-
The Occidental
American
Olive-green velvet booths, a room that hums with the particular energy of people who might be somebody, and martinis that make a two-hour lunch feel like a reasonable life choice. Stephen Starr revived this old Washington institution near the White House into a full-service American restaurant with a menu that leans classic without apology: French dip, lobster bisque, oysters in beurre blanc. The champagne layer cake arrives frosted in pink, which somehow feels correct.
The awards strongest first
- Wine Enthusiast Top 50 New Restaurants
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
- Washingtonian Oysters With Beurre Blanc · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
- Washingtonian #66 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- Washingtonian Where to Eat Near the National Mall
One number, weighted & current 81
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
-
Pigs in blankets
“We go straight for pigs in blankets, oysters in beurre blanc, or lobster bisque before moving on to a rib eye or French dip.”
Washingtonian, 2026 -
Oysters in beurre blanc
“We go straight for pigs in blankets, oysters in beurre blanc, or lobster bisque before moving on to a rib eye or French dip.”
Washingtonian, 2026 -
Lobster bisque
“We go straight for pigs in blankets, oysters in beurre blanc, or lobster bisque before moving on to a rib eye or French dip.”
Washingtonian, 2026 -
Champagne layer cake
“Another fun throwback: Champagne layer cake with Barbie-pink frosting.”
Washingtonian, 2026
Reviews
Sign in to write a review.
No reviews yet
Reviews never count toward the Eat Score.
The neighbors closest first
- Willard InterContinental Stay · 74
- Hotel Washington Stay · 74
- Café du Parc French Eat · 73
- The Hamilton American Eat · 70
- Swing's Coffee Eat · 82
- Old Ebbitt Grill American Eat · 60
- Astro Beer Hall Eat · 79
- Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab Steakhouse Eat · 78
Something wrong with this entry? Tell us. Closed, moved, miscategorized: we want to know.