OP here. In case this is helpful for anyone in the future -- we've reserved the private room at Commonwealth Indian Restaurant in Pike and Rose in Rockville. It's our go-to for Indian take-out (it's pricey but the portions are huge so we usually get 2-3 meals out of one entree per person plus rice, naan, and sometimes samosas). I wouldn't even have known they have a private room if my husband hadn't stopped in and asked -- there's no information on the website. It costs $250 to reserve and for food there's a choice of either ordering a la carte or arranging a menu ahead of time (which we will probably do -- as my husband says, we don't want to have to bring a wheelbarrow for leftovers as our guests won't be taking any home).

Thanks for everyone who had suggestions -- this turned out to be harder than I'd thought to find the Goldilocks space for the right number of people, the various food restrictions (kosher, dairy-intolerant, nut allergies, and/or vegetarian) on the right day!

I went to a nice private dinner at Matisse on Wisconsin. The private rooms are upstairs. I don’t remember if they have an elevator.

http://www.matisserestaurantdc.com/index.html

The two places in the area that I’ve gone to with people who have mobility issues are Maggianno’s — which has multiple private rooms, and Clyde’s. Both are in Friendship Heights. I’m not sure if Clyde’s has a private room, but they have two levels, so it could be worth a call.

I agree that Macon Bistro would be a great choice! Nice to know that they have a private room.

We had good luck with Maggianos private room in FH

We had a family dinner for +/-16 in the private room at Macon Bistro on CT Ave just south of Chevy Chase Circle. They were great to work with.

Thanks for all the great suggestions (and especially for considering mobility which I hadn't specified but is a concern!). I will add more to my list. I'm hoping I can nail something down soon.

Anonymous wrote:The Capital Grille in Friendship Heights has a private room on the second floor away from the rest of the restaurant which I think would hold 16 (if a steakhouse is ok).

2nd, had a party there. It's very expensive though.

La Ferme

This may be too far from your desired area but what about The Palm? There are DC and a McLean/Tysons locations. If you're willing to go into Georgetown then Fiola Mare is wonderful. You don't say your mom's mobility status but imo all 3 locations would be accessible by someone with a cane and/or walker.

Another option is a private chef who comes to cook and serve in your home.

https://thedistrictchef.com/ (he's amazing)

Seasons 52 has private rooms. Lao Sze Chuan has private rooms. Not sure if either are big enough or to your taste - good luck!

Any other recommendations? I'm not having much luck so far.

Check Sfoglina; I know they have a private room but don't know how many it holds

The Capital Grille in Friendship Heights has a private room on the second floor away from the rest of the restaurant which I think would hold 16 (if a steakhouse is ok).

Does anyone have recent experience with reserving a private room in a restaurant for a dinner for 16 people? I'm trying to plan a surprise birthday party for my mom's 80th birthday in March. We need a separate room that's hopefully not too loud as she has significant hearing loss so any ambient noise from the main restaurant will be tough for her.

I won't say money's no object but I'm splitting the cost with my two sisters and we are in a mood to splurge on really good food.