The Monocle was founded in September 1960 by Constantine "Connie" Valanos and his wife Helen, and was considered Capitol Hill's first "tablecloth restaurant".

D.C. law at the time required that alcohol only be served to patrons sitting at a table, so a member of Congress took it upon himself to change the rules to allow for bars and barstool seating in the District.

[1][3][4] Given its proximity to the United States Senate and being one of only a few restaurants near the Capitol, The Monocle quickly became a meeting point for members of congress and special interest lobbyists.

[6] Former vice president Walter Mondale once called the restaurant a place "where laws are debated, where policies are set, where the course of world history is changed.

"[11] One byproduct of the steady stream of notable patrons is that the Valanos family has been able to amass a large number of autographed headshots.