From the edge of DC’s Wharf to the streets of Falls Church and Silver Spring, Washington’s dining scene became even more turbocharged this year. We visited 300-plus restaurants to bring you this list of our favorite places to eat. And we ranked every one.
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Let’s address the elephant in the tasting room: Minibar is wildly expensive. Hamilton-tickets expensive. But that’s the way you need to think of it—not as merely a meal but as edible entertainment. So what pushes José Andrés’s avant-garde place to number one for the first time in its 15 years? The 14-seat counter-within-a-kitchen received a […]
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Sometimes at the end of a meal, we play the “What’s the dish of the night?” game. At Jeremiah Langhorne’s Mid-Atlantic dining room, it’s just about impossible to pick only one. A fried-catfish slider might sound simple enough, but in Langhorne’s hands, the tiny sweet-potato-roll sandwich tastes transcendent. (Can we get six more?) Most everything […]
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Patrick O’Connell’s sumptuous Rappahannock County inn has been around for four decades, and just when you think you’ve seen all his culinary magic tricks, he pulls out a slew of new ones. A recent dinner began in the silk-shaded dining room with a razor-thin potato crisp holding pimiento cheese that would win blue ribbons. It […]
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Some will be wary—this spinoff of a Manhattan omakase restaurant is attached to the Trump hotel, and its New York–based owner didn’t make any friends when he dissed DC’s food scene a few years ago. But here’s the thing: Nakazawa operates on such a high plane that it’s easy to forget everything beneath it. Go […]
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You’d expect to find a “slammable vodka cocktail” elsewhere in Adams Morgan—though maybe not one this tasty, with rooibos-infused vodka and bubbly. Three years in, it’s easy to tell that the Komi vets running this foodie haven are still having fun. The mood is infectious—we’ve never had a dull meal in the cozy space, whether […]
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Tasting menus can sometimes feel as solemn as Sunday Mass. Aaron Silverman’s Barracks Row hideaway is just the opposite, unfussy and fun. Your ticket price—$325, drinks, tax, and tip included—gets you nine or so courses that wander around the globe. Some, such as a blood-sausage-topped toasted-rice custard that tastes like a cross between Thai larb […]
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Every neighborhood should have an Elle. It’s easy to have an all-day love affair with the 1920s-era space and its bakery/restaurant/bar—whether you’re claiming a sunny nook with a guava pastry in the morning, tucking into a pork-rillettes sandwich at lunch, or booking a date night for dreamy jasmine cocktails. Ex–Blue Duck Tavern chef Brad Deboy’s […]
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At a time when information bombardment is just life, there’s something luxurious about not being told—well, anything. Johnny Monis and Anne Marler’s darkly lit Dupont rowhouse has no menu, and the only decision to make is “Wine pairing or no?” (The answer is yes, especially if you’re into funky natural bottles.) Monis’s lineup languidly moves […]
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Eric Ziebold and Célia Laurent’s attention to detail and reverence for even the humblest ingredients add up to simple elegance at the more relaxed of their two fine-dining restaurants. While the subterranean Métier is tasting-menu-only, Kinship splits appetizers, entrées, and desserts into categories such as “craft,” “history,” and “ingredients.” We like to sample across all […]
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This northern Thai tasting room from the Komi team hasn’t undergone any seismic shifts since it opened in 2011. The subterranean dining room still won’t take reservations, making diners line up for one of the best values in town. The seven-course, family-style menu doesn’t hold back on spicy, sour, funky flavors and almost always culminates […]
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You might not typically stray beyond your own neighborhood for pizza. But Tony Conte’s pizza is destination pizza. The former Oval Room chef traded a fine-dining career for a wood-fired oven in the burbs, and his pedigree still shows. Neapolitan-style pies with chewy crusts showcase the best farmers-market finds or, better yet, white truffles from […]
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We know—a standing-only restaurant sounds faddish. But think of Japanese tachinomiya bars, where patrons are packed shoulder to shoulder reveling in food and drink. Here, add reservations and more elbow room (the maximum capacity is 15) and you have Erik Bruner-Yang’s modern-Asian hideaway. Tucked inside an active kitchen at the Line hotel, diners at two […]
