This is a charming café just off the McPherson Station Metro stop in downtown. We did not have reservations but were seated immediately in the dining room. When in a German restaurant, you must have German beer. We ordered 2 Hofbrau 1/2 liters to quench our thirst from the hot day of sightseeing. Just about every review we read raved about this restaurant, and the hotel bellman also highly recommended it. Well, everyone was right.

My wife ordered the Chicken Schnitzel. It was lightly battered and fried. I tried a bit and repented my selection. I was not adventurous so I ordered the Sausage Sampler, which had 5 different German Sausages on a bed of red cabbage and saurkraut. Mind you my food was very good, but the schnitzel was excellent. And both my wife and I were surprised by the mustard on the table. It was just slightly tangy and had a bit of a bite, but not too much. If we could have figure out how to sneak some out, we would have.

While we ate, we listened to a gentleman playing German songs on a guitar. If the lighting would have been a little dimmer, I would have said this was a great spot for a romantic dinner. As it was, it was the perfect spot to finish off a day with good food in a quiet atmosphere.

They also serve food in the bar. Although we didn't try any of it, we looked at the menu and it was filled with reasonably priced sandwiches and bar food. The bar was a little noisier, but the dining room is separated from the bar so none of the noise travels to disturb you in the dining room.

When we were done, we got two apple strudels to go from the deli in front. We took these back to the hotel for a late night dessert. They were good, but not as special as the restaurant food was. I do like the currants in the strudel however.

Overall this was a wonderful place to eat, and it will be on our list for our next trip back to Washington.

There has been a German presence in Washington, DC pretty much since its founding, and as a result we have several wonderful German restaurants, including Cafe Mozart (which is actually Austrian, or Viennese, as you might guess from the name). Located only a couple of blocks from the White house, on H street between 14th and 13th, Cafe Mozart is a wonderful place to stop for a rest during a busy day of being a tourist, and is also a great place for a business lunch, for a liesurely dinner, or for shopping for a few authentic Wursts for dinner.

Entrees here are the most expensive, but cover a great range, and there is something for everyone, as some American favorites find their way to the menu and Vegetable goulash and Kartoffelpuffe make it accessible for vegetarians.

Cafe Mozart is really four different entities. All the way in the back is the sit down restaurant, with tablecloths and silverware, and a wonderful array of German and Austrian dishes (don't expect just wursts!). In front of that is the bar, where you can put down a German beer or glass of Liebfraumilch or Reisling, while dipping pretzels into German mustard. In front of that is the deli, with a variety of wurst, cold cuts, breads, and European groceries. Especially notable is the wide range of German and Austrian chocolate available. If you want a Milka bar or some Mozart candies, this is the place to get it. You can also pick up some hot and cold pastries, for a walking lunch. All the way in the front is the cafe, where you can rest those feet late in the afternoon Viennese style, with a good Kaffe und Kuchen, before heading out for a night on the town.

Cafe Mozart is located halfway between the Metro Center and McPherson Square Metro Stations, about 2 blocks from each.