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20 Best Restaurants in Washington, DC

By Adele Chapin

No matter what political party is in power, Washingtonians have to eat — and these days, the food scene in the nation's capital is buzzing. Over the past few decades, the city's dining options have gone from staid to starry, clocking restaurant opening after restaurant opening from both homegrown talent and celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck to Gordon Ramsey.

Steakhouses and power lunch spots are still plentiful if that's your thing, but you can also explore food halls, tasting menus, and cuisine from all around the world. It definitely helps if you have a lobbyist-level expense account, although cool affordable spots are out there too, and be mindful of new (and controversial) service fees. So in addition to seeing the National Mall, the Smithsonian museums, and the monuments, here's where to consider when you're planning your dining out itinerary in Washington, D.C.

Read our complete Washington, D.C. travel guide here .

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

The two-level Anju has a double life: Downstairs, it’s a Seoul-style pub scene with a bar and a few high top tables and stools for walk-in diners (there might be quite a few trying their luck at the host stand). Upstairs, the dining room almost feels like you’ve been dropped into a homey-yet-stylish Adams Morgan apartment. There’s exposed beams, plaster, and rafters, and the space is decorated with houseplants, floral wallpaper and artwork, portraits, and books. If you’re looking for classic Korean dishes like dolsot bibim bap with bulgogi, Anju has that covered on the “Mama Lee’s” section of the menu. Meanwhile, executive chef Angel Barreto has free-reign to play around with everything from 30-day kimchi to saengseon with battered branzino.. Desserts are prime examples of Anju’s creativity.

Del Mar Arrow

Del Mar, in The Wharf, is a riot of color and patterns, from the tiles and the plates to the staff’s custom uniforms—and the fish sculpture suspended from the ceiling. No expense was spared creating this gorgeous modern Mediterranean interior, and the view of the river is just as priceless. The paellas (made with Bomba rice) are breathtaking; though you’ll be tempted to fill your table with seafood from the raw bar or cooked dishes like Andalusian gambas al ajillo and charcoal-baked potatoes with aioli and brava sauce. Whatever you get, cap the meal with chocolate-hazelnut churros.

With dishes as eye-catching as heirloom tomato “fattoush" featuring apples, pears, preserved radish, and smoked feta; aged duck shish kabob; and hummus made with sea island white pea, spicy relish, smoky cabbages and whipped herb tahini, it’s definitely worth it to invest in the full “sofra” tasting experience at Albi. Chef/owner Michael Rafidi’s Navy Yard restaurant is the culmination of his Palestinian family roots, his childhood eating his grandparents’ home cooking, and his extensive restaurant resume. Albi means heart, and Rafidi’s heartfelt menu includes fun touches like labne soft serve. And if you’ve ever wondered what za’atar, Lebanese olive oil, and harissa would taste like in a martini, Albi is the place to find out.

Le Diplomate Arrow

At Le Diplomate, it’s as if someone picked up a Parisian bistro and dropped it in the middle of D.C.’s trendy 14th Street—shiny red booths, green subway tile, a show-stopping zinc bar, and all. Philly restaurateur Stephen Starr’s audacious French brasserie is still a hot ticket a decade in, particularly the l’Orangerie space and the charming sidewalk tables. Favorites here include bistro dishes like the seafood plateau, house cheeseburger, steak frites, pricey dover sole meunière (available on Thursdays), and trout amandine. Go for a rowdy group dinner—it’s already loud and bustling, and the tables have a way of making friends with their neighbors before the night’s over.

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Kyler Alvord

Tonari Arrow

Japan’s Italian craze lands in D.C. thanks to Daikaya Restaurant Group’s Tonari, which has been lauded as one of the first destinations on the East Coast to serve “Wafu Italian.” La dolce vita at Tonari translates to thick, almost fluffy slices of pizza made with flour from Japan and topped with brick cheese and the likes of barbecued eel and dill labne, or layers of corn sauce, chives, and Kewpie mayo and mentaiko (cod roe) cream. A daytime cafe menu offers coffee and breakfast and Japanese favorites with Italian flair like pesto ramen and garlic bread-flavored onigiri (rice balls). If you want a restaurant that will introduce you to dishes you’ve never tried before, this is the place.

The Dabney Arrow

Blagden Alley is a hugely buzzy dining destination, thanks in part to Chef Jeremiah Langhorne’s acclaimed The Dabney. Langhorne, who worked for Sean Brock at McCrady’s in Charleston, S.C., for five years, sources ingredients from the Chesapeake Bay and the Mid-Atlantic area, then cooks them over live fire on the hearth. The menu changes constantly, offering dishes like seasonal Shenandoah purple broccoli with grits, Appalachian cheese, and truffles or fried Chesapeake Bay sugar toads marinated in buttermilk and covered hot honey. It’s hard to resist the skillet cornbread, no matter the season.

Dauphine’s Arrow

Walking toward the host stand, there’s a feeling of awe that Long Shot Hospitality (the team behind popular seafood spot The Salt Line) managed to create such a no-details-spared tribute to the Big Easy in downtown. Chef Kristen Essig decamped from New Orleans to open Dauphine’s in 2021, bringing with her recipes like duck jambalaya with duck skin cracklins and a roast beef po' boy with collard green aioli. But you’ll want to order two things to start your meal: the bread basket laden with buttermilk biscuits, baguette, and sweet potato brioche and then the Oysters Dauphine, chargrilled and covered with spinach, horseradish, and a heaping of pecorino. If you’re up for a drink, you can't leave Dauphine’s without ordering a Hurricane.

Seven Reasons Arrow

The menu at Seven Reasons changes often to keep up with chef Enrique Limardo’s whirling imagination. The Venezuela-born chef made a big splash in Baltimore before decamping to 14th Street in 2019, and he recently moved the restaurant to a larger location downtown in the CityCenterDC development. Here, hamachi tiradito looks like a museum-worthy piece of artwork; chicken and guava mole with green rice and yogurt cream; and The Melting Cloud dessert encases lemon-coconut pie in a haze of cotton candy. Gather friends to try bites of the small, medium, and large plates, which feature riffs on classics like mini arepas, and ceviche.

Rasika Arrow

You can see Rasika’s window-side booths with curved canopies from outside the West End restaurant—snag one of those, and you’ve gotten the best seats in the house. No trip to Rasika would be complete without ordering the palak chaat, lighter-than-air, flash-fried spinach topped with yogurt sauce. James Beard Award-winning chef Vikram Sunderam also does a black cod entree that’s so popular it seems to fly out of the kitchen, as well as a number of dishes geared toward vegetarians. For dessert, save room for kulfi (a frozen milk dish a bit like ice cream). This longtime D.C. dining jewel is still one of the most exciting Indian restaurants in the country.

Centrolina Arrow

At Centrolina in CityCenterDC, The District’s poshest new mixed-use development, chef and owner Amy Brandwein changes her menu seasonally, but her terra cotta-clad wood oven is always in use. The pastas are her signature—from back-to-basics like ravioli and bolognese to elegant riffs like squid ink spaghetti tangled around soft shell crab—but entrees like wood-grilled fish or pork chops are also excellent. If you’re still in the neighborhood the next day swing by Brandwein’s cafe and coffee shop, Piccolina, across the street for espresso, pastries, pizza, paninis, and a 10-layer eggplant parmigiana.

Rooster & Owl Arrow

If your artsy, bookish next-door neighbor’s living room had a commercial kitchen in it, it would feel much like Rooster & Owl, which is housed on the ground-floor of a new building on 14th Street. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will feel catered to, thanks to a set menu that changes with the seasons; but every meal at Rooster & Owl begins with an order of delectable pineapple buns, inspired by chef Yuan Tang’s childhood in Hong Kong (no pineapples are present). The husband-and-wife team behind the restaurant designed the menu as a communal experience, with lots of sharing: four courses with four choices each. 

Maydan Arrow

A gigantic fire pit is the first thing you’ll spot at Maydan in the U Street area, and it’s fitting because so many items are cooked over this open flame. The menu mixes North African and Mediterranean flavors, and the cocktails and wines (similarly sourced) complement them well. Scoop up flatbread—still warm from the hearth—with condiments and dips like muhammara, a Syrian spread made with walnut, red pepper, and pomegranate molasses. Then dig into the mains—a whole chicken slathered in turmeric and coriander or a lamb shoulder—and sides, which include spiced halloumi and lemon-harissa carrots.

Bourbon Steak Arrow

Walk through the serene halls of the Four Seasons in Georgetown and make your way to Bourbon Steak, a Zen-like dining space with dark wood everywhere. Michael Mina does right by steak and potatoes, with prime cuts bathed in butter and finished on the wood-burning grill. Prices can approach the three-digit mark, though, so if you’re not feeling spendy but still want the Bourbon Steak experience, try the lounge, which is known for its decadent burgers.

Rose’s Luxury Arrow

Thanks to its neon-green sign and inevitable line, you’ll spot Rose's Luxury from across the street—although the perennially popular spot now takes reservations. Chef Aaron Silverman has made a huge impact on the D.C. food scene since the restaurant opened in Barracks Row in 2013; his lychee salad with pork sausage, habanero, and peanuts is officially one of the city’s cult classics. The menu manages to pack in creative dishes without taking itself too seriously; try the sun gold tomato bucatini and, of course, the baklava sundae for dessert.

Old Ebbitt Grill Arrow

Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington’s oldest saloon, has moved locations over the years, but it’s had a prime spot—right next door to the White House—for decades. The historic restaurant looks the part: It’s covered with wood paneling, antique chandeliers, leather banquettes, and D.C.-themed paintings. It’s an icon, and you feel it the second you walk in the door. The menu includes crowd-pleasers like sandwiches, burgers, crab cakes, and salads, but it’s really best known for its oysters. You can pick a dozen to share or go hog-wild with some of the raw bar’s more extravagant offerings, including the Orca Platter, with lobster, crab claws, clams, oysters, and shrimp. During daily happy hours, oysters are discounted and a sizable wine list offers plenty of seafood-friendly options.

Roaming Rooster Arrow

For a quick (and decadent) lunch or dinner, don’t miss D.C.’s spin on Nashville hot chicken. This black-owned business got its start as a food truck, and thanks in part to a viral tweet in 2019 that brought in crowds, the Roaming Rooster team now operates nine storefronts (and has a presence at Nats Park). The sandwiches here are massive, and Roaming Rooster sweats the details: All of the crunchy buttermilk fried chicken is grain-fed, antibiotic-free, free-range, and halal. Choose your spice level from mild to inferno-level extra hot, and then go for sandwiches topped with everything from buffalo sauce to ranch dressing and bacon.

Bar Spero Arrow

If you're the type of person who is intrigued by the idea of a pine mousse and huckleberry granita, Bar Spero is right up your alley. Chef Johnny Spero's new D.C. spot features his own cerebral take on cooking, this time guided by his experience with Basque cuisine, ingredients from the Mid-Atlantic, and the kitchen's hearth fire. The result is grilled oysters, the prettiest beef tartare out there, fancy toast on delightful homemade bread, sharable options like imported Spanish turbot, and a burnt Basque cheesecake. The chef isn't above a burger—the version here features gooey smoked cheddar and miso pickles. If you're looking for a meal that toes the line between esoteric and playful, this is it.

Love Makoto Arrow

A long red hallway in a shade inspired by Kyoto's famous gates winds through the different facets of Love Makoto, a new Japanese food hall in downtown D.C. that's home to three different sit-down outposts and a fast-casual counter too. Before celebrity chef Makoto Okuwa planted restaurants all across the country and the globe, he landed in the US for the first time for a job at D.C.'s Sushi Taro. Now he's created his own complex here devoted to Japanese cuisine, with the help of local business partners Chef David Deshaies and Eric Eden. It's a bit of a choose-your-own adventure for diners: splurge on omakase at Dear Sushi or bring in a rowdy group to grill steaks at Beloved Barbecue, or perch at Hiya Izakaya's bar for happy hour and grab dinner to go at Love on the Run.

The Red Hen Arrow

Not many decade-old restaurants are still booked up weeks in advance, which tells you something about how beloved The Red Hen is for Washingtonians. The red brick interior of this Italian-American restaurant with a wood-burning oven just exudes coziness—and that's before plates of pappardelle arrive at your table. If you don't have a res, there's still hope, because a good chunk of seats are saved for walk-ins. The rigatoni with sausage and fennel has been on the menu since the place opened, and its cult status bumped up another level when both President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden ordered it while out to dinner. That's a must, as is an order of crostini topped with lavish swirls of ricotta or labneh. It's hard to go wrong with this tight menu, featuring a handful of pastas (including colorful options like spaghetti verde and squid ink linguine) and entrees like caramelized scallops with parsnip crema or beef short ribs served over creamy polenta.

SHŌTŌ Arrow

A wall of softly illuminated, rare Japanese whiskeys serves as the entryway to SHŌTŌ, a no-expenses-spared izakaya in downtown D.C's gleaming new Midtown Center development. This offshoot of high-end global brand Zuma aims to bring a bit of Miami glitz to dinner in D.C.. The design is lavish, from the Japanese volcanic rock hanging from the ceiling to the very zen bathroom. For all the attention to the design and the scene, the food here is way more than an after-thought: it's legitimately delicious. Here, "tacos" feature made-in-house potato chips that sub in for a tortilla as a crunchy contrast to fillings like salmon with wasabi mayo, fried eggplant or yuzu-dressed tuna. You'll want to hop all over the pricey menu, which includes skewers cooked on a robata grill, sushi, and Wagyu steak. (There's an omakase menu, in case you can't handle making decisions.) The dessert platter loaded with fresh fruit and ice cream is a sight to behold.

Bronze Arrow

Striking artwork drives home the unusual inspiration behind H Street restaurant Bronze, which owner Keem Hughley imagined as an ode to the Afrofuturism movement. The sci-fi backstory behind the menu is a fictional traveler named Alonzo Bronze who trades spice all over the globe and settles in the Caribbean (which explains the wild mashup of ingredients in dishes like torched oysters accented with flying fish roe and scotch bonnet pepper sauce.) The three-level space designed by Black-owned architecture group Drummond Projects is divided into different themes as well, with the “Pre-Earth" bar downstairs, the "Earth" dining room upstairs, and a "Crane Room" on the top level for private events. It's become a landmark D.C. Black-owned business, per the Washington Post —and a labor of love for Hughley, who grew up in the neighborhood just two blocks away from the restaurant.

The Bazaar by José Andrés Arrow

Super chef José Andrés operates outposts of The Bazaar across the country, but his D.C. opening is truly a homecoming for the restaurateur. The restaurant itself is located in a truly grand setting—it takes up a corner of the Waldorf Astoria's soaring atrium lobby, housed in D.C's historic Old Post Office Building, and the decor is equally opulent with plenty of marble, velvet, and Salvador Dali-inspired floral fabrics. The menu here is a literal book, with pages and pages of shareable options divided into sections from traditional Spanish tapas to a jamon bar or only-in-D.C. Bazaar offerings like an "Eisenhower Stew" with braised beef cheeks or a Crab Louie-inspired bite-size cone. You'll want to try a few of the chef's dramatic, trompe l'oeil dishes, like a finger-food take on Caesar salad.

Any Day Now Arrow

Any Day Now bills itself as an all-day cafe, and the cozy couches and chairs near big picture windows indeed make this feel like a place you could hang out for hours (or work remotely for hours). The decor with pretty patterned wallpaper behind the bar almost feels like you're in the lobby of a fancy apartment that just happens to be serving jazzed-up comfort food. Chefs Tim Ma and Matt Sperber play around with the concept of dishes you might find in a New Jersey deli, throwing in plenty of Asian influences and flavors from across the globe as a curveball. Breakfast sandwiches assembled with crispy scallion pancakes, egg, cheese, chili crisp, and your choice of bacon, sausage, or kimchi are the most-hyped item—so much so that scallion pancake sandwiches make their way to the lunch menu as wrappers for a Big Mac-esque burger, pork with guava barbecue sauce, and a chicken club.

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With a D.C. restaurant industry bouncing back from a lengthy pandemic, going out to eat now comes with a semblance of normality. The Eater 38 offers a selection of defining culinary destinations that showcase the diversity of D.C. (and its many suburbs). Some of D.C.’s most cherished restaurants that weathered the pandemic through takeout are finally able to show off their best sit-down spreads and prix fixe menus in person. Restaurants on this map must be open for at least six months. For the most exciting new restaurants in town, check out the heatmap .

For the winter 2024 refresh, new additions to the 38 include: St. James , for modern Caribbean cuisine along 14th Street NW, Melina , for polished Greek dishes in a modern Maryland complex, Cinco Soles , for glistening ceviche in Columbia Heights, and Hedzole , for portable stewed oxtail and soups in Sixteenth Street Heights.

The following restaurants, while definitely still worth a trip, are leaving the 38: Hank’s Oyster Bar, Huncho House, and Doro Soul Food; Flora Flora recently stopped dinner service.

J. Hollinger's Waterman's Chophouse

Restaurateur Jerry Hollinger ( The Daily Dish and the Dish & Dram) delivered downtown Silver Spring an Art Deco-styled American chophouse and raw bar celebrating local farmers, watermen, and purveyors. A black truffle vinaigrette-dressed beet salad or shrimp-and-pork belly toast adorned with homemade kimchi are good ways to start, followed by Rohan duck confit, homemade spinach ricotta ravioli, halibut filet atop summer succotash, and luxe lineup of steaks like A6 wagyu strip loin. Augment dishes with underwater add-ons like butter-poached crab, lobster, jumbo shrimp, and fried oysters. The Sinatra-like space near the Fillmore also has a robust bar program starring New York Sours and fig-sage rye cocktails. Opt for a la carte or a summer tasting menu starting at $32 for two courses.

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Colin McClimans and Danilo Simic, the culinary duo behind Logan Circle’s super-seasonal mainstay Nina May , tacked on a Chevy Chase destination for fish, vegetables, and meats sourced from the American coastline. Opal puts a wood-fired oven to work to bake baller breads and roast all sorts of proteins. Menu highlights include chilled gazpacho amplified with Maryland crab; ricotta dumplings with brown butter, English peas, and fiddlehead ferns; mushroom risotto; bright salads bursting with peak produce; and pan-seared scallops studded with cannellini beans, bacon, and watercress. A circular bar sending out smoked Sazeracs anchors an 80-seat dining room surrounded in stone and exposed beams. Jay-Z made a surprise visit for brunch last summer.

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With Eater DC’s 2019 Chef of the Year Peter Prime no longer involved , his sister Jeanine Prime pushed the long-awaited culinary ode to their native Trinidad past the finish line in spring 2022. St. James, named after the bustling district in Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain, breathes life into brick-lined Quarter + Glory’ s former home. At 2,800 square feet, the remodeled space is almost three times larger than its Bib Gourmand-designated sibling Cane , which focuses on Caribbean street foods. Small and large-format dishes that pay homage to the melting pot port city include West Africa’s callaloo, a stew full of leafy greens, Trini-style Chinese steamed buns stuffed with spicy pork, and curry crab. A vast collection of imported rums lined along the soaring mirrored bar help build fragrant and floral cocktails like a hibiscus highball.

2Fifty Texas BBQ (Multiple locations)

For D.C. residents, sampling the most tantalizing brisket inside the Beltway requires a drive into Riverdale Park, Maryland. Fernando González and Debby Portillo, the couple that own and operate 2Fifty, pay homage to Central Texas by using oak smoke to develop a dark bark on fatty hunks of prime and American wagyu beef that jiggle on the chopping block. Beef ribs, pulled pork, sliced turkey, and St. Louis-style ribs are all available too. Daily specials like brisket tacos and barbecue pupusas give the kitchen a creative outlet. Sides like red kidney beans braised with brisket, caramelized pineapple, and coleslaw interspersed with raisins nod to the owners’ Salvadoran heritage . Diners can preorder for pickup Wednesday through Sunday with the option to dine there or take it to go. 2Fifty expanded into D.C. during the pandemic with a small stall inside Union Market and are about open a sit-down smokehouse in Mt. Vernon Triangle .

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Pennyroyal Station

Mount Rainier’s pandemic-era arrival for artsy American comfort foods has solidified its status as a neighborhood gem. Here Bar Pilar alum Jesse Miller sends out stellar Southern dishes like buttermilk-fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade, meaty gumbos, slow-roasted rabbit and biscuits, spreadable pots of chicken liver mousse, crabby deviled eggs with chile relish, collard greens cooked with ham, and family-style helpings of brisket or pork chop platters. A lively weekend brunch brings warm bowls of shrimp and grits to the table both indoors and out across its stylish patio. Delicate, vintage plateware is one of many callbacks to the era when the restaurant space was part bank, part sewing machine factory. 

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Considered the standard-bearer for Lao cuisine in D.C., Thip Khao comes from mother-and-son chefs Seng Luangrath and Boby Pradachith. Their Columbia Heights standby continues to satisfy heat-seekers with a menu full of fermented fish sauce, a heavy dose of chiles, offal, and cured meats. Hit orders include crispy tamarind-glazed wings, grilled pork shoulder with lemongrass, and a fiery Lao papaya salad. The restaurant is open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Monday with carryout , indoor dining, and outdoor service across a cozy tented patio (90-minute limit with a $20 deposit charged via Tock). The family’s Northern Virginia staple Padaek recently settled into a new Arlington home .

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As a surge of Greek restaurants continue to open in D.C.,  Cava  group’s contemporary ode to the idyllic Mediterranean country continues to impress Pike & Rose diners two years in .

