Travelogue: Washington
So southern and so northern at the same time, it is in the mixture of cultures and nationalities where its richness lies. Tremble, NY: in D.C. they also know how to have fun.
WHERE TO SLEEP
The Line (1770 Euclid St NW)
The study INC Architecture and Design achieved the most difficult yet by converting this centennial church of neoclassical inspiration in a temple of modern hospitality. And very well understood. In the lobby and common areas, the Full Service Radio program is recorded as well as the Brothers and Sisters bar team prepares coffees and snacks. The rooms remind you that this is America thanks to their beds with southern style brass headboards ivory sheets and blankets by Michelle Wildenhaus inspired by the country's Indian roots.
Eaton (1201 K St NW)
Only Katherine Lo could be capable of something like that. The Eaton Workshop concept goes beyond the mere hotel , as it is a creative laboratory in which culture, hospitality and progressive social change interact. Thus, Eaton consists of different parts: hotel, home, media, well-being and impact on the environment. His bet on Washington D.C. after the success of Hong Kong demonstrates the thrust of the US capital as an incubator for new concepts . And, by the way, he falls asleep at the movies.
Brothers and Sisters at The Line D.C. Hotel
Thompson (221 Tingey St SE)
Located in an up-and-coming neighborhood, Navy Yard , which breaks with the trend of always living within the limits of the northwest area of the city, is the first property of the brand Thompson Hotels, of the Hyatt group , in the USA. It has just opened its doors and its 225 rooms, with interior design by Parts & Labor, seek comfortable luxury without fanfare. It is committed to integrating itself into the neighborhood and serving as the epicenter of new social initiatives.
Riggs (900 F St NW)
Another newcomer to the city, the one who was the Riggs National Bank , which in its nearly two hundred years of history had 22 US presidents as clients, has been reborn as an impressive 181-room hotel. Its seven meter vault marks the central rhythm between columns and marble floors, art deco style and profusion of details. His brasserie, Café Riggs , it's already the place to be to find out everything that's happening in D.C.
The Hay-Adams (800 16th St NW)
Among so much novelty and avant-garde, it was necessary to leave space for a classic among the classics. One of those hotels that even have a review on Wikipedia because without them the history of the city would not be understood. Opened in 1928, it is located just opposite the White House so close that the Obama family stayed here for several weeks before the president's inauguration . Its suites, classic and romantic to the point of paroxysm, are a delight.
The newly opened Riggs Hotel occupies what was once the Rigss National Bank
The Watergate (2650 Virginia Ave NW)
Impossible to forget the building that gave its name to one of the biggest political scandals in history. The building, by Luigi Moretti, already caused a stir in 1961 , when the inauguration of the first phase provoked a hilarious comparison among those who preferred a city without rationalist buildings that would blur its neoclassical outline: "It is as appropriate as taking a stripper to your grandmother's funeral." Time heals everything – even who remembers Nixon having Trump – and now this hotel boasts functional elegance, design, great location near Georgetown and a spa, Argentta, not to be missed.
WHERE TO EAT
The Dabney (122 Blagden Alley NW)
Everything here is beautiful: the outside, the inside, the kitchen, the dishes, the whys and wherefores. Jeremiah Langorne, Alex Zink and their team They boast of the best local suppliers, from farmers, bakers and market gardeners, and almost all the preparations have their common denominator in the embers. Note the **wine bar, with a separate entrance in the basement. **
Bad Saint (3226 11th St NW)
Imagine a tiny restaurant, great filipino cuisine and a kilometric queue of people patiently waiting to get a table. Thus began the success of this place in which They already accept reservations, but it is still full . Be patient.
gravitas (1401 Okie St NE)
Ivy City, next to Gallaudet University, it was an undesirable neighborhood – let's not forget that, outside the fringes of the Northwest, D.C. it always had high crime rates–, but now it boasts of being one of the most thriving and hipster in the city. Here it is Matt Baker's restaurant, brand new Michelin star 2020 . Beautiful locale and a fresh look at Chesapeake Atlantic cuisine.
lapis (1847 Columbia Rd NW)
In Adams Morgan, the busiest neighborhood, where tourists, students and people wanting to have a drink any day of the week mix. Delicious Afghan cuisine in a warm place perfect for a date. Their bar downstairs is great.
Le Diplomat (1601 14th St NW)
Neighborhood meeting place. And of course, from what neighborhood. Logan Circle and the street that links it, 14th, are the perfect example of what awaits you in D.C. : lots of young people, expats, multicultural environment and little desire to stay at home. Even less so on Sundays, the official day of brunch in this Parisian-style establishment where everything is desired, from a simple and phenomenal American lobster omelette to some oysters.
Sunday brunch at Le Diplomate is a must.
