Best Restaurants for People Watching in Kensington

24 restaurants available nearby

A photo of Summer House - North Bethesda restaurant

1. Summer House - North Bethesda

4.6

Exceptional(3505)

Price: Moderate

• American • North Bethesda

Booked 64 times today

Located in the heart of the Pike and Rose neighborhood in North Bethesda, MD, Summer House is the place where summer never ends. Enjoy seasonal specialties, market-driven pasta, artisan pizzas, and fresh antipasti from Chef Ben Goodnick’s California-inspired menu. Rosé is poured all day, alongside an extensive wine and handcrafted cocktail list. Reserve your table today for a bright and airy dining experience no matter the weather. For parties of 9 or more, email summermdparties@lettuce.com. Carryout and delivery are available, or visit The Cookie Bar for a selection of fresh-baked goods, sourdough English muffins, Summer House's renowned oversized cookies, small-batch coffee, and specialty espresso drinks.

2. matchbox Bethesda

4.2

Awesome(197)

Price: Moderate

• Pizzeria • Bethesda

Booked 8 times today

We’re known for wood-fired pizzas, mini burgers, fresh salads and chef-inspired entrées, like pan-seared sea bass and oven-roasted filet mignon. It’s American bistro fare, crafted from high quality ingredients with a chef at the helm in every kitchen.Matchbox draws in passersby with oversized windows lining the sidewalk and a front-row view of the blazing pizza oven. Once indoors, the vibe remains warm and residential, as though guests are being welcomed into the Matchbox home. The design achieves this effect through elements like draperies to soften some of the more industrial edges and add texture, open shelving and wine displays, light gray wood wainscotting, and hardwood flooring throughout to lend natural warmth. Hand-painted murals from local artists add further context to the neighborhood, and bring in a touch of personality as well.Outdoor seating on patios along both Woodmont Avenue and Elm Street offer plentiful people-watching in warmer months.

3. Dauphine’s

4.7

Exceptional(1398)

Price: Expensive

• Contemporary American • Downtown

Booked 32 times today

Dauphine’s is a modern day incarnation of the dramatic Grande Dame establishments of New Orleans, brought to you by the award winning Long Shot Hospitality - the team behind DC's beloved The Salt Line Restaurants. Dauphine’s utilizes Mid-Atlantic ingredients to prepare classic New Orleans fare while also creating original dishes inspired by the legendary city. All brought to you in a breathtaking spacious downtown restaurant setting with the most beautiful bar in downtown DC, plenty of patio dining, and a festive outdoor bar and garden area. Located in the Midtown Center, Dauphine's is just steps from the White House, National Theater, Convention Center, Cap One Arena and most downtown attractions and provides an elegant yet relaxed dining atmosphere for any occasion. Dauphine’s serves Dinner seven nights a week and Brunch on weekends, with Happy Hour every day 4pm-7pm and an ALL DAY Happy Hour on Sundays - plus don't miss our signature Sunday Live Jazz Brunch! We hope to see you soon!

A photo of The Bazaar by José Andrés - DC restaurant

4. The Bazaar by José Andrés - DC

4.7

Exceptional(1027)

Price: Very Expensive

• Spanish • Penn Quarter

Booked 72 times today

Set in the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, The Bazaar is the culmination of a 30-year dream for Chef José Andrés. Drawing inspiration from this iconic location, which first opened in 1899 and served as DC’s General Post Office until 1914, The Bazaar is a multi-level destination reinvented with avant-garde and Americana-inspired decor.

A photo of CIRCA at Clarendon restaurant

5. CIRCA at Clarendon

4.7

Exceptional(1463)

Price: Moderate

• American • Arlington

Booked 19 times today

All of our CIRCA restaurants are neighborhood bistros serving delicious food and drinks. Each CIRCA is warm, inviting, and offers an energized social scene.Whether dropping in for brunch, lunch, dinner — every meal is accompanied by an extensive wine list, including over 20 wine offerings by the glass and a seasonal cocktail list. Our patios are located on the best city corners for a vibrant dining experience. Join us and dine well!Our Dining Room and Patio are Open!

A photo of The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea restaurant

6. The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea

4.4

Awesome(336)

Price: Very Expensive

• Afternoon Tea • Downtown

Booked 5 times today

Luxuriate in the hotel’s grand lobby lounge for one of our most cherished afternoon traditions. Enjoy the finest selection of teas from Dammann Frères, exquisite tea sandwiches, delicious sweets, and homemade scones. Feel free to lavish your experience with our selective optional Champagne pairings. $109,00 per person, excluding tax & gratuity. Available Thursday - Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:45pm.

