs, or sweet milk bread toasts. Drinks aren’t necessarily discounted, but a $20 mimosa bottle special with fresh juices sounds fair all-around.
Bistro Bis
15 E St., NW
Chef Jeffery Buben’s 24 year-old French bistro on Capitol Hill is hardly a newcomer to Restaurant Week—and the generous menus show it. Diners have ample choice for weekend lunch (note: Saturday only). We’re fans of the classics: robust French onion soup, steak tartare (with a $4 supplement), duck confit and sausage over white beans, coq au vin, and tarte au citron for dessert.
Espita
1250 Ninth St., NW
It’s typically a great sign when a restaurant doesn’t modify their regular menu for Restaurant Week—which is the case here. Brunch includes the choice of an appetizer like hamachi crudo or a very delicious piece of bacon, followed by entrees such as huevos rancheros or a Ghost Burger hamburguesa, and sweets like churros. There’s also covered outdoor dining if you’re ready to bundle up.
Maialino Mare
221 Tingey St., SE
Restaurateur Danny Meyer should be a Restaurant Week expert given his longstanding Manhattan empire—so we’re curious about the experience at his first DC venture. The Roman-style seafood trattoria offers a variety of homemade pastries followed by the diner’s choice of any egg dish, pasta, or special from the regular brunch menu (good sign!). In this weather, we’d go for something hearty like pasta bolognese or soft-scrambled eggs carbonara. For the sweet finish: homemade gelatos. Takeout and delivery are also available.
Ser
1110 N Glebe Rd., Arlington
Arlington’s colorful Spanish spot offers a three-course lunch menu that doesn’t skimp on nice proteins—think grilled branzino with vegetable ragout and almond-yogurt sauce or hangar steak and roasted potatoes (for dessert, don’t miss the homemade Manchego cheesecake). There’s also wine pairings available for a wallet-friendly $15.
Succotash Prime
915 F St., NW
Cheffy comfort food is the name of the game at Edward Lee’s Southern spot in Penn Quarter. The family-style brunch menu includes all the hits: deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffles, shrimp n’ grits, and pecan sticky buns. (Note: the menu must be ordered by the whole table with a minimum of two guests.) Takeout and delivery available.
Supra
1205 11th St., NW
A cold winter weekend calls for bread and hot cheese, and this Georgian restaurant has plenty of khachapuri (canoe-shaped cheese breads) and lobiani (bean-and egg-stuffed rounds) at the ready. Guests also start with a homemade bread basket and can opt for a cheese board to start.
The Salt Line
79 Potomac Ave., SE
It might be chilly on the waterfront this time of year, but diners can warm up with clam chowder, stuffies, crispy fish sandwiches, or a New England smashburger at this Navy Yard seafood spot. There’s also heated outdoor seating for hearty New Englanders.
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.