Aris Tsekouras helms the kitchen after years cooking in upscale kitchens in Greece, bringing a passion for homemade breads and tangy cheeses. A year-round bounty of fresh vegetables are celebrated on the table, as seen in a gem-hued beet salad accompanied by yogurt, pickled blackberries, smoked walnuts, carob, and basil. Other lunch and dinner highlights include slow-roasted lamb neck kleftiko, cheese pie, grilled octopus, beef tartare, stone crab bucatini, and portobello mushroom souvlaki. Kick off weekend brunch with a crowd-pleasing mezze plate of smoked salmon, soft-boiled organic eggs, sourdough Koulouri bread, tarama cream, and smoked trout roe.

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At this Malaysian restaurant in Columbia Heights, chef James Wozniuk navigates a balance of pungent, spicy-sweet, and funky umami flavors that vary in intensity but never veer out of control. Wozniuk’s condiments — sambal made from bird’s eye chiles, palm sugar, tamarind, and fried anchovies; appetite-piquing pickled limes with prune and golden raisin; and peanut-based satay sauce — assert themselves in an array of rice and noodle dishes. The bar mixes complex tropical cocktails, like a blackstrap rum and pineapple Jungle Bird, that vie for attention. Order takeout or delivery online . Tables are available in a breezy dining room or on a patio. Wozniuk also runs Spicebird , a Southeast Asian takeout out of Makan featuring savory spice-rubbed roast chicken and sides. Head to underground sibling Thirsty Crow for a tasty bar bites menu .

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Perry's Restaurant

Perry’s has long been an under-the-radar reliable spot for sushi, and with Eater’s 2023 Chef of the Year Masako Morishita at the helm, the revitalized Adams Morgan restaurant is generating lots of attention for her flavorful Japanese creations. Standout starters included grilled broccoli rabe in a miso-garlic butter, a fiery Fuji apple salad with a kick from Korean gochujang, garlic edamame dumplings hidden under a snowy blanket of parmesan. The deep-fried shrimp katsu burger with togarashi tartar is also not to miss. The sleek, wood-framed restaurant with a strong sake collection continues to host one of D.C.’s best drag brunches on weekends. Morishita’s new Japanese breakfast service shows up on sporadic Saturdays.

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Owner/chef Candice Mensah’s roving West African venture Hedzole opened a permanent home in a small Northwest space that formerly housed Social Kitchen last year. A daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Mensah was born in D.C. and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. Hedzole debuted in 2019 and quickly amassed a loyal following at farmers markets in Northern Virginia and D.C. Longtime favorites that made their way to D.C. include her take on stewed oxtail over Ghanaian waakye and groundnut (peanut) soup, red red with fried plantains, and coconut or jollof rice. Customizable bowls offer lots of room for vegans, too. Hedzole can seat 12 inside and 20 across its patio, or go the delivery route.

Rooster & Owl

Four years in, fine-dining vet Yuan Tang continues to seamlessly unite global cuisines across four-course seasonal tasting menus at his Michelin-rated mainstay on 14th Street NW. Options right now include a tzatziki salad with honeydew and Calabrian chili; foie gras-filled banh mi with Nueske’s bacon; “cacio-e-elote” with charred corn and queso fresco; and goat cheesecake. For a splurge-worthy add-on to the $95-per-person meal, go for Royal Ossetra caviar with creative fix-ins, brown butter steamed buns, and Champagne ($135). Tang’s local restaurant group grew last spring with the arrival of family-friendly Ellie Bird in Falls Church .

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An intimate, 21-seat Japanese tasting room emerged last March in the treasured Palisades space occupied by omakase institution Sakedokoro Makoto up until 2018. Eight-course tasting menus from master chef Minoru Ogawa vary on any given night, depending on seasonality and what he can get his hands on, but the common thread throughout each meal is luxe wagyu beef imported from Japan. The reservation -only restaurant ($150 per person) is open for dinner service from Tuesdays through Sundays. Opt to augment courses with caviar and uni add-ons or sake pairings ($65). Kappo is the brainchild of Ogawa and co-owners Wilder and Adrian Williams, whose sushi menu at Shaw standby Zeppelin is designed by Ogawa.

Chef Ryan Ratino’s buzzy bistro on lower 14th Street NW whips up prix fixe dinners filled out by tuna crudo with Calabrian chile, wild fennel, makrut lime and foie gras gateau with pistachio, strawberry, celery, and anise. The ambitious chef, who’s among the youngest to ever earn a Michelin star, also incorporates a vintage French duck press gifted by gourmet supplier D’Artagnan into a theatrical tableside offering. A boundary-pushing bar program spearheaded by beverage director Will Patton is also not to miss. Chef’s tasting menus ($158) can be augmented with seasonal delicacies like luxe winter truffles. The fast-growing team behind two-Michelin-starred tasting room Jônt upstairs just opened a new restaurant in Fort Lauderdale and expands to LA this year .

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Situated between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan, Anju serves Korean bar food with a refined touch from the restaurant group behind casual hit Chiko. James Beard Award-nominated chef Angel Barreto leads a kitchen that plates up standouts ranging from pork and kimchi mandu (dumplings) and smoky gochujang-glazed fried chicken with white barbecue sauce to a seafood fried rice (bokum bap) and seared ribeye galbi boards. Weekend brunches bring on breakfast sandwiches and a grit bowl that riffs on juk.

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SURA Restaurant

This family-run underground lounge landed in Dupont in spring 2022 with a star cast of Thai talent behind the wheel. Former sushi chef Billy Thammasathiti brings the heat with quail egg wontons, fiery papaya salads, boneless duck laap, and spicy beef or pork skewers, plus experimental orders like Parmesan-dusted egg noodles with tom yum herbs, bacon, and roasted chili jam or bite-sized calamari dressed with garlicky salt. Andy Thammasathiti of Baltimore’s Mayuree Thai Tavern whips up passion fruit daiquiris and Sichuan baijiu cocktails behind a racy, red-lit bar fit for Bangkok. Billy’s aunt Satang Ruangsangwatana, of Fat Nomads  supper club fame, also contributes destination dishes like khao soi. The 50-seat lair swings open at 4 p.m.; reserve a seat or order takeout or delivery .

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At this hip  reboot  of Georgetown classic Cafe Bonaparte, chef Matt Conroy adopts a French appreciation for market produce to ensure that every ingredient shines on the plate. Parisian gnocchi and grilled octopus are among the seasonally rotating, “neo-bistro” dishes available in its casual and cozy dining room. Reservations for a chef’s table tasting menu ($95 per person) — now available restaurant-wide — include four courses and optional sommelier-picked wine ($65) or “sans alcohol” ($45) pairings.

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Oyster Oyster

Chef Rob Rubba puts vegetables on a pedestal, so Oyster Oyster’s presence in Shaw is somewhat ideal for diners who don’t eat meat but still want to enjoy an avant-garde tasting menu with a Michelin star. Crowned best chef in America at the James Beard Awards in June, Rubba first attracted D.C. critics’ attention as the former chef at Hazel and partnered with Estadio owner Max Kuller on this venture — which prioritizes sustainability with a dedication to sourcing from hyperlocal farms and mills. Think: a bird’s nest of fried celery root wrapped around a morsel of smoked tofu and shiitake chip cookie for dessert. A $70 selected wine pairing goes with a $105 meal. Reservations are available here .

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This beloved Brooklyn import smashes the city’s stuffy steakhouse conventions with a menu at this Union Market tavern that gives vegetables equal billing. Butter-packed biscuits with pimento cheese have become the stuff of legend, and a salmon collar practically melting under a butter-lemon bath has drawn a cult following over the past five years. Ax-handle ribeyes and pork chops are priced by the ounce for communal feasts. Like sibling spot Le Diplomate, St. Anselm built nifty dining nooks on the street during the pandemic that are here to stay. Stephen Starr’s blockbuster NYC bistro Pastis is slated to join St. Anselm in the budding industrial complex soon.

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Causa/ Amazonia

Causa named for Peru’s iconic national dish, sailed into Blagden Alley in August 2022 with an ambitious, prix-fixe format that aims to capture the bounty of the South American country in one sitting. The anticipated fine-dining venture with a newly crowned Michelin star joins Amazonia, its color-soaked, more casual counterpart with lots of skewers. At Causa, six-course menus ($125) send diners on a seafaring voyage along the Peruvian coastline and into the Andes Mountains. The intimate space with just 22 seats lends itself to an immersive, personalized experience led by Peruvian-born chef and co-owner Carlos Delgado.

Cinco Soles

Salvadoran chef-owner Mauricio Arias turned his former Columbia Heights Italian eatery Ossobuco into a color-soaked destination for vibrant ceviches, al pastor tacos, mahi mahi tostadas, churros, bright salads, and spicy margaritas last spring . Maiz 64 alum Cristian Saucedo helped Arias execute the Mexican cuisine pivot, which includes making tortillas with imported corn flour from Mexico. A bar splashed with “Soup of the Day: Tequila” neon signage sends out creative cocktails like a “Naked in Tulum” with Aperol, mezcal, and passion fruit. Arias is also behind Rinconcito Café and Tortino in Shaw.

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L'Avant-Garde

The team behind Georgetown’s acclaimed cocktail bar L’Annexe added a sophisticated, 100-seat brasserie next door last December that pays homage to Parisian nightlife with foie gras beignets, green asparagus with yellowtail tartar, classic French roast chicken with frites, ultra-rich black truffle risotto, a parade of bubbly Bellinis, and Old Fashioneds built with duck fat-washed rye. Opulent finales include a “Grand-Cru chocolate” millefeuille with pistachio cream and chilled soufflé. Renowned French chef Gilles Epié — the youngest chef to receive a Michelin star at age 22 (in 1980 at Le Pavillon des Princes) — was most recently at the helm of the five-star Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu, Hawaii, and the former Montage Beverly Hills before that. His star-studded Rolodex of guests have included former French and U.S. presidents, Princess Diana, and Robert De Niro.

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Venezuelan chef Enrique Limardo’s follow-up to scene-y, tropically appointed  Seven Reasons brings the West End a new fine dining venue for Mediterranean-Latin fusion full of surreal plating and modernist technique. Sturdy staples like a moussaka cigar — with crispy phyllo dough, smoked eggplant, ground lamb, and goat-manchego cream — and fried Spanish octopus with Amazonian chimichurri anchor the rotating dinner menu. Go a la carte or choose the omakase tasting experience at the chef’s counter (currently 16 to 22 bites) that has a Michelin star. A soaring white bar lined with soft cranberry stools sends out sharply conceived cocktails with Mediterranean ingredients like Greek olives, truffle honey, and limoncello. The team expanded its West End portfolio last spring with the opening of Spanish-themed TheSaga in the Ritz-Carlton.

Grazie Nonna

Partners Gerald Addison and Casey Patten (Grazie Grazie) brought hand-tossed pies and nostalgic Italian fare to Midtown Center last fall . The red-sauced tribute to Patten’s nonna and her many Sunday suppers centers around pizzas, antipasti dishes like calamari, burrata, and arancini balls, and hearty bowls of pasta. A dreamy bar lined with family photos sends out Italian wines, elderflower spritzes, and Negronis three ways. The restaurant seats about 80, in addition to an outdoor bar geared towards downtown’s 9-to-5 happy hour set. A glam lounge called Grazie Mille just arrived next door.

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At this roomy Thai restaurant in Mt. Vernon Triangle, chef Jeeraporn Poksupthon has a kitchen worthy of her skill and ambition. Poksupthon led large catering kitchens in Thailand before she helped usher a wave of chile-fueled Northern and Northeastern cooking into D.C. at now-closed Baan Thai in Logan Circle. At Baan Siam, she’s playing the hits — creamy, crunchy, and complex khao soi; tapioca skin dumplings with ground chicken, peanuts, and sweet fermented radish; and all sorts of spicy-sweet salads — while exploring sour-leaning dishes from her home country’s interior and ultra-hot curries from the South. Order for pickup or in-house delivery here , or reserve a table for indoor or outdoor dining here .

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After a long pandemic pause, CityCenterDC’s polished seafood showpiece made a triumphant 2022 comeback with a menu full of remixed Chesapeake classics like fluke-flanked ceviche and smoked rockfish dip served in shells. The Conrad hotel’s glassy, 3-year-old restaurant , originally headlined by celebrity chef brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, reemerged with No Goodbyes alums Ria Montes and Sean Tew at the helm. Estuary 2.0 casts a wider menu net across the largest estuary in the nation, the Chesapeake Bay, with Maryland crab hush puppies dressed with yuzu aioli, steamed Virginia clams with furikake butter, white peppercorn tagliatelle, seasonal sorbets, and sourcing from local growers like Moon Valley Farm. Hungry tables should consider its expertly-fried whole fish and Roseda Farm bone-in rib-eye.

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Piccolina da Centrolina

A wood-burning oven imported from France is the workhorse inside Amy Brandwein’s Italian cafe in CityCenter, an everyday alternative to Centrolina, her dressier osteria across the street. Last summer, the five-time James Beard Award finalist added twice as many seats, seasonal spritzes, and more wood-fired capabilities to roast all kinds of vegetables, seafoods, and meats like ribs and pork and lamb sausages. A daily pastry program produces quiche and phenomenal focaccia , and the 10-layer eggplant Parmesan remains a best-selling showstopper. Eating light is painless, too, from charred Napa cabbage to a carrot-and-bulgur wheat bowl with cauliflower, raisin, and pistachio. Order takeout online or get delivery via Caviar from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

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This inventive restaurant for H Street NE aims to reimagine the history of the African diaspora through the lens of a fictional character named Alonzo Bronze. Owner Keem Hughley, a hospitality vet and native Washingtonian, plants the project inside the former three-story home of Smith Commons. A 26-foot bar on the first floor offers a large cocktail menu with spirits from all over the world. Bronze’s opening dream team includes wine consultant Nadine Brown; Barmini alum and Hanumanh mixologist Al Thompson; and Brooklyn native and acclaimed Afro-Caribbean chef Toya Henry. Highlights include braised oxtail with pappardelle; coconut basmati and bamboo rice; kanpachi crudo; charred yuzu squid skewers; and a guava cheese doughnut. Hughley has ties to nearby Maketto , D.C. chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s hip hotspot for Taiwanese fried chicken, dim sum, and crystal shrimp dumplings.

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Dante Datta and Suresh Sundas, a respective drink expert and chef who met while working together at Rasika West End, reunited under one roof with an anticipated Indian restaurant and cocktail bar at a corner just south of H Street NE. At Daru, which landed on New York Times’ s coveted top 50 restaurants list, Sundas likes to combine Northern and Southern Indian cooking styles with some unorthodox touches. That includes za’atar olive naan, chicken tikka tacos, chimichurri chutneys, or grilled chicken reshmi kebabs with a hint of blue cheese. Datta and bar manager Tom Martinez, both alums of now-closed Columbia Room, collaborate on inventive riffs on classics. Book a seat online for service after 5 p.m. or order takeout and delivery for both lunch and dinner.

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Michelin-starred chef Johnny Spero ( Reverie ) brought a slice of Spain’s buzzy Basque country to D.C.’s Capitol Crossing complex last fall with the splashy debut of seafood-heavy Bar Spero. The well-traveled chef makes good use of a fire-fed grill to prepare everything from elegant Spanish turbot to meaty pork from the Shenandoah Valley. The raw bar is stocked with whatever Spero can get his hands on—including Nantucket scallops, oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, or lobster—and doesn’t limit itself to marine life (see: a beautiful beef tartare). Compliment the entire meal with sesame sourdough from Maryland’s buzzy new bakery Manifest. A neon-lit bar serving cocktails, wines, and regional beers on tap joins a soaring, blue-toned dining room filled with wooden four-tops and built-in booths. Reserve a table online . After suffering fire damage, Georgetown’s dearly missed Reverie makes a triumphant comeback in February.

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Chef David Deshaies ( Unconventional Diner ,  Central ) and business partner Eric Eden unveiled their soaring, “glam Italian” restaurant in the shiny new Capitol Crossing development in fall 2022. The flashy showstopper, framed with shimmering Missoni drapes and abstract art, has amassed a fast following for pizzas crisped to perfection in a gold-plated oven, a 40-layer lasagna that begs to be photographed, and Florentine steaks fired up on an imported grill from Spain’s Costa Brava region. Other highlights include generous orbs of saffron-accented arancini, grilled cabbage adorned with creamy beurre blanc and glistening trout roe, mini shots of duck ravioli served in claw-footed vessels, and polished cocktails from D.C. bar vet Micah Wilder. Starting at 5 p.m., fight for a spot at its scene-y bar to order a spot-on Negroni and decadent espresso martini. Reserve a seat in the dining room or order takeout and delivery. The team doubled down on Capitol Crossing last spring with the opening of multi-part Japanese stunner Love, Makoto .

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Daikaya 1F + Daikaya, The Izakaya 2F

This is the flagship restaurant for Daikaya Group, D.C.’s foremost experts in ramen. The ground floor houses a first-come, first-served ramen shop that imports bouncy noodles from Sapporo. On the second level, its experimental izakaya gives chef Katsuya Fukushima a platform to present playful dishes like a new wagyu beef tartare with rice crackers and kimchi, a classic fried eggplant and miso rice ball, or a beloved mentaiko (spicy cod roe) burrata with orange zest and grilled toast. During the pandemic, the company put considerable thought into  takeout and delivery, which remains an option. Customers can order par-cooked noodles for a quick nuke in the microwave, or uncooked if they want to boil their own. The entire Daikaya Group portfolio, which tastes and looks more polished than ever these days, includes Tonari (Cafe) next door, Bantam King nearby, and Haikan in Shaw.

Rasika (Multiple locations)

James Beard Award-winning chef Vikram Sunderam plays liberally with spicy chiles and sour fruits to make Rasika one of the most celebrated Indian restaurants in the country. His palak chaat—a fried baby spinach dish decorated with sweet yogurt, tamarind, and date chutney—has inspired imitators around town. Dal makhani is slowly simmered in a decadent, buttery gravy. Both the Penn Quarter flagship and its West End sibling are ideal venues for vegetarian diners, too.

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The Bazaar by José Andrés

Superstar chef and global humanitarian José Andrés fulfilled his decades-long dream of opening a restaurant inside downtown’s historic Old Post Office Pavilion last February . His Beverly Hill-born Bazaar checked into the newly minted Waldorf Astoria with a parade of avant-garde delights like “Jose” tacos topped with ibérico ham, gold leaf, and caviar; tortilla de papatas “new way” topped with potato foam; Chinese steamed bun with pork belly; and bite-sized “cotton candy foie gras” made famous in LA. Chesapeake Bay delicacies also show up in an artsy array of a la carte snacks and tapas. The two-level stunner puts a glossy Jamón carving station on full display upon entry alongside dry-aged smoked fish and poultry.

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SER Restaurant

Open since 2014, Spanish stalwart Ser continues to shine in its evolving Ballston neighborhood. It’s hard to go wrong with any of the 12-plus tapas on the list, but the tomato bread, gambas al ajillo, croquetas, and deep-fried eggplant are not to miss. Seafood, meat, or vegetable paella for two is another excellent choice, and for a dash of drama at the table, go big with a whole roast suckling pig. Other standouts include crab-topped lobster from the raw bar, gorgeous seasonal salads, and gazpacho when summer calls. Its Spanish co-owner Javier Candon infuses his own spirits, as seen in Ser’s superior gin and tonic. Joselito is its sister spot in Capitol Hill.

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Caruso's Grocery

Matt Adler’s decidedly unmodern tribute to classic red sauce joints takes diners on a well-worn path that carefully steers clear of the contrived. Dishes heavy on nostalgia, quality ingredients, and technique are served in a red banquette-lined, vintage photo-laden dining room that buzzes with hospitality and delight. Tender chicken parm with a light breading gets tucked under a zingy marina, hunky garlic bread arrives with a bowl of four-cheese sauce for dipping, and shrimp scampi gets splashed with house-made limoncello. Drinks, like a Manhattan with an amaretto rinse and antipasti dirty martini, receive equally attentive treatment. Keeping with theme, the menu is surprisingly affordable. Adler also runs a second location in Maryland’s Pike & Rose complex.

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Albi chef Michael Rafidi manipulates smoke with a master’s touch, sending out dishes from the wood-burning hearth at his high-end Levantine restaurant that have a way of commanding a diner’s full attention. The Maryland native’s Middle Eastern menu tweaks dishes to incorporate peak produce — see the coal-fired mushroom hummus for spring — but the snack-sized lamb kefta kebabs speared on cinnamon sticks should never go out of style. Cocktails, desserts, and a lengthy wine list full of hard-to-find Eastern Mediterranean labels all rise to the occasion. An a la carte menu joins a newer multi-course option featuring lamb meat pie and swordfish dolma, pita with spreads, and larger plates like chermoula black bass. The feast is $125 for food; beverage pairings are priced at $75 or $125. A chic cocktail-and-dessert lounge called Saha just arrived next door . For something more affordable, head to next-door sibling bakery and cafe, Yellow, which expanded to Georgetown with fiery pies at night .

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The “home-style” Chinese restaurant in Peter Chang’s portfolio pays tribute to the women that influenced the legendary former embassy chef, with fiery dishes that call back his childhood in the Hubei province of central China and his home life in Virginia. Chang, a master of numbing spice, has woven Sichuan and Hunan techniques into a menu of vegetable-heavy plates, dim sum, and family-style orders. There’s dine-in seating across its plant-filled, zen dining room  in Fairfax. Order takeout here or get delivery via Uber Eats . The famed Chinese chef planted roots in Dupont Circle with the opening of Chang Chang , his first-ever D.C. restaurant with a recently supersized menu . A shiny new Peter Chang arrived in McLean last fall.

