PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

Daniel Giusti is the latest chef in the restaurant's 47-year history to take command, and the reviews so far are good. Look for dishes like grilled wild salmon with local oysters and brioche pudding, and a thick pork chop served with pomegranate-braised onions and rapini. The menu changes daily but at least two dishes made famous by predecessor Ris Lacoste are often available (their recipes are posted on the restaurant's website): the oyster and champagne stew with Smithfield ham and walnuts, and the roast rack of Colorado lamb with creamy feta potatoes au gratin in red-pepper-purée-infused merlot sauce. Locals, like journalist and D.C. socialite Sally Quinn, and visiting celebrities, like Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, love the 1789 for its romantic ambience. The five dining rooms, especially those on the first floor, are cozy dens, with a homey decor that includes historical prints on the walls, silk-shaded brass oil lamps on tables, and, come winter, fires crackling in the fireplaces. So put on your best duds and be prepared for a relaxing meal with only the food and your dinner companion to distract you. The formal but cozy restaurant occupies two floors (three, if you count the room reserved for private parties) of a Federal town house near Georgetown University. The nightly pretheater menu, 6 to 6:45pm Monday to Friday, includes appetizer, entree, dessert, and coffee for $35. The same deal is available after 9pm Sunday through Thursday and after 10pm Friday and Saturday nights.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Washington, D.C. 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»