Restaurants near Japanese Lantern

This was a tremendous meal, and a can't-miss restaurant when visiting Washington D.C. It was my wife and I, and we shared six plates: hummus, falafel, rice pilaf/barley, fried eggplant, brussels sprouts and (essentially) french fries. We were uncomfortably full when leaving, and this ran us a whopping $72 dollars before tip. Obviously if we had gotten drinks or wine, the price would have gone up considerably, but I can't imagine this kind of quality food in a metro area for $36/person in 2024. Plus endless homemade pita that was a cross between pita and naan was provided -- crazy delicious. The french fries had a house-made mushroom salt with a yogurt dipping sauce. The serving size on those were substantial, but basically they were just outstanding french fries. In terms of going for authentic Mediterranean food, we could have swapped this out for something else, but that was probably more our fault than theirs just having something a little more neutral on the menu for less-adventurous eaters. The other five items were all significantly above average, with my favorite being the sprouts and my wife favoring the barley/pilaf. Also, the speed with which we got through our meal was noteworthy -- one hour as they rotated through plates one at a time. It was a well-oiled machine.

Great luncheon today. Lots of menu choices for winter warmers. I had the beef stew. Tender and tasted great, with a small salad and some bread. Just the right size portions, not to big and not to small. My wife had the chicken stew, and equally as satisfying. Our server was very attentive. We've been here before-sometimes good, sometimes not so much- and this is the best experience we've ever had.

Just coming back from Paris, my husband and I decided we would organize his birthday dinner here as a loving nod to a wonderful experience abroad. The food was delicious and so very well presented. The wine was impeccable and cocktails were perfect. The ambiance, especially around the holidays, is unmatched. I will say it was surprisingly busy for a late evening dinner on a Tuesday and I think that made wait times for items longer than ideal. That being said, it was a top notch experience and we will be back!

Super Restaraunt. Very good atmosphere, friendly wait staff, very good price point. Reservations are highly recommended as this is a local go-to. There are four bars in the restaurant, one in each corner. So, while this is a white linen dining experience, you must not think of it as posh or fine dining given the tavern extraordinaire atmosphere. It obviously has the DC charm of “Cheers” sans Norm and Sam, with a kicked up level regarding the dining. Very tasty meal, great selection of cuisine. I highly recommend OEG.

I dined here as a solo diner and usually you wouldn’t get the best service because the servers want larger parties, but this was not the case here. Zach made sure I was taken care of. This is a rarity as someone who travels a lot alone and has experienced the bad end of dining alone. I’ve had a few friends and family dine here when they visited and loved it so I’m glad I was able to get the same experience they had as a solo diner.