7. Georgia Brown's

4.4

Awesome(8810)

Price: Expensive

• Low Country • Downtown

Booked 42 times today

Come and experience our lively interpretation of South Carolina Low-Country cuisine. Enjoy good southern food, servers who bubble over with hospitality, and a dining room that is truly distinctive. With its golden woods and bronze sculptures that crawl across the ceiling, designer Adam Tihany has created an atmosphere to awaken your senses. What better place to enjoy low country cuisine than in this contemporary environment celebrating the south. Offering the flavor of the South - the Soul of Washington; where we will be sure to leave a light burning in the window for you, our guests.22% service charge is included on every check. 18% is distributed directly to service workers on top of their base wages, and the remaining 4% is used to help pay for all staff costs due to the District of Columbia's Initiative 82. You may choose to leave an additional tip!https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaBrownsRestaurant/https://www.instagram.com/georgiabrowns_dc/http://gbrowns.com/

8. Peacock Café

4.9

Exceptional(1979)

Price: Moderate

• Contemporary American • Georgetown

Booked 29 times today

Maziar Farivar, Chef/Proprietor serves contemporary American cuisine with flavors of around the world in an elegant, comfortable & cosmopolitan setting. Celebrating over 28 year Anniversary in Georgetown, Peacock Cafe is a dining experience not to be missed when in Georgetown. In addition to our wonderful lunch menu, we do offer a selection of our popular breakfast items as well on weekdays (11am-4pm). Chef Maziar, on dinner menu offers a greater variety of small plates and entrees from contemporary American to small selection of Contemporary Iranian (Persian) dishes. Enjoy a comprehensive wine list from boutique wineries to large labels and fabulous signature cocktails from the bar to compliment your dining experience.

A photo of Chef Geoff's West End restaurant

9. Chef Geoff's West End

4.3

Awesome(1597)

Price: Moderate

• American • West End

Booked 28 times today

A vibrant, modernized iteration of the original Chef Geoff’s offering seasonal dishes full of flavor. You will feel welcome here for any occasion large or small. Our made from scratch menu offers something for everyone. From pizza, salads and burgers to our more elaborate main dishes, one thing is for certain, we don’t skimp on flavor! Our bar covers all ends of the spectrum from our famous Supermugs (giant beers) to our handcrafted cocktails. Enjoy our open air dining, people watching on the patio or or our beautifully designed dining room!

10. Floriana

4.7

Exceptional(3852)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Dupont Circle

Booked 16 times today

Floriana offers authentic Italian recipes with handmade pastas in the most comfortable of environments. Located in DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood, in a historic brick stone row house that has been converted into a cozy restaurant, but hasn't given up the feel of coming over to someones home for dinner. Offering a seasonal menu of fresh and local ingredients Floriana has developed a reputation for consistent, high quality, authentic, feel good dishes at a great value. Our pledge of superior service is matched only by our ability to make every guest feel welcome and comfortable when joining us for a DC dining experience.We pay special attention to every guest that chooses Floriana.

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

C
Cynthia
Washington, D.C. Area •6 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
Overall excellent choice for dining. It is a Michelin starred restaurant. Great food, service, etc.Our first time going and we went for brunch. They had the live jazz band. You definitely get a feel of the Nawlins ambience! I was a little surprised at the small portions. But we filled up with the delicious bread basket and I had the oysters as an appetizer with the crab cake, potato salad and collard greens. Hubby had catfish and grits which he loved. Next time I plan to try dessert and the raw fish tower..
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Dauphine’sPrice: Expensive• Contemporary American• Downtown
•
4.7
D
David
Virginia •4 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
Circa was wonderfully surprisingly great! Would definitely recommend!
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CIRCA at ClarendonPrice: Moderate• American• Arlington
•
4.7
A
Amy
Greater Taipei Area •1 review
5.0
Dined on Dec 24, 2024
Had Christmas Eve dinner with my mom here, the server is very friendly and nice! And the food is delicious! Merry Christmas🎄!
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Summer House - North BethesdaPrice: Moderate• American• North Bethesda
•
4.6
A
AntonetteVIP
Washington, D.C. Area •18 reviews
5.0
Dined on Dec 23, 2024
This is definitely a special occasion restaurant, and I really wanted to impress my favorite niece after our Christmas concert - TSO! Kitty was awesome!! He's been there for a few years he knew just how much to bother us, and how to help us navigate the menu. We did the classic tasting menu and it didn't disappoint! Everything about our visit set our Christmas off to a great start! And the host, Alexis, was amazing!!!
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The Bazaar by José Andrés - DCPrice: Very Expensive• Spanish• Penn Quarter
•
4.7
C
Corina
Washington, D.C. Area •5 reviews
5.0
Dined on Dec 7, 2024
The server was kind, didn’t rush us, and even joked around a bit. The street corn app and fried chicken sandwich were sooo good. Will definitely come back again for brunch!
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matchbox BethesdaPrice: Moderate• Pizzeria• Bethesda
•
4.2

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Kensington

Best Restaurants for People Watching in Kensington

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24 restaurants available nearby

1. Summer House - North Bethesda

2. matchbox Bethesda

3. Dauphine’s

4. The Bazaar by José Andrés - DC

5. CIRCA at Clarendon

6. The St Regis DC - Afternoon tea

7. Georgia Brown's

8. Peacock Café

9. Chef Geoff's West End

10. Floriana

See what locals rave about

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