The restaurant scene in Washington DC used to be considered somewhat staid, but this has changed hugely in the past few years. It even now has a thriving street food scene and apparently ranks fourth in the US for food trucks according to the Daily Meal.

If you like to just amble around an area with lots of restaurants to make your choice, your best bet is to head for Georgetown. The area around M street has plenty of great eating options to pick from.

If you prefer to make a booking then we have some suggestions for you.

For the celebrity chef option, check out Wolfgang Puck’s The Source, an Asian fusion restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue. If you are after a Washington DC institution, 1789 is a great choice. The food is fabulous, the service is amazing and the  restaurant interior is lovely. If you fancy a steak with a view, you can’t go far wrong with Charlie Palmer Steak , the rooftop terrace has an incredible view of the Capitol and it is also a good place for politico spotting. Finally, we really like Tosca, great food, great service and a nice ambience.

If you are looking for somewhere a little less formal, we like The Blue Duck Tavern. We have eaten dinner and brunch here (not on the same day) and had great food and attentive service. the ambience is nice and relaxed and I would happily take kids here.

If you are after somewhere still more relaxed we like the Capitol City Brewing Company , its a great place for a beer and a burger and a good family option near Union Station. We also like Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown for a good food and beer spot.

Also in Georgetown and another good place to take a family is Old Glory BBQ. The portions are huge and it is a good place to go bourbon tasting should you want to.

If none of these options appeal, try the Washington Post’s Editors’ Picks for some views on where to get the best escargot to the best cupcakes.

If you want to track down some food tracks, we have found Roaming Hunger to be the best source of local information.