Julie Saunders
Four Seasons Hotel, Washington, DC
When my friends are in town, I take them for a drink at… the Four Seasons’ Bourbon Steak restaurant. I don’t say that lightly. Bourbon is my spirit of choice and I encourage people to do a whiskey tasting here in one of our private dining rooms – the Batch, the Barrel or the Spirit – which I actually named. For the best burger, I go to… Good Stuff Eatery – the original location behind the Capitol. It’s so good that the president goes there. Their burgers are amazing. If you need a seafood fix, head to… L’Auberge Chez François in [Great Falls] Virginia – it’s like a country inn. The food is fabulous. I’ve been going there for 30 years because it’s so beautiful. A place that’s really popular with locals is… Bistrot Lepic & Wine Bar, a little French bistro that draws the international diplomatic crowd and other Georgetown locals. They have a great bar with live music on Monday and Wednesday nights. For the best coffee, I go to… Baked & Wired, which is a charming place on the canal. They don’t just do great coffee but also great tea and chai, plus they have a wonderful bakery section. And I love the name. If you want world-class fashion, visit… Hu’s Shoes or Hu’s Wear, in Georgetown, for high-end buys. Or Cady’s Alley, which has a younger, trendier crowd. For a dose of history and heritage, the place to visit is… the Lincoln Memorial, where you get a wonderful long view of the Washington mall and, behind you, Arlington National Cemetery. I’d also go to the top of the Washington Monument, where you can see the circles and grand avenues and get an impression of how the city was planned – much of it modelled on Paris. For an all-American day out, I’d recommend… a baseball game at Nationals Park and hanging out on the riverfront near the Navy Yard, which is a whole other part of the city that’s being opened up for locals and visitors. It’s a good place to grab a beer or a meal before the game. The city’s best outdoor experience is… walking along the Potomac River. On Sundays, a good portion of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway is closed off so you can jog, rollerblade or cycle. In summer it’s leafy and green and in winter it has a beautiful stillness.