Penn Quarter mezze, Italian and Indian dining rooms a short walk from the convention centre, power dining near the White House, and Capitals and Wizards games at Capital One Arena.
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$38.00 USD for dinner: the US federal (GSA) dinner allowance for Washington DC, FY2027 (part of the $92 daily meals rate). Many companies use government rates as their benchmark. None of our dinner picks typically fit it, so plan on the company covering the difference or choosing a set menu.
Fit is based on our price estimates, before tax and tip. Rate source ↗
633 D St NW, Penn Quarter · about 12 min walk from the convention centre
Ashok Bajaj's modern Indian dining room, open for two decades, with chef Vikram Sunderam's crispy spinach chaat and black cod. A private room and a chef's table suit a client dinner.
974 Palmer Alley NW, CityCenterDC · about 8 min walk from the convention centre
Amy Brandwein's Italian osteria and market at CityCenterDC, known for handmade pasta and consistently polished service. A closed wine room and a larger chef's salon handle private dinners.
200 Massachusetts Ave NW, Capitol Crossing · about 15 min walk from the convention centre
A glamorous Italian restaurant ranked on Washingtonian's 2026 list, with whole branzino, pasta and a much-photographed layered lasagna. The Galleria is a private dining room set apart from the lounge.
1475 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Downtown near the White House · about 20 min walk or a short cab from the convention centre
Stephen Starr's revival of a century-old power-dining room a block from the White House, with a raw bar, caviar, rib eye and a baked Alaska. Polished and theatrical, it suits an expense-account client dinner.
650 K St NW, Mount Vernon Triangle · about 3 min walk from the convention centre
A big, glossy Italian restaurant across from the convention centre, with tableside beef tartare, bucatini and servers in ivory jackets. Three linked private rooms and a boardroom cover client dinners and large groups.
701 9th St NW, Penn Quarter · about 8 min walk from the convention centre
José Andrés's Michelin Bib Gourmand mezze restaurant, with Greek, Turkish and Lebanese plates and a strong Greek and Lebanese wine list. Big shared tables and a mezzanine make it easy for a group.
425 7th St NW, Penn Quarter, by Capital One Arena · about 12 min walk from the convention centre
A huge family-style Southern Italian restaurant with platters made for sharing, one of the biggest dining rooms in the city. Nine private rooms take anything from a boardroom dinner to a few hundred guests.
707 7th St NW, Chinatown, a block from Capital One Arena · about 7 min walk from the convention centre
A large, classic American saloon by the arena, with an oyster bar and several bars. Its private Piedmont Room and semi-private dining rooms are a reliable base for a group before a game.
950 F St NW, Penn Quarter · about 10 min walk from the convention centre
Themed escape rooms where small groups race the clock to solve puzzles. Bigger groups play in parallel rooms with live scoring, which works well for colleagues.
641 New York Ave NW, Mount Vernon Square · about 4 min walk from the convention centre
Social darts with automatic scoring, plus food and cocktails. Destination DC lists it for corporate events, team building and happy hours.
800 F St NW, Penn Quarter · about 9 min walk from the convention centre
Indoor putting courses with tech and themed design, plus a lively bar with food and cocktails. Easy for mixed groups of any skill.
Nothing matches that combination yet. Try a different group size.
Enter your dates to see the games, conferences and holidays happening while you're in Washington DC. Schedules go as far ahead as teams and organizers have published them, and we add more daily.
Nothing we track is happening on those dates. Your evenings are wide open.
Our rule of thumb for groups. Individual venues vary, so confirm when you call.
Rasika (633 D St NW, Penn Quarter): Private dining room up to 16; semi-private chef's table by the kitchen up to 12; groups up to 200 by arrangement (own site). Centrolina (974 Palmer Alley NW, CityCenterDC): Wine Room 10 with doors closed (12 open); Chef's Salon up to 30 seated or 40 standing; full buyout up to 100 (own site). L'Ardente (200 Massachusetts Ave NW, Capitol Crossing): The Galleria private dining room, plus private and semi-private spaces and full buyouts; no capacities published (own site). The Occidental (1475 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Downtown near the White House): Private dining for groups of 11 or more; no room capacities published (own site). RPM Italian (650 K St NW, Mount Vernon Triangle): Set 1 seats 28, Set 2 35, Set 3 21; all three together 84 seated or 75 standing; Boardroom 12 (own site).
The Escape Game DC Penn Quarter: Themed escape rooms where small groups race the clock to solve puzzles. Bigger groups play in parallel rooms with live scoring, which works well for colleagues. Flight Club DC: Social darts with automatic scoring, plus food and cocktails. Destination DC lists it for corporate events, team building and happy hours. Puttery DC: Indoor putting courses with tech and themed design, plus a lively bar with food and cocktails. Easy for mixed groups of any skill.
Rasika (633 D St NW, Penn Quarter · about 12 min walk from the convention centre). Centrolina (974 Palmer Alley NW, CityCenterDC · about 8 min walk from the convention centre). L'Ardente (200 Massachusetts Ave NW, Capitol Crossing · about 15 min walk from the convention centre). The Occidental (1475 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Downtown near the White House · about 20 min walk or a short cab from the convention centre).
Upcoming home games: Capitals vs Flyers, Wed Oct 28 at 7:30 PM (Capital One Arena); Wizards vs Hornets, Fri Oct 30 at 7:00 PM (Capital One Arena); Capitals vs Wild, Sun Nov 1 at 3:30 PM (Capital One Arena); Commanders vs Eagles, Sun Nov 1 at 8:20 PM (Northwest Stadium). The Washington DC page lists every home game for the next six months.
2027 TRB Annual Meeting: Jan 10–14, 2027 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001. Our advice is to book private rooms by November 29, 2026. SATELLITE 2027 (SATShow Week): Mar 8–11, 2027 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001. Our advice is to book private rooms by January 25, 2027.
Groups of 10 or more: book a private room 3 to 4 weeks ahead in a normal week. Conference weeks: book as soon as your dates are set. Each conference guide shows our book-by date. Game nights near the arena: book pregame dinners at least a week ahead. Holidays: many restaurants close or switch to set menus, so confirm hours before you book.