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Food - Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom, Washington, DC

Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom

4.6 (3205)
$30 and under
American
2221 I St NW, Washington, DC 20037

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A photo of Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom restaurant

Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom

4.6
$30 and under
American
Foggy Bottom

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 28 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for business meals
  • Great for outdoor dining
All of our CIRCA restaurants are neighborhood bistros serving delicious food and drinks. Each CIRCA is warm, inviting, and offers an energized social scene.

Whether dropping in for brunch, lunch, dinner — every meal is accompanied by an extensive wine list, including over 20 wine offerings by the glass and a seasonal cocktail list. Our patios are located on the best city corners for a vibrant dining experience. Join us and dine well!

Our patios accommodate service animals only.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Ruben Rodriguez
  • Private party facilities
    We have the ability to adapt our heated patio to meet your special event's needs. Our patio is the perfect space for hosting company happy hours, reunions, or just a great time with friends.We have the ability to use our bar high-tops larger party needs indoors. Please reach out regarding your special event.
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Area
    Foggy Bottom
  • Cross Street
    I Street NW
  • Parking Details
    Public garage is located around the corner on 22nd Street between I Street NW and Pennsylvania Ave. Metered street parking is available in the neighborhood.
  • Public transport
    Foggy Bottom Metro stop is located directly across the street, off the Orange and Blue lines.
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
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Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom.

4.6

4.6
(3205)
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • District of Columbia

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Circa Bistro in Foggy Bottom offers a lively dining experience with a diverse menu featuring standout dishes like "fantastic shrimp scampi" and "amazing Brussels sprouts." Guests appreciate the "professional service" and vibrant atmosphere. While occasionally busy, the convenient location and "great value" make it a popular choice for locals and visitors alike.
3,205 Reviews
  1. Clare

    Washington, D.C. Area10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Sesame Crusted Tuna Bowl was delicious! The bar and dining room services were excellent.

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  2. Henry Gold

    Greater Boston24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 11 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Circa has been consistent since we first started visiting with our college age children in the area. The blackened chicken salad and the pasta dishes are a good choice.

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  3. Brian

    New York City3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went to dinner before a concert and everything was great. Charlie, our server, was extremely professional and kind and made for a great dinner. Will definitely be coming back.

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  4. Kevin

    Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Brussels sprouts - amazing. Sesame tuna salad - fresh and delicious. Kitchen seems skilled… Drinks - well mixed. Service - mostly attentive with a slight lag in drink service. Maybe bar was busy? Very loud! Bright space with chatty customers! Will return regardless.

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  5. Anthony Gold

    Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 29 September 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I love circa bistro. The food is delicious. The drinks are refreshing. The service is Mateo, Mateo, Mateo! He's superb. He's the reason why I come to Circa. He recommends the best dishes, the best drinks, the best dessert. He's my reason for 10/10! 5 stars! 1 spotlight! Go to Circa, request Mateo! Thats it! The rest will write itself!!!!

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  6. MarshaL

    Atlanta2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 28 September 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Needs to make happy hour drinks for outside also. Happy hour is for inside only. Was not told that until we got the bill.

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  7. Len Gold

    Washington, D.C. Area8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 28 September 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another outstanding dining experience at Circa Foggy Bottom.!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Treva

    Atlanta7 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 26 September 2026

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    When we arrived I had booked a dining room reservation and the hostess tried to seat us at a high top in the bar and when I asked for a low top she said “we are all booked up but I’ll check”. We were seated in a low top and a 45 minutes later when we left there were at least 5 tables open. The roof was leaking and there were annoying fruit flies which I would have ignored if it had not been for the service. We ordered salads and a main entree. We had just received our salads and a minute later they tried to deliver our entrees which we declined. Our server came over and I mentioned what happened and she said “we will keep your food under the warners”. Again I might be able to dismiss that as just poor timing but the server came back a second time with our entrees when I still wasn’t finished with my salad. So, I just asked her to set it at the table next to us since I had no room at our two top until I finished my salad. The server needs better training of how to time food. I could blame the kitchen the first time but the server bringing me food when I was clearly still eating is on her. Just an overall not relaxing or enjoyable experience. The food was fairly good but was overshadowed by the experience.

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  9. Brenda Gold

    Wisconsin7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 21 September 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious and Robbie was fantastic!!! Will definitely recommend

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  10. Lisa Gold

    Indiana66 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 16 September 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were in DC for vacation and visited Circa 2 nights in a row because we loved it so much. The food and service both nights were fantastic! I highly recommend if you’re visiting DC, make a resy at Circa. You won’t be sorry!

    Is this helpful?

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Ruben Rodriguez
  • Private party facilities
    We have the ability to adapt our heated patio to meet your special event's needs. Our patio is the perfect space for hosting company happy hours, reunions, or just a great time with friends.We have the ability to use our bar high-tops larger party needs indoors. Please reach out regarding your special event.
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Area
    Foggy Bottom
  • Cross Street
    I Street NW
  • Parking Details
    Public garage is located around the corner on 22nd Street between I Street NW and Pennsylvania Ave. Metered street parking is available in the neighborhood.
  • Public transport
    Foggy Bottom Metro stop is located directly across the street, off the Orange and Blue lines.
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

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FAQs

Portions at Circa tend to be generous, guests repeatedly describe servings as ample or large and note leaving comfortably satisfied.

Yes, Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom welcomes families: reviewers mention dining there with children (including a son and a daughter) and staff who accommodated them, making it a family-friendly spot.

Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom’s happy hour runs Monday–Friday from 3–7 PM and is a lively, great-value time to visit; for a calmer pre-show meal, arrive before the Kennedy Center crowd builds around 5 pm.

Yes, Circa Bistro in Foggy Bottom is well suited to a date night: couples praise its relaxed, lovely atmosphere, attentive service, and the extensive wine and seasonal cocktail list.

Sunday is a lovely pick for Circa Bistro, guests praise its Sunday brunch; for a lively early evening, the reported Monday–Friday happy hour (3–7 pm) is popular.

Casual Dress, comfortable, everyday clothes are appropriate; nothing formal is required.

Yes, Circa Bistro has patios, including a covered/enclosed patio that guests frequently request and enjoy for pre‑theatre meals and people‑watching.

Circa Bistro, Foggy Bottom feels warm, inviting and casually elegant, with an energized, social vibe and a popular patio; peak times are buzzy while mid‑afternoon visits are calmer.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Washington, D.C. Area
  4. District of Columbia
  5. Foggy Bottom

Make a booking

A photo of Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom restaurant

Circa Bistro - Foggy Bottom

4.6
$30 and under
American
Foggy Bottom

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 28 times today
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