Fine-dining destination Komi has reimagined itself as a Greek-inspired, veg-centric carryoutone clearly still operated by a Michelin-starred chef. Here's our roundup of the best restaurants in Washington DC. Avg 4.5 (539 reviews) Chicken Shawarma.. $10.50: Garlic Whip, French fries . Traditional Italian house made Pastas. We visited 300-plus restaurants to bring you this list of our favorite places to eat. The paellas (made with Bomba rice) are breathtaking; though youll 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. Founded by mother-and-son duo Danny and Yesoon Lee, they've been voted "Best Korean" in the Washington City Paper annually since 2010. By Andrew Beaujon. DIY fried-oyster sandwiches. This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date. The best seat in the house: one of two tables flanking the open kitchen, where a four-course chefs-choice menu goes for $65. Taberna del Alabardero What started as casual all-day Mexican places in La Cosecha marketplace have morphed into two separate concepts: a taqueria and a swankier sister destination (Destino). Either way, Honeymoon Chicken delivers the perfect blend of retro comfort food and chic novelty at this all-day restaurant featuring a dining area, bar, and takeout window, with plans for outdoor dining on the patio come spring. Fiola, Rasika, and Central Michel Richard are the highest-rated best restaurants for delivery in Penn Quarter. DCFoodPorn Was One of DCs First Big Food Influencers. The Dabney Mid-Atlantic 122 Blagden Alley, NW Washington, DC (202) 450-1015 Read Our Review Visit Website 2. From the iconic classics to the mod brasseries, locally inspired menus to the far-flungwhen it comes to where to eat in D.C., weve got you covered. Its Also a Hot Mess. TURKEY APPLE SALAD. Upstairs, the dining room almost feels like youve been dropped into a homey-yet-stylish Adams Morgan apartment. Dinner only ($55) and takeout. And if youve ever wondered what zaatar, Lebanese olive oil, and harissa would taste like in a martini, Albi is the place to find out. And while D.C. has attracted some marquee names known for their restaurants elsewhere (Jos Andrs, Michael Mina), most often its home-grown talent overseeing Washingtons hottest tables. The pastas are her signaturefrom back-to-basics like ravioli and bolognese to elegant riffs like squid ink spaghetti tangled around soft shell crabbut entrees like wood-grilled fish or lamb chops are also excellent. We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day, 17 New Restaurants to Try for DC Winter Restaurant Week, Top Picks for Vienna and Fairfax City Restaurant Week, The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington, DCs Best Breakfast Sandwich Pop-Up Is Becoming an All-Day Restaurant, DC Cherry Blossom Food and Drink Specials That Actually Look Good. Located in downtowns new Capitol Crossing development, LArdentes soaring space is outfitted with Murano glass chandeliers, Missoni drapes, Italian bullhide and mohair booths, and a golden-domed Marra Forni oven. Dinner ($55) only. +1 202 457 5020. juniperrestaurant@fairmont.com. Many of these menus dont skimp on options or upscale ingredients. By Andrew Beaujon. Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat Barbecue connoisseurs will have a blast at 2Fifty Texas. 1915 I St., NW Diners can opt for egg sandwiches crisped in brown butter with "lots o' bacon" or Alexandria-made Logan . Chef/owner Michael Rafidis Navy Yard restaurant is the culmination of his Palestinian family roots, his childhood eating his grandparents home cooking, and his extensive restaurant resume. Took part in the grand opening, May 21, 2018. Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Sure, its fun to try a new hotspot for Restaurant Weekand we have plenty of recommendations. Chef Kaz Okochi helped pioneer DCs creative sushi scene at his downtown Japanese restaurant, which opened in 1999. Check Doordash, GrubHub, UberEats & Caviar. New Heights They are, but theyre far more buttery and delicious than anything youd find in a freezer bag. Gather friends to try bites of the small, medium, and large plates, which feature riffs on classics like mini arepas, tostadas, and ceviche. TACOS. Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. No expense was spared creating this gorgeous modern Mediterranean interior, and the view of the river is just as priceless. We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #2 The Dabney, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #3 Sushi Nakazawa, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #6 Poca Madre, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #8 Bad Saint, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #9 Pineapple and Pearls, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #11 The Inn at Little Washington, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #12 Kinship/Mtier, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #14 Mama Chang, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #15 Kith and Kin, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #17 Gravitas, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #18 Izakaya Seki, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #19 Green Almond Pantry, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #20 Roses Luxury, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #21 Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #22 All-Purpose, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #24 St. Anselm, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #25 