Our family attended a performance at the Kennedy Center recently and I took us all to dinner at the Iron Gate, one of Dc's oldest restaurants. Built in 1875 by Admiral William Radford, it was the oldest continuous restaurant in DC until 2010, 87 years! It closed for three years and then was reopened in 2013. Inside, it keeps many of the original features. We sat in the back next to the horse stable!
The atmosphere was indeed charming! We liked the food, but Iron Gate just like all the trendy restaurants leaned towards small plates with big price tags! For example, this lovely plate of 4 bite size meatballs was $16, four dollars a bite! They were good meatballs said my husband and son, but much too small for me to even get a taste.
So $200 later, my son needed to eat granola bars when we got home. I do recommend this establishment because the food is very tasty, but plan to order a number of dishes if you are hungry!
Iron Gate
1734 N St. NW
(202) 524-5202