Need DC restaurant recommendation for a group

Please suggest any and all restaurants you know that could handle an evening office party with a total of 25 guests or so. I'm thinking they'd need a private room to accomodate the group. Where have you been to functions and had good food, good ambiance for mingling and team-building? Thanks!

 

sharse and others--

You might check out Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora restaurants. I had a business meeting back in March 2007 with some business associates. Check out the web sites below.

www.noras.com (Restaurant Nora's and Asia Nora's site.)

Both restaurants are great. Restaurant Nora was the first Certified Organic restaurant in nation.

Foodie

 

sharse,

We've recently done office functions with about 25 people or so at Olives (good food and atmosphere), Zaytinya (great food, good atmosphere), Butterfield 9 (so so all around), and Inde Bleu (flawless on all counts!). They all have private areas. If you end up with fewer people, I'd recommend Oceanaire. I think that they cap out around 20 or so, but it's the best seafood in the District, and the service cannot be beaten.

 

Check out Brasserie Beck, you won't be disappointed!! www.beckdc.com

 

I second oceanaire. It may be worth it to call and see if they can take a party that large.
TenPenh gets good reviews but I honestly don't know if they can handle crowds.

 

top floor at the district chop house is great for parties and rosa mexicano has a private room as well

 

Lima has great ceviche and a terrific chilean sea bass!

http://www.limarestaurant.com/

I've heard great things about Restaurant Eve in Old Town Alexandria as well.

http://www.restauranteve.com/

 

Buca di Beppo is fun. http://www.bucadibeppo.com/

 

If you can go outside the District and looking for something nice and casual, book the Washington Room at Union Street in Old Town Alexandria. We did our renegade holiday party there for years at my prior company (they were too cheap to spring for one in December, so we funded our own). They'll set up a nice buffet and open the bar. It's a beautiful setting, not to mention the fact that Old Town is a great place this time of year.

If you're looking for a fancy setting and have a few bucks to blow, it begins and ends with 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church. I do an annual event there for 30 or so people in the Waterfall Room. The food and environment are amazing...not too mention their signature cotton candy at the end of your meal.

 

Agree with 2941, have had two business lunch parties there. They do a great job, nice atmosphere, and the food is excellent.

 

oooh- i didn't know we had one of these closer than Philly- SWEEET!

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions! We chose Oceanaire and we're heading there next week. For those who have been there, I have a question about attire. They say "business casual". If a woman were to wear nice denim jeans, boots, a nice blouse, would that be underdressed? Would NICE denim be ok there? (Not ratty, faded jeans.) Or is it more formal than that? I would comfortably wear nice denim to Flemings or even to Capital Grille, so I'm guessing if it's dressed up enough it would be ok here too?

(I'm anticipating some will respond by saying, "Why not just be safe? Wear nicer pants so you don't have to worry about it." The reason I'm asking is because I literally do NOT have a nicer pair of pants that fit me. I've lost 25 pounds in the past 6 months and while I do need a nicer pair of pants in my new size, I'm just wondering if I must go buy them NOW for this event or if I can wait a while!)

 

I've taken a few large groups to Marrakesh in DC. It's a good place to take large groups. They have a meeting / group room in the back.

http://www.marrakesh.us/index.cfm?page=1.010

 

Denim is likely too underdressed for Oceanaire, in my humble opinion. (I have just checked with my wife who says, "not even if you dress it up.")
You will see people wearing business suits there. That's a bit more business-formal than you need, probably, nice slacks would do fine, or a skirt if it's warm enough (unless you don't wear them).

Enjoy! Oceanaire is an experience.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll just tell the hubby, "Sorry... gotta go shopping!"

Better safe than sorry. Or underdressed!

 

Congratulations on the weightloss!