Described by The Washington Post as "one of the most accomplished and ingratiating Indian kitchens" in Washington, Indique is found next to the Cleveland Park Metro Station. A contemporary Indian menu includes starters such as mulligatawny soup, seafood bisque and shrimp salad. Entrees include lamb rogan josh, tamilnad fish curry and Cornish hen vepudu, a curry prepared with hot peppers and curry leaves. Indique also offers a lunch menu and a pre-theater menu. Take-out is available and reservations can be booked in advance. Dress code is smart-casual.
Named after the small Italian town the head chef's mother came from, Palena serves what it calls "cucina genuine" or "genuine Italian cooking." In addition to the dining room restaurant, there is also a café for more informal dining and a marketplace with the opportunity to buy many of the ingredients used on the menu. The menu at Palena is season but typical starters include celery root soup, chicken liver parfait and poached sea scallops. Mains include hand-cut spaghetti in rabbit ragu, almond-crusted fluke and Yukon Gold gnocchi. The restaurant is closed on Monday and Sunday, although the café and marketplace remain open on Monday. Reservations are available and customers wishing to order the Tavola di Perpetua e Felicita, a head-to-tail meat preparation, must reserve 24 hours in advance.
Voted the second best restaurant in Washington by readers of the Washingtonian, Dino has been serving sustainable rustic Italian cuisine since its opening in 2005. The restaurant, which has walls decorated with many examples of contemporary Italian art, is located on Connecticut Avenue. Antipasti at Dino includes marinated artichokes, duck fat-fried potatoes served with mascarpone and fried calamari. Mains include free-form lasagna, grilled mahi mahi and slow-cooked milk-fed piglet. Desserts include a variety of sorbets and tiramisu. Dino also has a full wine list and its own cocktail selection. A separate brunch menu is served on Sundays until 3 p.m. There is no corkage charge from Monday to Wednesday, and between Sunday and Friday a happy hour operates until 7 p.m.
One of Cleveland Park's smaller restaurants, with seating for less than 30 people, Siam House is a Thai restaurant located in a converted townhouse just a short walk from Cleveland Park Metro Station. Appetizers include Thai curry puffs, deep fried tofu and chicken satay. Available mains include sweet and sour shrimp, chicken cooked with pineapple and drunken beef noodles. Desserts include key lime pie and roti. There is also a separate set lunch menu. Delivery is available within a two-mile radius.
