I moved to Washington to work in the White House in 2000. My memories of the city are of a moment in time — campaigns, presidential elections — and it was the most intense experience. Washington itself is unlike any other city. Everywhere you turn there's a monument, museum or government building. A great way to orient yourself is to head for the Mall — it's the heart of the city. The monuments are like the movies with a matinee and an evening show — they're totally different at different times of day (avoid the afternoons with all the tourists). By day, the Lincoln Memorial is my favourite — you can stand and think of all the moments in American history that have been centred there: President Obama's inaugural celebration. And then there was that great scene in Forrest Gump. But there's nothing like the Jefferson Memorial at night. It's incredibly romantic, right by the water.
The further you go up in the ranks in the White House, the less you get out. The reality of working there is that it's sandwiches from the White House canteen. A work lunch was a rare treat, but there are a couple of places right on Lafayette Square where people used to go, like the Bombay Club.
Mostly, I would go out in Georgetown. Bistrot Lepic was my favourite date night restaurant, and Chef Geoff's was another great place — it has a neighbourhood feel, and the locals like to keep it that way so they get grumpy when you talk about it. Nam Viet on Connecticut Avenue do the best Vietnamese food I've ever had.
Nicolle Wallace is an ex-presidential advisor and author of Eighteen Acres (Atria Books, £19.99)