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Brothers Bistro

The D.C. area, particularly Northern Virginia, has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to excellent Vietnamese fare. One of the newer contenders on the scene, Brothers Bistro, can be found within an unassuming, if stylish space, within a bustling shopping center in Springfield. Shiny lacquered quail gets additional bite from lime and pepper; Bun dac viet finds excellent spring rolls, sweet charred pork, and plump shrimp nestled atop herbs and rice noodles. You’ll find some items less common on other area menus, whether it be a selection of hot pot dishes or overflowing rice bowls packed with everything from Chinese sausage to fried egg. Classic dishes like crab fried rice are formidable; this isn’t the area’s best pho, but those who go the soup route will still be treated to a particularly meaty bowl, glistening with fat. Wash it all down with a stellar version of Vietnamese iced coffee. — Missy Frederick

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The 39 best restaurants in Washington, D.C. right now

Looking to fuel up in the U.S. capital? These are the best restaurants in Washington, D.C. right now, from French to Filipino

Very important things get done in our nation's capital, but nothing can happen without fuel and sustenance. That isn’t opinion, that is a fact, and the best restaurants in Washington, D.C. have been holding up their end of the bargain for years. Whether you are after a fine-dining extravaganza or something quick and easy that can be devoured on the move, you’ll find it in the busy metropolis. Washington, D.C. is one of the most diverse cities in the United States, and that is mirrored in its culinary scene. Everything from Filipino to French is available here, with new tastes and cuisines around every corner. After a day of exploring the best museums and attractions (or banging out a peace treaty with ol’ POTUS), make a beeline for these magnificent eats.

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Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.

1.  rose's luxury.

• Capitol Hill

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Local chef Aaron Silverman’s two-story Barrack’s Row joint is worth every bit of buzz it gets. The menu is Southern meets Jewish meets Japanese meets French meets Thai meets your grandmother’s home cooking (the restaurant is named after Silverman's paternal grandmother), and changes often. The days of Rose's not taking reservations are over, but not a drop of charm has been lost.  

2.  Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben’s Chili Bowl, which opened in 1958, looks like a relic on the yuppified stretch of U Street once known as Black Broadway. But this 100-percent wind-powered business has kept up with the times. The family-owned institution’s appeal rests on three legs: nostalgia (past customers include Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Barack Obama), the insatiable late-night hunger of young partiers, and, of course, the great bang for the buck afforded by burgers, fries, and chili. In-the-know customers order chili on a dog or half-smoke (arguably Washington’s signature specialty) and cheese fries, but you can also get a turkey sub or a veggie burger.

3.  Equinox

Husband-and-wife team Todd Gray and Ellen Kassof's Equinox exemplify how plant-based dishes can thrill. The menu isn't entirely vegan, as it's divvied into market and plant-based selections, but it's easy enough to ignore the meat or fish and select veggie-only options. Well, 'easy' is a relative term, as everything on the menu is delicious. Visit the premise on Sundays to enjoy the famous vegan buffet brunch. 

4.  Comet Ping Pong

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A little off the beaten path for downtown visitors, Comet’s blistery thin-crust pizzas and warehouse chic vibe are worth the trip to upper Connecticut Avenue. A rousing game of table tennis is also a draw—the restaurant’s back room is home to several tables. A kid-heavy crowd early in the evenings gives way to hipsters, artists, and musicians (your server is probably at least one of those) as the night progresses. They all come for the wood-fired pizzas, undoubtedly some of the best in the capital.

5.  Ethiopic

Slightly off the main drag at the Union Station end of H Street, Ethiopic is probably D.C.’s best Ethiopian restaurant. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike can find something they enjoy here, from lamb and lentils to baklava. The decor blends traditional elements of Ethiopian culture, like Ge’ez’s scripts, with more contemporary designs. 

6.  Jimmy T's

Walking into Jimmy T’s is like walking into a living room straight out of the 1970s. That’s because not much has changed since the diner opened in 1969. This true greasy spoon is a Capitol Hill favorite that serves up the basics, just like mom used to make. The prices can’t be beaten, and it’s a small joint, so politicians and regular folks rub elbows over breakfast and lunch.

7.  Shouk

Ran Nussbacher opened Shouk in early 2021, and the 100-percent plant-based Middle Eastern-inspired menu is anchored by a variety of delectable pitas. Choose from over half a dozen different pita combinations—we like roasted cauliflower, tomato, scallion, tahini, and jalapeno oil—or opt to turn any pita into a rice and lentil bowl or salad instead. 

8.  Busboys & Poets

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Busboys & Poets is an exciting space in and of itself. Located at the corner of 14th and U Streets NW, it was established in 2005 by Andy Shallal, an Iraqi-American artist, restaurateur, and activist, in an area with a history of 1960s Civil Rights activism. With communal tables, sofas, and cushy chairs, Busboys is the ultimate urban living room, where people meet for coffee or drinks or a snack between meals. Open-mic poetry readings, live music, and book discussions are also on the menu.

9.  Le Diplomate

• Logan Circle

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From the globe lights overhead and the wood floors underfoot to the woven bistro chairs and the curieux that adorn the walls—almost everything you can touch or see or even hear in restaurateur-impresario this brasserie is literally imported from France itself. Note that your inner Francophile may have to wait one month for a weekend reservation. In the meantime, hit up Le Diplomate’s brunch, when seats are less in demand, but the food is just as good. C’est bon!

10.  Fiola

• Penn Quarter

When chef Fabio Trabocchi opened Fiola in 2011, he quickly established the trattoria as the place to go in Washington for exquisite, sumptuous Italian. This Michelin star marvel is a grand celebration of beauty and brilliance, where every dish is almost as photogenic as it is delicious. This is food, after all...

11.  Fiola Mare

This pearl of the Georgetown waterfront comes from Fabio Trabocchi, the same deft chef behind Fiola. It’s hard to focus on your meal with welcome distractions like docking boats or glistening chandeliers in the opulent dining room (maritime kitsch need not apply). For the full rigmarole, order a seafood tower that puts Pisa to shame. The stack is brimming with cooked and raw shellfish, bivalves, and more, served chilled atop crushed ice. This is definitely the place for a special occasion—with a price tag to match.

12.  Marcel's

• Foggy Bottom

Marcel’s is the kind of restaurant you’d expect to find on Pennsylvania Avenue: exquisite food, beautifully served in a sumptuous dining room by adept professionals. Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s Flemish-inflected French fare manages the classical balance of taste and textures: subtle versus sharp-flavored, savory versus sweet, generous versus leaving you wanting more. The servers get extra points for friendliness: even if you’re not one of the place’s traditional, old-money clients, they’ll still treat you as if you were.

13.  Izakaya Seki

• U Street Corridor

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Izakaya Seki is tucked into an unassuming and narrow two-floor row house. Choose to eat upstairs in the dining room or downstairs at the chef’s bar, as either choice is equally no-frills; coat hooks are just about the only décor. Once seated, you’ll be hard-pressed not to salivate, either over plates arriving at neighboring tables or by what the robata cooks behind the bar are turning over a low flame. The chef’s rotating sashimi selection is explosively rich (note: the wasabi here is fresh), and the seasonal miso soup is not to be missed. The handwritten specials menu offers an extra layer of character to this brilliant spot.

14.  The Dabney

• Contemporary American

Chef Jeremiah Langhorne (formerly the chef de cuisine at the much-lauded McCrady’s in Charleston) takes a near-obsessive approach to local sourcing at his mid-Atlantic restaurant in Blagden Alley. His dishes come steeped in history and are made primarily using produce grown (and foraged) nearby, including the rooftop garden. The interior feels almost barn-ish—albeit chicer—with dark wood floors, tables, and rafted ceilings. The open kitchen is anchored by a wood-burning oven that churns out new dishes daily.

15.  barmini

• Cocktail bars

The sister joint to Jose Andres's minibar, barmini offers a robust lineup of 100 cocktails on its menu at any time. Roughly half of that space is allocated to classics, with the other half showcasing original concoctions by the bartending team. The funky, modern, and bright environs perfectly complement the fun and creative vibe, where anything from vapor clouds to liquid nitrogen, from leather bota bag aging to sous-vide cooking and color-changing cocktails are put to use for your entertainment.

16.  Sushi Taro

• Dupont Circle

Sushi Taro is an upmarket Kaiseki-style traditional Japanese restaurant, under brother owners Nobu and Jin Yamazaki. In a kaiseki-style meal, diners don’t order off a menu. Instead, the chef presents a succession of complementary dishes. The Suppon Kaiseki Tasting menu is fantastic, and there is also an excellent saké selection.

17.  Rasika

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With two locations in the city, Rasika brings the delicacy of upmarket Indian cooking to Washington. One of restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s empire, which also includes Bombay Club, Annabelle, and La Bise, the Penn Quarter Rasika is under the creative eye of Vikram Sunderam, who ran the kitchen at London’s Bombay Brasserie for 14 years. The menu covers much ground, with ample choices for vegetarians and carnivores. 

18.  Daikaya

• price 2 of 4

Thank goodness chef Katsuya Fukushima was never told to stop playing with his food. (Or if he was, thank goodness he didn’t listen.) The former culinary director at Jose Andres’s ThinkFoodGroup has so many good ideas he opened two restaurant concepts under one roof. Downstairs: a Sapporo-style ramen shop set to a soundtrack of ’90s music and satisfied slurps. Upstairs: a fast-paced izakaya with clever small plates and inventive cocktails.

19.  The Red Hen

Cozy doesn’t begin to describe this rustic corner bistro in Bloomingdale. The Red Hen is essentially one huge hearth, thanks to the wide-open kitchen’s Argentine-style grill, which runs on 100 percent Virginia oak. Most of the Italian-leaning dishes make a pit stop in the fire before hitting your plate, but best of all is chef Michael Friedman’s handmade rigatoni with sausage ragu; it will have you throwing all your carb cares to the wind.

20.  Pearl Dive

Pearl Dive has a menu that really struts its Gulf Coast roots. Owners Jeff and Barbara Black hail from the South and were some of the first restaurateurs to tap into Washington’s bivalve addiction. Pearl Dive offers a variety of both East and West Coast oysters, all of which come expertly shucked (read: you won’t mistakenly find any shell fragments in your mouth) and served with a cilantro-jalapeño “dive sauce.” For a real treat, ask for a list of the premium oysters available. 

21.  2 Amys

• Cleveland Park

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Though you’re likely to eat your face off at 2 Amys, consider grabbing a snack beforehand: The secret is out on this Cleveland Park restaurant, and wait times can stretch over an hour. But the Neapolitan pies, which meet Italy’s precise Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) standards, are worth it. 2 Amys tends to draw a family crowd, so anticipate a seat next to a marinara-flinging toddler. Embrace it.

22.  Bombay Club

• Farragut Square

Bombay Club evokes not the multihued Mumbai of today but India in the time of the Raj when English colonizers would sit in restrained, masculine dining rooms and, presumably, cherry-pick the best of the subcontinent’s cuisine. Decorous waiters in penguin suits warn against the supposed heat of a non-threatening lamb vindaloo. Thali platters, tandoori meats, and Goan curries are also available, and the menu offers discreet explanations of the various regional styles.

23.  Etto

Etto is a 14th Street darling, where small plates are shared amongst friends is the name of the game. This is a very good thing, as you’ll be hard-pressed to choose just one of the displayed antipasti you’ll spot on the way to one of the restaurant’s 42 seats. The entire space radiates warmth (from the oak-fueled fire in the corner) and aromas of freshly milled flour (from the hand-crank grain mill at the back of the restaurant). 

24.  Convivial

An American-French restaurant at City Market, Convivial has a French accent that makes dishes hard to pronounce, but they are an absolute delight to devour. After all, you are here to eat, not talk, right? Reservations are a must, and the Happy Hour offer is great for anyone looking to save a dollar or two.

25.  Sushi Capitol

Unless you score a reservation at this Capitol Hill sushi restaurant, there’s a slim chance you’ll find yourself eating dinner here. Not only is the restaurant teeny, but the secret is out about its incredibly fresh fish and masterfully prepared rolls at bargain prices. Our advice; ask your waiter to pick your dishes rather than opting for the omakase (chef’s menu). They can tell you exactly what they got in that day and what’s worth trying. Also, we’d recommend waiting for a seat at the bar where you can watch your food being prepared instead of sitting at a table.

26.  Compass Rose

Inspired by her extensive travels with her husband (an NPR reporter), Rose Previte opened this neighborhood spot to bring global flavors to curious DC diners. The menu reflects the stamps on her passport, taking cues from international street foods. Since day one, the breakout star has been the khachapuri (a popular dish in the country of Georgia), essentially a canoe-shaped piece of bread filled with melted cheese, butter, and egg. The space resembles a garden patio, where patrons are encouraged to linger over destination-driven cocktails like the Sabbath Lily.

27.  Toki Underground

• H Street Corridor

Hip twentysomethings squeeze into this tiny spot to slurp big bowls of ramen in rich, house-made broth. The dumplings are great, too—we especially like the grilled pork ones—and there is great saké available. The space is decorated with graffiti, skateboards, and comic books, and for dessert, you can dunk warm chocolate chip cookies in a glass of milk. What’s not to like?

28.  Chaia

• price 1 of 4

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What started as a humble farmers' market stand in 2013 has since blossomed into a wildly popular taco empire. Founded by Suzanne Simon and Bettina Stern, this vegetarian taco restaurant in Georgetown includes the same beloved tacos served on hand-pressed tortillas. The range of tacos is fantastic, with everything from braised mushrooms to scrambled egg and black bean available.

29.  Bourbon Steak

If you’re looking for a decadent splurge and a high probability of a celebrity sighting, head to this modern restaurant from California chef Michael Mina inside Georgetown’s Four Seasons hotel, where steaks are poached in butter and movie stars and power players rub shoulders. The fries are crisped in duck fat and are very, very addictive. The swank bar is a regular hangout for VIP guests and, true to its name, offers a vast selection of rare bourbons and Scotches.

30.  Central Michel Richard

You can see why Michel Richard’s effusive Pennsylvania Avenue brasserie wins rave reviews. The playful menu fuses American and French classics with Richard’s signature whimsy, including "faux" gras (made from chicken liver, not foie gras), a stunning shrimp burger, a spin on fried chicken, and a monstrous banana split sure to attract any nearby spoon.

31.  Obelisk

The menu changes constantly at Peter Pastan’s prix-fixe-only, reservations-required townhouse, depending on what’s fresh and what catches the chef’s fancy. But you can always count on an array of antipasti; pasta, meat, cheese, and dessert courses; and exemplary service. Squab makes regular appearances—it’s worth the awkwardness of dealing with the tiny bones—as do seasonal vegetables and fish. Nominally Italian, the cooking is both Catholic and classical. The wine list is extensive, the bread baked in-house, and the atmosphere unpretentious.

32.  Duke's Grocery

Don’t let the name fool you; nothing about this pub resembles a grocery store. After all, what grocery store has whitewashed brick walls, London street signs, and a front patio with café lights? The short and sweet menu changes daily and is inspired by East London’s eclectic restaurant scene. There are four locations of Duke's Grocery around the city, with the Dupont Circle establishment currently closed for renovations.

33.  NuVegan

NuVegan wants you to eat healthy while enjoying a relaxing environment that is healthy for the soul as well. Choose an entrée or a sandwich from the diverse lineup of 100-percent vegan fare (platters are a big hit) and request a pressed juice, smoothie or shake with your meal. Don’t forget to also try out the eatery’s delicious baked treats.

34.  Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats

Sticky Fingers owner Doron Petersan bills herself as a “junk-foodie genius”, and she has the creds to back up that claim—namely, the winning title on the Food Network’s  Cupcake Wars;  twice. Although the original sticky bun remains a favorite, patrons should taste the full lineup of baked goods. Let go and indulge; you deserve it.

35.  HipCityVeg

The Philadelphia-based fast-casual chain opened its first D.C. area location a few years back and quickly became a crowd favorite, offering tasty, 100-percent plant-based fare. Try the Crispy HipCity Ranch, a battered chick'n sandwich with creamy peppercorn ranch, or the Ziggy Burger, with smoked tempeh and special sauce. Also, find salads, sweet potato fries, dips, juices, and smoothies. Finish your meal with the popular banana whip dessert bowl customized with your choice of toppings. 

36.  Sticking Fingers Diner

Vegans and diners typically don’t mix, but Sticky Fingers Diner (formerly known as Fare Well) is here to change that. Doron Petersan of Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats opened this spot to serve plant-based diner fare to all sorts of eaters, but especially for vegans. Southern fried seitan stands in for chicken, mushroom scampi replaces shrimp, and pierogis are stuffed with flavorful nut cheeses that don’t leave you craving the real thing. Since Petersan is the queen of vegan cupcakes, don’t skip dessert.

37.  Amsterdam Falafelshop

This is the perfect place for a quick bite, whether it’s two in the afternoon or two in the morning (beware the long, hungry lines that form in the early hours). The choices at the counter are simplicity itself: small or large? Wholewheat pita or white? Fries with that? (Say yes—they’re the best in town.) You’ll face tough decisions at the extensive toppings bar, which includes hummus, grilled eggplant, marinated cucumber, and more—much more, sadly, than can fit in one pita. This might be the best deal in town.

38.  Teaism

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Freshly baked naan and Thai chicken curry are on offer at this café-style spot. Whether you stop off for a cup of chai or a bento box, you’ll feel ready to pound the pavement again. Afternoon tea with ginger scones and lime curd tartlets can be quite reviving in winter, or in warm weather, try the iced Moroccan mint tea – there’s nothing more refreshing. The spacious 8th Street branch, with its downstairs hideout, has a calmer vibe.

39.  Tacqueria Nacional

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Some patrons claim that the tacos served at Taqueria Nacional taste as good as those in Mexico. Each taco comes made-to-order with fresh corn tortillas. The margaritas and aguas frescas are flowing. Although the menu is affordable and the vibe is casual, this isn’t your typical hole-in-the-wall establishment. The space, formerly a post office, is historic and visually stunning. Weathered walls, mismatched chairs, and a mural of the Virgin Mary are juxtaposed with a glistening chandelier and dazzling string lights. 

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The 11 Best Restaurants in Washington DC

The city boasts 23 Michelin-starred eateries.

By Svetlana Nartey

When you think about the food scene in Washington DC what springs to mind? Perhaps it’s the capital’s trademark half-smoke (an extra spicy hot dog made with half pork and half beef), or maybe it’s blue crab and oysters fresh from Chesapeake Bay. Beyond its iconic street food, though, Washington DC’s best restaurants have so much more to offer.

Home to 23 Michelin-starred restaurants – including 20 with one star, three with two stars and one with the coveted three-star accolade – the city boasts an array of incredible fine dining eateries spanning every type of cuisine from tapas to sushi. These aren’t stuffy restaurants reserved for Washington’s political elite, either. Helmed by some of the planet’s most talented chefs these are dining spots for real foodies.

With such a variety on offer, selecting your chosen spot is no mean feat. As always, we recommend planning and booking ahead, as reservations at the best restaurants in Washington DC don’t tend to stick around for long (but do make sure you set some stomach room aside for one of those half-smokes).

[See also: The 13 Best Restaurants in London]

The Inn at Little Washington

As the first and only restaurant in the Washington DC metropolitan area that has three Michelin stars and an additional green star, The Inn at Little Washington (pictured above) is unmissable. Although its façade seems typical of an American inn or private country house, the interior is far from ordinary. Richly carpeted and wallpapered with an intricate design that is illuminated by shimmery accents and lighting, the grandeur of the dining room is spectacularly romantic.

For those hoping for an intimate front-row feast, two Kitchen Tables cushion a baronial fireplace and can accommodate up to 12 guests. Alternatively, springy sofas and velvet chairs await you at white-clothed tables in the main dining room.

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Starting the meal off with a glass of wine is never a bad idea when there are over 14,000 in the in-house cellar to choose from. Yet, just a glass is rarely enough, a dedicated sommelier is able to be of service for those who order three bottles or more, helping to guide and cultivate a prime tasting experience.

At the heart of this experience are of course the beautifully crafted dishes of Chef Patrick O’Connell. Ranging from the highest-grade Hamachi Crudo atop Golden Beet “pasta” with a Mélange of Citrus and Beet Tartare, to a wonderfully wobbly Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberry Consommé, the profundity of sweet, savory and sour are poised to perfection.

theinnatlittlewashington.com

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[Read more: The Best Spas in Washington DC]

Playfully French-ifying the word “jaunt”, Jônt restaurant pleasurably transports you to the fineries of Japanese cuisine without the hassle of long journeying. Despite opening at the peak of the pandemic, Ryan Ratino’s gastronomical mastery was immediately recognized, earning the restaurant two Michelin stars.

As you enter through Jônt’s sister restaurant Bresca , a dimly lit staircase guides you away from distracting color and toward sleek minimalism. A 14-seat counter envelopes the kitchen which, flawlessly clean, leaves the eye with nothing to fixate on but the spotted vibrancy that illuminates from plates of culinary craft.

Though the tasting menu moves with seasonal availability, dishes such as the deep emerald and pale green of a courgette Trio of Canapés, rose-pink of dry-aged Rohan Duck À La Presse and opulent orange of the Homard À La Presse stripped with jade leek and apple slivers paint both your visual and tasting palette.

[See also: Michelin Announces 2023 Florida Guide]

Pineapple and Pearls

You did not come to a two-Michelin-star restaurant expecting to be served chips and dip but you are pleasantly surprised when a large wooden box unravels three smaller boxes of colourfully-loaded circles of chips in Russian doll style. Aaron Silverman and the crafty team behind Rose’s Luxury have provided creatively creamy plates of Panna Cotta, Sea Bass glazed with grape slithers and a 150-layer lobster and octopus lasagne as part of an ostentatious tasting menu that continues to evolve innovatively.

Fuelling its festive atmosphere, an elaborate choice of drinks ease both the mood and mind. A sparkling glass of white wine opens the evening, paving way for an array of boozy and juicy cocktails . Located only moments from the Capitol Riverfront, Pineapple and Pearl is the place to party.

pineappleandpearls.com

Neighbouring the National Portrait Gallery, minibar continues to uphold the area’s artistry by showcasing José Andrés’ culinary capabilities.  The interior itself is inventive; a gold dome dangles from the ceiling above seated tables that encircle an open kitchen and yellow lights set the room aglow. Although the rest of the restaurant space is equally lustrous, this seat, where diners are privy to Andrés’ chef-d’oeuvre first-hand, is the most coveted in DC.