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An elevator descends into a firelit salon, where cocktails and snacks set a warm, welcoming tone from consummate hosts Eric Ziebold and Célia Laurent. A seven-course tasting progresses in a minimalist dining room where Ziebold’s precise cooking shows off his latest garden harvest and first-name relationships with purveyors. Many dishes weave the chef’s classic French […]
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There are plenty of shiny new restaurants in Southwest DC’s Wharf development, but Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s Spanish hot spot is the most glittering of them all (with prices to match). Even the simplest offerings in the yacht-chic dining room come with fanfare: Sangría is adorned with flowers and frozen fruit cubes, while rare Ibérico […]
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Simple dishes call for high-quality ingredients and an assured chef. This stylish CityCenterDC osteria has both. Chef/owner Amy Brandwein turns charred napa cabbage—yes, cabbage—into a revelation and has cured our duck fatigue with her tender, crisp-skinned leg confit. The menu changes daily, but it’s hard to go wrong with any of her house-made pastas, whether […]
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Until recently, diners queued up for more than an hour, hoping for one of the 24 stools at this Filipino dining room. (It now takes a limited number of reservations.) What awaits inside the plant-crammed place is a familial vibe, thanks to co-owner Genevieve Villamora; a lineup of funky wines and ciders; and Tom Cunanan’s […]
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Sigh of relief: Petworth’s hot-test dining room has finally started taking reservations, so you no longer have to wait hours to land one of its 24 seats and a taste of Kevin Tien’s often brilliant pseudo-Japanese menu. What brings that subtle sweetness to the bigeye-tuna tartare? The tiny cubes of beet hiding in the mix. […]
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Last summer, chef Adam Howard left his perch at Mike Isabella Concepts and landed at this Shaker-chic dining room at the Park Hyatt. Consider the kitchen—which at our previous check-in felt tired—reinvigorated. At lunch, Howard slings lobster rolls and the city’s best Reuben. Later on, look for smart riffs on Southern classics. Braised greens go […]
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Washington has seen a boom in Japanese restaurants. Even so, we can’t stay away from Nobu Yamazaki’s 32-year-old institution. The serene space is versatile. Join the line for happy hour, when sushi is half price. Or snag an omakase reservation—there are only six a night—where guests are rewarded with a personal chef. Cedar boxes filled […]
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Most anyone can relish a meal at Haidar Karoum’s glassy modern-American restaurant, but it’s a particular delight if you’ve tracked his cooking over his three decades in DC. The menu reads like a starry résumé. There are dishes that recall his early days with Nora Pouillon (glazed sablefish is delicious déjà vu) and his latter […]
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Slip into Nicholas Stefanelli’s stylish courtyard and Italian tasting room and you enter a luxurious world—one where chic cliques sip Campari cocktails around fire pits and cannolis are filled with foie gras. The four-to-six-course tasting menus are flexible: Order two pastas if you want before skipping to an indulgent dry-aged rib eye with its cap […]
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There’s a reason early birds flock to chef Ryan Ratino’s modernist hot spot: the 19th-century French duck press, which yields only four orders a night. True to Ratino’s style, he seamlessly blends Escoffier-era technique with innovation. Roasted-duck bones are pressed in the antique contraption, turning the juices into a luscious sauce that cloaks two dry-aged […]
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Brunch with kids, a celebratory dinner, a late-night double cheeseburger, day-drinking rosé on the patio—Le Dip is the rare restaurant that’s suited to nearly any occasion. The menu doesn’t deviate much from French bistro standards, but the kitchen has mastered most of them with consistency and precision. Seafood towers are generous and lovely. The oversize […]
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The cooking and the cocktails are as strong as ever at this Logan Circle Spanish standby. Our ideal meal starts with a boozy “slushito” paired with pintxos—such as skewered anchovy, olive, and pepper or, when in season, a fig wrapped in jamón serrano. It definitely includes grilled scallions with romesco sauce and a montadito—or open-faced […]
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To understand chef Mike Friedman’s more-is-more culinary vision at these twin pizzerias, you need to order his garlic knots. The semolina dough is brushed with lemony garlic butter, spiraled like a cinnamon roll, then fried and drenched with not only more butter but also ultra-rich Parmesan fonduta. The pizzas, cooked in a deck oven, are […]
