If you’re going to the zoo there are two areas in walking distance with a good number of restaurants, Cleveland Park and Woodley Park. Woodley Park is probably the better choice as it’s dowhill from the zoo and there are more restaurants. I suggest Lebanese Taverna.
Ack! It’s Bangkok Bistro, not Bangkok Thai. I knew there was something wrong. I think the thoughts of the Snow White Soup overwhelmed my brain…
I agree. I see a lot of dressed down people at those ethiopian joints. But I wonder if kids would like Ethiopian food.
Just wanted to pop in and say bon voyage, flodnak, and please do write up your experiences – good, bad, and ugly – after your trip. I’d love to hear what a Norwegian family thinks of our fair capital.
I’m not from DC, but I can say if you want to eat in a place with a bit of history, the boarding house at which Abraham Lincoln’s assassination was planned has been turned in to a decent Chinese restaurant.
Also, DC is known for its Ethopian food, which I think your kids probably would enjoy – what kid wouldn’t like food they eat with their hands? 
On an interesting side note, the Milton Inn in Northern MD is now a restaurant that used to be a boarding school which was attended by John Wilkes Booth.
Alternately, and more metro accessable, there’s the Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont Circle. It’s only a few blocks from the Metro. It’s a small restaurant, though, so you might have to wait for a seat, especially around dinner. Also near Dupont Circle is Luigi’s Famous, an Italian restaurant that serves very good pasta and pizza (try the lasagna).
Also near Dupont Circle is City Lights of China, which is pretty consistently in Washingtonian Magazine’s lists of top affordable restaurants. If you like asparagus, they do it better than anybody. (The rest of their menu is good too )
Buca de Beppo near Dupont Circle - actually there are boatloads of places near Dupont Circle. We once went to BdiB with a large crowd: 8 kids and 4 adults, and the meal wasn’t too outrageous, plus there was something for everyone.
Ben’s Chili Bowl. It’s Bill Cosby’s favorite resteraunt.
You can’t miss with this outfit. I’ve been to Carlyle, and the Sweet Water in Centreville. Great food. Sweet Water is a large brewpub; Carlyle is upscale, but there’s a fair amount of overlap in the menus.
I haven’t been many places in DC, but I love the Dancing Crab.
Try Mixtec in Adams Morgan (sorry, no link). Hot and spicy Mexican food. Cheap. Laid back atmosphere. Or for great Thai food, try Thaiphoon. Near Dupont Circle. Very tasty!
While I agree with most of the recommendations here, I just don’t see hauling two young kids to Adams Morgan. It’s just kind of an inconvenient area for kids – not terribly easy to get to, in general kind of more of an atmosphere for adults, and so on. I’m just not feeling those recommendations for a family.
I would recommend trying Ethiopian food while here, since it’s not exactly common. I’d say Zed’s in Georgetown is a more accessible choice, though I prefer the already-listed choices in Adams Morgan for quality. I think kids would like the spongy bread.
Lebanese Taverna is in Woodley Park, kids should fit in there and lots of good dishes that kids should like (chicken kebabs, etc). It’s a nicer sit down place, not a carryout kind of joint, but not expensive for DC.
You should absolutely get lunch at the rooftop terrace at Hotel Washington. Dinner is kind of a happy hour sort of place, but the hotel is directly across the street from the Treasury Dept and the White House. The views are outstanding, and it has all the standard hamburgers and chicken sandwiches that picky eaters would like. The food is nothing special, but I really cannot recommend the views highly enough.
Enjoy your trip!
True, if you’re hauling the kids around late on a Saturday night. Fasika’s, which has the most authentic decor (Red Sea has more western-style tables and chairs and both have incredible food) opens at 5:00, and the crowds don’t get unmanageable until around 8:00. Adams-Morgan is at least as Metro-accessible as Georgetown, and generally less expensive. You really can’t do Ethiopian properly with one or two people; a group of 4-6 is ideal.
The first time I had Ethiopian cuisine, I was about 14 and thought it was the best. This was at Mama Desta’s, which no longer exists. They lay out a table-sized piece of spongy bread and pour various types of stews and such all over it. You tear off a bit, scoop up whatever looks appetizing, and just enjoy yourself. It’s the perfect fancy meal for kids. And DC has this better than any other city in America!
Is there any bookstore near you that has lots of English-language tourist guides? There are an enormous number of tourist guides to Washington (including restaurant guides). In fact, there are probably more such guides than any other city except New York and London.
Sorry for the hijack, but I’m curious as to what this means, because the way I parse it, the personnel going on the trip are –
You (flodnak)
Your two kids (two young flodnaks)
Your wife’s boyfriend (fella bilong missus flodnak)?
How does your wife feel about being left at home in favour of her paramour?
Flodnak is a woman. Thanks for playing, though!
Ah. It seemed to me that “flodnak” and “missus flodnak” were referring to two different people. My mistake.
Your circumstances are tailor-made for Mitsitam Cafe, in the new Museum of the American Indian.
Other decent downtown/Mall-area spots that won’t break the bank and are kid-friendly:
Teaism (casual pan-Asian, Japanese place)
Breadline (very casual deli-style place with terrific sandwiches; they supply the bread for some of the best fine dining spots in the city)
Ella’s Wood-Fired Pizza (good pizza, convenient location)
Matchbox (good pizza, great mini-burgers – order some of both and share)
Also: Donrockwell.com is an excellent and very active message board about the DC dining scene (on which you may find yours truly piping up). You may want to browse there or post your query on the board. People are happy to help.
If you go to the Spy Museum, there is a good brewpub on one of the cross streets (exit left out of the museum, go to the corner, and it will be across the street). I can’t remember the name, but my wife still occasionally mentions the great salad with hummus she had there.