TRAVEL: A Weekend in Washington, D.C.

A history-packed itinerary that doesn’t include the National Mall

September 25, 2023

Tess Allen,

Vue Monument View — Courtesy, Hotel Washington

A history lover could, without planning, fill a trip to our nation’s capital with visits to only a fraction of the 17 Smithsonian museums and 129 national monuments. But what if you’ve been to D.C. multiple times and seen all the monuments you care to? Or what if the throngs of tourists on the National Mall make you want to pull your hair out? Or what if you just want a chiller experience that still immerses you in history and culture?

D.C.’s 61 square miles are packed with almost 700,000 residents, plus what feels like a million restaurants, hotels, historical landmarks, parks, and government buildings. Deciding where to go can quickly become overwhelming. So I’ve rounded up a sampling of historic hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, and other attractions that usually aren’t as overrun with tourists.

STAY

Just steps from the White House and on the National Register of Historic Places, Hotel Washington has hosted numerous presidents, dignitaries, and other celebrities since it opened in 1917. In the ’30s, the Shriners celebrated the end of Prohibition by riding horses into the lobby. In 1970, Elvis Presley booked a suite while in town for his iconic photo op with Nixon. John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Harrison Ford have stayed here. So have the Jonas Brothers. Scenes from The Godfather Part II, No Way Out, and Wonder Woman 1984 were filmed at the hotel.

Courtesy, Hotel Washington

After new ownership took over in 2021, the hotel got a facelift. Choose from modern, standardized rooms or pick one of four suites, like the Monument Corner or Presidential. The hotel is also pet-friendly, though (sadly) I encountered no pooches during my June stay. Unlike other nearby historic D.C. hotels like The Hay-Adams and The St. Regis, Hotel Washington’s nightly rates start in the $200s. (Get you a hotel that can do both, amirite?)

EAT

Undoubtedly my favorite part of traveling. If you stay at Hotel Washington, have complimentary breakfast delivered to your door or enjoy it at the Lobby Bar (your choice!). The hotel’s two restaurants are open to everyone, not just guests: Fireclay, open this fall, cooks everything over an open flame; VUE Rooftop has only decent food but a stunning bird’s-eye view of the surrounding landmarks.

Across the street, Old Ebbitt Grill—which claims to be D.C.’s “oldest saloon,” opened in 1856—serves all three meals, plus happy hour and late-night bites, in its enormous, multi-room, mahogany-laden corner restaurant. This one is popular among visitors, so reservations are recommended. But you can usually snag a couple of seats at one of three large first-come, first-served bars. Oysters and tinned seafood are Old Ebbitt’s stars, but it also offers a huge variety of classic American dishes.

If you’re looking for something casual and kinder to the wallet, hit Florida Avenue Grill or Ben’s Chili Bowl. The first, which opened in Columbia Heights in 1944, claims to be the world’s oldest continually operating soul food restaurant. (“Ask about our: BOWL of BEANS,” the menu instructs. I didn’t, but I kind of regret it. Someone report back.) Ben’s Chili Bowl has been an institution since Virginia and Ben Ali opened in a former silent movie house in 1958. (Virginia is still alive at 89.) Today, Ben’s has five locations, but the original is on U Street. It’s always busy, but I’ve never had to wait longer than five minutes to order. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but Ben’s is known for its Original Chili Half-Smoke, a pork-and-beef hot dog topped with chili, mustard, and onions.

Ben’s Chili Bowl is on U Street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. Courtesy, washington.org

DRINK

On vacation, I morph into someone willing to spend $20-plus on a cocktail. If you’re cool with that, too, stop by Off the Record (est. 1928), a basement bar in The Hay-Adams known for its red tufted seating, political caricatures, and high-powered drinkers. At nearby Round Robin Bar (est. 1847) in the Willard InterContinental hotel, let longtime bartender and cocktail historian Jim Hewes choose a drink for you. If you prefer wood paneling, taxidermy animals, and a guys-bein’-dudes atmosphere, order a PBR on tap at The Tune Inn Restaurant & Bar (est. 1947) in Capitol Hill.

You’ll probably need a coffee when the sun comes up. Swing’s Coffee Roasters, with locations both a block east and west of The White House, is D.C.’s oldest coffee roaster.

PLAY

Catch a show in a historic D.C. theater. The National Theatre (est. 1835) is running Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert this month, followed by Mrs. Doubtfire and The Wiz in October. Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard is at Ford’s Theatre from Sept. 22 to Oct. 15. Warner Theatre (est. 1924) is a Live Nation venue, so in October, it’s hosting a rotation of concerts, comedy shows, and theatre productions.

Every Sunday at 3 p.m., the Malcolm X Park Drum Circle, as well as dancers and other performers, gather in Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park. The drum circle began in the 1960s as part of the Black liberation movement. People of all colors flood into the park to join the weekly celebration.