Gourmet Flatbreads and Gimlets Begin Flowing Out of Washington Hilton

The new restaurant and bar tucked inside the lobby of the iconic Washington Hilton feature caviar, lobster ravioli, and cocktails created by top local bartenders.

Lunch menu offerings at Four Oaks, the latest addition to the Dupont Circle mainstay, include pizzas ($17-$18) such as the DMV Flatbread, featuring black forest ham, provolone, banana peppers, oven-roasted tomatoes, and mozzarella. Sandwiches ($16-$21) range from a Maryland crab cake to a Reuben. Entrees include mac and five cheeses with chorizo, pan-seared Atlantic salmon, and sides like goat cheese polenta. (See the full menu below; breakfast is also served.) Chef André Côté has been with the hotel since 2005.

At a client event and cocktail competition last week, the property at 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW served selections such as blue point oysters with watermelon tapioca beads, American Sturgeon caviar and buckwheat blini, and raclette cheese with griddled crostini.

Photo by Tierney Plumb / Eater DC

As for the booze, the new bar named Sidecar — an ode to the 1960s drink and presidential motorcade sidecars — riffs on classic cocktails. Featured beverages include Old Fashioneds (one by Christopher Houk with Hennessy VS and Grand Marnier) as well as a mojito and gimlet. Service Bar DC co-owner Glen Hartley came up with the competition’s winning concoction that was added to the menu. The $13 cocktail comes with Tito’s Vodka, fresh lime, muddled habanero, fresh basil, and orange blossom water.

Photo: Washington Hilton

The overall lobby redesign added white marble, warm birch woods, and brushed steel throughout the spaces. The idea was to modernize the Mad Men-era property while adding throwback details (think: sleek furniture planted beneath giant crystal chandeliers). And the adjacent caffeine stop, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, got a wider entrance and additional menu options.

The hotel, built in 1965, last got a big $150 million renovation in 2010 that largely refreshed guest rooms and ballrooms. Both Four Oaks and Sidecar—previously called The District Line Restaurant and The District Line Bar, respectively—officially debuted in July.