ill be in DC soon and wanted to know if anyone knows the corkage at le diplomate (or if they even allow outside bottles). we’ll be eating outside. do they have a decent outdoor setup?
also have a reservation for albi. anyone been? worth recommending? do they allow outside wine?
would love to go to tail up goat again but we only eat outdoors with our toddler. love the food there.
Here is a corkage source that may or not be accurate Le Diplomate - Corkage BYOB
The real answer is that you have to call and hope you get the right answer. I called a Pittsburgh restaurant to ask about corkage and I was told $15 a glass. Starr’s restaurants are much better run. He doesn’t allow corkage in all his Philly restaurants so check.
Pre covid I went to Diplomate and corkage was 30$. I have not been back. Yes outside is ok but I do not recommend street side seating too loud and noisy. I am a big fan of 1789 restaurant in Gtown…0$ corkage on Thursdays.
I am convinced that Rasika is one of (if not the) best Indian restaurants in the country, and it may be my favorite restaurant of any sort in DC. Absolutely superb; glad you enjoyed it!
We had a perfect lunch on the slate patio at L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls today. Sunny and warm but not too hot, early enough in the season for few bugs, a pleasant cool breeze. Traditional, exceptionally well-made Alsatian-French cooking with a 2003 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes and an absolutely pitch-perfect fresh raspberry soufflé. Service was great, the atmosphere charming, and the food perfect for the occasion. Highly recommended if you have a car and want a reasonable trip out into the land of privilege.
Corduroy.
Excellent food, exceptional wine list, some wines with bottle age.
Dan Kravitz
The Dabney, Rose’s Luxury, Le Diplomate are my go to’s. All have fairly reasonable corkage fees as well(35 or under last I checked).
I went there a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. My table went for the Sofra tasting menu and I thought it was the right amount of food (not overwhelming like can sometimes be the case with tasting menus). It was also a very relaxed pace. We did not do the beverage pairing, instead went for the 2013 Le Piane Boca which was quite enjoyable. Not sure what their outside wine policy is, but they do have a fun wine list.
Surprised no one has mentioned The Dabney – fantastic food, great wine list and service. Plus a bar where sometimes you can snake a couple of seats if reservations aren’t available.
2 above 
Roses Luxury is great too though.
Any thought on Duck Duck Goose? I’m expecting to go for lunch tomorrow.
I think I’ve been there, but I can’t remember if it was good, bad, or otherwise. Hopefully you had a good meal there!
I had the duck confit. It was one of those memorable meals. Crispy skin. Plenty of meat. For $30, it was a steal. It’s a lovely restaurant. Classic, yet French bistro-ish. Service was what you’d expect from a 5* place. It’s located on P Street in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. It’s a few minute walk from the Metro.
Looks like Annabelle revamped their wine program and raised their corkage to $50 a btl.
Going to check out Rasika this week.
Will be having dinner in DC or Arlington on Thursday night November 3 with my wife. Restaurant recommendations? Will bring Cali Rocket Fuel if you want to join us. SQN, Saxum, NOK, Myriad, Schrader. Aubert white. You get the idea.
An interesting restaurant in Cleveland Park is Sababa. Excellent Israeli food.
Traveling to DC in late August and looking for feedback on Chloe and Ambar. Ambar is within walking distance. Estadio was a fave the last last couple of times we were in town but that closed down, Chloe is Karoum’s newer restaurant. Chloe seems pretty eclectic. We appreciated Estadio’s casual friendliness, and wondered about Chloe’s ambiance (or vibe).
Thanks for any feedback.