From Almond Cups with Spanish blue cheese, to a Coconut Steam Bun or Feta Ravioli with Turkish Tomatoes, Andrés’ inter-continental mingling grants this cuisine contemporary excellence that transcends boundaries of culture and taste. As suggested by its name, minibar also astounds diners with an alchemy brew of fruity and alcoholic mixtures that steam, bubble and bite with a zesty sting.  

minibarbyjoseandres.com

Elcielo D.C.

Although it may seem counterintuitive to wash your hands in chocolate, whimsical experiences define the sensuality of this bold take on Colombian cuisine . Food is not designed simply for eating, but for living, as you consume food whose story is narrated by eloquent staff.

As well as these vocalised tales, the artistry of dishes speak for themselves. The Tree of Life, a loaf of fresh Yucca bread served on a wire bonsai tree representing the lung of the word –  the Amazon rainforest – functions to this very end, profoundly resonating at a time of deforestation and climate change.

The menu comprising of 22 courses guides you through many such journeys. One is transported to the golden beaches of Cartagena and through the depths of the Amazon jungle using orality and physical immersion alone. The airily simplistic and vegetative interior of the restaurant further reflects the liberal naturalness that Colombia beholds.

elceliowashington.com

[See also: A Guide to All Green Michelin Star Restaurants in the US]

The finest of Italian cuisine is delivered by Nicholas Stefanelli at one of Washington DC’s best restaurants, Masseria. Secretly enclosed behind a large wooden fence, entering the restaurant reveals a warm outdoor lounge with firepits and fairy lights that prelude magical dining. Inside the dining room, enchantment continues as bubbled chandeliers float from the ceiling and exposed, industrial walls are fancified by veined marble counters.

Comfort is at the forefront of the restaurant’s ambiance as diners are invited to “vestiti per soddisfare gli altri, ma mangia per soddisfare te stesso”: Dress to Satisfy Others, but Eat to Satisfy Yourself. Yet satiety is far from the only purpose of indulging in this finery. Plates are playfully presented in treasure chests and metal cans, adding an amusingly interactive element to your meal. For the meals that are plated traditionally, their colors prove unconventional, blending purples with browns and oranges with greens to create strikingly edible art. The swirled linguine with XO sauce, a popular diner’s dish, is slurping lip-smacking, adding new depth to our conception of pasta.

masseria-dc.com

As well as bringing you the best of Middle Eastern grills, Marcelle Afram brings together diners through his Tawle menu option and clay-oven-baked bread that stands at the centrepiece of every table at Maydān. Diners are encouraged to break bread together and immerse themselves in Middle Eastern culture through making bread their utensil. As you tactilely navigate your way through flavourful condiments, garlic, parsley, saffron and smoked paprika not only simmer on your tongue but fill your nose with familiarly mingled aromas to create a sense of home-cooked comfort.

Complimenting this smoky savoring experience are the rich browns of exposed red brick, hardwood floors and mahogany tables whose glass covers refract light from the open fire. Fresh from the fire, classic dishes are given a spicy twist to showcase the prowess of Afram’s capabilities. Chicken Shish Taouk is sweetened by piquant pomegranate molasses, Halloumi seasoned with nutty dukkar and enhanced by wildflower honey and a selection of hearty hearth-roasted vegetables that are both succulent and savory.

maydandc.com

Sushi Nakazawa

  Located inside the Waldorf Astoria, Sushi Nakazawa hybrids the Tokyo -style sushi counter with the modernism of American interior design. The monochrome kitchen counter whose space is colored only by planked, dark-wood walls creates a refined dining atmosphere reflective of their high-grade Omakase offering.

A 20-course tasting menu thoroughly explores all that seafood has to offer. Diners are presented with premium bluefin tuna, an array of salmon, Vancouver spot prawn dotted with pearls of lime and Golden-eye snapper made crisp with a chef’s torch and delicately seasoned with lemon and sea salt. It is definitely worth the $30 extra to dine the sushi counter and watch Daisuke Nakazawa craft these artful pieces of Nigiri.

sushinakazawa.com

[See also:  Hot Stone Review: Authentic Japanese Omakase in London ]

Serving Spanish cuisine with heartfelt, Mediterranean hospitality, Xiquet caters to both appetite and comfort at the opening of Washington’s Observatory Circle. Diners are able to experience a seat at the Chef’s Counter where they sample canapés and aperitivos, peruse the evening’s tasting menu and prepare to ascend to the top floor dining room.

Seeping with sunlight during the day and warmly sky-lit in the evening, the dining room lined with sofa seats and auburn cushions invites leisure, whilst the simplicity of décor directs your gaze to the glass-enclosed kitchen.

The anticipation built-up in watch of Xiquet’s world-class culinary team climaxes at taste. Espàrrecus Blancs served with Kaviar Kristal caviar and drizzled in smooth walnut sauce, Australian wagyu strip lion with meaty porcini and a zingy meyer lemon tart with earthy lemon sage sorbet are a few top picks from an elaborate tasting menu.  

xiquetdl.com

[See also:  A Guide to All Three-Michelin-Star Restaurants in Spain ]

Imperfecto: The Chef’s Table

A step up from Seven Reasons, the interior of this restaurant provides a seventh heaven. Located at the heart of West End, Imperfecto invites you to leave the paths more trodden and step into naturally-lit, minimalistic modern furnishing for a reversion to calm that juxtaposes the busy streets of Washington. Low ceiling lights and intimately long dining tables further invite conversation and enjoyment.

Like the lover who believes their partner’s imperfections make them perfect, you will be besotted by Enrique Limardo’s unapologetic platters of Imperfecto. Smoked eggplant, ground lamb, pine nuts and goat-manchego cheese cream pack a phyllo dough to construct a Moussaka Cigar, cardamom explodes with fruity sumac in a fluffy Falafel and the finest Salmon Tartare is imbued with latin toum and trout caviar to present dishes of improbable equilibrium.

imperfectodc.com

Tail Up Goat

Based in the historic Adams Morgan enclave of Washington DC, it is a beautiful and worthwhile commute to dine in Tale Up Goat. The wood-furnished restaurant, run by husband and wife duo Jill and Jon and their friend Bill, radiates the feel of togetherness and friendship that establishes this restaurant as one of the best in Washington DC. Intimate tables are circled by four chairs and cushioned booths line the walls whose nautical lighting compliments the emerald blues of sea-horizon wallpaper.

With an entire course devoted to bread, the simple heartiness of this dining experience is pleasingly evident. From breakfast favorites with a fishy twist, like seaweed sourdough with pickled fennel, to sophisticated dandelion greens with Sicilian almond brittle and anchovy, this restaurant nourishes both stomach and soul. A customer favorite is the Goat lasagne, so flavourful and intricately layered that your tail would be up and wagging with glee.

tailupgoat.com

[See also: The Chefs with the Most Michelin Starred Restaurants]

Svetlana Nartey

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Outdoor dining, all restaurants, 2022 fall dining guide.

As the pandemic fades to gray if not black, a new but familiar concern dominates our thoughts: money.

If last year was a time of reckoning and reflection in the restaurant world, 2022 is shaping up to be a moment when inflation and soaring costs for just about everything have a lot of us rethinking our priorities.

Money determines where diners go, how often, what dishes they order — if they even eat away from home.

[ 5 money-saving tips for eating at restaurants ]

In ways great and small, the past three years have changed a lot of us. Like some of you, I’ve shed suits for jeans, five days in the office for fewer, elevator-depth conversation for richer relationships.

Perspective | Why I’m saying goodbye to star ratings in my restaurant reviews

Have questions about dining out? Ask our food critic

My appetite remains strong. I’m eager as ever to pull up to a table and taste the latest fashions , check back with an institution or investigate a restaurant tip . But during the past year in particular, I’ve been less interested in spending three hours in a dining room or deciphering dishes that tasted like a dozen people touched or tweezered them before they landed on the table.

Worry not. I haven’t sworn off any genre. My job requires me to explore a range of restaurants, as if the scene were a big buffet and I’m obliged to taste a bit of everything, from humble to haute . However, on any given night these days, you’re more likely to find me at a mom-and-pop , someplace relaxed , places where the drinks aren’t $20 .

You could say I sought out more fried chicken and pizza slices — affordable comfort — than truffles and flourishes in 2022.

This season, my dining guide focuses on restaurants I like that offer distinctive value. Typically, the fall guide is a selection of favorites, but another challenging year calls for a different approach.

Value is typically associated with price. Plenty of choices in this year’s collection are restaurants you might see yourself visiting because they’re easy on the wallet.

Cost is but one measure of value. The thinking also considers usefulness. The tasting menu at Tail Up Goat in Washington is $98, but dinner in the role model for upscale restaurants comprises snacks, four memorable courses and hospitality reminiscent of an evening in the home of great friends — a lot of bang for your Franklin. Himalayan Wild Yak in Ashburn offers an uncommon taste of Nepalese food that you can wash back with serious cocktails. Another of my Top 5 restaurants right now, Dylan’s Oyster Cellar in Baltimore, sweats the small stuff. You might expect well-shucked oysters from the convivial watering hole, but french fries boiled in vinegar, poached and flash-fried just before they’re piled on the plate? The kitchen has you covered, hon.

And so on. Value is my favorite flavor right now, and I’m pleased to share some of the best sources herein.

This year’s fall dining guide marks another significant change.

Since spring 2020, I’ve omitted star ratings from my reviews. It seemed only fair, initially because restaurants were struggling just to get food out in boxes, and later, because service, a major part of the dining experience, seemed to be in a free fall . My 2022 roundup marks the official end to a grading system I introduced two decades ago. Read more about my decision here .

[ Why I'm saying goodbye to star ratings in my restaurant reviews ]

Going forward, you’ll have to read the review to see how I feel about a restaurant.

My sentiments about the following 40 places in and around Washington are pretty clear. Each represents some definition of value. Varied as they are, they’re linked by my affection for them.

1 Hitching Post

The District

Mains $12 to $33

“You get two sides with the fried chicken,” says my server at my happy spot in Petworth.

“Collards,” I start to respond before I’m cut off by an eavesdropper at the bar. “And the great, REAL mashed potatoes,” she practically demands.

And so began yet another meal at one of my favorite Washington monuments, opened in 1967 by Al and Adrienne Carter and sold 10 years ago to Barry Dindyal, a native of Guyana who grew up eating Indian food. Wisely, he kept most of the soul food script he inherited; cleverly, the chef added a few dishes of his own, including a dusky gold shrimp curry that’s the taste equivalent of a quilt in winter, warmth in the form of hot coconut milk, fresh ginger and garlic bathing steamed shrimp.

The fried chicken is superb in its simplicity, moist of flesh and crisp in a jacket that gets its lift from paprika and garlic and onion powder. If the collards could have used a shake of vinegar last time, I appreciate that they rely on onions and garlic instead of meat for their savor. The woman at the bar was right: The potatoes mashed with generous amounts of butter and cream (and roasted garlic for oomph) are bodacious.

Dish after dish reminds me why I keep returning to this Southern outpost that could be confused for a house if it weren’t for a banner outside. Lamb chops, cooked the color you ask and paired with a salad, can be enjoyed as a starter for $16.50. If I’m not eating chicken, I’m probably inhaling fried whiting, punched up with pepper, and creamy-fresh coleslaw. Meanwhile, the bountiful fried spinach salad, dappled with sweet yogurt and tamarind chutney, pays homage to the palak chaat made famous by Rasika.

The coin-operated jukebox of yore has been replaced by one that’s connected to the internet. “We’re in the future now,” jokes a server.

The delicious predictability of the modest dining room extends to the community. I rarely go that I don’t see — or hear — radio legend Kojo Nnamdi in the mix. He’s the guy chasing back dinner with 15-year-old El Dorado rum from his native Guyana.

200 Upshur St. NW.

202-726-1511.

thehpostrestaurant.com

Dinner daily, lunch Friday through Sunday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Sound check: 70 decibels/Conversation is easy. Takeout and delivery. Accessibility: No ramp at entrance and no elevator.

2 Queen’s English

Mains $16 to $45

There’s no cozier facade in Columbia Heights than the jade-colored front of Queen’s English, dressed with gliders and watched over by a canine-loving staff. “I think I spend more money on dog treats than anything,” says chef Henji Cheung, a native of Hong Kong.

Two-legged visitors are plenty spoiled, too, in what looks like a faraway teahouse. Fat shrimp, poached in tingly mala broth and served with a charred scallion aioli, create an exceptional shrimp cocktail. The reason you make short work of a plate of pig ears is because they’re braised in a stock of Chinese wines, tossed in cornstarch, fried to a crunch and completed with strawberries macerated in chiles and lime juice. Cheung says sauteed ramen noodles are a thing in cafes in Hong Kong. Queen’s English, which tosses its stir-fried noodles with fresh tofu, sour cabbage and chicken liver, whets Washington appetites for the trend. Try to leave without ordering dessert and the staff zings you — with a restorative shot of ginger-and-lime juice.

Sarah Thompson, the chef’s wife, is the smile in the dining room, the cheerleader behind the restaurant’s daily “natty hour” featuring natural wines and the other half of what makes Queen’s English such a personal, pleasurable experience. Mom plus pop equals awesome.

3410 11th St. NW.

202-751-3958.

queensenglishdc.com

Dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Sound check: 74 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

3 Tail Up Goat

Mains on the bar menu $14 to $36, four-course dinner menu $98

The Adams Morgan beacon, from a trio of hospitality aces, endears itself to diners starting online. In one place on the restaurant’s website, patrons can get answers to a slew of questions , from the patio setup and highchair situation to why a 22 percent service fee is added to the bill.

What used to be an a la carte experience is now a tasting menu: snacks and four courses for $98 from executive chef Jon Sybert. A seasonal shrub and some small bites feel like a celebration. A shot of basil-infused watermelon trailed by a smoked oyster on a lick of gazpacho, a stamp of einkorn focaccia striped with sungold tomato butter and a tiny tart piped with Appalachian cheese have everyone swooning and wondering what’s next.

Some tasting menus are synonymous with a chef’s ego and endurance contests. Tail Up Goat gives diners three choices per course and doesn’t hold you hostage. The plates are small but swell. Firsts among equals have included an earthy pork croquette glammed up with fleshy chanterelles and peach jam and a lacy zucchini rosti paired with charred squash brightened with diced red peppers, tomato and garlic.

Optional his-or-hers wine pairings, from co-owner Bill Jensen and beverage director Audrey Dowling, let you sip from among the classics or on the funkier side, respectively.

If $100 a head just for food sounds too rich, consider a seat in the bar, which highlights dishes from the tasting menu priced individually. Seared scallops are a little splurge at $23, but they’re some of the sweetest around, nestled on their plate with a foil of chowchow atop a puree of black-eyed peas. Bluegrass plays. Co-owner Jill Tyler checks in with her signature charm. This is fine dining sans pomp but full of delights.

1827 Adams Mill Rd. NW.

tailupgoat.com

Dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Sound check: 75 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance or patio; ADA-compliant restroom.

4 Dylan’s Oyster Cellar

Mains $15 to $35

I’d love to get my hands on what’s known as “the playbook” at one of my favorite watering holes anywhere. Dylan Salmon, who co-owns the Baltimore tavern with his wife, Irene, says it’s a mess of paper scraps and legal pads. But within the disorganization are recipes for some of the restaurant’s greatest hits, including coleslaw, tartar sauce and beer batter that make for one of the best fish and chips in memory.

“No grit, no pearl,” reads a poster on the wall of the low-ceilinged hangout in Hampden, 70 seats big if you include the patio and bar, one end of which gathers bistro seats and a chance to watch the shuckers do their thing. An icy platter of briny Wellfleets from Massachusetts revels in attention. “Oysters are like water balloons,” says Salmon, a former line cook at the farm-to-table Woodberry Kitchen. “Pop them and they lose their body.” The oysters here are free of drill marks (shell bits, too).

The hot seats are the stools at the crowded bar, staffed by people who treat you like a regular even if it’s your first visit. Of course you want some oysters — there are typically eight kinds from which to choose — and, this being Baltimore, traditional coddies, sometimes called the poor man’s crab cakes: deep-fried balls of mashed cod and potatoes eaten on saltines with a slick of mustard. Every pauper should be so fortunate.

Salmon is the dude in the ball cap and T-shirt, roaming the room and asking, “You guys doing good?” Some diners mistake the owner for one of their own. Don’t be fooled by Salmon’s laid-back demeanor. Everything on the menu speaks to mindfulness. Salads, interesting ones, taste as if they were plucked from the garden. The beefy smash burger is terrific, but a lot of places do good burgers. Dylan’s is where you want to focus on rarer pleasures, like one night’s fluffy scallop cake served with lemon-basil sauce and green beans laced with fresh tarragon. “Nothing worthwhile is easy,” says the restaurateur, whose french fries are boiled in vinegar, poached and flash-fried just before they’re piled on the plate.

It’s loud as a racetrack here, but that’s less a drawback than the distance between Washington and Baltimore. I want to be able to walk, not drive, to Dylan’s.

3601 Chestnut Ave., Baltimore.

443-759-6595.

dylansoyster.com

Sound check: 84 decibels/Extremely loud. Accessibility: Big step at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

5 Himalayan Wild Yak

Ashburn, Va.

Mains $12 to $23

The Nepalese newcomer west of Dulles Airport makes itself hard to forget. I mean, there’s a stuffed yak near the entrance, and he even has a name: Rocky. The beast shares its stage with a beauty — the cooking — and a menu that shrugs off supply issues with more than 30 dishes.

Every other table seems to be dressed with momos. Make sure you ask for some of the steamed dumplings, too. They show up as eight supple, see-through bites on the rim of a bowl containing roasted tomato sauce. The restaurant’s theme has me springing for the momos stuffed with ground yak, deftly seasoned with coriander, cumin and garam masala so you can still appreciate the delicate beefy flavor of the mountain cow. The chow mein is also required eating. A reminder that China is Nepal’s neighbor to the north, the street food staple is a tangle of thin yellow wheat noodles with a confetti of scallions, red cabbage, carrots and more, each bite smoky from the wok and splashed with sweet-salty oyster sauce.

You can pretty much point anywhere on the list and come up with a success story. Luscious chunks of pork, crisp from their time in a clay oven, resonate with mustard oil, ginger and garlic. Chicken stir-fried with onion and bell peppers is finished with a chile sauce that leaves a thrilling wake of heat. New to the menu are vegetable fritters formed from ground cabbage, cauliflower and carrots and draped with what tastes like barbecue sauce: ketchup, chile flakes and soy sauce. The orbs are meatless and marvelous. Appetizers are apportioned like main courses, and crowds of Indian customers prompted the owners to add to their menu such prizes as lamb korma, soft bites of meat in a dark golden gravy thickened with yogurt and cashew paste — as light and luscious as I’ve had anywhere.

The restaurant puts its customers first. Floating near the Himalaya-high ceiling are fabric panels to sponge noise, the drinks list is as interesting as in a D.C. hot spot, and the person ferrying food from kitchen to table might be one of the two chef-owners.

22885 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn, Va.

703-760-3710.

himalayanwildyak.com

Lunch and dinner daily. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 70 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Mains $12.75 to $19.75

A look around 2 Amys helps explain the long run of the pioneering pizzeria opened by chef-owner Peter Pastan after 9/11.

The genial guy slicing the mortadella behind the wine bar lets you know that he made the pork sausage, shot through with coriander seed and circles of fat, and that the crusty brown bread accompanying it is from flour milled on-site.

Some of the many “little things” — deviled eggs with brassy green sauce, salt cod fritters served with garlic aioli — have been around forever and continue to delight with their quality and consistency. Pizza might be the shiny bauble in the window, but a handful of dishes would look at home at a proper Italian ristorante. Picture vitello tonnato and even steak, as in super-beefy, well-marbled dairy cow, butchered by hand and dry-aged for up to 100 days. (“Tuscan Steak Night” is typically weeknights only.)

Tile floors, pressed-tin ceilings and naked tables do nothing to absorb the clamor of a busy lunch or dinner, but come on, no one goes to a pizzeria to meditate. Besides, you’re eating in a Washington standard-bearer, brimming with thoughtful details: wines priced to suit every budget and palate, desserts every bit as good as what comes before them, and hospitality included in the price of a meal.

As for the Neapolitan-style pizza, 2 Amys puts out a pie that seduces me with char marks reminiscent of leopard spots, titanic lips, pleasant chewiness and a lovely yeasty flavor. Go for the Pozzuoli — zesty housemade sausage, velvety red peppers, nutty fontina and more on a 10-inch canvas. If you want to eat it like the owner, ask to have the pizza served uncut.

3715 Macomb St. NW .

202-885-5700.

2amyspizza.com

Dinner daily, lunch weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 82 decibels/Extremely loud. Accessibility: Ramp leads to entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Afghan Bistro

Springfield, Va.

Mains $16 to $36

Returning to a favorite restaurant after a long spell is like encountering an old flame: Will there still be sparks?

Let’s just say there were some fireworks when the food started coming out of the kitchen at Afghan Bistro recently. The smoky, sumac-spiced beef kebabs paired with tomato-sauced chickpeas, and shredded chicken tossed with slow-cooked greens and garlicky yogurt represent love at first bite (again). The epic menu forces tough decisions; this family-run storefront in Springfield helps out with a sampler plate that brings together four choice appetizers, including minced beef dumplings dusted with cayenne and crushed mint, and soft roasted eggplant flavored with tomato sauce and striped with yogurt sauce.

