The Occidental

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

An American Classic on Pennsylvania Avenue

Since 1906, The Occidental has stood at 1475 Pennsylvania Avenue as one of Washington's most enduring dining institutions. Chef Stephen Starr's vision for the space revives the glamour of a bygone era — dapper captains in crisp white tuxedos, mid-century tradition meeting modern refinement — without a trace of nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. The result is a fine dining experience that feels genuinely earned rather than manufactured.

Wine Spectator recognized the restaurant with its Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, a distinction that reflects the depth of a global wine list built around rarefied, traditional vintages — the kind of list that rewards those who take the time to explore it.

The Menu: American Steakhouse at Its Most Considered

The kitchen pays homage to timeless American steakhouse fare, and the range is serious. Prime cuts anchor the menu: a 32 oz. porterhouse dry-aged 35 days, an 18 oz. ribeye aged 40 days, and a 21-day dry-aged salt-crusted prime rib served with freshly grated horseradish. Accompaniments run from classic béarnaise and au poivre to smoked bone marrow and foie gras, allowing each table to compose the plate as they see fit.

Beyond the broiler, the menu moves confidently through Dover Sole Meunière with golden butter and capers, twin lobster tails, Chilean sea bass with miso marinade, and The Pheasant Under Glass — seared foie gras, sauce Richmond — a dish that signals exactly how seriously the kitchen takes its own history.

The raw bar offers Alaskan King Crab on ice, oysters on the half shell, and a steak tartare finished with caviar. Petrossian Tsar Imperial selections — Baika, Ossetra, and Kaluga — arrive with blini, crème fraîche, and all the proper accompaniments.

Occasion and Atmosphere

Tableside bananas foster closes the meal with a sweeping sense of occasion, and the cocktail program pours what the restaurant itself calls the coldest martinis in the city. Whether for a power lunch, a private dinner, or a larger event, The Occidental carries the kind of institutional weight that only a century of continuous presence on one of America's most storied avenues can provide.