PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

Although Washington has only recently come into its own as a great restaurant destination, the city has always been known for its excellent French establishments. That tradition continues as more French eateries come on board, including the delightful Café du Parc next to the Willard Hotel. The sunny two-level bistro overlooks Pershing Park and offers courtyard seating during clement weather; this is the best spot in the house. Renowned Michelin-starred chef Antoine Westermann oversees the menu and has dispatched his own assistants to staff the cafe; you can watch them at work in the open kitchen on the second floor. The dishes are redolent of Paris -- les tomates farcies aux legumes (tomatoes stuffed with vegetables) and choucroute alsacienne (sauerkraut with pork and sausages). Francophiles find it a must, though most dine here at lunch, when the ambience is decidedly livelier than later in the day. (The lunch menu is a shortened version of the dinner menu.) You can carry out certain items daily until 5pm.

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

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»