The terrace patio has mosaic tables providing seating perfect for catching up with friends over a tasty coffee. Inside, hardwood floors lead LiLLiES patrons to cozy couches for conversation, the bar seating great for meeting your neighbors, and romantic candlelit tables topped with a fresh rose bud. A private dining room tucked in the rear of the restaurant has exposed brick and a candelabra-adorned fireplace, perfect for an intimate ambience during special events. LiLLiES features Italian-Mediterranean with a modern cuisine touch-inspired dishes ranging from Bruschetta to beet salad, chicken paillard to grilled salmon, with various add-ons and gluten- free options available. Fresh spices and organic ingredients boost the flavor factor.
In the summertime, many of vegetables used at LiLLiES are fresh from the owners’ Pennsylvania farmland. LiLLiES has become a local hotspot for brunch on the weekends. The Greek yogurt parfait or the veggie omelet may tempt the health conscious, but how can one resist Nutella French toast? With the impressive credentials and decades of experience, owners Yasmin and Sam have clearly mastered the art of hospitality. Patrons are treated like family, whether they live next-door or are just passing through after a day of Zoo trekking or conference-attending. Yasmin is captivating with her infinite energy and enthusiastic demeanor; if you see a blur zipping past you, then it is likely her in action. Soft-spoken Sam is a humble and engaging conversationalist, quick with a warm personal greeting and a subtle smile.
LiLLiES, A Cozy New Neighborhood Italian-Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar in DC.
This family owned-and-operated oasis restaurant, located steps away from the Woodley Park Zoo, whips together international modern cuisine- flavors and fresh ingredients to form a range of made-from-scratch meals.
There's something about being a few panda lengths away from the zoo that makes us want to get back to nature then cozy up and enjoy a home-style meal at your favorite local restaurant.
While Woodley Park is commonly known to tourists as the Metro stop that hosts the National Zoo, locals are being drawn to a new attraction. Just steps south of the Zoo on Connecticut Avenue, NW, nestled between two cream-colored brick residential buildings, is an understated maroon canvas awning that marks the location of an intimate local attraction: LiLLiES Restaurant and Bar. Woodley Park residents have finally found an intimate neighborhood bistro-casual that reminds them of home: a cozy and welcoming place where you long to return to enjoy your favorite dishes. LiLLiES's spacious umbrella-dotted patio is a perfect setting for a weekend brunch, midday meal, or after-work dinner and drinks as you bite into European-style paninis, wraps, and surf and turf entrées.
Together they have stamped “welcome” in all aspects of dining experience.
LiLLiES Restaurant & Bar opened in 2011 near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue, N.W. and Cathedral Avenue, after the couple’s daughter coerced them to consider leasing the space. The property owner selected the couple over dozens of candidates, based on their community roots and commitment. Their commute to work is merely minutes, given the fact they have called Woodley Park home for the last 17 of nearly 40 years they have lived in D.C. “Woodley Park is home,” Sam stated pensively. “We raised our kids here. We’re family people and we treat our customers like family. We are committed to capture the feel of the Woodley Park neighborhood,” he added, and that, they do. “We are a local neighborhood restaurant that prides itself in promoting other small businesses in the Washington area,” Sam said proudly. “We only use Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. vendors for our food, beverages and other restaurant needs.”
Annie Glenn
Writing & Photography
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