Located across the street from the Hotel Monaco, the National Portrait Gallery is a historic art museum with collections focusing on images of famous Americans. The National Portrait Gallery has the only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House and several other exhibitions.
Just a short walk from the Hotel Monaco, the National Mall is the best place to do a whole lot of sightseeing in a short amount of time. You can see the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian Museums, the World War II Memorial, the Botanical Gardens, and so much more. The Mall is also a gorgeous place to go for a run (if you're into that sort of thing...). If you're in town on November 4th, you should join us for a night tour of the Mall! There's more information on the "Schedule of Events" page.
Rock Creek Park was founded by Congress in 1890 and is a 1,700 acre park in Northwest DC. It's a gorgeous place to go for a walk or bike ride, with tons of trails. It's one of our favorite spots when we want to get outside!
Meridian Hill Park is one of our favorites in DC. Its Italian-style garden has gorgeous fountains and it's a great place for a picnic lunch. It's also right near DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood, which has a ton of fun restaurants and bars (more on that below).
Feel like going for a drive, or being in nature without actually being *in* nature? The GW Parkway runs along the south bank of the Potomac River and is maintained by the National Park Service. It has great views of DC (particularly Georgetown), and is lined with trees that look amazing in the Fall.
Located just a few blocks from the Hotel Monaco, Flight Wine Bar holds a special place in our hearts because it's where we met for the first time and had our first date! Flight has a wine list of over 600 wines from small, family-owned estates around the world and a great seasonal dinner menu. It's the perfect place for an afternoon wine tasting or pre-dinner drink and snack.
This is one of our favorite restaurants and one we always recommend to friends visiting DC. The menu is full of small plates of international street food and amazing cocktails. Some of our go-to's are the khachapuri and the Compass Rose cocktail. We recommend trying to get a reservation in advance, since Compass Rose is very popular and fills up fast. But you won't regret going!
If you're looking for a quick lunch while sightseeing or some late-night food, Wiseguy Pizza is the spot. Just trust us.
Call Your Mother is home of the absolute best bagel sandwiches in DC. Our favorite is the Sun City (bacon, egg, and cheese), but you really can't go wrong here.
Georgetown has a ton of restaurants, shopping, coffee (Baked Joint is the best), and gorgeous streets to walk through and admire all the historic homes and architecture. The Waterfront is also a highlight!
Adams Morgan is particularly close to Matt's heart, since it's the first place he lived in DC. There are tons of amazing restaurants (Lucky Buns is one of our favorites) and if you're looking for night life, this is one of the best places to be. We very highly recommend Green Zone and Jack Rose for cocktails, and if you need some late night food to counteract said cocktails, we suggest Duccini's for a slice of pizza bigger than your head, or Amsterdam Falafel.