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Think of this Brooklyn transplant near Union Market as the punk-rock version of a steakhouse. (It’s not hard, once you see the servers in concert tees and hear Richard Hell on the speakers.) The star cut is the so-called axe-handle rib eye, a table share that’s all hulking bone and savory meat. Longtime DC chef […]
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Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj continues to set the standard for Indian dining in Washington—and beyond. Whether you’re at the modern West End location or the moodily lit Penn Quarter original, you’ll find a kitchen that has mastered the art of spicing. Decorated chef Vikram Sunderam serves excellent renditions of crowd-pleasers such as chicken tikka masala but […]
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Restaurateurs Fabio and Maria Trabocchi specialize in decadence, especially at their Italian fine-dining flagship. While lunch is à la carte, diners can build their own three- or four-course tasting menu (plus canapés, dessert, and petits fours) at dinner—with options for caviar and white-truffle upgrades. Among our favorite ways to live it up: a rich chestnut […]
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Chef Tae Strain hasn’t just recharged this CityCenterDC branch of David Chang’s empire—he’s blown it up. Gone are the bao and ramen that made Chang famous nearly two decades ago. In their place are addictive bing—warm disks of soft, Chinese-style bread—served with dips that you’ll want to order one after the next, including butter with […]
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There’s nothing in Washington like Rose Previte’s transportive destination. Recently, we settled into a cowhide chair, sipped a Georgian rosé, and listened to the server describe a “totally delicious” daily special: a whole roasted goat neck and head from a tiny Virginia farm. A gigantic hearth blazes at the restaurant’s core, charring whole turmeric-spiced chickens, […]
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Splitting a menu among three cuisines—Filipino, Korean, and Thai—seems like a recipe for middling versions of each. But former Restaurant Eve owner Cathal Armstrong has created a triple threat. Red curry with blue crab is a bowl-scraping homage to Thailand, while a gochujang-marinated beef tartare solidly reps Korea. Our favorite part of the menu is […]
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Much like the beets and mushrooms doodled around the handwritten specials menu, this Japanese sake-and-snack house is tiny, ultra-personal, and idiosyncratic. It’s the creation of Cizuka Seki (the co-owner and artist) and her father, Hiroshi (the chef). The menu moves from thick-cut raw fish to fried snacks to grilled wonders such as sake-and-miso-marinated mackerel. Don’t […]
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Oprah, Ivanka, Michelle—who hasn’t been spotted at this waterfront ode to Italian seafood? But you don’t have to be famous to partake in the glamour. While the menu is heavy on truffles and caviar, the real luxury is the top-notch seafood. Pastas highlight perfectly cooked prawns and fresh sea urchin. One of the best ways […]
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One of the best restaurant revamps of the year came courtesy of Victor Albisu, who transformed his Penn Quarter steakhouse, Del Campo, into this sultry dining room (and added a branch of his popular Northern Virginia taqueria, Taco Bamba, too). Albisu channels the cutting-edge cuisine of Mexico City, where he says “tradition is being turned […]
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If you haven’t been to this opulent French spot near the White House in a while, well, you’re in for a surprise. Pretty much everything but the burgundy decor has changed. Leading the revolution is wine expert Jennifer Knowles, who oversees the whole place with sass and smarts. Her hand-picked chef, Keith Bombaugh, is a […]
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Fine dining of the white-tablecloth variety has largely gone the way of the butter mold. Which makes this elegant dining room—where male diners are in jackets (if not ties)—all the more special. The biggest draw: chef/owner Robert Wiedmaier’s prix fixe menus, available in three or seven courses. You can choose among plates such as buttery […]
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We’ve yet to meet a sauce coming out of chef/owner Jon Krinn’s kitchen that we didn’t want to devour. The menu changes day to day, but there’s always some emulsion, some jus, some vinaigrette that takes a roasted pork leg or seared cut of kampachi to another plane. The kitchen’s finesse also leads to pleasant […]
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Chef/owner Peter Pastan’s very personal ode to Italian food and wine has made an impressive comeback after a flood shuttered the restaurant for two months last year. Naples-style wood-oven pizzas and a roster of plates nodding to Pastan’s enthusiasms (tiny fish, say) make up the bulk of the menu. We took in such wonders as […]
