Other people hate crabs, we had company from Charleston and they chose to just eat the corn and some shrimp that I had steamed.
They would rather go hungry than eat the crabs

Five Guys!

Chef at Rasika was a well-known chef in London before he came to DC. They may already be familiar with him.

Estadio is great, but they don't take reservations, so on a busy night you can wait 1-1/2 hours easy. Would also recommend Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons, Proof (the closest to a restaurant with a sleek NYC feel and great food--owned by the Estadio guy) or J&G Steakhouse followed by drinks on the W rooftop, as everyone loves peeking over at the White House. Also, The Source. Yum. That place is magic.

Palena.

People--I know Bombay club is stuffy, and I much prefer the ambience at Rasika, but the FOOD is almost exactly the same at both Rasika and Bombay club. Right down to the crispy spinach appetizer. And the reason is...the exec chef/menu are the same. So it's silly to say that you don't like the food at Bombay.

My absolute favorite restaurants that I think will fit the bill--Rasika and Sushi Taro.

Estadio is very hip right now. Spanish tapas may be something different for them.

Anonymous wrote:10.08, I was also surprised at the disparagement of the Rasika suggestion. That place is great (Bombay not so much, IMO). But it may be that Rasika would not be sufficiently novel for Londoners.

Tom Sietsema (WaPo) just gave Rasika four stars. He rarely does that for any place.

Georgia Brown's--in Farragut. Southern cuisine, slightly upscale, you can walk past the White House when you are done.

Not on red line and not in DC, but i would suggest Ray's the Steaks. I took my former boss from out of the US there and he found the simplicity of the concept, totally fascinating - though not sure that it's the 'lively' that you mean. Second suggestions also for Brasserie Beck & Ethiopian. Another option: eating crabs in Annapolis or some other crab house (not sure if there is anything on red line) - but they definitely do not have this in London

I would take the opposite tack and go to a Maryland crab place, complete with wooden mallets and paper covered tables. That would be way more unforgettable than another fine dining experience.

Also an Indian from London - rasika would be great for them!

10.08, I was also surprised at the disparagement of the Rasika suggestion. That place is great (Bombay not so much, IMO). But it may be that Rasika would not be sufficiently novel for Londoners.

It is obviously the OP's and the guests' choice where they would like to go. However, I do not agree that DC's Indian Restaurants suggested here are any less than London's. I am an Indian American, who has lived in London and live here now.