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    The Monocle

    3.9 (213 reviews)
    Closed 11:45 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    The Monocle Photos

    Business Info

    THE MONOCLE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Dressy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Monocle

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    Reviews With Photos

    Burger
    Melanie B.

    Nice food and close to the Capitol. Decent menu options. had a fantastic Shrimp Louie add crab- the dressing was so so good. Co worker had the burger and said it was well cooked.

    Octopus and fava
    Binio L.

    Absolutely fantastic! Food was perfect, service was flawless and friendly. Ambiance is old time charm. Comfortable and just perfect to enjoy a great meal. My food was superb. Good location.

    Alexis Andrea N.

    Cozy intimate American steakhouse with great service! Great place to celebrate or reunion with friends. I had an issue with my steak and they worked to make it right and I was very grateful. Great cocktail and dessert list too!

    Scott H.

    Excellent restaurant for a very expensive meal, but with good food and amazing service. Great place to impress. Also a great venue if you are meeting up with some Washington DC friends after work. Conveniently located across the street from Union station. New York strip steak was fantastic. French fries met expectations. Cheesecake also met expectations. Diet Coke glass was full, I didn't have any alcohol. Everyone else who did have alcohol seemed to really enjoy the experience.

    Crab with avocado
    Brianna T.

    The service and atmosphere were lovely, but I was underwhelmed by the food especially considering the pricing. The drinks and specials we tried were very good though!

    Crab cake
    Ann L.

    I had dinner here with a couple of colleagues while in town for a meeting. I had been here before for a group dinner, but this was my first visit with just a regular reservation and ordering off the menu. This is a historic restaurant right near the Capitol and is a good spot to increase your chances of catching a glimpse of members of congress if you're interested in doing so; there are lots of signed photos on the wall of previous guests. The menu is classic and basic with steaks and classic seafood. I had the crab cake and added on the optional side of fries. The crab cake was excellent; almost entirely big chunks of crab. The vegetables and fries were good. I had a ginger manhattan from the cocktail list; it was an excellent manhattan and the ginger was subtle. Service was a little off sadly. Other tables received bread and we did not. We asked about this and were told it was coming but never did. We also had an hour wait between cocktails and food arriving which is part of why we wanted the bread. Other tables were definitely being served before us; not sure if our ticket was misplaced for a bit. If something like that did happen, an explanation would have been helpful. I definitely love a leisurely dinner, but this did not seem by design.

    Barney G.

    Delicious!! Started with shellfish bisque, followed by a paradise salad, then topped it off with Crème Brûlée! So very good, with stellar service by Haris!

    Dessert
    Ino R.

    Off Capitol hangout...great atmosphere for anger together, and good food. We had an opportunity to meet with a member of Congress and then follow that meeting up with a meal and some drinks. Harris was an awesome server and handled our group of about 15 with ease. I ordered the Hanger Steak, medium rare, it was very good. It was covered with a cognac mushroom sauce which enhanced the flavor of the meat. I also ordered the mushroom and oysters side, which was surprisingly good. I enjoyed my side over the potato au gratin, and the green beans and carrots. Folks from party ordered the NY Strip, which was sizeably generous. The halibut presented well and for good reviews. Two from my table ordered (and didn't share) their creme brulee. I chose to dessert on a Knob Hill, neat. Great experience at a traditional steak restaurant, in a not so traditional location.

    Luxe Crab Cake
    Crystal R.

    We were visiting and taking the train back to Richmond. This location is walking distance to Union Station. The guy host was so friendly and overall the service was good. The pictures all over the restaurant were pretty cool too. This place isn't cheap. The food options are what I would expect for a "White House dinner" or something like that so that's pretty cool but it's not amazing or a dinner I would necessarily remember. It served its purpose and convenient.

    Monocle House Potato Gratin
    Noah K.

    Best steak in town! I got the filet mignon, and the house potato gratin. Both were terrific. This was the best steak I have ever eaten! Service was incredible! I see why this was one of Richard Nixon and JFK's favorite restaurants in town. Terrific ambience, great atmosphere. Once you eat here no steak will ever taste the same to you ever again! It will only remind you of how far you are from this exceptional establishment. MUST HAVE if you are in Washington DC

    Dinner with the girls after the Kennedy center
    Moshe H.