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When David DeShaies traveled for culinary events with his mentor, the late French chef Michel Richard, the two always wound down the night at a diner. That’s what inspired this restaurant of DeShaies’s own in Shaw. Still, it’s a diner in name—and breakfast-through-dinner hours–only. Many dishes have cheffy upgrades: Chicken pot pie is transformed into […]
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Food writers get this question a lot: Where do you go on your off-time? Consistently in the top tier of our list is this low-key seafood spot. It’s affiliated with ProFish, one of the area’s most dependable restaurant suppliers, and the quality is evident from the get-go. Don’t skip the smoked fish—all are created in-house—served […]
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This Union Market counter—and its newer, bigger Wharf sibling—shucks just three kinds of oysters, all Chesapeake and all cultivated by the outfit that owns the restaurants. Still, the three varieties couldn’t taste more different, from creamy Rappahannocks to aggressively briny Olde Salts. We always start with a dozen (and throw in some fresh clams), then […]
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Could the era—nay, foodie tradition—of standing in line outside Aaron Silverman’s Barracks Row restaurant be over? Mostly, thanks to new same-day online booking. While the splendid rowhouse is no longer the white-hot spot it once was, we’d argue it’s warmer these days, thanks to those customer-friendly reservations and ever-changing menus that keep culinarians on their […]
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It’s the hyper-attention to detail that elevates this sun-drenched Logan Circle pizzeria. Order rosé vermouth and you’ll get not only a glass of the stuff—which was deliciously conceived by the restaurant’s original owner and bar manager—but a big siphon bottle of soda water so you can top it off as you sip. Order the luscious […]
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Between the wisteria-canopied patio and the intimate firelit dining room, Iron Gate is easily one of DC’s most romantic restaurants. (You can also indulge in some serious self-care in the lofty carriageway bar.) Chef Anthony Chittum’s Greek cooking—and a substantial Mediterranean wine list—only adds to the warm-and-fuzzy feelings. A wood-burning hearth and rotisserie bring flame-kissed […]
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At a time when every hot spot requires good hearing and a better back, Convivial is the rare restaurant that values soundproofing and comfortable chairs. All the better to enjoy the playful French-American cooking from dual-passport chef Cedric Maupillier. An artful beef tartare dotted with cornichons and crumbled egg yolk alongside crispy potato conveys Maupillier’s […]
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The future of dining probably looks something like this hybrid cafe/men’s-streetwear shop/Southeast Asian restaurant—retail-and-restaurant combos are popping up everywhere right now. Mostly, we’re here for Erik Bruner-Yang’s take on Taiwanese and Cambodian cuisines. An order of pork or leek-and-mushroom bao is a no-brainer, and spicy lamb noodles are an obvious temptation. That said, we can […]
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Yuh Shimomura’s sliver of a dining room in Old Town is as intimate as it gets. Opt for a stool at the six-seat bar so you can watch the lone-wolf chef’s pyrotechnics in the form of blowtorches and indoor barbecuing. His $55 five-course Japanese set menus (no substitutions or choices) can be dazzling. An impeccable […]
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It’s easy to get distracted by the city’s onslaught of restaurant openings, but this rowhouse continues to stand out after more than three decades. The rustic Italian prix fixe menu starts with a flurry of antipasti, which may include arancini and veal with tuna-and-caper sauce and always features burrata dressed in olive oil. From there, […]
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If Rasika and the Bombay Club have defined Indian fine-dining in Washington, their more casual sister restaurants set the bar for Indian street food. Among the most addictive snacks: sweet and savory golgappas—round crisps filled with avocado, yogurt, and tamarind chutney—and popcorn-like shrimp bezule electrified by lemon and chilies. Some dishes stray farther from tradition […]
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“Eating with your hands is a true symphony,” reads the check at the DC branch of these Laotian gems. Especially when dishes are so lovingly orchestrated. Mother-and-son chef team Seng Luangrath and Bobby Pradachith bred a #LaoFoodMovement in the area thanks to their cooking—which includes a new Tysons food-hall location and a forthcoming Shaw eatery. […]
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If only all fast-casual spots were as good as this Barracks Row joint from Scott Drewno and Danny Lee. Place your order at the counter, then jockey for space at the communal tables. It’s hard to strike out on the airtight Chinese/Korean menu. We start with slender spring rolls, soy-glazed wings, and all manner of […]
