Historic brownstone district around the Washington Monument, home to The Helmand, The Prime Rib and a long line of immigrant kitchens on Charles Street.
Order Start with the kaddo borawni; few first courses in the city are as well-loved.
The Helmand on Charles Street has cooked Afghan food in Mount Vernon since 1989, known for its kaddo borawni baby pumpkin and aushak dumplings.
Order Whatever lands on the changing canape board, then a seasonal main.
Magdalena inside the Ivy Hotel is chef Scott Bacon's seasonal American bistro, plating a changing canape board and Chesapeake plates in a stone mansion.
Order The prime rib, with the Greenberg potato skins.
The Prime Rib in Mount Vernon is a 1940s-style supper club with leopard carpet and a piano, serving the city's benchmark prime rib in black tie.
Order A plate of the house-made pasta, plus the branzino when it runs.
Sotto Sopra on Charles Street in Mount Vernon plates house-made pasta and an opera-night supper, a long-running Italian room with a deep wine list.
Order The breakfast sandwich early, or a bowl of ramen later in the day.
Dooby's in Mount Vernon is an all-day Korean-leaning cafe, plating breakfast sandwiches by day and a ramen and Korean dinner menu after dark.
Order Single-origin espresso
Ceremony Coffee's Mount Vernon cafe sits in the Marketplace, a bright bar pulling single-origin espresso and filter from the Annapolis roaster's own beans.
Also on this listDooby's
Order Sweet and savoury filled buns
The Bun Shop on Read Street in Mount Vernon is an all-day cafe and pastry counter, pulling espresso and serving filled buns, kolaches and pastries late.
Ceremony Coffee Roasters runs a flagship cafe in Mount Vernon Marketplace, an Annapolis roaster pouring single-origin espresso and filter from its own beans.
Drink Inventive seasonal cocktails
Sugarvale in Mount Vernon is an intimate basement cocktail bar, mixing inventive, balanced drinks with zero pretension off a frequently changing menu.
Drink Classic cocktails
The Owl Bar in the Belvedere Hotel is a Mount Vernon landmark since 1903, a wood-panelled former speakeasy with terracotta owls and brick-oven pizza.
Drink House and guest craft beer
Wet City in Mount Vernon is a brewery, full bar and kitchen in one, pouring house beers and a chosen guest list alongside tacos in a colourful upstairs room.
On this list, shown aboveThe Helmand
On this list, shown aboveDooby's
Topside crowns Hotel Revival on the 14th floor in Mount Vernon, a rooftop bar and kitchen with some of the city's widest views over the Washington Monument.
The Drinkery in Mount Vernon is a long-standing LGBTQ dive bar, a no-frills neighbourhood room open nightly with strong, cheap pours and a loyal crowd.
.jpg){kind=link}