Restaurant industry hours don’t follow a typical 9-to-5 schedule. The busiest days are weekends, when white collar workers take off, so many eating and drinking establishments shut down on Mondays to allow employees to recover from Saturday and Sunday shifts. There are always exceptions to the rule, of course. These 16 places welcome Monday diners in for a taste of Kenyan grilled beef, martini flights, tapas, modern diner fare, and more.
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16 Outstanding D.C. Restaurants That Open on Mondays
Where to find Afghan dumplings, Spanish tapas, and all-day happy hours when many restaurants stay closed

1. Brookland Pint
Washington, DC 20017
Brookland’s casual American eatery, known for its terrific burgers and domestic brews, has Monday hours from 5 p.m. to midnight, with food until 10 p.m.
2. Lapis
Washington, DC 20009
This modern Afghan bistro located in the heart of Adams Morgan opens for lunch and dinner on Mondays. Lapis’s menu offers plenty of grilled meat, but it’s also a vegan and vegetarian-friendly spot, offering dishes like baked eggplant and gulpee, a cauliflower dish cooked in spiced tomato sauce and finished with fresh cilantro. Lapis opens daily at 11 a.m.
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3. Le Diplomate
Washington, DC 20009
This bustling 14th Street brasserie is known as a power dining destination for Washington’s political set. But it’s also an everyday stop where vistors can walk in and grab a baguette to go. Le Diplomate’s doors open promptly at noon and stay open until 11 p.m. for French onion soup, foie gras, cheeseburgers, and steak frites.
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4. Commissary
Washington, DC 20005
This casual, all-day spot feels a little like Logan Circle’s living room with seating that includes indoor and outdoor tables, comfortable couches, and workstation-style desks. The breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are a reflection of this anytime approach. From breakfast sandwiches to wedge salads, hearty pizzas, and pasta dishes, there’s something for everyone (including a kids’ menu). Commissary is open daily from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
5. Chiko (Multiple locations)
Washington, DC 20036
Chinese and Korean cuisine fill up the menu at one of D.C.’s favorite counter-service spots, with Chiko locations in Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, and Bethesda. Each one is open on Mondays, but opening times vary by location. One must-order dish is the soy-glazed brisket with a poached egg. It’s been on the menu since day one.
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6. Chaplin's Restaurant
Washington, DC 20001
Shaw’s beloved ramen house and cocktail bar is open on Mondays. The bar is a top pick for industry regulars, and its kitchen closes at 11 p.m. A daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. shaves half off draft cocktails, beer, and wine. Up the street, sister spot Zeppelin Restaurant & Bar is a prime pick for sushi and yakitori. Daily happy hour runs 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7. Unconventional Diner
Washington, DC 20001
For brunch on a Mondays, Unconventional Diner offers slightly upscale takes on classic American dishes like buttermilk pancakes and French toast. Dining room hours extend from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with brunch available until 4 p.m. Dishes like avocado toast and everything lox stick around for dinner, too.
8. Swahili Village - The Consulate DC
Washington, DC 20036
This basement restaurant focusing on Kenyan food and other African staples is nicknamed “the Consulate” because it attracts embassy staffers from Kenya and West African nations. It’s also open late (until 2 a.m.), making for a reliable Monday night option when many other options are closed. Platters come filled with marinated, grilled beef and chicken, plus sides of collard greens, spinach cooked in coconut milk, and corn-based fufu. Opens daily at 11 a.m. Swahili Village plans to open restaurants in Tyson’s Corner later this year.
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9. Le DeSales
Washington, DC 20036
French-themed LeDeSales, which recently revived greatest raw fish hits by Sei’s Japanese sushi master “Noriaki” Yasutake, rebooted Monday service this month for the first time in years with an all-night happy hour.
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10. Taberna del Alabardero
Washington, DC 20006
This opulent Spanish dining room downtown makes visitors feel as if they’ve been whisked away to Madrid. From tapas to paella, this dining room stays open on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. for snacking at the bar, plus lunch or dinner.
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11. Maketto
Washington, DC 20002
Over on H Steet NE, Erik Bruner-Yang’s well-known Taiwanese and Cambodian cafe opens at 7 a.m. on Mondays. The multi-tiered space caters to many needs with different environments, including a cafe, outdoor courtyard, and dining room and bar, making it a reliable place to meet for coffee and pastries, breakfast, lunch, or dinner on a Monday. Try steamed bao, fried dough sticks with soy milk for dipping, a large plate of wok-fried noodles with pork barbecue, or fried chicken served in a five-spice sauce.
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12. Zaytinya
Washington, DC 20001
When workers return to the office, Chinatown can once again be expected to fill up. Zaytina, the Mediterranean restaurant from chef José Andrés, is a local favorite for a working lunch or after-work dinner to cap the day. There are family-style options for dinner, including whole fish, lamb shoulder, and meze spreads. Open on Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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13. Café Riggs
Washington, DC 20004
Penn Quarter’s opulent hotel brasserie manned by Eater Young Gun Patrick Curran (‘16) offers full dinner service on Mondays. A new Martini Monday offering includes dirty (olive-infused Ketel One), espresso, and Tanqueray varieties for $14 each, or opt for a tiny trio for $26.
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14. Ambar Capitol Hill
Washington, DC 20003
Balkan cuisine is available at lunch and dinner on Mondays at Ambar on Capitol Hill’s Barracks Row. Lunch runs from noon to 3:30 p.m. and the dinner service starts at 4 p.m. Happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. That menu includes small bites like kebabs ($7), an Ambar old fashioned with plum rakia ($7) and Balkan wines ($6 per glass). There are also locations in Clarendon (and Belgrade, Serbia).
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15. The Roost
Washington, DC 20003
This Capitol Hill food hall managed by Neighborhood Restaurant Group is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — all accessible via QR code ordering —on Mondays. Early-in-the-day options include coffee and pastries from Cameo, exceptional New York-style pizza from Slice Joint, and healthy, Euro-themed salads, toasts, and bowls from Leni. Later on, there are Red Apron burgers, sushi from Ako, tacos from Hi/Fi, dumplings from Yoko & Kota, and a beer garden at Shelter. Some vendors open as early as 8 a.m.
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16. GATSBY
Washington, DC 20003
This updated diner serves blue-plate specials throughout the work week, including fried chicken on Mondays. The dining room is open for lunch and dinner service, and the bar serves a $6 whiskey highball at its all-day happy hour (11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Other options include a vegan Caesar, Greek omelets, fried Monte Cristo sandwiches, and sides of brisket poutine.
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