Oceanaire $$$

1201 F St. NW
202/347-2277
www.oceanaire.com [1]

HOURS: Lunch Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.,
dinner Mon.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m., Sun. 5-9 p.m.

COST: Most entrées more than $20

Oceanaire’s ambience is art deco chic, with neon lighting, mahogany banquettes, and etched glass accented with stainless steel. Supposedly modeled after a dining room on a 1930s-era cruise ship, it’s more 1920s supper club; if it had a stage, you’d expect Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to waltz out on it.

This is a place where guests can easily rack up a tab dining on fresh oysters, dirty martinis, and more. The seafood sampler is always a table pleaser, with large crab and lobster claws, oysters, clams, and shrimp heaped on mounds of ice.

The wine list tends to the pricey side—Oceanaire is basically like a high-end steak house that serves fish instead of dry-aged beef or Kobe; it’s a great place for a special dinner with friends or those dining on an expense account.

Service, while attentive, can be slow; expect to make an evening of it.