Photo: John Brighenti from Rockville, MD, United States · CC BY 2.03 Days in Washington DC for Food Lovers: Markets to Mezze
Three days eating through Washington DC: a morning at Eastern Market and Barracks Row, mezze and modern Indian in Penn Quarter, bakeries and waterfront tables in Georgetown, and brasseries and live-fire dinners around Dupont. The Mall and the museums sit between the food districts, so the sightseeing folds into the eating. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel, so change your pace, budget or style and each day rebuilds around different tables.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
9 stops · 6 meals · 3 hotelsThis is the editor’s pick.
3 days
Each day takes one part of Washington DC, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
Serious coffee on Capitol Hill, open mornings and afternoons. Fuel up here before an Eastern Market or museum morning.
- It is open mornings and afternoons.
Start a food day here. The 1873 market hall holds produce, butchers, and crafts, the Market Lunch counter is inside, and Saturdays add the outdoor farmers market.
- The market hall is open Tuesday to Sunday, and the outdoor farmers market runs Saturdays year-round.
A retro diner on Barracks Row with house-made pop-tarts and all-day breakfast. Start an Eastern Market day here, but expect a weekend wait.
- It is popular for weekend brunch, so expect a wait.
- Pair the market with a Barracks Row diner breakfast. Ted's Bulletin does house-made pop-tarts and all-day breakfast a short walk away.
Closer: Matchbox Capitol Hill, 13 min out of your way
Tour the Rotunda, Crypt, and Statuary Hall where Congress sits. Book ahead, enter through the Visitor Center, and pair it with an Eastern Market morning.
- Guided tours are free, so reserve timed passes online in advance.
A food truck near the Mall doing smash burgers, lamb shawarma, quesadillas, and Philly chicken sandwiches. Fast fuel, open daily into the evening.
- It is open daily 10am to 6pm.
Come for Native cultures of the Americas, stay for lunch. The Mitsitam cafe is a destination in its own right, so time this museum around midday.
- It is free with no tickets needed, open daily 10am to 5:30pm.
Cozy Spanish tapas and sherry on Capitol Hill. A good date-night dinner of small plates after a day around the Capitol and the library.
- It is open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday.
All-suite stays on the Hill, with kitchenettes in every suite. Quiet and practical, and a short walk to the Capitol and Eastern Market.
- Every suite has a kitchenette, a short walk from the Capitol and Eastern Market.
A no-frills waffle and breakfast-sandwich counter a block from the museums. Cheap, fast fuel before a Mall morning, nothing more, nothing less.
- It is open mornings and early afternoons, with cash-friendly counter service.
Plan half a day here if you can. The bronze-latticed museum traces African American history and culture, and its own cafe makes lunch part of the visit.
- Free timed-entry passes are required and should be booked well ahead; the Sweet Home Cafe inside serves celebrated Southern cooking.
Ride the elevator up the 555-foot obelisk for four-sided city views, then come back down hungry. Book the timed ticket before you plan the day around it.
- Timed tickets are required, released 30 days ahead online, and they sell out fast.
DC's oldest saloon, from 1856, by the White House: oysters, burgers, and steaks in Victorian rooms. Book or expect a wait at peak times.
- It is open daily for lunch and dinner, and very busy at peak times.
You see it from Lafayette Square or the Ellipse, not from inside on a whim. Frame the photo stop, then walk on to a proper lunch nearby.
- Public tours are free but must be requested through a member of Congress weeks to months in advance.
A lively downtown American room with a live-music venue downstairs, running sushi to steaks. Easy to please a mixed group here.
- Live music plays most nights in the downstairs Loft venue.
Doughnuts and fried chicken from one downtown counter: creme brulee and PB&J doughnuts, plus a spicy chicken sandwich. Small, takeout-friendly, fun.
- Creme brulee and PB&J doughnuts pair with the Asteroid spicy chicken sandwich.
Switch bases tonight. DC's grande dame from 1816 on Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks from the White House. End the night at the Round Robin Bar, famous for mint juleps.
- The Round Robin Bar is famous for its mint juleps, two blocks from the White House.
A cozy Old Town oyster bar with a rooftop dining room: raw bar, crab cakes, and lobster rolls near King Street. Take the rooftop for lunch.