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Chinese chef Peter Chang’s jade-accented flagship is hidden away in an off-the-grid Bethesda office building. Here’s why you should seek it out: There’s terrific week-end dim sum (plus an even more terrific lunchtime sampler of dumplings and turnip cakes) and a standard-setting Peking duck (bonus: you can get it whole or in an appetizer portion). […]
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“I cook what I like to eat” has become a refrain with chefs—and that can often translate to a muddled menu. But at Aphra and Sam Adkins’s bright kitchen, the eclecticism works. It helps that the lineup is concise and uniformly strong, whether you’re starting with a superb bourbon/pear-shrub cocktail and Peruvian potatoes with blue-cheese […]
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We’ve had a ton of serious, expensive tasting menus (including the one at big sister Pine-apple and Pearls). Which is why Aaron Silverman’s prix fixe dinner at this atmospheric old carriage house—also a daytime cafe—is such a delight. The $45 lineup of eight or so plates, plus optional $30 wine pairings, follows one theme: “Our […]
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Few restaurants can be called palatial these days, but the Jefferson hotel’s prix fixe salon fits the bill (behold the silk wallpaper and silver-tonged bread service). Chef Ralf Schlegel holds stodginess at bay with his modern flavor pairings—such as bison with shishito peppers and aji amarillo—and showstopping tableside presentations, including Wagyu shabu shabu heated in […]
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Even though restaurateur Michael Schlow’s supper club is only three years old, it has a genuinely retro vibe. Ask nicely and hosts will book a corner booth, bartenders are quick to remember your drink, and servers toss bacon-heavy wedge salads at the table. Pastry chef Alex Levin’s throwback desserts are worth a trip in themselves. […]
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Settle into that soft hide chair—you’re about to take a deep (often delicious) dive into Mid-Atlantic cooking. Woodberry Kitchen restaurateur Spike Gjerde walks the walk when it comes to regional ingredients. He swaps citrus for local verjus at the handsome cocktail bar and culls Maryland wood for firepower. Our ideal meal in the luminous Line […]
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There’s no sign at this Indian restaurant, but you can’t miss the place: Just look for the terra-cotta-hued castle. Inside, the opulent dining rooms feel less Medieval Times, more Restoration Hardware, and the Indian cooking is sumptuous. Plates marry nouvelle cuisine presentations with potent spices. The terrific dharamshala duck is redolent of cardamom, while a […]
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Restaurateurs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, who made their name at Philadelphia’s Vedge, won’t make you feel like you’re eating your vegetables—even though there are radishes in the rye cocktails and rutabagas masquerading as fondue. The duo champion a refined, global style of vegan cuisine at their urban-garden restaurant that eschews the usual crutches (mock […]
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There are so many Insta-worthy moments here: the crackling outdoor fire pit that’s perfect for cocktails or dessert, the Scandinavian-cool dining rooms—all white walls and fuzzy accents—and the Flemish-inspired food that’s at once rustic and modern. Frederick De Pue’s kitchen embraces creativity but not at the expense of flavor. Pale-green leek velouté is cleverly amped […]
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Meatballs are everywhere these days, but the ones at this intimate, modern-Italian dining room are standouts. New chef Loris Navone cribs from his Italian grandmother’s recipe, mixing ricotta into veal, pork, and beef. Mounded atop mascarpone-enriched polenta, the “appetizer” makes a small meal. Fritto misto is both airy and tender. (He poaches the seafood in […]
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Every Thai restaurant has a papaya salad, but this northeastern Thai spot shows off five versions. The one you don’t want to miss is the fermented-fish-enhanced somtum muor, loaded with eggplant, pickled greens, green beans, and pork rinds, plus rice noodles that mimic strands of papaya. In fact, every dish here tastes amped up. Khao […]
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Find DC’s best ramen at this trio of soup joints overseen by chef Katsuya Fukushima. Daikaya draws the biggest crowds for its long-simmered broth and springy Sapporo noodles, and it’s also our favorite for its up-stairs izakaya serving highballs and Japanese drinking snacks. Bantam King centers on all things chicken, whether poultry-centric soups (we’re addicted […]
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José Andrés has become a public champion for immigration, and the restaurateur/humanitarian also embraces it on the plate. China Chilcano adds a modern spin to the Chinese and Japanese influences on Peruvian cuisine while also reimagining the country’s native criollo cooking. Dim sum and ceviche are two of the best sections on the menu, particularly […]
