The Monocle Restaurant
American restaurant · The Capitol Grounds ·
Classic Capitol Hill steakhouse serving martinis and steaks
![The Monocle Restaurant by The Monocle [official site]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62474254/monocle.0.0.0.jpg "The Monocle Restaurant by The Monocle [official site]")
Classic Capitol Hill steakhouse serving martinis and steaks
"A steakhouse is as much a DC institution as traffic cameras, questionable politicians, and Fannie Mae. The Monocle on Capitol Hill is not only one of the city’s oldest, it’s undeniablyone of its best. Sit at the small wooden bar if you want to hear Hill staffers spilling congressional secrets after one too many ginger Manhattans." - Team Infatuation
"A Capitol Hill institution since 1960, the Monocle is a known political hangout. Because it’s a stone’s throw from the Hart and Dirksen Senate buildings, don’t be surprised to see politicians eating and drinking there." - Tierney Plumb
"Your political junkie friend just finished grad school and you want to take them somewhere to remind them that politicians are stupid (because you take your job of keeping them humble very seriously). The Monocle, a Capitol Hill steakhouse, is so close to Capitol it’s basically inside the rotunda. Here’s your chance to poke fun at congressmen and lobbyists who talk a little too loud after that last glass of scotch while you all wait on your ribeye served with spicy chili butter. If you want something a little more secluded, you can book a big group dinner in the wine room on the second floor." - tristiana hinton, omnia saed, mekita rivas, allison robicelli
"A lot of places try to replicate DC’s once-ubiquitous steakhouses, and many pull it off. But The Monocle doesn’t need to copy what once was—it’s the real deal, and has been since it opened in 1960. Located in a 19th-century home that’s walking distance from the Capitol Building, The Monocle is the kind of old-school establishment where a worked-here-for-decades maître d’ greets you at the door and escorts you to your white tablecloth-covered banquette. Photos of politicians line the walls, and although the tables and booths are usually full, there’s a relative hush over the dining room. Deals are being made quietly over martinis at the banquettes, so if you want something a bit livelier, grab a beer with the Hill staffers at the bar. The steak and salmon are excellent, and the fact that servers walk around with open bottles of wine means your glass will never go empty." - madeline weinfield
"The highly civil, enduring Monocle has been slinging steaks and providing top-notch hospitality on the Hill since it opened in 1960 just a campaign button’s throw from the Senate office buildings. The walls inside the tidy, yellow circa-1885 townhouse display autographed of famous folks, mostly politicians. Reportedly, the original owner once discovered Richard Nixon’s photo in the ladies restroom, tore it from the frame, and ripped it to shreds. Drink ice-cold martinis there along with all the steakhouse standards. Weekday lunch is available, too." - Tierney Plumb