Order a martini at Left Door, and the bartender will immediately ask you what gin-to-vermouth ratio you are looking for. The martini spin on their current cocktail menu, Revenge of the Gibson Girl, is a mixture of Beefeater, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Genepy, celery bitters, and a big onion they pickle themselves (be warned it’s on the sweeter side).

This longtime gathering place for the gay community and the Dupont Circle neighborhood as a whole is known for martinis that are strong and generously portioned.

There’s no speciality martini on Le Diplomate’s cocktail menu at the moment, but the restaurant turns out smooth, perfectly chilled versions of the cocktail regularly. Pair it with a warm shrimp salad or an order of tartare.

French restaurants are often a good bet for ordering a martini, and Convivial has a pretty interesting concoction in its Martini de la Mer. Spanish gin and dry vermouth find a pairing with anchovy and caper-washed sherry, and there’s also some olive oil in the mix ($13).

Though some high-end cocktail bars tend to get snobby about vodka, this new speakeasy in Blagden Alley is anything but, going as far to divide its menu into “Vodka Has Never Looked Better” and “Not Vodka” sections. The bar’s dirty martini is accented with bleu cheese stuffed olives, and its French martini keeps things on the wet side (there are even some throwback spinoffs like an espresso martini and an appletini).

Martinis are one of the main cocktail attractions at this attractive lounge within the Park Hyatt hotel on the West End.

The lounge at this restaurant within the Four Seasons in Georgetown is one of D.C.’s classier locations to sip a martini, and the bartenders consistently serve well-executed versions. At one point, a truffle-accented dirty martini appeared on the cocktail menu.

One of D.C.’s best hotel bars (as well as a historical hangout for journalists), Off the Record is the place to order a generously-portioned martini if you’re looking for an old-school vibe.

Old Ebbitt’s well-trained bartenders know their way around a number of classic cocktails, including the martini. Have one at the oyster bar during happy hour when raw bar items are half-priced.

Mastro’s is the rare place where they’ll shake the martini in front of you and leave what remains in the shaker behind for you to refresh your drink with later. Their signature spin on the cocktail is vodka-based, and garnished with bleu cheese-stuffed olives.

Situated in the depths of Penn Quarter’s Riggs hotel, this classy cocktail lair led by London’s world-famous bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana is back with its martini service for one ($21) or two ($40). There’s two options each for vodka or gin, served with an oyster, pickled onions, and lemon. Chetiyawardana’s version of choice? The fifty-fifty ratio of Fords Gin and Dolin vermouth. — Tierney Plumb

The Grill has a fun “martini your way” section of its menu where diners can customize by spirit, style, garnish, etc. The cocktail menu also contains a traditional and “perfect” riff on the drink, as well as a spin on the James Bond-influenced Vesper cocktail.

The antipasto dirty martini sounds like a gimmick, but Caruso’s actually pulls it off. The martini itself isn’t too briny, and it’s surprising how nicely mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes work as less traditional garnishes here. The best part? It’s $10.