After introducing Afghan Bistro in 2015 , husband and wife Omar and Sofia Masroor went on to open two more restaurants, Bistro Aracosia in the Palisades and Aracosia McLean in Northern Virginia. A fourth establishment is on its way, across from the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. Omar Masroor says he hopes to open Afghania, serving “frontier food” from eastern Afghanistan, yet this year.

What the current restaurants share are recipes from Sofia and her mother-in-law that make you feel as if you’ve been invited into their homes. Better yet, the meals are sized so that tonight’s dinner can be tomorrow’s lunch.

8081-D Alban Rd., Springfield, Va.

703-337-4722.

afghanbistro.com

Dinner Monday through Saturday, lunch Tuesday through Saturday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 72 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Agni South Indian Cuisine

Sterling, Va.

Mains $14 to $19

Some like it hot, and for them, there are fried battered jalapeños, a popular South Indian street snack whose puffy golden jackets, made with gram flour, cushion the heat of the filling, jazzy with minced onions tossed with cilantro and lime and (optional) roasted peanuts.

The assertive heat in some of my favorite dishes is foretold in the restaurant’s name. Agni means “fire” in Hindi. But the kitchen, under the watch of Arivazhagan “Ari” Periyasamy, torches judiciously. Ask for the Apollo fish and you can taste the fried tilapia and bell peppers after they’re mixed in yogurt ignited with red chiles. Cumin, fenugreek and other bold spices provide the pulse in the heady shrimp ulli theeyal.

Service in the arty dining room is relaxed. Focusing on the cooking helps. Any visit is better when it starts with a cone of wispy onion strings whose chickpea flour coat is lit with green chiles, curry leaf and ginger. Agni also makes a lovely chicken biryani, imbued with warm spices and mixed with soft fried onions.

“I’m very picky about my food,” says owner Mahreen Aujla, who bought the storefront just ahead of the pandemic, hoping to elevate the Indian dining scene in Northern Virginia. Periyasamy, a veteran of the esteemed Leela Palace chain in India, is helping her do just that.

46005 Regal Plaza, Suite 140, Sterling, Va.

571-325-2523.

agniindiancuisine.com

Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Indoor seating.

Andy’s Pizza

Mains $22 to $32 (whole pizzas)

I might never have blissed out on Andy’s Pizza if it hadn’t been for my friend Todd, whom I invited over for a last-minute, socially distanced dinner early in the pandemic. It was cold outside and the Chinese takeout was delayed by nearly an hour. Stomachs rumbled. “Hey, I’ve got pizza in my car,” Todd revealed. “Should I get it?” It turns out Todd was at Andy’s in Shaw when he got my dinner invite, and who turns down Chinese from Peter Chang? Todd figured the pizza could chill out in his trunk.

Except, a trio of us devoured most of the 18-inch round, still warm from the shop, crisp on the bottom, soft in the center and decked out with dimes of crisp pepperoni cupping a drop of oil. “Washington is saturated with Neapolitan pizza,” says founder Andy Brown, 32, whose interest in bread baking at home in his early 20s led to pizza experimentation, eventually culminating in six shops serving New York-style pies in Northern Virginia and the District. The simple pleasure, sprung from dough that ferments for 72 hours, follows good shopping. Brown relies on tomatoes from Modesto, Calif., that go from field to can in six hours and aged White Gold Parmigiano-Reggiano for some of his pizzas, slices of which fill a nine-inch paper plate.

Since that memorable introduction, I’ve tried other flavors and branches of Andy’s. My heart belongs to the “cup and char” pepperoni, but I’m almost as happy to fold a wedge of cheese-and-mushroom pie. Most recently, a stranger at the bar at Atlas Brew Works, which rents out space to the pizzeria near Nationals Park, blurted out why she was there. “Best deal in D.C.!” she announced to her neighbors. “Two slices and a beer for $10.” Cheers for sure.

Locations in Shaw, Adams Morgan, NoMa, Navy Yard and Tysons Galleria (coming soon to Alexandria).

eatandyspizza.com

Lunch and dinner daily (dinner only at Shaw and Adams Morgan).

Takeout and delivery.

Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse

Mains $16 to $40

Quick, name another restaurant where you can get pot roast, Greek chicken soup and coconut cream pie throughout the day, seven days a week.

All-American comfort food — in heaping helpings and priced to encourage regular pit stops — is the drill in this convivial Dupont Circle gathering place. So are drinks sized like Big Gulps and (careful when you toast!) filled to the brim. The best entree on the menu combines sirloin tips, cooked the way you ask, crisped onions and green bell peppers, accompanied by a choice of side dishes. (Best bets are the lightly dressed coleslaw and homey, as in lumpy, mashed potatoes.) Looking for bookends? Start with the shrimp cocktail and finish with carrot cake.

As with the historic Ben’s Chili Bowl , Annie’s is less about cooking you can’t wait to repeat than the restaurant’s place in the community. For more than seven decades, it’s been a safe place for gay people to come together and be themselves without fear of judgment. Annie’s gives predictability a good name.

1609 17th St. NW .

202-232-0395.

anniesparamountdc.com

Brunch, lunch and dinner daily. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 80 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: One front step at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Art and Soul

Mains $24 to $46

The name captures the joy of the cooking. Chef Danny Chavez serves food that’s familiar but never, ever boring. Blushing slices of beef carpaccio are dotted with saffron aioli and ringed in brilliant chive oil. Hamachi crudo translates to a pentagon of pink fish around a shimmering green pool of horseradish buttermilk. Even a bowl of spaghetti is ready for its close-up, thanks to wisps of arugula and Aleppo peppers poking through a powdery blanket of aged goat cheese.

“Plating — combining colors and textures — is my favorite thing,” says the native of El Salvador. Happily, Chavez marries style with substance. I love the punch of mustard seeds and the crackle of parmesan crisps on his carpaccio, and the crudo comes with a shower of fried shallots and creamy dollops of avocado mousse. The pasta, meanwhile, is so delicious you forget there’s no meat in the ragu, biting with minced Fresno chiles.

The hotel dining room near Union Station is as generic as they come, although live music on Thursdays and a power lunch for $22 at the bar — beer or wine included — balance things out. The constants at Art and Soul are oohs and aahs every time a plate shows up.

415 New Jersey Ave. NW .

202-393-7777.

artandsouldc.com

Dinner Wednesday through Saturday, breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, brunch weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 74 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Fairfax, Va.

Mains $14 to $54

Part of the local Great American Restaurant collection, Artie’s has me at the door, where diners are met with a chorus of friendly hellos, and again at the table, where the menu considers all sorts of wishes. Looking for something gluten-free? Artie’s offers a list of possibilities. Prefer a touch more wine? You can ask for 9 ounces as well as 6. There’s even a meat explainer, detailing what your cooking request will look like.

The menu at this Northern Virginia draw doesn’t change much, but that’s fine by me. I never tire of the spiky seafood fritters arranged around corn salsa or sauteed trout strewn with pecans in a raftered dining room that’s a ringer for Clyde’s. Picture green booths, knotty walls and a mural of a boat dock that places you on the waterfront — somewhere calming. Thursday through Saturday, Artie’s offers a strapping blackened prime rib and a loaded baked potato. Anytime, there is a bountiful roasted chicken salad — a bird of a different feather with cranberries, goat cheese, pine nuts and corn off the cob — and crowd-pleasers including crab cakes and baby back ribs.

The kitchen can be a little too generous with the salt, but the servers are thoroughly charming and efficient. Before she removes my plate, a server asks, “All done? Some people lick the plate.” I believe her.

3260 Old Lee Hwy., Fairfax, Va.

703-273-7600.

artiesva.com

Lunch and dinner daily. Indoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 74 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Ramp leads to entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Mains $16 to $100

Have you heard? Trinidad native Peter Prime, late of the delicious Cane , recently joined the Caribbean outpost introduced in Navy Yard two years ago by former Maydan chefs Chris Morgan and Gerald Addison. The incoming kitchen pilot wasted no time injecting his style into the menu. Try the escovitch, whole scored red snapper or branzino in a vivid, near-electric garland of okra, bell peppers, onions and carrots. The rethought combination of steaming fish, crisp skin and pickled vegetables finds you leaving nothing but the fish skeleton behind. Jerk chicken has been joined on the list by zesty jerk shrimp, head-on specimens splayed over butter-glossed, collard-tinted cou cou, its texture reminiscent of grits.

The secret to some dishes, including the new duck curry, is the chef’s green seasoning, a weave of culantro, cilantro, fragrant broadleaf thyme, garlic and pimento (seasoning) peppers. “You get the spicy flavor but not the heat” from the peppers, says Prime, whose fine dining background reveals itself in both technique and plating.

A couple of caveats: The reggae is played indoors as if the restaurant’s waterfront audience needs to hear the music too, and it may take forever to get your (searing) Scotch bonnet margarita.

Ultimately, Bammy’s brings you close to the islands. Pigeon peas braised in coconut milk and subtly sweet with brown sugar is pretty much a welcome mat from Trinidad.

301 Water St. SE, Suite 115 .

202-599-4400.

bammysdc.com

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 76 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; two ADA-compliant restrooms.

Bar Chinois

Mains $15 to $18

Every bar should stock a Jacob Simpson. Busy as he was on a recent Saturday night, juggling customers in front of him and parties beyond, the tall drink of water managed to turn a couple of strangers — okay, my brother and me — into fans from the moment he introduced himself to us with a smile as broad as Dwayne Johnson’s and a handshake that put the pandemic in a rearview mirror. “Our cocktails are half-price and dumplings are a dollar” until 7, he volunteered. Happy hour on a Saturday ? I’ll take it. While he managed multiple conversations with friends and colleagues, Simpson, also a co-owner, whipped up a cocktail I can’t get out of my mind, calvados daiquiri. “It’s like biting into a green apple,” he said as he watched me take a sip and nod in affirmation.

The industrial setting in Mount Vernon Triangle is warmed up with red lights and splashes of teal in the bar, but also Chinese finger food, enlightened riffs on orange chicken, embedded in a nest of spiky greens; crisp pork belly jolted with hot mustard and nestled in tender bao; and wontons slicked with red chile oil. The snack-y menu seems to suit the pre-dinner, post-club crowds that routinely gather in what feels like a hub for the cool kids.

My brother leaves with some unfinished five-spiced pork, rice and arugula and a hot tip from Simpson: “Put an egg on it.” Which my sibling does the next day, texting me proof. Saturday night, part two!

455 I St. NW .

202-838-9633.

barchinoisdc.com

Dinner Tuesday through Saturday, brunch Sunday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 84 decibels/Extremely loud. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restrooms.

Benito’s Place

Mains $12.50 to $18

It’s one-stop eating for fans of Central American and Mexican cooking at this family-run storefront near Logan Circle. “We try to have a cook from every nationality” represented on the menu, says Ennry Castro, the son of owners Maynor and Telma Majano, from Honduras and Guatemala, respectively.

Sure enough, there are griddled pupusas paying homage to El Salvador (spring for the saucer oozing cheese and earthy loroco) and chicken mole doing a swell impersonation of the classic I’ve encountered in Oaxaca, the sauce an inky amalgam of sweet, heat — layers upon layers of flavor. The next cold snap is sending me back for short ribs, squash, carrots and corn — on the cob — packing a steaming bowl of soup that’s found throughout Central America and Mexico but open to interpretation by home cooks. Honduras has a great ambassador in the crisp fried chicken shored up with a mound of jalapeño-lit cabbage embedded with finger-length green banana chips that really ought to be sold by the bag. Striped with tomato sauce and a creamy white dressing, the crowd-pleaser feels like a feast.

Referring to his Spanish-speaking clientele, Castro likes to think “we have a good take on what people want.” Every restaurateur should read the room as well. Benito’s Place is my kind of place.

1437 11th St. NW .

202-299-0977.

No website.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 69 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; restroom is too small to accommodate a wheelchair.

Bindaas Bowls and Rolls

Mains $11 to $14

The owner of Annabelle , La Bise and some of the best Indian restaurants on the East Coast acknowledges that his latest production is something of an aberration. “Fine dining is what I enjoy,” says Ashok Bajaj, who entered the fast-casual realm this spring when he opened this 30-seater in Penn Quarter. The storefront space became available early in the pandemic, when everyone was doing takeout, and Bajaj saw it as an opportunity to explore a different style of hospitality.

His notion of fast-casual brims with style. Arrivals sense they’re in for something special when they see tile floors, turquoise banquettes and brown leather chairs in the dining area and handsome Le Creuset cookware at the counter where meals are ordered. Then there’s the star behind the Indian flavors on the menu: chef Vikram Sunderam of Rasika renown.

For the first time, he’s letting customers mix and match ingredients to create their own bowls. I’m content to choose from among the “classic” compositions, including the stellar salmon moilee. The block of fish blazes with roasted Kashmiri chiles. Propped on lemony rice noodles that are flecked with curry leaves and finished with a ginger-sharpened coconut sauce, the heady salmon makes you believe you’re eating in one of Sunderam’s sophisticated dining rooms. So much finesse for just under $14! There’s also lamb vindaloo, served as meatballs zapped with ginger, garlic and garam masala and arranged on fluffy brown rice.

Wouldn’t you love some beer or wine with this food? The grab-and-go serves both, plus cocktails.

415 Seventh St. NW .

202-290-2278.

bindaasbowls.com

Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Indoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 69 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Mains $19 to $46

Yes, the bronzed roast chicken with a vinegar-sharpened, tarragon-brightened sauce is delicious, and, oui, the cassoulet is a strapping feast of garlicky sausage and duck confit amid a field of Tarbais beans. But the last course here in Shaw merits plenty of love, too. At a time when the typical dessert list is just three sweets long, Convivial pulls out the stops with nearly a dozen creations, including baked Alaska, profiteroles and chocolate souffle. Behind the glories is Mark Courseille, a former pastry chef at the French Embassy.

Chef-owner Cedric Maupillier knows exactly what he’s doing. “I want people to talk about Convivial,” says the son of Provence, explaining the crowd of desserts and the presence on the menu of such old-guard dishes as crayfish quenelles. “What can we do to make people excited?”

Reading the menu, you’d never guess how sumptuous a salad or sandwich could be. Eyes pop at the sight of a vivid carpet of fried chickpeas, yellow bell peppers, breezy green mint and purple olives atop what tastes like the lightest hummus ever. Mouths water upon tasting a slender bar of crisp bread holding grilled ham, molten sheep cheese and (oh la la!) chicken mousse, an artful Basque sandwich served on a rustic tomato-bell-pepper sauce. Calls for baked Alaska increase once one of the beehive-shaped beauties is ignited with chartreuse at a table.

Since the pandemic, Maupillier has sunk $100,000 into the dining room. Leather place mats and red upholstery are nice enhancements to a restaurant that more than fulfills the promise of its name.

801 O St. NW .

202-525-2870.

convivialdc.com

Dinner daily, brunch weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 70 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: Two sets of doors precede entrance; ADA-compliant restrooms.

Mains $13 to $28

Chef Suresh Sundas refers to his style of cooking as “Indian-ish.” Sure enough, he slips burrata into his lentils, stuffs poblano peppers with roasted sweet potatoes and adds a comet tail of turmeric-sparked chimichurri to a plate of grilled lamb chops. Momo on an Indian script? The inclusion of dumplings, juicy with ground bison and vegetables, speaks to his native Nepal.

Sundas seasons his food like Jorginho passes soccer balls: deftly. Taste those sweet potatoes — every bite jumping with mustard seeds, fresh ginger and curry leaves — and tell me otherwise. This is a kitchen that treats vegetables like the stars they are. Cue the stir-fried chopped cabbage, warm with cloves and positively numbing with Sichuan peppercorns.

The chef has the perfect partner in co-owner Dante Datta, who met Sundas when both worked at the esteemed Rasika West End and counts time at the bars at Elle and the late, great Columbia Room. You’ll drink as well as you dine here on H Street NE. The shake-shaking you hear from the bar might result in an Indian-ish twist on an espresso martini, starring housemade masala chai and rum from Bangalore.

A server pushes the scallops. “Legit, you are going to want to lick your plate,” she says. The surface of the scallops is orange and wonderful with chili powder, cumin and roasted garlic; a pool of coconut milk pulses with ginger, curry leaves, Thai green chiles. Legit, you are going to want to lick your plate. But then, that’s true of almost every dish here.

1451 Maryland Ave. NE.

202-388-1848.

Takeout. Sound check: 82 decibels/Extremely loud. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Mains $16 to $41

Chef Harrison Dickow says he aims for food that’s “crave-able and surprising.” Those words sum up my feelings about his cucumber salad, chunks of vegetables that have been grilled or pickled and taste alive with lemon and lime, and a bowl of spinach pasta and smoky broccolini whose nuggets of fried tempeh are seasoned to mimic sausage. Dickow also has a thing for texture. The pleasant crunch on the pasta comes courtesy of shaved fried shallots.

Fermentation and preservation remain the focus at this homey bar, bakery and restaurant in Mount Pleasant. Dickow says part of the thrill is thinking up delicious ways to use byproducts or ingredients that might otherwise go to waste in the kitchen. Go for happy hour and the chance to try the signature kimchi toast for $8. The reward is fiery cabbage mixed (in summer) with sweet white peaches and heaped on a raft of bread slathered with labneh — my kind of salad. Dishes may be light — sliced grilled tuna arranged with radishes comes to mind — but they’re never dull. The roseate fish, for instance, arrives as a fan sprinkled with crushed peanuts and jolted with XO sauce, with fruity notes coming from preserved watermelon.

Dickow previously cooked at the admired Tail Up Goat in Washington and Flour + Water in San Francisco. The experience shows in the bold flavors in his food at Elle, whose angled green bar is the source of swell drinks and whose rear dining room looks like a grandmother with good taste had a say in the flowery wallpaper. Note to event planners: Elle’s owners acquired the neighboring hardware store and hope to add 40 seats to the storefront by year’s end.

Come dessert, we eye the pastry case up front. “Get the goat cheese tart,” says an attendant. We bite, and remember why life would be less without Elle.

3221 Mount Pleasant St. NW .

202-652-0040.

eatatelle.com

Breakfast and lunch daily, dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 72 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Ramp leads to entrance; two ADA-compliant restrooms on first floor.

Gypsy Kitchen

Mains $9 to $49 (shared plates)

From the looks of it, the food faces stiff competition from the scenery at Gypsy Kitchen, the pan-Mediterranean restaurant whose main dining room unfolds beneath dozens of baskets on the ceiling and whose second floor is so green and light-filled, you swear you’re eating in the great outdoors. Two handsome bars, one per floor, are animated with what people seem to be swiping for on Tinder and company.

Then you see chef Eric Milton’s handiwork land at nearby tables and start rethinking your order. How could we leave out the baked-to-order, Astrodome-shaped pita, anointed with garlic oil and sprinkled with za’atar? The mere sight of the spectacle finds neighbors asking for a balloon of their own. The chicken, brushed with a combination of pomegranate molasses and honey and served with a bevy of accents — warm-spiced basmati rice in a bowl swiped with creamy hummus is almost a meal in itself — catches a lot of attention, too. ( Toum , let me count the ways I love you.) Milton previously cooked for ThinkFoodGroup, the brand that includes Zaytinya , a detail made evident in much of what leaves the open kitchen.

Shame on me for waiting two years to try this fashion statement on 14th Street NW. And shame on me for breaking a promise to a friend who joined me last-minute last visit, lured in part by my invitation to take all the leftovers home. “Dude, I’ve never seen you eat this much before.”

If you’ve tried Gypsy Kitchen’s lovely herbed falafel or tuna crudo — a shout-out to summer with chopped tomatoes, grilled corn, cucumber, plus shoyu vinaigrette — you’ll understand the plates I cleaned.

1825 14th St. NW.

202-765-0500.

gypsykitchendc.com

Takeout. Sound check: 80 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Ramp leads to entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

Mains $17 to $90

Welcome to 1952, 1992 or the present. The capacious main dining room in downtown Washington exudes a timelessness shared by few other restaurants. The lighting shaves years off your face, the servers sport tuxes and the bountiful bread basket could fill you up if you let it.

Go easy on the cornbread and onion rolls. You want to save space for one of the best (and busiest) chopped salads in town, golden fried chicken or maybe a New York strip, cooked just the way you ask — “warm red center,” a waiter describes medium-rare — and accompanied by a house seasoning that crackles with coriander, pepper, garlic and shallots. The signature stone crab claws are a pretty splurge; tuna tartare staged on ice and flanked with sails of rice crackers is about as trendy as Joe’s gets.

There’s not a bad table in the house, although I’m happiest to land a big velvet booth overlooking the show. (The high-ceilinged front bar, home to a nice happy hour and folks without reservations, used to be a bank and retains an air of luxe.)

At a time when even the best places struggle with service, Joe’s pays attention to the fine points, like brushing crumbs from the table between courses and boxing up leftovers with the same care paid to serving dishes. (My waiter wrote the name of each dish on its carton. No slowing down a refrigerator raid at midnight!) And who doesn’t love a place that serves nearly a dozen pies, by either the slice or the half slice? From start to banana cream pie, Joe’s is a gem.

750 15th St. NW.

202-489-0140.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 79 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Little Donna’s

Mains $8 to $26

To understand how pierogi, pizza and skate landed on the same menu in Baltimore, it helps to know that chef Robbie Tutlewski grew up in Indiana, comes from Polish stock, had a grandmother from Yugoslavia (Little Donna is named after her) and has worked for a pizza maestro in Arizona and the beloved Tail Up Goat in Washington. His dad instilled a love of food in him and coached Tutlewski to “sell the food you grew up on.”

Lucky diners at Little Donna’s, which follows the long-running Henninger’s Tavern in a corner storefront in Upper Fells Point. Working in part from recipes written in his late grandmother’s hand, Tutlewski personalizes some of his greatest hits.

