Washington Hotel Restaurants By Kim O'Donnel Washingtonpost.com Staff Friday, October 23, 1998

The dining room at Michel Richard's Citronelle, at Georgetown's Latham Hotel. (File Photo)

In Washington, the answer is a resounding yes.

There are at least a dozen hotels with palates all their own and an appeal that extends to local gastronomes as well. The choices are many and varied: In addition to the predictably expensive dining rooms at the bigger-name international hotel chains (Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and Four Seasons), there are lots of smaller, less familiar rest stops with equally impressive kitchens (and some of the better chefs in town at the helm).

If you're staying in Georgetown, you have two difficult choices: Seasons at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel or Michel Richard's Citronelle at the Latham. Renowned Richard, who had been traveling between coasts, is now in the District to stay and recently plunked down $2 million to build a new dining room, a glassed-in wine cellar and an open kitchen. It's an enlightened French fantasy with ambiance to match.

Just a few blocks away, in the Foggy Bottom/West End neighborhood, there's Zuki Moon Noodles at the George Washington University Inn, where chef Mary Richter focuses on Asian-inspired soups, small plates and, of course, house-made noodles, from udon to yam cellophane. Make sure to ask about the ice cream selection, which often includes something wonderful like green tea or ginger. The dining room is easygoing enough for jeans but stands up to suits.

There are lots of fish dishes to be had at the neighboring Park Hyatt's Melrose, where the prices are steeper and the ambiance definitely more formal.

Over in Dupont Circle, you'll find a handful of offerings, from the very fancy (the Jefferson Hotel and the Jockey Club at the Ritz-Carlton) to the more moderate in ambiance and price range (Gabriel at the Radisson Barcelo and the Tabard Inn). Gabriel is the work of Greggory Hill, who has gained a reputation as the king of brunch; so if you're passing through town on a weekend, this may be an appropriate launching pad. His menu, in general, steers toward the melding of Mexican, Spanish and American Southwestern ingredients; and there's a tapas happy hour every weeknight where you can experience Hill's vision. With its enclosed outdoor courtyard, dark wood, friendly staff and use of local ingredients, the Tabard has been a standby for Washingtonians for the past two decades. The current chef is David Craig, who's known for his way with fish.

Closer to downtown and the monuments, there are a few choice places where you can lay your head and also be assured of good food: Coeur de Lion at the Henley Park, Lafayette at the Hay-Adams and the Morrison-Clark Inn. Coeur de Lion is a romantic enclave with a French Asian-inspired lineup of contemporary classics in a distinctively English atmosphere. At Lafayette, once the stomping ground of the late culinary star Patrick Clark, you can choose from extravagant creations or heart-healthy fare (not to mention afternoon tea). And at the Morrison-Clark Inn, you'll find a historic spot with Southern-inspired food, thanks to chef Susan McCreight Lindeborg.

The choices in the neighborhood around Union Station ratcheted up a notch with the recent opening of the Hotel George and its snazzy signature restaurant, Bis. The latest creation of restaurateurs Jeffrey and Sallie Buben (who also own Vidalia), its striking decor and menu of French classics make it a destination in and of itself.

And if you're billeted in Rosslyn, be sure to investigate Mezza9 at the Hyatt Arlington, where you'll swear you're dining anywhere but at a hotel. The food isn't overly fussy, an interesting blend of various Mediterranean cuisines, and the dining experience here is altogether very pleasant.