Joe’s Seafood is about as storied as a Washington restaurant can get. Its clientele stretches across both sides of the congressional aisle. The campaign to re-elect Steve Scalise, the Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives, once spent $US38,300 on crab, steak and wine at the diner in just over a year. And it is Joe Hockey’s favourite restaurant.

“I’ve got the table, the ambassador’s table, even though I’m not an ambassador,” he says. “They still lay it on when we get in there.”