Take the pierogies, four half-moons dolloped with sour cream and … chili crisp? The popular condiment adds texture and sass to a tradition made lighter and more elastic than usual with olive oil and sour cream in the dough. I love the filling, buttery pureed potatoes lit with horseradish. “Sausage & Sauerkraut” teams smoked kielbasa from the neighboring Ostrowski’s with tangy cabbage and a hot mustard dressing, sepia tones enlivened with lemon and scallions on the plate — strapping satisfaction (and possibly the Polish equivalent of menudo for hangovers). The sauteed skate, topped over summer with a refreshing stone-fruit salad, salutes the pan-fried fish the chef recalls from his youth in the Midwest, where pike and walleye got top billing.

The lone disappointment on the list are the tavern pizzas, a surprise given Tutlewski’s association with the acclaimed chef Chris Bianco in Phoenix. The bar pies at Little Donna’s are square-cut, per custom, but puffy and chewy when the ideal texture is cracker-y. Glass half-full: That just leaves more space for the rest of the menu, maybe some pork schnitzel or a slice of egg custard pie, whispering of bay leaf.

The restaurant, dressed with half-curtains in the windows and a pressed-tin ceiling, looks like it’s been around forever. The piece de resistance is the inherited wood bar, one side of which is decorated with a peeling military poster and sign framed in bottle caps: “Be nice or leave,” it reads. Be good and sup well.

1812 Bank St., Baltimore .

443-438-3956.

littledonnas.com

Dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 73 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Building is not wheelchair accessible.

Mattie & Eddie’s

Arlington, Va.

Mains $18 to $36

The owner of my favorite Irish pub sweats the small stuff. The reason you don’t leave a fry on a plate of fish and chips is because Cathal Armstrong insists on aging his potatoes at least a week to convert sugar to starch and slow browning. Spuds destined to become fries are then peeled, cut, washed, soaked overnight at room temperature and drained and rinsed again before they’re cooked first at a low temperature and then chilled. Before they leave the kitchen, the potatoes are cooked again at a higher temperature. Armstrong says that’s the way he’s going to offer fries “until my deathbed.”

Here’s wishing the chef a long life and Mattie & Eddie’s a long run. A love letter to Armstrong’s paternal grandparents, whose wee home back in Ireland was the stage for Sunday family meals, the Arlington tavern can host 200 revelers inside and 100 on the front patio. The most private tables are tucked into booths the size of a roomette on a train, where you can still hear whatever band happens to be playing Thursday through Saturday nights.

Stories come with some dishes. A jar of braised sardines mashed with tomatoes and onions, spiked with cayenne and lemon juice and served alongside fingers of toasted bread is a nod to a snack Armstrong’s father whipped up while watching rugby with his chef-to-be teenager. Any meal is better when it starts with a bowl crammed with smoked haddock, mussels, potatoes and cream, lightened (a bit) with fresh dill, and concludes with a slice of orange pound cake served with a seasonal accent. Chef Casey Bauer oversees the consistent kitchen. A recent deep dive in the shepherd’s pie was like my first: radiator hot, with handsome rippled mashed potatoes topping juicy braised lamb and peas.

1301 S. Joyce St., D-1, Arlington.

571-312-2665.

mattieandeddies.com

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 73 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

The Monocle

Mains $19 to $56

Soft jazz is playing when an icy gimlet arrives. “All right now!” says a bow-tied, vest-wrapped server.

He’s referring to my drink, but he could just as well be talking about the brass-railed, red-bricked restaurant on Capitol Hill whose walls frame the smiles of scores of politicians, past and present, and whose borders are inscribed with words of wisdom. “Washington is the only city where sound travels faster than light,” declares one string of pearls. I look up from my booth to see that Bill Clinton and Trent Lott, or at least their likenesses, will be joining us for dinner.

A few friends laughed when I suggested the long-lived Monocle for dinner. Surprise, surprise, then, for them to stroll into a dining room inhabited by youthful Pete Buttigieg-types and to find (some) dishes good enough to polish off. I’m talking lacy onion rings, thick pork chops paired with cheesy mashed potatoes, garlic-fragrant clam pasta and cheesecake lightened with pineapple compote.

The crab cake is too bready, and the rib-eye needs its chile butter for flavor. The Monocle reminds me that food isn’t everything. The dapper gent at the door treats us like we’re beloved senators as he ushers us to our choice of tables, “anywhere you’re comfortable,” he offers. Servers swoop in with smiles, bread, water, recommendations. This is the uncommon quiet restaurant that doesn’t feel like a mausoleum — thus the perfect place to take people who want a taste of Washington, but nothing too challenging, please.

107 D St. NE.

202-546-4488.

themonocle.com

Dinner Monday through Saturday, lunch Tuesday through Friday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 68 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: Ramp leads to entrance; restroom is not ADA-compliant.

Alexandria, Va.

Mains $95 (tasting menu only)

The best seats in the house are the handful of stools in front of the open kitchen, where chef-owner Yuh Shimomura, a veteran of Kaz Sushi Bistro in Washington, whips up the same seven courses for everyone in his slip of a restaurant in Old Town Alexandria.

He’s not a big talker — Shimomura is cooking solo, after all — but watching his knife skills or the reverence with which he handles ingredients is dinner theater on mute. Engage him, though, and he might share that the seared Japanese wagyu short rib gets some of its umami from a wrap of seaweed, and the dark nugget in the sashimi course, arranged like a bouquet, is seared marinated bonito.

The menu, for which the Tokyo native shops near daily, changes; mine in late summer included a refreshing puree of edamame, tofu and dashi and roseate duck slices dappled with a “chimichurri” pungent with shiso and mitsuba, or Japanese wild parsley. The value: good ingredients, creatively addressed. Know before you go: The lone server guards the curtained entrance like a cop. Parties have to be complete to be seated. Soft jazz and a quietly talented chef smooth any curt first impression.

1209 King St., Alexandria .

703-548-1848.

nasimerestaurant.com

Dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Indoor seating.

Takeout (with advance notice). Sound check: 70 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

New Heights

Mains $18 to $42

New Heights is an apt name for this long-running restaurant in Woodley Park, acquired this year by three immigrants from Iran, Ukraine and Bolivia: Mark Namdar, Olena Fedorenko and her husband, chef Jose Molina, respectively. Veterans of the hospitality industry, the trio share a lofty mission. “Our goal,” says Namdar, “is to make it a destination again.”

The setting will be familiar to anyone who visited the modern American restaurant when it was owned by Umbi Singh, who opened the place in 1986 and guided it up to the pandemic. Guests encounter an airy bar, specializing in gin, before ascending to a dining room set off with photos and maps of D.C. and windows looking onto treetops.

No sooner do the plates start arriving than you pause to admire a fresh take here, a luscious twist there — a new restaurant for your rotation. The Caesar salad is built from grilled broccolini and a creamy dressing, bold with black garlic. Instead of french fries, there are beech mushrooms dipped in tempura and seasoned with warm spices. Juicy chicken is staged with velvety roast peppers and buttery potatoes whipped with rosemary and lemon juice. The Bolivian touches — a tart and elegant ceviche, flanked with light-as-air yuca chips, and a creamy peanut soup that fits in pasta and shredded chicken — honor the chef’s heritage and raises the question: More where that comes from, please?

2317 Calvert St. NW .

202-290-2692.

newheightsrestaurant.com

Dinner Tuesday through Sunday, brunch Sunday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 69 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: Patio and bar on first floor are accessible; dining room and restroom on second floor are not.

Falls Church, Va.

Mains $17 to $27

It opened as Bangkok Golden in 2010 and became known as a Thai restaurant with a secret Laotian menu . So many people gravitated to the latter, owner Seng Luangrath combined the cuisines on one list and rebranded the place Padaek, a nod to the fermented fish sauce used in Laotian cooking, several years later.

A taste of shredded papaya salad lets you experience the differences between Thai and Laotian kitchens. While they look much the same, the Thai salad is sweeter, the Laotian version more savory, thanks to salt and the funk of shrimp and crab paste in the seasoning. A request for “medium” heat in either delivers a serious punch.

Crispy rice, roasted peanuts, scallions and pink folds of fermented pork make up my favorite dish here, the aromatic naem khao thadaeu, eaten with the help of cool lettuce leaves. An even more interactive dish is golden fried catfish presented with a platter of goodies — matchsticks of fresh ginger, lemongrass, tiny green eggplants, fine rice noodles — for packing in folds of sturdy collard leaves, atypical in Laos but preferred by Luangrath for their sturdiness and pleasant bitterness. The combination of hot fish, tropical accents and cool packaging goes down like a three-ring circus in your mouth, and it’s all the better for the pineapple sauce you can add to your wraps.

The tidy storefront in Falls Church looks the same as it always has, with sunny yellow walls, swatches of fabric displayed on glass-topped tables and friendly servers animating the room. The fancy bottle of wine on your neighbor’s table isn’t from the restaurant’s stock but the result of Padaek’s gentle corkage fee: $15 to bring your own grape juice.

6395 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, Va .

703-533-9480.

padaekdc.com

Parkway Deli & Restaurant

Silver Spring, Md.

Mains $7 to $20

Good news first: The pickle bar is back at one of my favorite blasts from the past.

The menu at Parkway brings together wants spanning breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you go for just one dish, make it chicken soup. Tender chunks of chicken pack the golden broth, gently herby and crammed with a fistful of carrots, celery, onion and egg noodles. Every spoonful has the power of a hug. As for sandwiches, the Reuben hits all the right spots with tangy sauerkraut, sweet Russian dressing and half a pound of thinly shaved corned beef. The best of the pastry case is a warm-spiced slab of carrot cake that can easily satisfy three forks.

Dinners are served starting at 4 p.m. — my kind of happy hour — and include such comforts as cabbage stuffed with ground beef, fried chicken, and sliced turkey with cornbread stuffing and cranberry sauce. Diners select a side; lightly dressed coleslaw or creamy mac and cheese tend to round out my plates.

Introduced in 1963, the front of the Silver Spring operation is a small food store and deli, where you can buy wine or beer to drink with your meal and which you pass through to reach the dining room. Painted in purple and aqua, the restaurant is otherwise plain and practical. A band of mirrors lets you play voyeur from just about every table, and how thoughtful that the condiments extend to two kinds of hot sauce and three kinds of sweetener. Comfort and abundance explain what owner Danny Gurewitz, grandson of the founder, calls “a cornucopia” of diners here.

Can we talk? The blueberry pancakes are tough and the hash browns inside the omelets are underdone. Your mileage depends on knowing the kitchen’s strengths. (See above.) But there’s something to be said for a place that has outlived so many other area attempts at “deli.”

8317 Grubb Rd., Silver Spring .

301-587-1427.

theparkwaydeli.com

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 73 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ramp leads to outdoor seating; restroom is not ADA-compliant.

La Piquette

Mains $28 to $45

The name is a joke; Piquette alludes to second-rate wine. Otherwise, this is a serious bistro that knows how to make customers happy. Warm bread lands on the table as soon as you’re seated, in a room whose black-and-white photos, pressed-tin ceiling and antique mirrors suggest a place that’s been around forever. A seat at a tall table in the raised bar is my preferred perch for the floor show near Washington National Cathedral.

Here’s what else to expect: breezy service, icy oysters, crisp cod perched on ratatouille and sweetbreads that cut like custard and arrive with a forest of mushrooms. The kitchen offers the usual French suspects — duck confit, coq au vin — but knows some of us can also get around, say, creamy linguine scattered with braised rabbit and olives.

Want to impress your dining companions? Drop the chef’s name, Francis Layrle, and let them know the Gascon native came to La Piquette after having cooked at the French Embassy for seven ambassadors.

3714 Macomb St. NW.

202-686-2015.

lapiquettedc.com

Dinner daily, lunch Tuesday through Friday, brunch weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 74 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; bar seating involves stairs; ADA-compliant restroom.

Annapolis, Md.

Mains $16 to $39

Since it set sail in Annapolis seven years ago, this mom-and-pop from Michelle and Jeremy Hoffman has featured dishes reflective of Jeremy’s origins in Pennsylvania Dutch country and his interest in all things fermented. Expect pierogies as appetizers, tang throughout the menu and … duck tongues, anyone?

“We’re a family-friendly restaurant,” says Brian Cieslak, Preserve’s chef de cuisine. “But we don’t think parents should miss out on flavor.” Hence the fried duck tongues, offered with rice vinegar aioli and chili crunch oil. Preserve sells “a lot,” says the Maryland native.

Things that sound familiar never taste that way. What read over summer like pasta with clams turned out to be buckwheat bucatini flavored with bacon, black garlic and diced asparagus, all of which slide across the tongue with the help of a cream reduction. Scallops, striped from the grill, got a lovely charge from a relish of fermented fish pepper, cilantro, lime juice and celery, an idea Cieslak picked up at his wedding in St. Lucia.

Similar to his boss, Cieslak works with his wife, Sommer Walker, a former ballerina who’s now bar manager at Preserve. “It’s a dream team,” the chef says of the time with his colleagues, a detail anyone can fact-check by observing the tiny open kitchen crammed with people who look like they’re having as much fun as diners. It doesn’t hurt that kids’ meals are served aloft toy dinosaurs. The sight of a child’s hamburger being ferried through the snug dining room is as happy-making as Preserve’s tall slab of many-layered crepe cake, flavored as if it were tiramisu.

164 Main St., Annapolis .

443-598-6920.

preserve-eats.com

Lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 74 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Ramp leads to entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Ruthie’s All-Day

Mains $11 to $42

Sometimes a critic has to throw his beau a bone and pretend like he has a choice for dinner. Whenever Ruthie’s is in the realm of possibilities, the Arlington hot spot gets the green light from my significant other. Part of that has to do with Todd Salvadore, who watches over diners as if they’re friends over for a barbecue. And part of that has to do with his business partner, chef Matt Hill, who cooks as if he’s competing for blue ribbons at some state fair.

This is food with mass appeal — smoked brisket with milk bread and pickles, fried chicken sandwiches bulked up with coleslaw and saucy with avocado ranch dressing — served in a light-filled (and admittedly clattery) dining room named for the chef’s late grandmother and as good for a date as a family reunion. The owners’ fine dining backgrounds are revealed in details such as a European-focused wine list and a sparkling tuna tartare presented with housemade waffle chips.

Did I mention the drinks are good, parking is easy, pets are welcome on the patio, and the shrimp-flavored hush puppies rock? I could do All-Day every week.

3411 Fifth St. S., Arlington.

703-888-2841.

ruthiesallday.com

Dinner daily, breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, brunch weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 75 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Shalla Restaurant & Bar

Mains $11 to $31

They take meat seriously at this year-old Ethiopian restaurant in Silver Spring, a corner of which is devoted to butchering beef — “four to five cows a week” when customers aren’t fasting during religious holidays, says co-owner Temesgen Gebeyehu. When I enlist him for a recommendation, he steers me to shint tibs. A mound of juicy cubed rib-eye, sweet with onions and sharp with jalapeños, eventually makes its way to the table, where I tackle the entree with the help of pieces of injera, the tangy crepe-like bread that doubles as a utensil.

Clouds of incense, part of Shalla’s coffee ceremony, greeted me on my first visit to the restaurant that once housed the groovy Jackie’s and where I splurged on an upgraded version of kitfo, Ethiopia’s steak tartare. The surface of the minced raw beef, glossed with butter infused with cardamom, mitmita and other spices, was sculpted into little red ripples. Similarly wavy scoops of housemade cottage cheese — one green with collards, another orange with cayenne — helped fill out the platter.

Beef isn’t the sole attraction. Ground tilapia jump-started with jalapeños and the eight-item vegetable combination platter also draw me back. The latter is a kaleidoscope of colors: dark green garlicky collards, sunny yellow cabbage and carrots, and red lentils whose hidden serrano pepper creates a slow burn in your mouth. Chef Tsega Amera comes to the kitchen from the late Addis Ababa, also in Silver Spring.

Shalla takes its name from Lake Shala in south-central Ethiopia, a place Gebeyehu knows well, having worked there as a surveyor. Indeed, all three owners come from construction backgrounds.

8081 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring .

301-920-0082.

shallarestaurant.com

Takeout. Sound check: 79 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Shilling Canning Company

Mains $32 to $49, $65 three-course tasting menu

Everywhere I look in this ode to the Mid-Atlantic, there’s something to suggest chef Reid Shilling cares about the fine points. Hugging the airy restaurant in Navy Yard are planters stocked with a little encyclopedia of herbs and greens, and a window in the back of the dining room captures hams hung for aging. We sit down and a little snack appears. What’s not to like about a deviled egg whose yolk, swirled with housemade pickles, appears to have been sculpted in place?

My last visit was during summer’s Restaurant Week, a promotion that smart chefs use not just to fill seats in mid-August but to entice customers back. Wisely, Shilling offered dishes from the regular menu, and selections for vegetarians as well as meat fanciers. Tucking into charred squash-and-corn fritters scattered with Maryland crab and moving on to crisp Cape May fluke splayed over a rich corn bisque, larded with bacon and peppers, I got the sense the chef was interested in sharing his range with participants.

Really, though, every week feels like Restaurant Week at this handsome shout-out to the chef’s onetime family business in Maryland, thanks to the option of a three-course menu for $65. One of these date nights, I’m going to splurge on Shilling’s seven-course, $125 tasting menu, staged in front of the gleaming open kitchen, and watch him cook in front of me. But the siren call of three courses for a fixed price in a light-filled room watched over by gracious servers is hard to resist.

360 Water St. SE .

202-554-7474.

shillingcanning.com

Dinner Wednesday through Saturday, brunch weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout and delivery. Sound check: 77 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria

Mains $9 to $25

The place sneaks up on you. One minute you’re quietly walking up the stairs to the second-floor dining room in Shaw, the next you’re inside a piñata that’s just been whacked. Behold the Virgin Mary and Aztec pyramids, depicted on a mural that screams “Mexico!” The place is so loud, you resort to reading lips, and the tables are constantly reconfigured to accommodate the party of four here, the group of six there. Servers walk around auctioning off dishes and avoiding eye contact in barely controlled chaos.

So why bother? Because Alfredo Solis, the co-chef behind my No. 1 favorite restaurant from spring, Mariscos 1133 , owns the place with his sister, and the pozole and chilaquiles at the oldest of his five establishments are dynamite. The soup, centered on pork braised for half a day with chiles, cumin and other brassy notes, is “good for a hangover,” says Solis. Duly noted, sir, but I’m content dispatching the liquid gold sober, the better to inhale its nuances, like clove in the seasoning. El Sol’s chilaquiles may be the best in town, thanks to a green salsa made in small batches with lots of cilantro, tomatillo and epazote. Say sí to the bright guacamole, zapped with garlic and serrano and made to order.

Concerned that customers were only ordering dishes they were familiar with after El Sol opened in 2014, Solis added photographs of everything to the menu. “It’s kind of cheesy,” says the chef, but it got people ordering more than, say, tacos, good as they are. Misses like the arid chicken mole are rare. Hits including smoky shrimp atop a cream sauce fired up with dried peppers are the happy norm.

1227 11th St. NW .

202-815-4789.

elsol-dc.com

Takeout. Sound check: 85 decibels/Extremely loud. Accessibility: Ramp leads to entrance; restrooms are narrow and not wheelchair accessible.

Small plates $8 to $18

The family behind this fresh face in Dupont Circle aspired to channel a Bangkok Chinatown. Mission accomplished, thanks to steep stairs lined with Thai and Chinese newspapers and an underground bar and dining room that glow red and green, respectively.

Yes, it’s loud and dark. But Sura is also lip-smacking. Billy Thammasathiti, who last worked in a Japanese restaurant, heads up the kitchen; his brother Andy covers the small bar. (Sura translates to “spirits” in Thai.) Together they are doing atypical Thai food and drink in a space with a nice past: The brothers’ grandmother cooked here when she left Bangkok and the restaurant was known as Sala Thai.

Don’t come looking for fish cakes or tom yum soup. An order of skewered beef shows how the chef makes some Thai basics his own. A riff on crying tiger beef, the ropy meat is marinated in fish sauce, palm sugar and salt and sprinkled with what Billy calls “rice spice” — roasted sticky rice, lemongrass, lime leaves — before hitting the grill. The textures and aromatics are riveting. The chef likes to play with fire, evinced by pork belly finished with a chile sauce that races from hot to tangy and back, a sensation (somewhat) tamed by Thai basil in the jumble.

Other dishes seem designed to go with Andy’s libations. “Chips & dip,” for instance, find garlic-scented rice crackers and a little dish of ground pork and roasted peanuts souped up with coconut milk. Munch, munch, gone.

The drinks, affixed with Asian accents, are as spirited as the cooking. The pause that refreshes most is a daiquiri swirled with passion fruit liqueur and fancied up with an orchid.

2016 P St. NW .

202-735-5168.

Dinner Wednesday through Monday. Indoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 80 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Stairs at entrance, so not accessible for wheelchairs.

Mains $13 to $40

The only difference between the calamari “pasta” I recall from Takumi earlier in the pandemic and recently is the mode of delivery. Take it from this fan: The most popular dish at the Japanese retreat in Falls Church looks better on a plate than inside plastic — and is better experienced in view of the open kitchen than as takeout. Otherwise, the poached calamari (sliced into ribbons, formed into a turban and topped with seaweed matchsticks and a quail egg) is as compelling as ever. The appetizer comes with instructions to break the yolk to create a sauce and combine it with the other ingredients, which include custardy sea urchin tucked within the “pasta.”

Spotting tuna napoleon on the menu, I’m reminded that chef-owner Jie (“Jay”) Yu borrowed the idea from his former employer, Kaz Sushi Bistro in Washington. The beet-red minced fish, which gets its kick from a spicy miso sauce and its slick from sesame oil, arrives atop little rounds of corn chips. One is never enough.