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The party at this boisterous Cuban restaurant starts at the host stand, which doubles as a stage for live music almost every night. (We spotted chef/owner Raynold Mendizabal, who also runs Urban Butcher, helping out on the maracas.) The show continues at the table, where tropical cocktails, juicy beef empanadas, and tuna-and-jícama ceviche with ponzu […]
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DC’s first fancy Indian restaurant celebrated its 30th anniversary in December, and it has aged well. Ashok Bajaj’s dining room near the White House gives off a throwback vibe, thanks to its baby grand piano and white tablecloths. But don’t mistake old-school for tired. Lamb vindaloo delivers a punch, and sliced duck with apricot delights […]
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Two words: Parmesan “gelato.” Make sure it’s on your salumi platter here, along with speck, ciccioli (an earthy pork-belly terrine with hazelnut honey), and tigelle Modenese, an addictive griddled bread from Emilia-Romagna. Pastas go down just as easy, whether crimp-edged mafaldine carbonara with duck sausage, delicate lasagna, or truffled ricotta ravioli. It all comes together […]
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Foodies look askance at 19-page menus—can a place really do everything well? If you’re Rice Paper, the answer is “pretty much.” The Vietnamese mainstay in Eden Center ticks off the classics with aplomb, whether you crave crunchy rolls, heady noodle soups, enormous stuffed crepes, or vermicelli bún with marinated meats—all served with a garden’s worth […]
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This Southeast Asian restaurant has experienced its ups and downs—and chef shuffles—in recent years. Now the place finally feels on steady footing, thanks to Johanna Hellrigl, who in a prior life worked across Asia for a global organization empowering women. Hellrigl has expanded the menu’s Thai and Vietnamese scope—it now makes pit stops in Cambodia, […]
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Returning to this wood-smoke-scented Italian spot in Bloomingdale feels as comforting as greeting an old friend. Chef Michael Friedman isn’t shy about playing the hits: toasts heaped with smoked-trout rillettes or truffle-honeyed ricotta, the fennel-sausage rigatoni everyone talks about, and crunchy hazelnut-maple custard. Branching out isn’t a bad idea, especially in the carb categories. (If […]
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You’ll hear stews bubbling in their ceramic cauldrons before they even hit the table at this welcoming Yemeni restaurant. Try fahsa—shredded beef simmered with vegetables and topped with creamy fenugreek dip—accompanied by wheels of warm flatbread for mopping. The kitchen excels at such comforts—all fit for family-style feasting—whether tender chicken mandi with fragrant rice and […]
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Had enough of tweezer food? This 65-year-old Alsatian restaurant—a fixture on this list for 42 years—is the antidote. Here you’ll find guests toasting to anniversaries over some of the same dishes that late founder François Haeringer served in the early days: house-made pâtés, a sub-lime lobster with Sauternes, choucroute garni, ethereal soufflés. The knickknack-crammed French-cottage […]
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The menu at this Friendship Heights Japanese spot—crammed with toddlers, seniors, and everyone in between—is so sprawling it’s hard to know where to start. Take your cue from the place’s name and zero in on Piter Tjan’s nigiri, prettily plated crudos, and dressed-up maki. A yellowtail-and-avocado roll gets a kick from ponzu salsa, while the […]
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A line out the door signals the good things to come at these northern Chinese dim sum parlors. Patrons tick off items on paper menus—that no-carts system means everything is fresh and made to order. The regional style highlights starches such as pan-fried pork dumplings, flaky dan bing wraps stuffed with egg and scallions, and […]
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It might look like a bland hotel dining room, but Kwame Onwuachi’s Afro-Caribbean spot is one of the most happening destinations at the Wharf. Onwuachi is only 29, but his restaurant has matured and honed its vision immensely since it opened just over a year ago. There’s now sweet king crab folded into a curry […]
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Are we seriously telling you to make a special trip for a pizza bagel? Yes. Yes, we are. The version at this nouveau Jewish deli puts the microwaved stuff to shame, thanks to its sweet and chewy wood-fired bagel and bright red sauce, fresh mozzarella, and nickel-size pepperoni. (The owners are also behind Timber Pizza.) […]
