"Dine (Almost) at the White House Up a few steps from the Hay-Adams’s lobby is the hotel’s elegant restaurant, the Lafayette, a windowed dining room dressed to the nines with gleaming silverware and crystal chandeliers, fresh flowers, and crisp white tablecloths. The windows overlook Lafayette Square and the White House beyond and, because the room’s elevated above the street, the view confers a strong sense of place without allowing the visual noise of the cars and pedestrians outside. The menu, featuring a refined American cuisine closely tied to the season, outshines even the elegant surroundings. At some hotel restaurants with culinary ambitions, breakfast tastes like an afterthought, but the Lafayette offers diverse and tasty options, making it a favorite for breakfast meetings. Lunch standouts include Maryland crab cakes, Cobb salad, and gnocchi while the dinner star is a classic Dover sole. Service strikes the tasteful balance between warmth and formality."