Maybe you’re in a snug booth or on one of only six counter stools for something more traditional. Let a server steer you to what fish you should order as sushi. A recent request included yellowtail belly with a pinch of lime zest and pale pink o-toro, unadorned to let its buttery flavor shine. Yu fries as well as he slices and dices, a cue to order calamari in a sheath of tempura.

There’s no set price for omakase, just a base price of about $80; Yu lets you decide how much you want to eat and works within your budget. At a minimum, you’ll get two small plates and about 10 pieces of sushi — a meal to remember that underscores the name of the place. Takumi is Japanese for “artisan.”

310-B S. Washington St., Falls Church, Va .

703-241-1128.

takumiva.com

Takeout. Sound check: 69 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: No barriers at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom.

Mains $16 to $28

Think of it as a time capsule with familiar food: chicken tenders, mac & cheese bites, a hamburger. But keep in mind, the pub below the stately 1789 Restaurant in the shadow of Georgetown University is part of the Clyde’s Restaurant Group, known for its attention to detail. The chicken bursts with juices because it’s been brined, and the macaroni cubes pick up flavor from cayenne, bacon and red pepper.

The menu is designed with students in mind, but also professors, parents and tourists. Hence the interesting salads (I love the antipasto-inspired combination of salami, provolone, chickpeas and tiny pasta), the Charleston-worthy shrimp and grits at brunch and salmon served with tzatziki sauce and Israeli couscous perked up with pesto. The last looks and tastes as if it were whipped up in the formal 1789 but in fact originates from the open kitchen beneath it, headed by chef Chris Benitez.

The underground tavern, reached by steps as steep as “The Exorcist” stairs nearby and the model for the bar in 1985’s “St. Elmo’s Fire,” hasn’t changed much in its six decades. The rowing references are everywhere, the booths are semi-enclosed with lead-glass dividers and, truth be told, your first whiff of the place remains the amalgam of cleaning solution and spilled beer. Hoya Saxa!

1226 36th St. NW .

202-337-6668.

Dinner daily, lunch Monday through Friday, brunch weekends. Indoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 80 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Restaurant and bar are basement-level and accessible only via stairs.

Mains $17 to $31

We’re listening to Italian opera and eating inari sushi. Strange bedfellows? Not at Tonari, the city’s single example of wafu Italian. “The Japanese are good at borrowing from others and making it their own,” says chef Katsuya Fukushima, who’s good at a lot of things, including inari sushi, little boats of fried tofu stuffed with sushi rice and a dish his mother tucked into his lunch box as a child. A pickled anchovy atop his version balances the subtle sweetness of the original.

Pasta and pizza make up most of the small menu in this two-story Chinatown retreat. “Marcella Hazan” pays tribute to the acclaimed Italian cookbook author with a spaghetti sauce coaxed from Jersey tomatoes, onions and butter. Mmm mmm buono! The pizzas are a cross between focaccia and Detroit-style, with crusts that are pillowy in the center and crisp along the edges. I have an ongoing affection for clams, brick cheese, oregano and — this being wafu Italian fare — pickled seaweed and red miso oil. The pies can be ordered whole or half, encouraging exploration.

Chocolate budino garnished with litchis? The rich pudding and the juicy fruit are bliss in every bite.

707 Sixth St. NW .

202-289-8900.

tonaridc.com

Mains $20 to $36

Looking for a stable relationship? This charming, two-room Italian outpost delivers in spades. It might be years between visits, but whenever I go back, I can always count on linen-dressed tables, beautiful salads, braised lamb ravioli in a wash of red wine sauce and a list of specials so long it could be mistaken for a filibuster.

Nope, just another typical night at Tortino, where chef-owner Noé Canales, a veteran of Tosca, Al Tiramisu and Cafe Milano, sends out big servings of Italian standards. Go for the big rings of soft calamari arranged with chickpeas and potatoes against a roasted bell pepper sauce, a trio of lamb chops lapped in summer with blueberry sauce, maybe a treasure of seafood, lobster included, heaped on linguine.

When he opened in Shaw in 2011, Canales says, “nobody wanted to be there.” Loyal neighbors sustained his business, which explains Tortino’s generous spirit. “You pay back your customers.”

They might not know your name here, but the vested staff sure act as though they do, at what feels like a diner’s wish list come true. Entrees hover around $28, the dessert list is eight choices strong, and you can hear yourself think. Tortino is the model neighbor.

1228 11th St. NW .

202-312-5570.

tortinodc.com

Dinner daily. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Takeout. Sound check: 69 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: Stairs at entrance, so not accessible for wheelchairs.

Vienna, Va.

Mains $28 to $65 (mixed grill for two)

This Mediterranean restaurant with a Lebanese lilt brims with surprises. For starters, it’s unexpectedly posh given its placement in a shopping center. And nowhere else but here in Vienna has a server invited me to “order a few dishes at a time if you want. No rush.”

Then there’s the cooking: Ten herbs and tomatoes dressing up the colorful fattoush and skin-on roasted branzino presented with saffron-colored potatoes and tahini sauce on a plate that looks as if it were custom-tailored for the fish. “I like the best,” says chef-owner Samer Zeitoun, whose sweat went into creating a dining room furnished with beautiful blue chairs and mirrors shaped like portholes and whose “picky taste” means cooking most dishes to order.

Wherever on the list you see eggplant or lamb, think of it as a green light. Among the spreads, roasted eggplant stands out for being so much more than the mashed vegetable, served with Marcona almonds for crunch, dates for unexpected sweetness and feta cheese for tang. Ground lamb finds its way, along with rice and parsley, into a small boat of zucchini that sails to the table on a tomato sauce enlightened with lemon juice and strained before serving, leading to a thin but bright elixir. Best in class, though, is the glistening kibbeh nayyeh, minced raw lamb and cracked wheat colored by red peppers, seasoned with mint and basil, and staged as a round with hot pita bread and white rosettes of whipped garlic.

The chef, who can observe his domain from a window in the kitchen, gets help from family. A daughter serves as mistress of ceremonies in the dining room, and his wife lavishes attention on the salads and sweets, including a divine cheesecake whose crust fuses dates and ground pistachios.

Zeitoun says he could still use another set of hands in the kitchen. Yes, that’s a plug, with a carrot attached: “We pay the good people well,” promises the chef.

132 Branch Rd. SE, Vienna, Va .

571-407-5203.

zenolavienna.com

Dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Indoor seating.

A foodie’s first-time guide to Washington, DC dining

By: Author Brittany

Posted on Last updated: February 17, 2023

I know lots of Americans visit the nation’s capital in the eighth grade. They visit the museums and monuments, and watch our country’s history come to life. I never had the opportunity. On this trip, I was over the moon to see Abraham Lincoln sitting in his armchair and totally geeked out when Marine One flew right between the Washington Monument and where I stood on the National Mall. I was surprised at the pride I felt as I walked down streets lined with American flags (where I live, you’re more likely to see Texas flags hanging from homes). But visiting monuments works up an appetite! When it came to finding the best places to eat in Washington, DC, I polled my local friends and discovered the must-visits for any first-time visitor to the DMV area (that is, Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland) and they didn’t lead me astray! 

Wondering what to eat in Washington, DC? Brunch, lunch, and dinner restaurants in Washington, DC and Virginia! 

Founding farmers.

Founding Farmers takes the idea of farm to table very seriously– so seriously in fact, that the restaurant is majority-owned by over 47,000 American family farmers. When the distance from farm-to-table is this short, you can really taste the difference. Everything in the restaurant is made from scratch… and I mean EVERYTHING! I overheard the family at the table behind mine ask for a Fanta, and the server described their homemade orange soda that sounded refreshing and flavorful. We were almost tempted away from cocktails (made using liquor from their Founding Spirits distillery). Almost.

Drinks and dinner at Founding Farmers

Instead, we tried The Constitution (made with Founding Spirits Dry Gin, chamomile, ginger, blueberry, lemon, and jerk soda) and The Martinez (a gin cocktail with maraschino liqueur, dolin rouge, and absinthe bitters). I think we made the right choice! 

The Constitution Founding Farmers

The Martinez

For starters, we went hyper-local with Virginia ham and biscuits. Three types of ham are served with whole grain mustard, cranberry jam, chow-chow relish, and honey butter. From a Southern girl who’s eaten biscuits everywhere from Loveless to the Lone Star State, these are probably the best I’ve ever had. Fresh out of the oven, fluffy-but-substantial biscuits, topped with an almost endless combination of ingredients, this is the appetizer version of a choose-your-own-adventure novel. And this story has a happy ending!  

Virginia Ham and Biscuits Founding Farmers

I was so full after the appetizer that I opted for a Jefferson-filled donut for dinner. My friend paid homage to our home state with the Texas chili dog and substituted potato salad as the side. Ever the “I’m not hungry, but can I have a bite of yours?” friend, I stole a forkful of potato salad. The tangy, mayo-less salad was the freshest, most unique I’ve ever had.

Texas chili dog Founding Farmers

Friends from Canada to Portugal recommended this restaurant as a must-visit, and my local friends agreed– this is famous Washington, DC food you’ve got to try! Support farmers and taste food the way it’s meant to be enjoyed! 

Virtue Feed and Grain

Y’all. I have to confess to a travel and food blogger fail. Virtue Food and Grain was one of my first restaurant experiences post-vaccination, and before, eating in a restaurant was a rarity. I got SO excited about the experience and the food that I devoured my entire meal before remembering that I am supposed to take photos of my food to share with you. The marketing team at Virtue Feed & Grain came through with some mouthwateringly gorgeous photos that will have you picking up your phone to make reservations at this restaurant in Old Town Alexandria!

Virtue Feed and Grain is located just around the corner from Captain’s Row, the oldest cobblestone block in the city. Take the long way to the restaurant for a romantic stroll– just watch your ankles on the uneven stones! The restaurant borders the historic Wales Alley, named for Alexandria’s first brewer, Andrew Wales. Virtue Feed & Grain repurposed a feed house from the 1800s, maintaining the charm and preserving original elements wherever possible.  

Photo courtesy of Virtue Feed & Grain

Drinks and dinner at Virtue Feed & Grain

We began our celebratory “I’ve just arrived in the DC-area” meal with a round of cocktails. My Dark Chocolate Manhattan combined Maker’s Mark, Amaro Averna, and chocolate bitters for a potent and perfectly amazing start to a meal that would only get better as we continued to order. 

I’m pro-appetizers, preferring to try lots of new things instead of committing to one main course. Their Scotch eggs called out to us (I’d only tried them once– at Jamie Oliver’s favorite spot in London  and my friend had never tried them). They did not disappoint! 

Long before my plane landed in DC, I’d heard about Virtue Feed & Grain’s crab dip. Y’all. If you’ve never had it, go ahead and book your reservation now. This is the stuff of dreams. You’ll want to bathe in it. But don’t. That’s gross. If I had to pick a winner for the best thing I ate on my trip, this would win. 

My friend and I split one main course– short ribs. The melt-in-your-mouth, red wine-braised short ribs with sauteed mushrooms and sunchoke parmesan mashed potatoes were a worthy follow-up after the amazing crab dip! 

Busboys and Poets

Busboys and Poets is named for American poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a busboy at Wardman Park Hotel in the 1920s before making it big as a jazz poet. While I didn’t make it to the restaurant/ community gathering space/ cultural hub for artists, activists, writers, thinkers and dreamers, it’s top of my list for next time. I asked my friend Bri to share why she thinks this is one of the coolest restaurants in DC: 

“Aside from the access to books by my favorite demographic of writers (Black women), Busboys & Poets was where I first got to experience spoken word poetry! They’re one of best places to see/hear new creatives and have good discussion.”

Photo credit: Hannah Logan of Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Travel 

Ted’s Bulletin

The Ted’s Bulletin website claims that “you will find fast friends in our servers, bartenders, and fellow diners.” No joke, by the time we left, one of the servers called out goodbye to my friend using her name! I visited for the homemade pop tarts, but their brunch was the real show stopper.

Ted’s Bulletin cherry blossom pop tart

The crab cake benedict with homemade Hollandaise and perfectly crispy hashbrowns was a perfect way to start the day. The Old Bay bloody Mary was pretty dang good, too! The chefs were absolutely on fire– we’d hardly gotten the order in before it arrived on our table! 

Crab cake benedict Ted’s Bulletin

Call Your Mother: A Jew-ish Deli

I’ll admit… Call Your Mother made my list of fun places to eat in DC for two reasons:

• It is Instagrammable as heck.
• The Georgetown deli was Biden’s first restaurant visit as President .  

Call Your Mother A Jew-ish Deli

While the Instagrammability + fame of this place caught my attention, the food earned its rightful place on this list. I ordered the Pastrami Sun City– pastrami, a bodega-style egg, spicy honey, and cheese on an everything bagel. It tastes even better than it looks, and I think we can all agree that it looks amazing! 

The Pastrami Sun City Call Your Mother Deli

More than just amazing food, Call Your Mother is doing amazing things for the community. They’re committed to providing breakfast to local children, supporting career training, encouraging creativity through summer camps, and transforming the lives of immigrants. That’s an incredible way to do good and eat well! 

While you’re in Georgetown, check out this walking food tour ! 

Best places to eat dessert in Washington, DC

Baked & wired.

Forget everything you know about cupcakes… Baked & Wired is serving cakecups! While they may taste sugar-sweet, the brand is a little more metal. Serving flavors like “Unip*rn and Rainho,” “Unporked Elvis,” and “Karen’s Birthday” in a shop with mostly-black walls, Baked & Wired is a far cry from its pastel-hued confectionary competitors. 

I tried their seasonal Cherry Blossom cakecup and fell in love after one bite. The vanilla cake has chopped maraschino cherries folded throughout and the maraschino buttercream is just the perfect amount! *If you hate the m-word, skip the next sentence* The cakecup was super moist, perfectly sweet, and huge! A perfect combination in my book! 

Cherry Blossom cake cup Baked & Wired

Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken

Fried chicken and waffles? Good! Fried chicken and doughnuts? BETTER! For lunch, I opted for their Old Bay All Day– flavorful fried chicken, bacon, and sriracha mayo sandwiched between a savory, Old Bay-dusted doughnut. 

Old Bay All Day at Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken

For dessert? Their special cherry blossom doughnut, filled with cherry jam. I will never NOT be impressed when doughnut shops fill doughnuts that have a hole in the middle. Am I easily impressed? Maybe. But this hole-y treat is certainly praise-worthy! 

Cherry blossom Astro Doughnuts

Check out this underground doughnut tour for more sweet surprises! 

Iron Rooster

I needed to get at least one spot from the “M” in my list of the best food in the DMV! Thankfully, a friend from Annapolis had me covered! Iron Rooster is known for their homemade pop tarts and these were buttery, contained ample filling, and didn’t skimp on the icing and decorations! 

Pop tart from Iron Rooster 

Iron Rooster Reeses pop tart

I hope you’ve enjoyed this compilation of good places to eat in Washington, DC for a first-time visitor! Is there another restaurant I should add to the list? Let me know in the comments! 

Pin this post to remember cool places to eat in Washington, DC!

Saturday 24th of April 2021

Pastrami Sun City is my favourite and very tasty. It is also cheaper than other places for lunch in DC.

I'll have to check that out next time! Thanks for the recommendation!

Thursday 8th of April 2021

Next try to score a seat at Rose’s Luxury, down the block from Ted’s Bulletin. Michelin starred. Endless small plates. You’ll never stop ordering. Especially if you bring along a sharer. Walk-in counter seats are always worth a try.

Thanks for the tip! I'm a sucker for small plates and sharing so I can try everything!! I just Googled it and the link was purple... I remember ogling over their menu!! Hopefully I'll get to try one day!

Where To Eat When You’re Visiting DC

photo credit: Nina Palazzolo

Tristiaña Hinton

April 8, 2024

Welcome to our nation’s capital, a city of big monuments and even bigger culture. And our food scene is laced with every bit of that culture, whether it’s from down the block or halfway across the world. With so many choices, it can be overwhelming to decide where to eat after a day of exploring our free museums (seriously, y’all pay for that in your city?). Here are a few great places to check out when you’re in DC, even if you’re only here for a day.

photo credit: Founding Farmers & Distillers

Founding Farmers & Distillers

This Chinatown spot is open all day, but we like it for breakfast because it opens at 7am every day and is easy to get to, no matter how you’re getting around DC. The huge dining room fills up early with locals having a quiet coffee before work and tired parents with kids who don’t care about the hour. Get the crispy New Orleans-adjacent beignets and fluffy pancakes.

photo credit: Jai Williams

Florida Avenue Grill

The oldest Black-owned American restaurant in the city requires some planning if you want to taste their famous hot cakes, served with butter, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. After more than 70 years serving the city, the Shaw spot only opens Friday through Sunday from 9am-2pm. That makes it perfect if you’re in town for the weekend, but block out a couple hours for your meal because things take time here. But as they say, good things come to those who wait, and it’s worth it to try dishes like the cajun fried catfish that have been perfected over the decades.

photo credit: Omnia Saed

Jimmy T's Place

Capitol Hill

Swing by this family-owned restaurant in Capitol Hill before you go catch up with your congressman or take a stroll by the reflecting pool. Expect nothing but the fundamentals: booths, bar seating, and wooden tables that can be rearranged to accommodate big groups. The straightforward menu is full of American breakfast classics, the best of which are the omelets and the french toast. Make sure you have some cash on hand, though—they don’t accept cards.

Best New Restaurants

Any Day Now

There are a few reasons to hit this all-day American restaurant and cafe in Navy Yard , like their homemade cold brew and buttery croissants. But i t’s the scallion-pancake egg sandwich that will turn anyone (including tourists here for a couple days) into a regula r. It comes with your choice of bacon, kimchi, or sausage, and is served with a spicy, tangy garlic-chili oil. It's a great spot to work while you eat if you’re in town on business, but is also a good choice for a family meal. Lounge on a green tweed couch if you're looking to kick back, or grab a more sturdy (but still comfortable) booth if you're there to grind.

photo credit: Reema Desai

Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben’s Chili Bowl put DC’s infamous half-smoke on the map. And while there are better sausages around town (especially the ones at Halfsmoke and DCity Smokehouse ), you really should pay homage to the OG first. We force everyone who visits us to come here, because it’s just as much a historical landmark as it is a restaurant. Grab the original chili half-smoke with all the fixins and ask them to split it in half.

Hot N Juicy Crawfish

Woodley Park

If you’re in Woodley Park, you’re probably heading to the zoo. Swing by Hot N Juicy Crawfish after the reptile house and split The Drool, a boil stuffed with classics like snow crab legs, shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn. The space is big, so you can stroll in any time and grab a seat, even with a larger group.

This Asian fusion spot at the Wharf is perfect for a group lunch, thanks to the $49.99 per person chef’s sharing menu, which includes two appetizers, three entrees, and one side. Try the Bicol express, a hearty Filipino stew that’s stick-to-your-ribs good. The pork belly is crispy and juicy, and the broth is packed with spice.

photo credit: Michelle Goldchain

DC’s Ethiopian food game is stronger than anywhere else in the country, so you definitely want to hit one of our local restaurants. Head to Chercher in Shaw during lunch for some of the city’s best—and it comes without a long wait. Get the shiro, a chickpea stew, and the vegan deluxe special that comes loaded with classics like collard greens, lentils, and beets. It’s great for sharing with a group, though we’ve been known to get through it on our own.

1789 Restaurant & Bar

If you’re looking for the opportunity to see what DC was like a couple hundred years ago, head to 1789 in Georgetown . The restored Federalist-style building with slender hallways and doorways that even your shortest friend will have to duck through are reminiscent of a time long ago. While the space can feel a little tight, the portions here are huge—finishing the juicy, football-sized pork chop will require a Fred Flintstone appetite. If you’re looking for an upscale dinner that’s on the more affordable end, this is your place.

Dupont Circle

Sura serves up piping hot Thai street food in a laid-back basement space in Dupont Circle that’s great for a quiet, casual dinner with a couple of people. The menu changes regularly, but might include rice topped with rich spicy pork belly or tempura-style calamari. Don’t skip the lychee martini or the crème brûlée.

Columbia Heights

To get an understanding of just how good the food in DC truly is, go to Thip Khao. The Lao restaurant in Columbia Heights always has a line by the time they open their doors, and that’s because the dishes like the mee kathi are bursting with flavor. The place gets packed and tables are close together, so be prepared to get cozy with your neighbor. It just gives you a good excuse to check out what they’re eating.

The Monocle

The Monocle, which has been serving the city since the ’60s, lets you eavesdrop on lobbyists and various elected officials while eating some of the best steaks you’ll get in DC. Despite the congressional folks, you can usually just walk in and grab a seat, whether you’re hanging solo at the old-school bar or having a friend date in the dining room. And while you don’t need to dress to the nines, skip the sweats if you want to blend in with the Hill crowd.

Penn Quarter

José Andrés is the unofficial culinary king of DC, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t include one of his spots on this list. While the food at Jaleo can be inconsistent, it’s got a great buzz, with people crammed into every nook and cranny (including the outdoor patio in winter), covering their tables in tapas. You haven’t quite lived until you’ve watched someone in a parka and gloves eating coliflor salteada and pollo croquetas on a 30-degree day.

Hawk 'n' Dove

This Capitol Hill institution is a great place to grab a drink and imagine all the secrets these walls have heard. It looks like an old lodge, full of pictures of ancient men you’ll definitely recognize from their days at 1600 Pennsylvania. There are, of course, Hill staffers and lobbyists hanging around and acting important, but you’ll also find locals swinging by. If you’re lucky enough to come through with an old head, they’re likely to have a Hawk ‘n’ Dove story that will make you understand how rooted the restaurant is, not just on the Hill, but to the people who make up the fabric of DC.

photo credit: Donahue

This Georgetown lounge is an excellent way to wrap a long day of shopping and meandering along the C&O Canal. The inventive cocktail menu includes drinks like the Bay of Bengal, served in a flowered tea cup, or the Sakura, which tastes like a vesper martini served in a sake glass. It’s open until 1am during the week and 2am on the weekends, and feels like a place where you’ll meet a mysterious stranger who is an international spy. Make this the last stop of the night when you’re ready to wind down.