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A color-saturated Shaw dining room is the backdrop for a young crowd that tends to dine late. They come for whimsical cocktails (some spiked with medicinal Chinese herbs), Hong Kong–style street food, and a party-that-never-stops vibe. Cheung fun, springy rice-noodle rolls filled with shrimp and flowering chives, are pop-in-the-mouth addictive. Fried rice poses a dilemma: […]
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This downtown Silver Spring spot is one of the area’s hippest steakhouses, thanks to creative cocktails, house-made charcuterie, and offbeat cuts such as bone-in lamb saddle. Here’s a place to rediscover the much-maligned beef tenderloin, salt-packed for 30 days, pan-roasted, basted with butter, and more delicious than any other we’ve had. The Flintstonian “meat mountain,” […]
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Pickled and preserved morsels are the thing at this spot where the menu happily veers around the globe. Think rich chicken-liver mousse with black-pepper jam, smoky grilled oysters laced with bacon fat and sprinkled with leek powder, catfish tempura cut with malt-vinegar-infused aïoli, and braised beef with kimchee fried rice and pickled daikon. Among the […]
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This gold-accented, mint-green dining room makes you feel as if you’ve stepped from Georgetown into an elegant Parisian parlor, while the herb-filled patio transports you straight to Provence. Chef Brendan L’Etoile serves up skillful renditions of French classics such as onion soup, steak frites, and trout grenboloise in a lemon-caper-and-butter sauce. He also has a […]
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The menu at this wainscoted Navy Yard dining room overlooking the Anacostia River relies heavily on easy-to-like New England classics—baked stuffed middlenecks gilded with Parmesan, buttery and mayo-dressed lobster rolls, and crunchy Ipswich clams—that the kitchen executes faithfully. That’s a good thing: Who wants a curve ball on the fried-seafood platter? But the menu’s B-side […]
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What’s good for an affordable date night? This svelte, candlelit Afghan bistro. Chef/matriarch Shamim Popal’s roots spread from Germany to Afghanistan to DC—fitting for the international crowd that cozies up to wooden tables for tender leek dumplings, stuffed flatbreads, and sumac-spiced meats. She defies preconceptions about her native cuisine—that it’s heavy and meaty—and offers several […]
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Think of Michael Landrum’s steakhouse as, well, the anti-steakhouse. You won’t find stuffy servers, $15 sides, or New York strips requiring a Skadden Arps salary. Instead, it’s possible to enjoy an unpretentious steak dinner for two and a bottle of wine for less than $100—with complimentary mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Ray’s favors less popular […]
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“Best burger in DC” is a contentious title, but let’s agree for now: Alex McCoy’s Adams Morgan patty place reigns supreme. There are a few cheffy touches—locally baked sesame-brioche buns, Creekstone Farm beef griddled with tallow for diner-style crunch—but that’s where fussiness ends. The mood is chill, the tallboys are cold, the music (and patrons) […]
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While new sister Maydan is garnering national accolades, don’t forget about restaurateur Rose Previte’s charismatic first spot. Globetrotting street eats matched with Bedouin-chic decor impart a sense of adventure, whether you’re trying a Zanzibari ginger-coconut-spinach stew with fresh flatbread or reminiscing about late NYC nights over a lamb-and-rice platter doused in white sauce. The wanderlust […]
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José Andrés’s first-ever restaurant—the original Jaleo in Penn Quarter—and its suburban siblings still feel lively 26 years in. Credit fanciful presentations (foosball-turned-dining tables, croquetas served in glass sneakers), stellar sangría, and wide-reaching menus that embrace picky eaters and food lovers alike (pan con tomate for one camp, Ibérico/sea-urchin toast for the other). Meanwhile, classics such […]
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Of all the region’s Korean barbecue restaurants, this lively K-town spot remains our favorite. It’s also one of the best places anywhere to gather a big group of friends affordably. The $23 all-you-can-eat deal is a great intro to the menu of tabletop-grilled meats, but it’s worth upgrading to a prime combo for the beef […]
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Crisp-skinned roast pig, dramatically carved using the edge of a plate, is a marquee dish here that lives up to the spectacle. Same for other showy platters, such as roast goat and roast rabbit. (The twice-cooked Navarro potatoes that come on the side are as compelling as the meats.) But you can also venture down […]