- It is open daily from 11am, and the rooftop floor is the light, spacious lunch spot.
Tour the colonial tavern rooms where Washington and Jefferson dined. On a food trip, this is history you can almost taste.
- Guided tours run regularly for a small admission fee.
Walk the mile of brick, boutiques, cafes, and colonial fronts from the waterfront to the Metro. King Street is Old Town's grazing route.
- The free King Street Trolley runs the length of the street from the Metro to the waterfront.
Small-batch ice cream on King Street, with seasonal flavors. The classic post-dinner stroll stop, cone in hand.
- It is open daily, with seasonal flavors.
- End the King Street stroll at Pop's. Small-batch ice cream is built for the walk back along the brick street.
Working artist studios inside a converted 1918 munitions factory on the Alexandria waterfront. Watch artists work, then eat on King Street or the water.
- It is free, open daily 10am to 6pm, with artists working in open studios.
Seafood and a raw bar on the marina, with an outdoor deck in season. Time it for sunset and let the Potomac set the scene.
- It serves lunch and dinner, with an outdoor deck in season.
- From the Torpedo Factory studios, walk to Vola's on the marina. Art first, then seafood and a raw bar with the river in view.
Switch bases tonight. A modern boutique on the Alexandria waterfront, by the Torpedo Factory. Ask for a river-view room and watch the Potomac at breakfast.
- Ask for a river-view room at this waterfront location by the Torpedo Factory.
Where to stay in Washington DC
Ranked for foodie travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Capitol Hill Hotel
All-suite stays on the Hill, with kitchenettes in every suite. Quiet and practical, and a short walk to the Capitol and Eastern Market.
Willard InterContinental Washington DC
DC's grande dame from 1816 on Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks from the White House. End the night at the Round Robin Bar, famous for mint juleps.
Hotel Indigo Old Town Alexandria
A modern boutique on the Alexandria waterfront, by the Torpedo Factory. Ask for a river-view room and watch the Potomac at breakfast.
Flights to Washington DC
Fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Land in Washington DC with data
Skip the airport SIM line. Install an eSIM before you fly and your phone is online the moment you land: maps, rides, and restaurant lookups from the gate.
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Getting around Washington DC
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
WMATA's Metrorail and Metrobus cover the Mall, Capitol Hill, Georgetown (via bus), and Arlington. The Metro runs 5am-midnight weekdays, 7am-midnight weekends.
- WMATA Metrorail
Six-line subway system connecting downtown DC, National Mall (Smithsonian, Archives, Federal Triangle stations), Capitol Hill (Capitol South, Union Station), and Arlington/Alexandria.
Tip: Buy a SmarTrip card ($2) at any station; fares are distance-based ($2.25-$6.75 peak). The $13.50 Day Pass pays off after 3+ rides.
- Metrobus
Extensive bus network filling gaps where Metro doesn't reach, including Georgetown (30-series lines) and late-night service.
Tip: Same SmarTrip card works; $2.25 base fare. The Circulator bus ($1) loops the Mall and Georgetown.
Rideshare
Uber and Lyft operate throughout DC with typical urban wait times of 3-7 minutes.
- Uber
Full Uber service (UberX, Comfort, XL) available across the District, Arlington, and Alexandria.
Tip: Surge pricing hits during rush hour and major events on the Mall; Metro is often faster for Mall-to-Capitol trips.
- Lyft
Lyft operates with similar coverage to Uber in the DC metro area.
Tip: Compare both apps — prices vary by 10-20% during peak times.
Bikes
Capital Bikeshare has 700+ stations across DC, Arlington, and Alexandria. The Mall and Tidal Basin are flat and bike-friendly.
- Capital Bikeshare
Docked bikeshare with e-bikes available; stations every few blocks downtown and along the Mall.
Tip: $8 day pass includes unlimited 45-min rides. The ride around the Tidal Basin is the best 30 minutes in DC.
Taxis
Licensed DC taxis use metered fares; hail on the street or use the Curb app.
- DC Taxis (Curb app)
Metered taxis — $3.50 base + $2.16/mile. The Curb app hails and pays for licensed DC cabs.
Tip: Taxis can't use bus lanes; during rush hour they're slower than Metro for downtown trips. Tip 15-20%.
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