On the road to Washington DC

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The conventions are over and all eyes are on Washington. But DC’s not just about politics – it has its trendy side too. Here’s how to sample the best of both worlds

On the trail

With 56 days to go until the election on 4 November, DC’s political haunts are hotting up after the summer break.

To get your historical bearings, hit the monuments. In 1963, Martin Luther King made his “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial (nps.gov/linc). Nearby, the 555ft high Washington Monument (nps.gov/wamo) will get you a bird’s eye view of the city. Give thanks to vandals past – their damage to the inside means that the 893 steps aren’t an ­option any more. Luckily, there’s an elevator instead.

Don’t hold out for the White House – you’ll hit a block at the railings unless you’re a US citizen and apply in advance through your congressman. But while you’ll get an idea of DC’s history at the monuments, you won’t see movers and shakers.

One way to get near the action is by visiting the seat of government at the Capitol (www.aoc.gov). Guided tours are free, but get there early – numbers are limited, and tickets are doled out from 9am on a first come, first served basis. If you want to see real, live government proceedings, bring your passport for a pass to the public galleries in the Senate and the  House of Representatives from the South Screening Facility.

Better still, catch them off guard. Capitol Hill’s bars and restaurants ­offer ample opportunity to listen in on the off-the-record musings of congressfolk. Pick up your nuggets of political gossip with a side order of lunch at the Hawk ’n’ Dove on the grand Pennsylvania Avenue (hawkanddoveonline.com).

The down-to-earth bar – burgers and sandwiches are on the menu – is a popular hangout for interns and young White House ­staffers. Don’t expect them to name names, though. Ever discreet, they refer to their bosses as “my member” when they’re gossiping.

For bigger hitters, you need a more upmarket eatery. The Monocle (themonocle.com), in the midst of the Senate houses, is where senators go to wind down at the end of the day. It’s always been great for high-level politico spotting  – John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon were early visitors.

The Willard Hotel (washington.intercontinental.com) has played host to countless presidents, from Lincoln to Clinton. A block from the White House, its bistro Cafe du Parc is the place to be seen eating outside while it’s still warm.

And ­remember: in DC, where there’s steak there’s power. The streets are littered with steak restaurants. Two of the best for politico-spying are Morton’s (mortons.com) and Charlie Palmer Steak (charliepalmer.com).

If you’d rather feed your brain, try a lecture at one of the capital’s think-tanks – you’ll find yourself sitting alongside strategists and ­policy-makers.

Among  the most famous are the Brookings Institution (brookings.edu) and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (csis.org) – many of Barack Obama’s advisers come from these two. Common subjects for debate include homeland security and Middle East strategy.

And if you want to see the relationship between politics and the media, the Newseum (www.newseum.org) is DC’s vast new museum of the ­media, with up-to-date coverage of the election. You heard it there first.

Taking a break

Don’t be put off by DC’s fusty reputation. Capitol Hill may be a ghost town when the men in suits aren’t about, but it’s eminently possible to find a Washington where the closest you’ll get to politics is the rush of air as the presidential cavalcade whooshes past.

You just need to step away from the monuments. There’s more to Washington than Pennsylvania Avenue, topped and tailed by the Capitol and the White House; there’s more on offer than those great marble mausoleums to the original spirit of America.

There is Georgetown, of course: an 18th-century enclave of mismatched red-brick buildings where the capital spends its cash. M Street and Wisconsin Avenue are the main thoroughfares; by and large, M is best for chain stores, while the further you go up steep Wisconsin, the more one-off shops you’ll find, lodged between palm-readers.

Label queens go to Urban Chic at number 1626 (urbanchic-dc.com), those after something a little different to Pink November at 1529.

Vintage threads are best found at Annie Creamcheese on M Street (anniecreamcheese.com), where Nicole Richie and Posh have both filled their boots.

For celebs with your snacks, stay in Georgetown. David Beckham has popped in for a mocha frap at the Bean Counter at 1665 ­Wisconsin last year, while Russell Crowe and politician John Kerry are among those queuing up at Georgetown Cupcake (georgetowncupcake.com).

Sisters Katherine and Sophie bake six regular flavours every day, and ­rotate another 18 throughout the week. ­According to those in the know, it beats Manhattan’s Magnolia ­Bakery hands down.

When dusk falls, it’s time to leave Georgetown – unless your idea of a good night out is a town full of Boujis-esque trust funders.

For something a little scruffier, make for boho ­Adams Morgan, where you’ll find the polo-neck brigade working their MacBooks  in coffee shops and bars. At the Greenwich Village-yTryst, on 18th Street (trystdc.com), the Macsters share sofa space with board gamers and martini sippers until the wee hours. Meanwhile, the 9:30 club on V Street (930.com) is where you’ll find the musically inclined; Nick Cave, Paul Weller and The Fratellis are all performing in the next two months.

A bit more upmarket, the velveteen Eighteenth Street Lounge (eighteenthstreetlounge.com) near ­cosmopolitan Dupont Circle is a trendy bet; as is nearby Fly Lounge (flyloungedc.com), togged up as a ­private jet complete with trolley dollies.

For food, try Mexican Oyamel (oyamel.com), where they’ll whip you up fresh guacamole, frothy margaritas and tequila-sauteed grasshoppers. Rather more glam, the multi-award-winning DC Coast (dccoast.com) is one of the best restaurants in town, serving up traditional fish dishes in an old art deco office block.

Times they are a-changing. Barack would be proud.

Getting from A to B in Washington DC

Most annoying Washington reality? The grand scale of things. The White House may look a street away from the Capitol, but Pennsylvania Avenue is one long street. And if you want to trot round all the monuments, you’ll need to pack your walking boots.

There are ways of getting round it. A taxi will charge about £20 an hour for toting you round, while renting a Segway (those two-wheeled powered platforms) will set you back £28 from segsinthecity.com (your thighs will feel it, though). But if you want to take things at your own pace, burn as few calories as the locals and get a politics-themed tour to boot, Brian McNeill has come up with just the thing: “bi-partisan” tours in electric cars, which look more suited to Toytown than the streets of DC.

You get your own electric car – like a dodgem with an accelerator and a brake – which you’re then free to drive around DC until it runs out of juice (about five hours). A GPS tour of the sites is installed in the cars, which you can ignore if you’d rather play with the music it blasts out over loud speaker (the US Air Force anthem) or try out the horn (choose between a Democrat donkey braying, or a trumpeting elephant for Republicans).

The loquacious Brian will accompany nervous drivers for no extra fee, in which case you can sit back, sunbathe and get stuck into his collection of masks: Bush, Obama and McCain when I was there (no doubt he’s rustling up a speccy ­Palin at the moment).

You’ll need a driving licence and the courage to share the road with supersized trucks; and watch the siren-blaring cavalcades that blast you on to the kerb as you toddle along at 25mph. An hour costs £17 per person.

(bi-partisantourcompany.com)

SORT IT

Get there

Virgin Atlantic flies from £309, virginatlantic.com

Where to stay

Minted: Willard Intercontinental Right next to the White House. Doubles from £197, washington.intercontinental.com

Skinted: Donovan House Brand new sister hotel to New York’s 60 Thompson. Doubles from £75, thompsonhotels.com