"This Dupont Circle spot has a pedigree: it was once a stable to a circa-1875 home, then home to D.C.'s oldest continuously operating restaurant (which closed in 2010). Neighborhood Restaurant Group revived the space, kept the historic touches, and brought in acclaimed chef Tony Chittum. The menu and wine list focus on Mediterranean flavors, like lemon-ricotta pancakes, roasted pepper lumache with shrimp, and a rosemary pine nut tart with jupiter grape sorbet. Look up while dining at Iron Gate's romantic patio, and you'll see a canopy of greenery, thanks to the restaurant's 125-year-old wisteria vines." - Adele Chapin