Willowsong Is Quietly Serving Worthwhile Dishes at the Costly Wharf

Tenured chef Jeffrey Williams brings hyper-local seafood and produce (literally driving to nearby farms) to the illustrious InterContinental Washington, D.C. dining room at Willowsong. Williams’ local upbringing and time on the West Coast informs expertly prepared seafood dishes with creative spice blends. While you can’t go wrong with seared local bass and a moist half-chicken, more experimental dishes shine on Willowsong’s menu. Settle in with a beautiful view of the Southwest Waterfront.

What to order

• There’s a reason everyone orders the fresh milk bread with brown honey miso butter and salmon roe ($12); it’s an umami-rich way to start the meal.
• The hamachi tartare ($25) has so much going for it: bold chili oil and preserved lemon; a surprising blend of furikake, sumac, and paprika; and potato chips for scooping up raw fish and cashews. The same spice mix coats the terrific crispy shrimp and calamari.
• Pastas are fun, pairing duck with puttanesca sauce or crab and squid ink orecchiette with citrus olive oil ricotta. The Cresto di Gallo ($35) layers garlic mascarpone, oxtail cooked down and seared until crispy, and broccoli rabe and roasted tomato to lighten the heavy dish.

Best for

A luxurious date night, a splurge dinner after an afternoon traversing the scenic boardwalk, or on-theme meals during festivals like the Mardi Gras parade or Bloomaroo during cherry blossom season.

Insider tip

This is one of the best happy hours in this famously expensive neighborhood, with large servings of yellowtail tacos ($10) and caper-studded Brussels sprouts on toast ($10) that you can make a whole meal out of, plus Aperol spritzes or draft margaritas (both $13) available from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and extending to 3 p.m. on weekends. Enjoy them at the grand, floating shelves of the central bar or the boardwalk-adjacent patio.