Emilies, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #26 Centrolina/Piccolina, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #27 Fancy Radish, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #29 Le Diplomate, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #31 Queens English, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #32 Nina May, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #33 Sushi Taro, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #34 Little Serow, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #36 Iron Gate, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #37 Tail Up Goat, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #39 Little Pearl, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #40 Stellina, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #41 Marcels, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #43 Fiola Mare, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #44 Thompson Italian, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #45 Preserve, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #47 Unconventional Diner, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #48 Lucky Buns, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #49 The Red Hen, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #51 Rasika/Rasika West End, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #52 Masseria, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #54 Elephant Jumps, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #56 San Lorenzo, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #57 El Sapo Cuban Social Club, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #59 Osteria Morini, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #61 Thip Khao/Padaek, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #62 Republic Cantina, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #63 A&J Restaurant, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #65 Bantam King/Daikaya/Haikan/Hatoba, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #66 The Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #68 Rappahannock Oyster Bar, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #69 Punjab Grill, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #71 ABC Pony, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #74 Afghan Bistro/Bistro Aracosia, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #75 Urban Butcher, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #76 Meokja Meokja, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #77 The Imperial, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #78 Rice Paper, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #79 Spoken English, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #82 A Rakes Progress, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #83 LAuberge Chez Franois/Jacques Brasserie, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #84 Call Your Mother, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #85 Convivial, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #86 Joes Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #87 Seven Reasons, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #88 Mintwood Place, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #89 Amber Spice, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #90 Momofuku CCDC, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #91 Johnnys Half Shell, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #94 Northwest Chinese Food, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #95 Rooster & Owl, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #96 Timber Pizza, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #97 Fahrenheit Asian, 100 Very Best Restaurants: #100 Woodmont Grill, Top Picks for Vienna and Fairfax City Restaurant Week, The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington, DCs Best Breakfast Sandwich Pop-Up Is Becoming an All-Day Restaurant, DC Cherry Blossom Food and Drink Specials That Actually Look Good. She lives in Logan Circle. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. Entrees include filet mignon medallions, pan-seared branzino, and rack of lambplus theres a gratis glass of bubbly to start. Perhaps youve seen the Instagram-famous 40-layer lasagna laced with truffled cheese. Jason Dalling, Executive Chef. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia Universitys MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands. Fans of Armstrongs old projects will be happy to see Eves leafy bacon-and-egg salad and the terrific fish and chips from his also-closed Eamonns. The Smith is a casual American Brasserie with locations in both NYC and DC. DCFoodPorn Was One of DCs First Big Food Influencers. We dug into our data to unearth the real tastemakersthe diners we know are going to the best Italian restaurants in DC. DCFoodPorn Was One of DCs First Big Food Influencers. If you're searching to expand your palette and experience new flavors, Albi is the best Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant to visit in Washington, D.C. Credit: Albi Award-winning Chef Michael Rafidi is drawing inspiration from his roots in the Levant region for his first solo restaurant. The menu is short but wide-ranging: Truffle shoyu is delicate but fragrant, while the tantan with creamy pork-and-chicken broth is rich, spicy, and satisfying. Looking for the best overall restaurants in Washington, D.C. Area? Crackly-skinned whole duck. More about Great Wall Szechuan House. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad. Reservation cancellation fees are frequent and steep. Inside the CIAs Vaults: Intriguing items from the CIAs private museum. Note that Restaurant Week specials, not yet released, are available to-go. Walk beyond it though, and youll see an outdoor lounge with fire pits and patterned tiles the color of the Mediterranean. 2317 Calvert St., NW We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day, Kaz Okochi (of Kaz Sushi Bistro) and Morimoto-trained head chef Lucas Irwin, Top Picks for Vienna and Fairfax City Restaurant Week, The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington, DCs Best Breakfast Sandwich Pop-Up Is Becoming an All-Day Restaurant, DC Cherry Blossom Food and Drink Specials That Actually Look Good. The nations capital is becoming a seat of power in the restaurant world. The Smith - Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C. As told to Amy Moeller. But the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel where it resides is hoping to make it more of an upscale dining destination with its reopening after a nearly three-year closure. Cranes 724 Ninth St., NW With a restaurant in Singapore and roots in Barcelona, one might not expect chef Pepe Moncayo to be a regular presence here in Penn Quarter. @coladashop. 1 The Dabney 2 Albi 3 L'Ardente 4 Happy Gyro 5 Pineapple and Pearls 6 Inferno Pizzeria 7 Sushi Taro 8 Causa 9 Sushi Nakazawa 10 Xiquet 11 Daru 12 The Duck and the Peach 13 Anju 14 The Inn at Little Washington 15 Ell Cuisines: Lebanese, Mediterranean, European, Turkish, Greek. Fried steak and omelets sans animal products. The most thrilling restaurant to open in the last two years? These are consistently some of the very best in Washington. Open regularly for dinner only, Il Canale offers amazing 100% organic dough pizzas, alongside a stunning waterfront view. Chef Matt Hill, an alum of Charlie Palmer Steak and Liberty Tavern, channels his North Carolina roots for modern takes on Southern staples, including sticky honey-and-soy-glazed spare ribs and meat-and-two (or -three) platters with a standout smoked brisket. Caesar salad. Check a restaurants status before visiting. You could be perfectly happy popping a bottle of pt-nat and sharing a generous spread of cheeses and charcuterie in the tree-lined backyard of this Park View wine bar. Consistently ranked as one of DC's best restaurants, Chez Billy Sud's alluring interiors, complete with gilded mirrors and a quaint lamplit courtyard, also make it one of the District's most romantic. Albi Levantine 1346 Fourth St., SE Read Our Review Visit Website 3. Read more. The Penn Quarter tapas house is Jos Andrss first-ever restaurant, though nothing feels dated after 30 years. Chef Patrick O'Connell's The Inn at . The showstopper here is the 40-layer lasagna, which is exactly like it sounds, made with 40 exacting layers of short rib sugo and housemade pasta, with layers of mornay sauce and sottocenere cheese and then dusted with a cloud of parmesan. Chiko's I Egg You will open on Capitol Hill with 60 seats and a brunch-cocktail bar. The kitchens lobster bucatini and paccheri amatriciana hold their own against the citys better Italian joints. By Ann Limpert, Anna Spiegel, Jessica Sidman, and Cynthia Hacinli. La Chaumire This longtime Japanese favorite in Dupont hasnt released its Restaurant Week menus yet, but if our past experience holds true, its one of the best Restaurant Week reservations in town. This chicly homey dining room near Eastern Market is one of three pandemic-born places from former ThinkFoodGroup chief operating officer Hollis Silverman. If youre still in the neighborhood the next day swing by Brandweins cafe and coffee shop, Piccolina, across the street for espresso, pastries, and a sandwich/pizza mash-up called a panuzzo. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. This 555-foot marble obelisk towering over DC is one of the city's most famous structures. Dinner ($40) only. The prime location in D.C.'s downtown, combined with Kimptons always-elevated service, make this a top choice that wont break the bank. Roasted turkey, Jetties greens, sliced apples, aged Gouda, toasted pumpkin seeds and lemon poppyseed dressing. Open in Google Maps. Daru chef/co-owner Suresh Sundas. Photograph by Scott Suchman From a hedonistic tasting room inspired by Studio 54 to a food truck putting out terrific Mediterranean barbecue, these are the most thrilling places to eat in 2023. Enjoy! She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Meat, Pork, Veal & Seafood dishes prepared just like mamma Filomena prepared for her family and friends so many years ago. By subscribing to our newsletter(s) you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. "also had several tables off to the corners and a more private upstairs area. Dinner ($40) only. Oreo Cheesecake. Tiramisu. The menu at Seven Reasons changes often to keep up with chef Enrique Limardos whirling imagination. Dont miss the margaritas at either. Walking toward the host stand, theres 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 D.C. Executive Chef Kristen Essig decamped from New Orleans to open Dauphines, bringing with her recipes like duck jambalaya with duck skin cracklins and a neatly rolled pork belly and collard green roulade served with red beans. We visited 300-plus restaurants to bring you this list of our favorite places to eat. Lunch ($25) and dinner ($40). But for decades, the restaurants didnt hold up in the same way. For dessert, save room for kulfi (a