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You order from a counter and take a number at this all-day Egyptian restaurant, but it’s far from fast food. Freshly baked pita, still puffed with steam, is perfect for dipping in pomegranate-studded feta or baba ghanoush. It’s also an excellent vessel for bright-green falafel made with herbs and fava beans in-stead of chickpeas. At […]
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The Washington area boasts one of the country’s largest concentrations of Ethiopian restaurants. After sampling them widely, we most anticipate visits to this Silver Spring spot. The open kitchen produces a superb kitfo—beef tartare—warmed with purified herbed butter and chili powder. (Get the “special” version with ricotta-like house-made cheese and collard greens.) The juicy rib-eye […]
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A lot of restaurants adopt the “neighborhood bistro” moniker, but few embody it as well as this Adams Morgan wood-and-tile dining room. Often packed with regulars for brunch and dinner, it’s popular with early-bird families, date-nighting couples, and groups alike. Chef Matthew Cockrell nails the crowd-pleasing classics—trout amandine, wood-grilled steak frites, crème brûlée—though there are […]
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Chef Massimo Fabbri, a 17-year veteran of Penn Quarter’s high-end Tosca, has created the kind of Tuscan-chic neighborhood restaurant where people such as Michelle Obama flock to eat. Rustic plates nod to that region, including rosemary-strewn pork ribs or pappardelle tossed with rabbit ragu. Pasta portions are traditional (i.e., small)—all the better for creating a […]
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This mod cafe specializes in the mouth-numbing, vinegar-stoked snacks and noodle dishes of China’s Shanxi province. House-made cold-skin noodles tossed with peanuts, cilantro, cucumber, and chilies are wonderfully tangy, while a bowl of springy noodles strewn with potatoes and nubs of crisp-skinned pork may be our new favorite comfort food. Save room for the Shanxi […]
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Johnny Spero has cooked in avant-garde kitchens across the world, including DC’s Minibar. At his own place, which opened in Georgetown in the fall, the chef takes center stage in a kitchen plunked in the middle of the room. The menu lacks cohesion—what’s a burger doing next to tweezer-plated scallop crudo?—but the hits outnumber the […]
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Ikat pillows and modern Afghan paintings set the scene at these family-run restaurants, where familiar Afghan dishes are brighter and more complex than usual. We like to explore the menu by sharing platters. One dubbed hot mezze includes dumplings stuffed with savory beef and eggplant and fried turnovers with leeks and butternut squash. Another showcases […]
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What makes this strip-mall Thai restaurant stand out from the (formidable) competition? Songtham and Panida Pinyolaksana’s boundary-pushing “authentic Thai” menu (separate from the main document), which holds delicacies you won’t find many other places around town. Crunchy shrimp over tamarind; smoky Chinese broccoli with marinated pork; and banana-blossom salad, an electrically spicy, herb-filled special. That […]
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Stepping into this comfy Adams Morgan dining room feels like wandering into a swinging dinner party, and co-owner John Fulchino is the warmest of hosts. But the fuel that’s been keeping the place going for years comes courtesy of chef Ann Cashion. Her repertoire is woven with Mid-Atlantic and Southern influences—what tightens the knots is […]
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The best introduction to this Nepalese restaurant is through its momos. The dump-lings come with a choice of fillings, including buffalo and goat, but our repeat order is yak. From a farm in Pennsylvania (who knew?), the super-lean meat is ground and spiced, and the bundles are paired with cilantro-mint, spiced-tomato, and roasted-tomato sauces. Other […]
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Treasures are tucked away in the unlikeliest places on the sprawling menu at this Peruvian-Cuban storefront. Take the potage de frijoles, a $4.50 bowl of black beans studded with Spanish sausage, ham, and pork. Technically it’s a side, but it’s worthy of star billing. Another sleeper: monster de lechón, a satisfying sandwich of crisp-skinned roast […]
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We love the farm-to-pie approach at Petworth’s snug pizzeria, which brims with neighbors dining elbow to elbow most nights. Argentinean chef Daniela Moreira makes big, bright salads and creative “Neapolitanish” pies—thin but with a supple, sturdy crust—such as the Turu with salami, jalapeño, apples, and spicy jam. (That said, the wood-fired oven turns out an […]
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Executive Food Editor/Critic
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Food Editor
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Food Editor
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind DC’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
