Albi

Over the past year, chef Michael Rafidi has taken what was already DC’s best restaurant and turned it into something even more special. In the newly renovated, luxe-yet-warm dining room, there are no barriers between the tables and the open kitchen’s roaring hearth. Meanwhile, Rafidi is now drawing more explicitly from his Palestinian roots, but with fine-dining finesse. While favorites like wood-fired-lamb pies and hummus with smoked chanterelles and confit egg yolk are available à la carte, embrace the “Sofra” tasting menu, which kicks off with a round of snacks such as plump ember-roasted mussels with arak butter and trout roe. The meal culminates in a lamb-loin-and-belly kebab with fermented-chili honey and a carrot mutabal sauce—plus a tableful of side dishes, a true feast.