Washington DC: a stately city at the heart of American culture

"You might think of New York with its energy and shopping, or Chicago with its nightlife and great food, or Boston for history, Irishness, and craic - but in Washington you get it all."

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On a warm spring morning, I woke early (thanks, jetlag), made coffee, showered, and set off on a walk. I dodged early morning cyclists and sleepy pigeons on my leisurely stroll, and 20 minutes after leaving my hotel, I turned my phone around to take a selfie in front of the White House.

Despite the tight security, you can get quite close to the world’s most famous presidential residence, and I took some group photos for my fellow early risers and paused to watch the permanent protesters set up their stalls and manifestos.

It was a beautiful day, and I was in one of my favourite cities in America.

Washington DC may not be the first place you think of when you’re considering a US mini break. You might think of New York with its energy and shopping, or Chicago with its nightlife and great food, or Boston for history, Irishness, and craic, and, sure, you’d have a great time in each of them - but in Washington you get it all.

Direct Aer Lingus flights to the US capital make DC a great option for a long weekend.

Dulles is a well-run airport, and with the ease of immigration done in Dublin, you can skip right out to your transportation and be in the city an hour to 90 minutes after landing. On your route in you’ll see the Kennedy Centre, a working shrine to culture where U2 were awarded their presidential medals, and the Washington Monument, lit up like a beacon welcoming you to the city.

This was not my first visit. I’m a fan of The West Wing, a big one, and of US politics in general, and any city where I can pretend to be a White House staffer for a weekend is a good one in my books.

The White House: home of the President of the United States of America.

Hotel 

On this trip, we were staying in the DuPont Circle Hotel which is part of the Irish-owned Doyle Group which also owns The Westbury and Croke Park hotels in Dublin, and the River Lee Hotel in Cork. 

The property has recently been completely redesigned and is stunning — a million miles from the fusty old idea of an Irish-owned American hotel as you could get.

It was about 9pm when we arrived and we went straight to the Doyle bar for some food and a nightcap. The location means that you have the perfect hotel bar mix of tourists, locals and business (in this case political business) people.

With a (perfect) margarita in hand, I sat back on my luxurious banquette to people watch: an awkward first date and intense work conversation, and two hapless young men try to impress some female friends at the bar. If asked to describe my perfect evening, it would be this.

We didn’t stay too long as it had already been a busy day and we were up early to explore and enjoy all the city has to offer, which is, a lot.

Rooms in the DuPont Circle are very, very nice. The multi-million dollar refurb has given the hotel the kind of subtle luxury you dream of bringing into every element of your life. Colours are muted and soft but not boring and beige.

It is the work of designers Martin Brudnizki and the singularly named Clodagh — the New York-based Irish designer who, at 82 years old, is as in-demand as ever. 

The most important part of any hotel design, the bed, is you’ll be glad to know like sleeping in a cloud, and even with the aforementioned jetlag, I managed a great night’s sleep.

Never one to miss breakfast, the public areas of the hotel are equally as beautiful as the bedrooms above and the dining room, with its hint of art deco and abundant foliage, is a great place to drink coffee and people watch. Caffeinated, it was time to leave for our first full day in the city.

A room at the Dupont Circle in Washington

Attractions 

We crammed as much into our short visit as we could and started with the Spy Museum which is an immersive look at spycraft and the secret service. You could spend hours here and if you travelled with children or teens, it would be the perfect place to while away more than a few hours.

As a complete and utter counterbalance to the wacky world of spying, our afternoon was spent in the Library of Congress. 

Our backstage tour had us climbing through doors hidden in the stacks to emerge onto balconies many stories above the hallowed reading rooms. 

It’s an incredible living museum, ever-changing, dedicated to the written word and a visit is a must for any fan of history or literature.

This busy day was intermingled with breaks to drink more coffee, visit independent bookshops and wander the waterfront, a new addition to the city since my last visit.

The following day we went to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Part of the Smithsonian, it is not an exaggeration to say that this is the best museum I have ever visited. 

You start in the basement and begin a one-way tour through African American history. It is a deeply moving, sometimes upsetting, phenomenally important hour. 

You walk through segregated buses, sit at lunch counters in the Deep South, see houses that enslaved people had to survive in, and understand the full depravity of the Jim Crow laws.

It is a humbling experience, but one you hope that millions will visit.

Upstairs, the museum is an ode to African American culture and there are excellent exhibits dedicated to music, entertainment, art and fashion and is a brilliant way to spend many hours.

The building itself is stunning as is much of DC, the architecture here is a vibrant mix and feels like an outdoor museum itself.

It’s an excellent city to walk in, or bike in or run in and you’ll see more people engaging in healthy outdoor pursuits here than in most US cities I’ve been in. 

I spent the afternoon in Georgetown, one of my favourite parts of DC. It’s packed full of great shopping, attractive streets, galleries, bars and restaurants. 

I walked through hordes of students on the way back to the hotel and passed (well, went into) a Trader Joes, the best of all American supermarkets. There’s nothing like carrying shopping bags full of ridiculous American snacks to make you feel like a local.

Dining 

Food plays a big role in DC life. A weekend farmer’s market operates just beside DuPont Circle and is a great place to earwig and people watch (are you sensing a theme here?). 

There are stunning local producers with some incredible produce. Perusing the stands and buying bagels, sandwiches, and pastries for a park picnic breakfast is high on my recommendations.

There are great restaurants in the city and a favourite of ours was L’Ardente, a relatively new eatery by the team behind the very famous Unconventional Diner. 

We’re told a former president was in for dinner just weeks before us and we can see why, it’s a buzzy spot with excellent Italian food. You might think at first glance that a 40-layer lasagne is going to be a bit of a gimmick but it is, like everything else we tried, absolutely delicious.

If fine dining isn’t for you, Chinatown is an excellent option. It’s where you’ll find many DC locals at the weekend enjoying dim sum and hand-pulled noodles. Coffee culture is big here too and Kramer’s, the historic book store and coffee shop, is just across the street from the hotel and a great place to dip your toe in.

Three nights in DC is a great way to explore the city and get a feel for what it’s like to live in the seat of one of the most powerful capitals in the world. 

There’s an energy here that’s hard to beat but there’s more than just politics; there’s incredible culture, unmissable art, excellent food, good fun, and a great Irish hotel.

• Jen Stevens was a guest of the DuPont Circle Hotel