Old Ebbitt Grill

Old Ebbitt Grill traces its history back to 1856, when William E. Ebbitt turned a hotel into a boarding house, and it calls itself Washington's oldest saloon. It has moved twice since then, keeping parts of its old bar fittings, and has been at 675 15th Street NW since 1983, a short walk from the White House. It is owned by Clyde's Restaurant Group, which bought it in 1970.

The interior is part of the appeal. There are four bars, including the Old Bar with mounted hunting trophies, the Oyster Bar, Grant's Bar and the Corner Bar, along with mahogany panelling, etched glass and booths in the main dining room. The atrium dining room has a large marble fountain. Several presidents have eaten or drunk here over the years, including Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding, and William McKinley lived in the original hotel.

Oysters are the speciality. The raw bar offers a changing list, and there is a daily oyster happy hour with reduced prices on the raw bar. Each November, on the weekend before Thanksgiving, the restaurant holds a large oyster festival called the Oyster Riot. The rest of the menu is broad American cooking, served from breakfast through lunch and dinner to late-night dining, which makes it useful at almost any time of day.

It is busy, and walk-in waits can be long at lunch, early evening and weekend brunch. Reservations can be made through OpenTable or the restaurant's own booking form, and booking is strongly advised if you want a table at a set time. Seats at the bar are often the quickest option if you just want oysters and a drink.

The restaurant suits groups, families, business diners and first-time visitors who want a sense of old Washington. It is a good choice before a show or after a morning at the White House visitor area or the museums on the Mall. Allow an hour to 90 minutes for a full meal.

The restaurant is downtown, a short walk from the White House and the downtown museums, so it fits easily into a day of sightseeing. It also has a downstairs private room, the Cabinet Room, for events.