Depends on the what and where of your visit. Assuming this is a leisure trip, I'd avoid the 'work' areas of DC. That is avoid the areas around Metro Center, K Street, and Union Station/US Capitol, as they will be dead, especially at night.
While the Gallery Place area has gone downhill a bit, many good restaurants are there and so is the Hotel Monaco. I still recommend that area to visitors. Dupont Circle and Georgetown remain traditional areas of interest to visitors.
Local people avoid Old Ebbitt Grill -- in fact the only time I've been there in the past 10 years is a lunch organized by visiting colleagues. More interesting restaurants are, for example, on the 14th street corridor NW below U Street, and newish corridors near the Marine Barracks (and Eastern Market more generally), H street NE. Shiny, modern construction is at the Wharf. There are favorites, for me at least, such as Bombay Club for Indian, near the White House. DC is a good restaurant town, from Ethiopian restaurants to Supra (Georgian) and several Laotian restaurants. I do not recommend Crystal City as I find it to be a soul-less concrete jungle.