Maydan (1346 Florida Ave NW)
When our colleagues at Bon Appetit voted him as the second best US opening in 2018 We thought if it would be so much. We went there to check it out... and boy was it. In a half-hidden place and behind a small door, a gigantic space opens before you that looks like the very modern 55 40 20 WASHINGTON D.C. most thriving and hipsters in the city. Here is the restaurant of Matt Baker, brand new Michelin star 2020 . Beautiful locale and a fresh look at Chesapeake Atlantic cuisine.
Martin's Tavern (1264 Wisconsin Ave NW)
You can enter here because it was the place where JFK proposed to Jacqueline Beauvoir , because it catches your eye after a stroll through Georgetown or, directly, because it is a perfect tavern for an inexpensive menu of the day, adorably vintage and steeped in history: **New England clam chowder and crab cake sandwich, why do we want more. **
A Rake's Progress (1770 Euclid St NW)
Spike Gjerde, famous for his legendary Woodberry Kitchen , a “madman” of local cuisine and ** James Beard award winner ** –the so-called Oscars of gastronomy–, he runs the imposing restaurant of The Line together with Opie Crooks. A Rake's Progress revolves around a huge organ converted into a lamp, well let's not forget that this was a church choir, and everything here comes from the nearby ocean and the rich adjoining orchards, Mid-Atlantic they call it. The result is a coming and going of magnificent vegetables, smoked cheeses, **fire chickens, homemade cold cuts...** Michelle Obama's favorite in D.C. . And also ours.
Width (300 Florida Ave NW)
There is nothing like a Basque txoko to have fun, wherever you are. And that is the secret of this project that includes the production and packaging of cider , a tasting room, catering service and this pintxos bar located on Truxton Circle . Without prior reservation except in the area of tables, especially on weekends, it is perfect for organizing celebrations and its small terrace prevents leaving at the scheduled time. Another round?
TheRoyal (501 Florida Avenue NW)
In the ledroit park neighborhood , Paul Carlson, owner of Vinoteca, played it three ways with his family: coffee by day, cocktail bar and kitchen by night. And he won, because everything here surprises, from the magnificent combinations – try the Wicked Games, mezcal infused with shishito peppers – to dishes such as crispy pork belly, gnocchi with grilled meat and yucca or arepas.
WHERE TO DRINK AND DANCE
off the record (800 16th St NW)
The least clandestine underground in the world... but not everyone knows it. The Hay-Adams bar is the meeting point for politicians, correspondents and diplomats from half the planet . He steals their coasters, illustrated with scathing political caricatures that are actually little works of art signed by Pulitzer Prize winners like Matt Wuerker and Ann Ternaes.
Showtime Bar (113 Rhode Island Ave NW)
Every city should have a good club in which to end the night. Loud music, tight prices, beer cans everywhere, concerts and lots and lots of people.
Collage in the bathrooms of Showtime Bar
Maxwell Park (1336 9th St NW)
A nice wine bar in which they change the menu every month, always thematic: “ Spanish wines that you did not know”, “The new ecological...”. You can order by glasses, half glasses, bottles and half bottles.
The Green Zone (2226 18th St NW)
With Middle Eastern flair and situated in the heart of Adams Morgan , it has nothing that attracts attention except good atmosphere and magnificent cocktails. Which is not little.
Dacha Beer Garden (1600 7th St NW)
The name says it: a beergarden with a wide selection of beers and a huge terrace . Very popular.
Columbia Room (124 Blagden Alley NW)
Along with The Dabney, charming cocktail bar in a photogenic alley.
9:30 Club (815 V St NW)
legendary concert hall , considered the best in the USA. Essential.
SHOPPING
Salt & Sundry (1625 14th St NW)
They have two spaces on 14, this one and another “brother” called Little Leaf and dedicated to plants . Decoration, accessories, crafts and pieces by local artists. They have another store in Union Market.
Shop Made in DC (1710 Connecticut Ave NW)
cool souvenirs, posters, t-shirts, candies, sauces…and yes, all made in D.C.
Little Leaf, the plant store from the creators of Salt & Sundry.
Glen's Garden Market (2001 S St NW)
Small supermarket with prepared food sections, local beers, organic wines... On its terrace you can take what you buy . Very neighborhood.
The Outrage (1722 14th St NW)
It started as a popup and they ended up noticing 14th Street. They sell “compromised”, feminist, anti-Trump products… All profits go to social causes.
Kramerbooks & Afterwords (1517 Connecticut Ave NW)
Bookshop mythical and addictive.
Politics and Prose *(70 District Square SW) *
Other bookstore for fans of prose ... and politics.
Goodwood (1428 U St NW)
Furniture, antiques , decoration and a careful selection of vintage garments. **To get lost like in grandma's attic. **
