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While The Post portrays a world of dinner parties in Georgetown townhouses, smoky newsrooms, and white-tablecloth breakfast meetings that’s far from the reality of most writers today, there are still certain places in D.C. that draw journalists and politicos. With the film up for six Golden Globes—including Meryl Streep’s nomination for her portrayal of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham as she made the fateful decision, the very same week her company was going public, to publish reporting based on the Pentagon Papers—here are a few favorite spots of D.C. journalists, past and present.
Soon after she took over her family’s paper, Katharine Graham famously asked editor Ben Bradlee (portrayed by Tom Hanks in the film) to lunch at the F Street Club to discuss joining the newspaper. The private club, depicted in an early scene in the movie, was just about the only place in D.C. where a woman could pay for a man’s lunch in 1965 without causing a stir. The space is now the university president’s residence at George Washington University, so instead power brokers turn up to be seen for “breakfast in Georgetown,” shorthand among a certain set for meeting at the Four Seasons, where security details hover in a back corner and Ivanka Trump, Vernon Jordan, and Nancy Pelosi were all spotted dining on the same day last February. Susan Davis, a congressional correspondent for NPR, favors French spot Bistro Bis at the Hotel George, a few blocks from the Capitol, for a.m. meetings. “Pro tip: You should only pay $17 for a scrambled-egg plate when you’re expensing it,” she says.
When it’s time to sit down to write, Washington Post White House reporter Ashley Parker likes the 14th Street NW coffee and gelato spot Dolcezza, though she admits to Vogue, “I walked in there one morning to find another reporter frantically trying to confirm the same White House staffing change I was chasing.” Her colleague Jenna Johnson prefers bustling Adams Morgan spot Tryst: “There’s one table near the back that’s particularly perfect for writing, complete with access to a coveted electrical outlet, and I often try to arrive as soon as the doors open early in the morning so that I can snag it.” For brunch, Johnson likes the nearby Afghan restaurant Lapis. “I often found myself homesick for it during the campaign when I rarely made it home on weekends,” she says. “I usually order the karayee—eggs with tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peppers, and beef—and hot tea.”
To look the part, Hu’s boutique—stocking brands like Chloé, Jimmy Choo, and Proenza Schouler—and its neighboring shoe store in Georgetown are “in my opinion, the best in town,” says Vogue contributing editor Hildy Kuryk, the former finance director of the DNC. “The last time I was there I checked out next to a former congresswoman from California.” Kuryk also suggests the Georgetown Salon & Spa or George at the Four Seasons for TV-ready blowouts.
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, an outpost of the classic Miami Beach restaurant is “always buzzing with reporters, lawmakers hosting fundraising dinners, White House officials, and the K Street set,” says Davis. “If your goal is to spot a senator or cable news star, this is the place right now.” The Washington Post’s Robert Costa recommends the key lime pie, which “is served ice cold,” for dessert. BLT Steak, where Trump lawyer Ty Cobb was overheard discussing the Russia probe last year, draws a similar crowd—the Obamas celebrated Michelle’s birthday there in 2012.
CNN White House correspondent Sara Murray suggests heading to Shaw, a neighborhood popular with younger journalists. “Espita Mezcaleria is my personal fave. Sit at the bar, order the Mayahuel—my go-to drink (be careful, it’s strong!)—along with some guacamole and a couple of the salsas.” Nearby, The Bird offers ripped-from-the-headlines drink specials: Five-dollar “Moscow Muellers” every time the special council indicts someone, and happy-hour deals when someone is fired from the White House.
Despite the very on-the-nose name, basement cocktail den Off the Record, just across the street from the White House in the Hay-Adams hotel, has long been a favorite of off-duty journalists and White House officials, as is Quill in the Jefferson hotel. For a cozier evening, Johnson recommends a glass of wine at Room 11 in Columbia Heights.