Bombay Club

815 Connecticut Ave., NW (H St.), Washington DC
(202) 659-3727.

our comments

One of the prettiest and most comfortable restaurants in Washington, the cool and chic Bombay Club, with its potted palms, rattan furniture, deeply cushioned chairs, ceiling fans and luxurious decorative details, re-creates the atmosphere of the British raj. So does the solicitous service. Not surprisingly, this has been one of the favorites of residents of the White House, just across Lafayette Square. You may come for the atmosphere, but the food will delight you, too: tandoori seafood is a specialty, and salmon and scallops emerge from the white-hot heat of the tandoor nicely crusted and with a moist interior. Other recommended dishes are lamb curry with apricots and fried fish with poppy seeds. Bombay Club is the product of local restaurant mogul Ashok Bajaj, who also brought Washingtonians Ardeo and the Oval Room.

- April 2005