Washington DC Spotlight: The Royal

👑 The Royal in Washington D.C.

The Royal is a unique, Latin-inspired, and Michelin-honored neighborhood spot located in Washington, D.C.’s historic LeDroit Park neighborhood, bridging the hip Bloomingdale and Shaw areas.¹

What Makes It Unique

• All-Day Concept: It functions as a coffee shop and breakfast/lunch spot by day, and an intimate cocktail bar and casual eatery by night, offering an all-day destination experience.²

   

• Latin-Inspired Cuisine: The menu is Colombian-Latin American influenced, preparing simple yet creative food, much of it from a wood-burning grill.³

   

• Family-Owned: The restaurant is a family-owned venture, opened by Paul Carlson, his parents Ron and Gloria, and sister Katrina, with the concept stemming from the family’s international background and love of cooking and entertaining.⁴ Gloria, Paul’s mother, is originally from Colombia.⁵

   

• Ambiance: It’s described as a classic corner neighborhood hangout, offering a relaxed vibe with a focus on catering to locals at all hours.⁶

   

History

• Opening: The Royal opened in the summer of 2015.⁷

   

• Name Origin: It gets its name from the Royal Liquor Store, a business that was previously in the location.⁸

   

• Inspiration: The concept is inspired by the Carlson family’s international background, particularly their love of cooking and good drinks.⁹ Paul’s mother, Gloria, is from Colombia, and his father, Ron, a former Foreign Service Officer, had the family living overseas for over 20 years in places like Ecuador, Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala.¹⁰

   

Highlight Menu Items

The menu offers a variety of Latin-leaning dishes for all times of the day, including:

Breakfast/Morning Items (Examples):

• Arepa (v): Cojita cheese, butter.¹¹

   

• Egg Arepa: Fried egg, cojita cheese, avocado, tomato.¹²

   

• Calentado: A traditional Colombian breakfast bowl with rice, potatoes, peas, fried egg, and sausage.¹³

   

• Guava Pastry (v)¹⁴

   

All-Day/Dinner & Cocktails (Examples):

• Arepitas de Choclo (vg): Sweet corn masa arepitas, roasted garlic brown butter, corn crunch, chives.

• Pork Empanadas (GFF, DF, SFC): Often praised and served with house aji sauce.¹⁵

   

• Beef Arepa (GF):¹⁶ Avocado, cheese, lime.¹⁷

   

• Masa Gnocchi (GFF, SFC): Tossed with braised beef, maitake mushroom, queso fresco, and herbs.¹⁸

   

• South American Steak Frites (GFF, SFC): Rosada Farms Hanger steak, salsa pimienta, yuca fries.¹⁹

   

• Aji Daiquiri: Ten to one white rum, lime, raw sugar, housemade aji sauce.

• House-Made Vermouth (on tap).²⁰

   

Customer Feedback Highlights

• Michelin Recognition: The Royal has been honored by Michelin.²¹

   

• Scrumptious Latin American Food: The food is described as “decidedly scrumptious” and a “legitimate local favorite.”²²

   

• Must-Try Items: The messy, eggy Arepa for breakfast and the tender Pork Empanadas with aji and the Masa Gnocchi for dinner are specifically highlighted as favorites.²³

   

• All-Day Niche: It was noted as one of the first shops to occupy the all-day cafe niche in the D.C. scene.²⁴

   

Significant Events

No specific large-scale significant events or community gatherings at The Royal over the years are detailed in the provided information, but its opening in June 2015 was a key event, and it is recognized as a Michelin-honored spot.

Contact Information