Housed in the equally elegant Willard Intercontinental Hotel, Café du Parc elevates the French café to the next level. As home of the $18 croque monsieur (that’s a ham and cheese to the layman), this café is ideal for both casual espressos and power lunches alike.  Reservations can be hard to come by in the evenings, but for those with tight schedules (or tight wallets), their famous baguettes are baked daily and available for take-away.

See more: Penn Quarter restaurants, Downtown restaurants, French restaurants