    When I sat down at our table, I took in the scenery and immediately noticed the wall of prior patrons. I had this vision of DC insiders having these perfectly tender steaks with a glutinous amount of steakhouse sides, paired with uncorked bottles of wine and a (cigar) smoke filled ceiling. For me, this kind of ambiance is worth the price of admission. I drank a mescal old fashioned and a rum based punch from the drink menu. (Both drinks were good) I'm pretty sure the house bread had a decent amount of rosemary in it. I like that personally. The house salad with avocados and hearts of palm was a great call to start the festivities. My 14 OZ NY sirloin was very tender and flavorful. Some of my steak slices made their way in the red wine sauce that accompanied my wife's Filet Mignon. That was also delicious and perfectly cooked. My crispy onion rings were not so crispy, but still enough crunch to satisfy that urge. Our side of potatoes au gratin was a 10 out of 10. The staff was fantastic and our server was excellent. It was a checklist experience for me and I'm glad we went. I look forward to taking my son here in the future to getting his read on the food and the ambience. I would recommend it.

    a person's foot on a black table
    Samone J.

    We visited during restaurant week for a much needed friend date! I was the first to arrive and was seated promptly! The service was solid, no complaints. As for the food, everything was delectable! My least favorite item was the shellfish bisque, it was a little too salty for my liking. The vibe is super cute, it made me feel like I was in The Sopranos. I would absolutely return here!

    BLT Salad
    Daniel C.

    I start this review with the fact that this visit was for a large party during lunch hour because I believe it plays a part in the quality of the meal to a certain degree. The service when we arrived was quick and efficient. The server took our orders quickly and he was on top of filling up our drinks during the duration of the meal. The salad was bland to say the least and was already served on the table upon arrival. For our entree we had a chicken or steak option. I ordered a medium temp steak, which I believe was the hanger steak on their menu. The steak was under cooked and lacked seasoning. The side item was the star of show and it was the chef potatoes. The potatoes were well cooked and the sauce was delicious. Overall this was a underwhelming meal. The ambiance of the restaurant was neat and you can tell there is a lot of history in this building. Unfortunately the meal was so forgettable that I simply can't give it another try when there are so many good options in the area.

    Chocolate Panna Cotta

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    10 months ago

    Amazing food, the workers are polite and really funny. And the interior is very nice.

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    2 years ago

    An excellent Capitol Hill people-watching location. Service is good; food is mediocre.

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    The Monocle Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Monocle

    What is the attire for dinner?

    Casual, just not sloppy.

    Is there valet parking?

    There is valet parking for the lunch hours! Street parking in the evening hours.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    The Capital Burger - Our namesake burger is served French onion-style with caramelized onions, Wisconsin Grand Cru gruyère and shallot aioli.

    The Capital Burger

    4.3(1.1k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Amazing service and food. Came here specifically for the parmesan truffle fries and it was so worth…read moreit. The best I've ever had! The Capital burger was good too. They also provide complimentary sweet pickles. Enormous thanks to our server, Stephon!! We loved his contagious smile, he treated us with so much respect and kindness.

    Have you ever been to a high end place and ordered a burger? You get that look like ordering steak…read moreat a great seafood place. Well I do enjoy burgers and plenty of places have upped their burger game. As much as it cost for a burger at certain fast food places you might as well hit up some of these other places. The prices are basically the same now. On a few trips to Capital Grille I did go with the burger and so I decided to check out its affiliate Capital Burger. Capital Burger actually has more burger options to choose for over Capital Grille and a more slimmed down menu. Still with the name burger in its name, you know where their focus is. I went with the bacon cheeseburger that comes with candied smoke bacon that came at $22 with your chose of sides (fries or various salads). It was cooked to the perfect medium rare and you can tell when a burger is cooked with better ingredients and cooked with a give a damn. It was not thrown together, and the fries were not just sitting under a heating lamp. I actually ordered a to go burger for the spouse. Here is where customer service comes in. I was asked how far I had to travel and the person taking my order said she will separate portions so it will travel better. Thank you. It is that little extra that goes a long way. This time I went with the Capital Burger to go along with some key lime pie to nibble on later. Great service and great food. There are plenty of good burger places but if you are a burger fan then definitely check this place out. Absolutely no disappointment. For a true high end burger experience I have no problem giving this place a solid five stars.

    Photos
    The Capital Burger - Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

    Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

    The Capital Burger - Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

    Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

    The Capital Burger - The Capital Burger offers signature burgers, handcrafted cocktails, local brews and award-winning wines.

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    The Capital Burger offers signature burgers, handcrafted cocktails, local brews and award-winning wines.

    The Monocle - steak - Updated May 2026

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