The Green Zone

Adams Morgan

The Green Zone is one of the best bars in DC, so it gets packed early. Head over around 4pm so you can grab a seat before the crowd arrives. Named after an area in Baghdad, this Middle Eastern bar serves a bunch of craft cocktails featuring ingredients from that part of the world, like the Women. Life. Freedom, a vodka-based drink with cardamom and rose. The bar does have strong political stances—one of the drinks is called the F*ck Trump punch—so do with that what you will.

Middle Eastern

Logan Circle

Medina might be the only bar in DC that we dream about, thanks to their indoor bedouin tent and cocktails so pretty we almost don’t want to drink them. You’ll want to plan ahead for this one, because the best seats in the house are on cushy couches and those require reservations at least a couple weeks out. Once you’ve secured your spot, try the Medusa, made with mezcal and topped with a salty foam, and order some  chermoula, kefta hummus full of tiny meatballs, and endless pita bread to go with it.

Rose Ave Bakery

Bakery/Cafe

Rose Ave Bakery is our go-to spot for, well, anything you get at a bakery or coffee shop. The Asian-owned cafe opens at 8am most days, if you want to swing by for a breakfast of crab rangoon tarts and ube iced coffee. Or come before 4pm for an after-zoo snack of black sesame donuts and matcha chocolate chip cookies. There’s plenty of space to sit and eat, though it does tend to get busy with the remote-work crowd during the week, so walk over to Rock Creek Park around the corner if you need a secondary option.

Sweet Crimes Bakery

This gluten-free bakery has a big display case stacked with treats like banana bread, cupcakes, and lemon bars. It's impossible to leave the colorful Hill East rowhouse without a bag of treats—but get it to go because this bakery is so serious that the kitchen takes up three-quarters of the room and there are only a handful of seats. Make sure to grab their chai-spiced donut, coated in a sweet, spicy glaze that crumbles gently in your hand.

Je Ne Sais Quoi

This Dupont Circle institution has a display case full of homemade brioche, flaky almond croissants, and apple tarts, and everything here tastes as good as it looks. There are limited seats, so your best bet is almost always to take your stuff to go. But if you can snag one, grab a sidewalk table and enjoy a pastry, coffee, and all the people hurriedly trying to catch the next red line train to Glenmont.

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Washington DC’s 12 most gorgeous restaurants for Mother’s Day celebrations

A knockout meal in Washington, DC, isn’t just about the flavors on your plate—it’s an immersive adventure and a feast for all five senses. The capital’s most beautiful restaurants are the ones that serve outstanding cuisine and captivate diners with drop-dead gorgeous interiors. 

A dramatic arched skylight steals the scene at a garden-like hotel restaurant. A MICHELIN-starred Indian spot channels a palace with lavish jade and mother-of-pearl accents. In a Victorian-era dining room, beautifully preserved paintings tell stories about DC’s illustrious past. 

From timeless restaurants in historic settings to contemporary spaces that pair innovation with elegance, these places deliver on all fronts. Read on for a guide to Washington, DC’s 12 most gorgeous restaurants.

Old Ebbitt Grill (Downtown)

Step into the Victorian-era dining room at DC’s oldest saloon and you’ll be transported to a time when regulars included past presidents like Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt. Ornate chandeliers and gas-lit lamps cast a glow on mahogany panels and plush velvet booths, lighting up historic paintings. Whether you go for seafood brunch or late-night oyster happy hour, the food is nothing short of stellar—after all, Old Ebbitt Grill has been doing this since 1856.

Ottoman Taverna (Mount Vernon Square)

Celebrated restaurateur Hakan Ilhan brings Istanbul to DC at Ottoman Taverna, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant where you can dine on solid Turkish staples like grape leaves, fall-off-the-bone lamb shank, and char-grilled kebabs. The dining room is equally delicious, featuring an impressive mural of the Hagia Sophia, white-trellised walls, and wood-beamed ceilings with mesmerizing honeycomb-like patterns.

The Greenhouse at The Jefferson, DC (Downtown)

Ornate plasterwork and lush floral arrangements create a garden-like environment at this opulent Beaux-Arts restaurant. Its crowning jewel: a dramatic arched skylight that floods the space with natural light, creating a vibe that is both airy and opulent. It’s a setting that makes the coastal Italian food, like black-ink risotto with lobster, and ricotta gnocchi with smoked mozzarella foam, truly shine.

dLeña (Mount Vernon Square)

dLeña is a love letter to traditional Mexican craftsmanship, featuring rustic beams and a sleek, walnut-lined mezcal lounge. The sexy and sophisticated earth-toned interiors are decked with handcrafted chandeliers, which provide just the right kind of mood lighting as you settle into a cozy leather booth. Dine on next-gen Mexican dishes like guacamole with sushi-grade tuna and Wagyu beef empanadas with truffle cheese and chimichurri. 

Iron Gate (Dupont Circle)

Iron Gate’s wisteria-covered courtyard is a year-round star. It’s adorned with twinkling lights and especially photogenic in the spring, when flowers bloom in every corner. The fire pits come to life in the fall, keeping things cozy on cooler nights. Inside, there’s an iconic red-brick fireplace that warms the former carriage house dining room as you dig into bison carpaccio and goat cheese agnolotti—part of a three-course Mediterranean dinner by James Beard Award semi-finalist Anthony Chittum.

Rania DC (Penn Quarter)

Rania is Sanskrit for “queen,” which explains its extra-ornate interiors: The MICHELIN-starred spot resembles a royal palace with splashes of gold, lots of mother-of-pearl inlay, and a carved piece of pink sandstone that tops the bar. Not to mention the innovative dishes by Indian Accent alum Chetan Shetty. From a chana masala panisse to ghee-roasted lamb with tangy buttermilk mousse, every dish at this regal escape pushes the envelope on Indian food. 

The Bazaar by José Andrés (Penn Quarter)

Dining at The Bazaar by José Andrés is as much about the larger-than-life setting as it is about the meal. Surrealist art, Salvador Dalí-inspired fabrics, and a metal mailbox backsplash at the bar—a hat-tip to its post-office past—set an ambitious tone that matches the menu. U.S. history inspires many of Andrés’s signature dishes like the Eisenhower stew with beef cheeks (a tribute to the 34th president’s favorite meal), and the crab Louie cone, a modern riff on the West Coast classic. 

La Vie (Southwest Waterfront)

There’s not a bad seat at this villa-inspired restaurant, thanks to four distinct dining areas and panoramic wharf views. For a bright and airy meal, head to the blue, white, and sand-colored dining room; things get more dark and dramatic in the conservatory, which has green velvet banquettes, rose vines creeping up the walls, and a striking long bar. On the menu, expect seafood dishes like branzino fillets with eggplant caponata and citrus beurre blanc and lobster risotto with seafood ragu.

Sax (Penn Quarter)

Sax evokes a Baroque-era theater with its gold-leaf motifs, ornate chandeliers, and mirrored surfaces. Buckle in for an immersive theatrical experience—the main draw here is the large central stage (visible from wherever you’re dining), where live cabaret, burlesque, and acrobatic performances unfold from Wednesday to Saturday. There’s a snacky French menu served during the week, but until Sax’s full dinner menu returns, go for the bottomless mimosa brunch on Sunday.

Moonraker (Southwest Waterfront)

It’s all about the details at this rooftop hideaway. Natural materials like wood and stone are subtle nods to its name—moonraker refers to the highest sail on a boat. Warm pendant lights dangle above an elegant circular bar, which excels at Japanese-inspired cocktails like the Umamitini, a gin-based martini with dashi and pickled sakura blossoms. In the warmer months, retractable terrace doors open up, offering stunning views of the sun setting over the Potomac. 

Brasserie Liberté (Georgetown)

This Georgetown brasserie is known for comforting bowls of French onion soup and a killer macaroni au gratin. But Brasserie Libert é also stands out for its glamorous interiors, which include a rustic-chic French farmhouse-inspired bar and a navy-paneled dining room with a candle-lit fireplace. Special occasions call for the restaurant’s sought-after egg-shaped booth lined with delicate floral tapestries and a lipstick-red banquette.

Taberna del Alabardero (Downtown)

You’ll feel like you’re dining in an opulent Spanish castle when you’re at this vibey downtown institution. Tiled floors, richly colored fabrics, and antique decor set the scene for a classic tapas and seafood paella feast, best paired with pitchers of refreshing sangria. For a full-fledged Spanish atmosphere, come on Fridays and Saturdays when there are flamenco performances.

Christabel Lobo is a food and travel writer, illustrator, and guidebook author based between Washington, DC and Abu Dhabi. Her writing has appeared in publications including Insider and Lonely Planet .

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Best Restaurants in Georgetown (Washington DC)

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How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Washington, D.C.

Discover the best hotels, restaurants, and things to do with this highly curated Washington, D.C. travel guide.

Best Hotels

Things to do, best shopping, best restaurants, best times to visit, how to get there, neighborhoods to know, how to get around.

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Washington, D.C. is so much more than the political epicenter of the U.S. The city offers legendary museums, one of the best hotels in the country in 2022 (as voted by T+L readers), and a calendar full of fun events for the entire family. History buffs will love stepping back in time at the National Mall, and anyone with a passion for reading will swoon at the book collection in the Library of Congress. Nature lovers should opt for a springtime visit, when the cherry blossoms bloom and events start to trickle outside, including the Blossom Kite Festival. And let's not forget that the country's capital is also a college town, with universities like Georgetown, Howard, George Washington, and American all within city limits.

Whether you're headed there to learn, play, or even just as a stopover before your next destination, you should explore everything the capital city has to offer. These are the best places to stay, eat, and shop in Washington, D.C.

Riggs Washington, D.C.

Riggs Washington D.C. is the place to stay in the capital city, and it's got the accolades to prove it. The property was named the best hotel in Washington, D.C . in 2022 by T+L readers. Once a national bank headquarters, the hotel combines its past and present beautifully. You'll find small bespoke touches that pay homage to its history, including in-room minibars designed like vintage safes.

The Jefferson

The Jefferson , also voted one of the city's best hotels in 2022 by T+L readers, is an independently owned boutique that features "99 guest rooms inspired by our third president’s travels in Paris and home in Charlottesville, Virginia," T+L contributor Rebecca Ascher-Walsh previously reported . The hotel is currently offering a "Summer of Discovery" package, where guests can receive a daily itinerary curated by the hotel's in-house historian, a $50 daily dining credit, and late checkout.

Rosewood Washington, D.C.

Rosewood Washington, D.C . is a chic retreat in Georgetown set along the C&O Canal and is a favorite among T+L readers . The property features 55 rooms, 12 suites, and six town houses designed for long-term guests. Enjoy a meal on-site at Cut, a Wolfgang Puck steakhouse. The restaurant is open seven days a week and hosts brunch on the weekend. Reservations are recommended.

The Hay-Adams

This historic hotel, also loved by T+L readers , overlooks Lafayette Square and has great views of the White House and the Washington Monument. The Hay-Adams was named after its original residents — John Hay and Henry Adams. Scott Bay, a T+L contributor, reported that "the details seen throughout the Italian Renaissance-style mansion and its 145 rooms evoke a sense of timelessness that keeps visitors coming back year after year."

Pendry Washington, D.C. The Wharf

The Pendry is one of D.C.'s newest properties and was named one of the best new hotels in 2023 by T+L editors. The 131-room hotel features high-end amenities, including "a panoramic pool terrace with cabanas, sun loungers, and a swimming pool; spa facilities; and a rooftop restaurant," T+L contributor Dobrina Zhekova previously reported . Most rooms in the hotel feature floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase stunning views of the Potomac River and monuments like the Jefferson Memorial.

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, and the building itself is a work of art, with a beautiful, intricate reading room and other fine architectural details. It provides a great respite for anyone seeking knowledge or just a break from the D.C. humidity. Kevin Fanning, former D.C. tour guide and current regional sales manager at tour company WeVenture , recommends that travelers get themselves a library card. "You [might never] go into the reading rooms, but [it'll be] a souvenir that says you are a member of the Library of Congress." The library is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and all visitors must reserve a timed-entry pass before visiting. You can reserve them for free online .

George Washington's Mount Vernon

Tour George Washington's estate home and learn about the first president's life and legacy at this historic site. In addition to the mansion, which offers timed entry, Mount Vernon has a museum and education center, gardens, a slave memorial, a working farm, and Washington's tomb. There are also seasonal events here as well, including whiskey tastings, a colonial market, and fireworks. The estate is open 365 days a year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $28 for adults, $15 for children between six and eleven, and free for children under five.

National Mall

Often referred to as "America's front yard," the National Mall is home to iconic monuments like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. "The easiest way to get around the National Mall is the D.C. Circulator, " Kevin Fanning noted when asked about the two-mile-long stretch of monuments. "There's a city bus that runs around the National Mall every 10 minutes." Make sure you check its website for regular and seasonal schedules.

Washington, D.C. is home to 74 museums that cover topics ranging from history and art to science and aerospace. Notable museums include the National Museum of African American History and Culture ; the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History ; and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum , dedicated to the ongoing preservation of Holocaust history. Carolyn Crouch, founder of popular D.C. walking tour company Washington Walks , also recommends visiting the Capital Jewish Museum . "[It] includes the city's oldest synagogue building. [Check out] 'Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsberg,' its inaugural exhibition."

United States Botanic Garden

While the National Arboretum is larger in scale, don't pass up the opportunity to see this curated nature exhibition right in the heart of downtown D.C. Established in 1820, this is the oldest continuously operated public garden in the U.S. — and a great place to escape the city and learn about various plants and flowers.

Cady's Alley

This design district is home to high-end designers and local antiques, including home furnishings, fashion, and other chic shops. The 19 stores that currently occupy the alley include high-end jewelry shop Brilliant Earth ; Relish , which sells clothes and accessories; and District Doughnut , which sells — you guessed it — donuts.

M Street Shops, Georgetown

M Street is a must-visit for D.C. visitors keen on shopping the city's high-end boutiques. You can also stop in at some national favorites, like Patagonia , Urban Outfitters , and Brandy Melville .

Politics and Prose

Known for their almost-nightly author talks, this independent bookstore carries thousands of books and includes an expanded children's section. Additional locations at Union Market and the Wharf make it accessible as part of any just about sightseeing day in town. For exclusive discounts and perks, become a Politics and Prose member for just $35 a year.

CityCenterDC

CityCenterDC , located in downtown D.C., is your one-stop shopping destination, with 34 retail options, nine dining venues, and even lodging at the Conrad Washington D.C . Shops include high-end brands like Gucci , Dior , and Chanel . Carolyn Crouch recommends visiting some of the gourmet food stores while you're here, too. "Stop in at Mercato Centrolina for house-made pasta and sauces, and stop at Piccolina for delectable cakes and tarts."

The Restaurant at District Winery

Inside D.C.'s first operational commercial winery is an upscale dining room with expansive windows overlooking the nearby Anacostia River. Chef de cuisine Nicholas Fulginiti created a delicious vegetable-forward menu inspired by local ingredients. Stop in for dinner on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., or hit up brunch on the weekends, when doors open at 11 a.m.

Call Your Mother

This D.C. deli is one of President Joe Biden's favorite spots — he picked up bagels at the Georgetown location shortly after he was sworn in as president. Call Your Mother' s bagels are inspired by New York and Montreal-style bagels, and they sell deli favorites like tuna melts and pastrami sandwiches as well. Their seven D.C. locations are open every day, though each has its own set hours. Check the hours online before you go, and order in advance if you can.

Fiola Mare delivers high-end service, delicious seafood and beautiful waterfront views. The sophisticated, seasonally changing menu reflects the fare found along some of Italy's most famous coastlines, including the Amalfi Coast and Sicily. It makes for a great fine-dining option around Georgetown and welcomes guests seven days a week — though be aware it's only open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays. Reservations are recommended.

Award-winning chef José Andrés started his legacy here in 1993, helping to transform the Penn Quarter neighborhood into a bustling food destination. Jaleo celebrates Spanish culture through delicious signature tapas, paellas, and cured meats. "No one should travel to Washington, D.C. without dining at one of José Andrés restaurants," Carolyn Crouch remarked when asked about Jaleo. "Why not start with the original? It's where countless Washingtonians have fallen in love with Spanish tapas." Stop by during the weekday for "sangria hour," where sangria, wine, and certain tapas are reduced in price from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Note that the restaurant is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Union Market

Currently home to 41 vendors, this artisanal hub boasts an array of delicious restaurants, from smaller names like TaKorean , which only operates in the D.C. and Maryland areas, to French pastry giant Ladurée . There's something here that'll suit everyone's taste buds, including Argentinian empanadas, avocado toast, and Southern comfort food. The hall is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The best time to go to Washington, D.C. is between April and June, when temperatures are moderately warm and events abundant.

The spring brings D.C.'s famous cherry blossom season, arguably the most beautiful time of year in the capital city. "Few cities undergo [a] seasonal transformation more beautifully and dramatically than Washington, D.C.," T+L contributor Katie Chang previously reported . "Its 3,000-plus cherry blossom trees remain a visually striking symbol of renewal, hope, and friendship." The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from late March to early April, and guests can enjoy a kite festival, parade, and cherry blossom-themed eats.

May brings graduation season, and the city's hotels start to book up with proud family members. Reserve a room well in advance if you're planning to travel during this time.

Washington, D.C.'s high season is July and August, which are also the hottest months of the year here. The Fourth of July is a big draw for the nation's capital. When the weather is nice, Carolyn Crouch urges tourists to "get out on the water. Take a water taxi from the Southwest waterfront to Georgetown or Old Town Alexandria. You'll see iconic sites along the way."

Read More: The Best Times to Visit Washington, D.C. to See the Cherry Blossoms, Tour the National Mall, and More

You can get to Washington, D.C. by plane, train, and bus. Washington Dulles International Airport is the largest airport in the area and is serviced by all major U.S. airlines. However, it is located about 26 miles outside of D.C. in Chantilly, Virginia. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is only about five miles from D.C., but has significantly less flight options, as it is only served by eight airlines.

Amtrak trains have daily routes from major cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago that run directly to Union Station, which is within walking distance of some of D.C.'s most popular landmarks.

If you prefer the bus, companies like MegaBus offer several different routes to the capital city. MegaBus currently offers trips to D.C. from most major cities, including New York, Pittsburgh, and Boston.

Downtown: Downtown is home to the most important address in America: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In addition to the White House, you'll find a number of D.C.'s most famous museums downtown, including the National Geographic Museum, which is currently being renovated to include amazing new experiences for visitors. (Keep an eye on its website to see when it will be open to the public.) And if you're looking for stunning views but don't want to deal with the crowds at the Washington Monument, Kevin Fanning recommends you head to the old post office and clock tower, located on the corner of 11th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. "The clock tower goes up 257 feet, giving you unparalleled views of Pennsylvania Avenue. You don't need tickets to go to the top, as it is owned and operated by the National Park Service."

Georgetown: The neighborhood around Georgetown University is more than just your classic college enclave. You'll find upscale restaurants and hotels along the C&O Canal, luxury shopping on M Street, and historic homes dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

Capitol Hill: Home to the U.S. Capitol building, the Supreme Court building, and the U.S. House and Senate, this neighborhood is the political epicenter of our country. You'll find plenty of tourists and the political working crowd here, some of whom reside in the lovely 19th-century Capitol Hill row houses.

The Wharf: This trendy neighborhood is helping to reestablish D.C. as a waterfront destination. Crouch says you can have the ultimate D.C. experience in this neighborhood. "Start with a bit of shopping at Shop Made in D.C., where everything is made by local makers. Next door is a branch of Politics & Prose, one of Washington's favorite independent bookstores. Across the way is Surfside, a locally owned taco stand with an island vibe. For dessert, head over to the family-owned and -operated Southwest Soda Pop Shop for homemade ice cream and vegan soft serve."

Trains: The city's Metrorail , run by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), operates across Washington, D.C. and into parts of Virginia and Maryland. It has six lines — yellow, orange, red, blue, green, and silver. Metrorail rides cost anywhere between $2 and $6, depending on where you're traveling and when. You can also buy a one-day pass for $13, a three-day pass for $28, and a seven-day pass for $58. Download the WMATA SmartTrip App to plan your metro and bus trips, and pay in advance.

Buses: The city's Metrobus system, also run by WMATA, will change drastically in the coming years for the very first time since the network's creation in 1973. WMATA has created Better Bus , an initiative meant to completely revitalize the bus system. Changes will include the integration of new bus lanes, new transit signals, and better service times and locations that reflect the needs of D.C. residents. The project is still in its planning stage, but changes are set to roll out in 2024.

Taxis and Car Service: Uber and Lyft are available in the greater Washington, D.C. area, and there are taxi stands spread out across the city. To schedule a cab in advance, book through a local company like D.C. Yellow Cab . You can also schedule a local black car through services like ExecuCar .

Cars: Driving in the capital city isn't necessary because the public transportation system is so comprehensive, but you can download apps like SpotHero to find and reserve parking spaces all across the city if necessary.

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Washington, DC hosts the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, in honor of the blooming of the city’s beautiful cherry blossom trees. But spring in the nation’s capital holds so much more: cutting-edge theater performances, outdoor revelry in Rock Creek Park and on the waterfronts and a mouthwatering dining scene. It’s no wonder spring is the perfect time to make monumental memories in the District.

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