There are restaurants that are historic by virtue of their age, and restaurants that are historic by virtue of what has happened inside them. Old Ebbitt Grill, which opened at its current location at 675 15th Street NW in 1856, qualifies on both counts. The original saloon has hosted senators, presidents, journalists, and lobbyists through every phase of American political history. The mahogany and etched glass, the mounted animal heads that have stared down at the dining room for more than a century, the long zinc bar that has absorbed more conversations than any recording could contain — this is not an invented atmosphere but an accumulated one, which is the rarest quality in the restaurant business.
The food is confident American cooking that understands its position: this is not the place for experimental cuisine, and the kitchen knows it. The oyster programme is the room's culinary signature, a constantly rotating selection of East and West Coast varieties shucked to order and presented with the precision that comes from doing one thing extremely well for a very long time. The happy hour oyster service — offered at the bar during specific afternoon hours — is one of Washington's great rituals, a moment when the city's working class and its governing class sit elbow to elbow over shells and lemon. The house-made pastas and the perfectly prepared steaks and chops complete a menu that serves its constituency without making concessions it would later regret.
The bar is the room's heart, and dining there alone — on a Tuesday evening, with a dozen oysters and a glass of something cold — is one of Washington's most satisfying experiences. The service at the bar is the particular kind of Washington professionalism that anticipates what you need slightly before you realise you need it. Regulars are known by name within two visits. The energy of the room fluctuates with the city's political calendar: buoyant after inaugurations, muted after defeats, always animated by the sense that what happened today a few blocks away is being processed here, at this bar, over these oysters.
Budget $60–100 per person for dinner with drinks — among the best value for atmosphere in Washington. Open seven days a week, from morning through to 2am, which makes it the city's most reliable option regardless of hour.
