Finding Great Seafood in Washington, DC

1. Fiola Mare

Georgetown epicurean restaurant Fiola Mare is one of three Fabio Trabocchi restaurants in Washington, D.C. This impeccably tasteful waterfront seafood restaurant is the place to rub shoulders with Washington’s political and social elite.

Fiola Mare is committed to sourcing sustainable seafood for its high-end menus. Diners can expect exquisitely prepared dishes like smoked potato gnocchi with fresh Carolina shrimp, whole John Dory fish carved tableside, and Japanese A5 Miyazaki Wagyu beef with winter black truffle jus.

Fiola Mare, 3050 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007, Phone: 202 525 1402

2. Old Ebbitt Grill

The Old Ebbitt Grill has a long history in the nation’s capital dating back to 1856, when it was a local favorite for Presidents Cleveland, Harding, Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt. It’s stunning interior features a Beaux-Arts façade, brass and chamfered glass, with mahogany and velvet booths still providing allure to the celebrities, political insiders, theater-goers, and journalists of today.

When you add the close-proximity of museums and the White House to the delights of their upscale menu, you have all the makings of a local hot-spot.

Visitors will enjoy dining on extravagant tavern-style American food such as braised short rib pappardelle paired with a glass of wine from their extensive selection.

Old Ebbitt Grill, 675 15th Street, NW Washington, DC, Phone: 202-347-4800

3. Farmers Fishers Bakers

Farmers Fishers Bakers has the unusual distinction of being majority-owned by a national group of family farmers. Their Farmers Market Brunch, an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring everything from warm cinnamon rolls, eggs Benedict, and house-cured ham to sushi, tacos, and honey pot fried chicken, has earned it a spot among America’s 100 best brunches.

The restaurant’s Fishers Tiki bar has landed on numerous “Best of” tiki bar lists in D.C. Signature tiki cocktails include Tiki Enlightenment, Silencio Nights, and 1703 Cocktail. They also have 24 beers on tap and an array of farm-to-still proprietary drinks. First Bake is all about the baked goods served early weekday mornings.

Farmers Fishers Bakers, 3000 K Street NW, Washington, DC, Phone: 202-298-8783

4. Luke's Lobster

Luke's Lobster has been an East Village standard since 2009, and has racked up print and digital accolades ever since, even winning the Today Show’s “Best Lobster Roll” contest. Founder Luke Holden is building a veritable lobster shack dynasty, and Washington, D.C., is the beneficiary of a Penn Quarter location.

What makes this restaurant unique is their ability to partner with fishermen they know sans middlemen, and therefore trace sustainable catches to their source. Diners at Luke’s can expect top-of-the-line bisques and chowders; their famous lobster, crab, and shrimp rolls; chilled crab claws and lobster tail; and seasonal favorites like lobster grilled cheese and Wild Blue lobster tail salad.

Luke's Lobster, 624 E Street NW, Washington, DC, Phone: 202-347-3355

5. BlackSalt Restaurant

BlackSalt Restaurant has been making regular appearances on Washington Magazine’s annual “100 Best Restaurants” list since shortly after opening in 2004. Diners can expect the freshest seafood from sustainable sources prepared with an array of global influences, like their Thai or Belgian blue shell mussels. Menu favorites include salmon tartare, butter-poached lobster, assorted caviar, and fried Ipswich clams.

BlackSalt is one of the few restaurants where diners can delight in their favorite dishes and visit the fish market on the way out to take home the ingredients. The best dining advice is always to eat where the locals eat, and in Palisades, it’s BlackSalt.

BlackSalt Restaurant, 4883 MacArthur Boulevard, Washington, DC, Phone: 202-342-9101

6. Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab

Located up the block from the White House in the nation’s capital, Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab restaurant is where Washington’s wheeler-dealers and power brokers make things happen over plates of Gulf stone crab, hand-carved porterhouse steak, and jumbo lobster tail. Diners will enjoy the people-watching almost as much as sharing The Whale – Alaskan king crab, lobster tail, jumbo shrimp cocktail, and shrimp & scallop ceviche – that’s priced per person.

Weekend brunch favorites include Colossal Lump Crab Cake Benedict and strawberry waffles. Daily extended cocktail hours feature oysters on the half shell, wine, tap beer, and signature cocktails at half price. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and kids’ menus are available.

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, 750 15th Street NW, Washington, DC, Phone: 202-489-0140