A Zagat-rated dining destination attached to the Dupont Circle Hotel, Café Dupont serves French-inspired feasts of delicacies such as poached lobster and truffled steak frites. Executive Chef David Fritsche gives each dish on the menu a creative flourish—he encrusts scallops with hazelnuts and morels, for instance, and garnishes them with nettle foam. He's also known for his commitment to organic and artisanal ingredients, which he and his team gather from the neighborhood farmers' market.

Meet the Chef

Executive Chef Fritsche has both cooking and hospitality in his bloodline. Growing up in his grandmother’s hotel in the Swiss Alps, he watched his mother transform fruits and vegetables from the garden into enticing meals for guests. He followed in his family's footsteps by apprenticing at Grand Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, where he deepened his knowledge of French cuisine, and later working kitchens in Dubai, Ireland, and New York City. Today, he draws on the sum of his expertise to man the kitchen at Café Dupont.

A Contemporary Twist on French Cuisine

The dishes on Café Dupont's menu reflect French culinary tradition, yet also highlight the chef's creativity. Below are a few of our favorites.