Where to Do Business with Breakfast
The "power breakfast" is overtaking the power lunch DC is known for. Get to know four restaurants where bigwigs like you are getting work done over eggs.
Talk business over BLT benedicts at Art and Soul inside the Liaison Capitol Hill DC. The hotel is just a few blocks from the US Capitol, making it perfect for the meeting of the minds before the workday. Breakfast highlights include buttermilk lemon pancakes; cured salmon served with an everything bagel and all the trimmings; and a stunning fruit parfait. There is also the “Art Start Breakfast,” featuring healthier choices like steel cut oats. It’s inspired by the restaurant’s founder, Chef Art Smith, who lost 100 pounds after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Breakfast is served from 6:30am-10:30am.
Grab a seat in the spacious dining room inside the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, where tables are meticulously placed to prevent eavesdropping. Outdoor seating is also an option if your breakfast meeting is on the casual side. In addition to the classics, the menu goes global in the “International Flavors” section. That's where you'll find shakshuka, a memorable Israeli dish combining tomatoes, peppers, feta and eggs in a baked stew (tuck your tie in while tackling this one). Near the outdoor terrace is a comfy common area offering free coffee and newspapers coupled with a TV always tuned to CNN (ensuring you won’t become untethered to what’s happening in the world). Breakfast is offered from 6:30am-10:30am.
This Georgetown waterfront restaurant is known for its brunch, but breakfast is a safe bet too, especially if speed is important. Farmers Fishers Bakers’ “First Bake” allows power diners to mix and match pastries like cinnamon rolls, donuts and imaginative slices of toast like chocolate cherry with dulce de leche butter. The free WiFi and communal seating (which helps accommodate large groups) make the space conducive to doing business. It also offers grab-and-go options and a full espresso program. Breakfast is served from 7:30am-10am.
The breakfast traffic at Bistro Bis continues to climb. General Manager Sean-Patrick Applegate says power breakfast has overtaken power lunch, and the numbers don’t lie. “We’ll do well over 100 people in the dining room and another 50 to 60 in banquet where senators and congressmen are having private breakfasts,” he tells us. They’re noshing on eggs Florentine, corned beef hash, Belgian waffles and more. Breakfast is offered from 7am-10am inside The Hotel George.
