In case you don’t follow me on social media, I went on a girl’s trip last week to Washington DC, with some of my closest friends, Mariah, Amber, and Michelle and it was a dream. We were hosted by the Hilton at Capitol Hill. The four of us stayed in the presidential suite and it did not disappoint. We had the most amazing view of the Capitol from every window. Gorgeous lighting, amazing couches, beds, a kitchenette, giant bathrooms and more! Thanks to Pink Lily for these jammies in this capture.
hilton at capitol hill
Check out this gorgeous room and view…
Peep the Capitol out the window from the dining, and the bedroom in the far right photo. Seriously, it was just WOWWW!
Washington DC was seemingly quiet due to Covid restrictions and everything that’s happened this year. 🥴
But we went on the first weekend that the restaurants opened back up to 50% capacity. It was opening weekend for the main restaurant inside of the Hilton at Capitol Hill. It was so crazy, because our bartender told us, that he hadn’t been at work since the lockdown in March 2020. My mind was blown. But it was like a huge celebration to have things opening back up.
The main restaurant at the Hilton was called Federal City Bar. It was way more than your typical bar fare. It was exquisite. If it was bar food, then I now love bar food. Here were some of our favorites.
Tijuana Street Fries 
Quick Smoked Burrata 
Dry Rubbed Buckhead Steak Salad
And because no meal is complete with out a little sugar, we went over the top on dessert.
The trio of desserts matched our appetizers and entrees, and we devoured every last bite. The orange shortbread cookies were a surprising delight. All in all, it was such a treat to have such amazing food accessible right at our hotel.
Blueberry Fiancier 
Cheesecake in a Jam 
Ginger Chocolate Pot de Creme
Of course we didn’t spend all our time at The Hilton at Capitol Hill, we hit some other local sites as well. We basically ate and walked our way through the city, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Amber, wished we were working out as we made our way through the city, but we paced her with walking instead. 😂
Some of our other favorites can be found below.
bistro cacao
Our first night, we made no reservations (oops) and wandered until we found the most charming French restaurant covered in twinkle lights. We had charcuterie, dessert and sangria (there’s has cinnamon, yum), and sat outside in a little heated tent. It was delish, and the perfect place to stumble into. We had so much fun, sharing old stories and bonding, we forgot to take photos. So, a few IG stories, will have to suffice.
philz coffee
The next morning we walked 50 minutes to Philz because Mariah said it was her favorite. The coffee is unique, because they put iced coffee in hot coffee cups with traditional sip lids, but don’t be fooled by the lack of polish. The actual coffee was delicious. We had cold brew, the rose latte and more. We devoured a chocolate croissant (my fav) and basically ate like French people for two meals in a row.
cherry blossoms
The night before we took photos at the cherry blossoms, we had seen a spot, that I wanted to stop at, but we really didn’t have time, we came back the next day and it was oh so magical. I know many people come to DC for the cherry blossoms this time of year, but we honestly weren’t planning on that, we just got lucky that they were still in bloom this late in the season. Amber took some of my most favorite photos in a long time.
belga cafe
Belga was on our list to try. Well at least my list. I drove the train to get us there, and just wow. It had rave reviews online, and lived up to the hype. It’s traditional Belgium food, created by Chef Bart Vandaele, who was kind enough to give us a special drink show with their bar cart that comes direct to your table, and he showed us pictures of his chickens. I guess we’re practically best friends now. If you’re in DC near Capitol Hill, you definitely don’t want to skip this stop. And get the liege waffles, because, they are a Belgian classic and totally yum.
photography session with Sarah Prabhakar Photography
We were able to connect with a local photographer who made all of our Sex and the City photo shoot dreams come to life. Sarah was so talented, and I’m always amazed at how good our photos are when we have a professional take them. Definitely give her a follow. Colors and lighting were so dreamy, and we had the best outfits provided by Petal and Pup, click the link to shop!
Sunday, Mariah ordered one more round of Philz for us, to our hotel, while we packed up. We had a disaster of clothes everywhere. We had plans to hit brunch one more time at the request of Michelle, but we didn’t make reservations and could not find a place with availability. In full transparency, we didn’t make reservations one time this trip, because we were just on the go, and found a place to eat, every time, but also the city wasn’t at max capacity, so my advice, is don’t be like us. Every website mostly has online booking, we just weren’t that organized. We finally got a recommendation from someone to try another little European restaurant.
convivial
We ended up at Convivial, where they had more French and European faire. It would have been perfect to sit on the outdoor patio, but since we didn’t make a reservation, we had to sit inside. I have the Croque Monsieur and it did not disappoint.
We walked 45 minutes back to our hotel, and sadly had to pack up to go. It ended too quick as all trips do.
Til next time to DC.
If you’re looking for more Washington, DC Recommendations, check out this post, with sights local to Dupont Circle.
XOXOXO – What’s one of your favorite spots in Washington, DC? Tell me in the comment below.