This small Afghani restaurant in the midtown Mount Vernon neighborhood features an intimate, candle-lit dining room decorated in shades of rose. Traditional Afghani robes adorn the bare brick walls. The food is equally lovely. A typical meal would include the pureed pumpkin appetizer, followed by grilled chicken with mushrooms in a yogurt and sour cream sauce, and ice cream with mango, figs and dates for dessert. The Helmand is four-star dining in a lovely setting, all at affordable prices.
Set in the heart of mid-town's busy Mount Vernon neighborhood, this quiet, softly lit oasis of a restaurant is the perfect place to restore yourself with a savory lunch or unwind with a hearty dinner. The décor is muted, the furnishings solid, the staff mature and sure-footed and the traditional Indian cuisine- Sagwala, Makhani, Pulao are simply perfect. All the elements combine to make a visitor feel comfortable and relaxed. The lunch buffet is one of the city's best bargains.
One expects Italian restaurants to be romantic, and this Little Italy favorite certainly delivers. Dalesio's Of Little Italy's intimate dinning rooms are candle-lit and filled with fresh flowers, and the outdoor balcony seating is a near perfect setting for romance. The menu features many low-calorie and low-cholesterol entrées, like grilled shrimp and penne piemontese, which are perfectly healthy, yet still pack enough flavor to be worthy of Little Italy.
This downtown restaurant serves elegant, yet simple, French-inspired Southern cuisine. Take the fried oysters, for instance, in their golden-brown cornmeal batter, or the crab soup that's as creamy as most bisques. These are true examples of gracious living. Add the tranquil, pastel-colored decor and the expert service and you come up with a most enjoyable dining experience at Charleston.
There's a topiary bicycle outside of this lovely Indian restaurant that perfectly accents the staid elegance you'll find inside. Located just north of the Johns Hopkins University's Homewood Campus, this restaurant's interior features dark paneling and burnished brass. It has a kind of reserved formality that's stylish without being intimidating. The Bengali Swordfish, drizzled with mango sauce is a masterpiece, as is the crab malabar. There's also a courtyard, complete with fountain, for warm weather seating.