frozen milk dish a bit like ice cream). Shellfish plateau, bottle of bubbles, done. Date Spot Photograph courtesy of Iron Gate. Sundass Indian cooking swings between comforting (smoky stewed eggplant, chicken makhani) and positively electric (potatoes with pomegranate and Szechuan pepper, a tandoori-chicken kebab with blue cheese and sour cherries). Almost two dozen wines are offered by the glass, and the cocktails, like the cooking, consider the expanse of Latin America. But the splashy Wharf newcomer is pure fun for a night out. The OpenTable Team. Floriana You might think of Jos Andrs as the grandfather of Spanish cuisine in DC, but this stately restaurant near the White House pre-dates Jaleo by a few years and was first founded in Madrid in 1974. #36 of 1,851 Restaurants in Washington DC. Top Financial Advisers Hall of Fame:Need a good tax accountant, estate attorney, financial planner, or insurance professional? The Italian restaurant features a pizza oven and all your favorite classics. 2023 Cond Nast. Sign up for our newsletters to receive the latest and greatest on all things travel. Blagden Alley is a hugely buzzy dining destination, thanks in part to Chef Jeremiah Langhornes acclaimed The Dabney. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. Lunch ($25) and dinner ($40 and $55). This OG chef-driven food hall has transformed its entire neighborhood into one of the citys hottest dining zones. Gypsy Kitchen DC 571 Tapas/Small Plates Mediterranean Take a cue from Madam Vice President and stop by this 40-plus year-old Dupont Italian restaurant. Roast chicken at the Duck and the Peach. DCs Food Influencer Scene Is Booming. The Restaurant Week dinner menu includes classics like the goat cheese Caesar and lobster bisque, plus interesting new items such as a roasted leg of wild boar and coconut sundae. This is a review for chinese restaurants in Washington, DC: "90% of the food was great, service was great. New Heights 2317 Calvert St., NW Opened in 1986, the airy Woodley Park restaurant is under new direction from Bolivian chef Jose Molina. 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. Brookland's Finest Bar & Kitchen. You can see Rasikas window-side booths with curved canopies from outside the West End restaurantsnag one of those, and youve gotten the best seats in the house. Longtime destinations for vinegary collards and baked turkey wings. Chef Seng Luangrath and family garnered acclaim for their Laotian cooking at Columbia Heightss Thip Khao, and now theyre letting loose at Hanumanh, a fun Shaw newcomer that experiments with tradition. Where to Eat During Bethesda Restaurant Week, DC Winter Restaurant Week Extensions Worth Checking Out, Best Things to Do in the DC Area 1/17-1/22: Lunar New Year Parade, Winter Restaurant Week, and English, Dukes Grocery Opens in Navy Yard With a Mule Cocktail Bar, DC-Area Bakeries Selling Hamantaschen Cookies for Purim. After a long pandemic hiatus, Pineapples and Pearls reopened with a mission to shake up fine dining and make a fancy dinner out feel like a party. DCs Food Influencer Scene Is Booming. At lunch, Millerwho long led the kitchens at Bar Pilar and Cafe Saint-Ex in DCserves one of the best sandwiches weve had in recent memory: extra-crunchy cornmeal-fried blue catfish with hot sauce, rmoulade, and pickles. 2 Reveler's Hour Rohobot Rooster & Owl Rose's Luxury Royal Nepal 8 Ruthie's All Day Cafe Spanish Diner Swahili Village The Tasting Room 7 Thamee Three Blacksmiths 4 Unconventional Diner Vin 090. Here are the tables you should seek out in 2020. The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington - Washingtonian 100 Very Best Restaurants DC-Area Events Calendar Brunch Neighborhoods Newsletters Directories Washingtonian Events Trending Now in Food Skydome The Menu Maxwell Park Honest Grill Food The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington What hasnt changed is chef Jeeraporn PBoom Poksupthongs dedication to spicy, punchy flavors. Green-mango salad at Makan. Chef Eric Yoo was a ramen-obsessed home cook who left a job as a financial consultant to open this pop-up turned minimalist noodle-soup joint. No surprise, the Restaurant Week menu is generous with hearty options like homemade meatballs in Sunday gravy, agnolotti carbonara, veal marsala, and turtle cheesecake. 16 Restaurants. Hang out over cranberry daiquiris and a parade of snacks (beautiful crudits with goat butter, crackly blue-cheese-stuffed dates), then dig into shareable mains such as an enviable roast chicken and a nicely seared butcher steak. Celebrating our 37th Anniversary! Il Canale. (202) 524-5202. Diners can round out a meal with reserve sakes, specialty hand-rolls, and seasonal small plates such as crunchy katsu-style foie gras. Washington Monument. For $70, guests get two servings of thin-sliced brisket, spicy pork belly, and a serving of ribs to cook on the tabletop grill. Its easy to share in the Shaw dining rooms enthusiasm for hyper-seasonal delicacies such as midwinter carrots over pecan mousse or a rare wild winter mushroom crisped to a schnitzel and doused in truffle/brown-butter sauce. (We visited more than 300 places to bring you this ranked list.) Restaurateur Jeffrey Buben brought up a generation of DC chefs at his long-closed Southern restaurant, Vidalia. All can be made for eating there or to goyoull want to grab a bottle of something offbeat regardless, such as a Greek pt-nat ros. Ad Choices. Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Bestselling novelist Jason Reynolds on his first open-mic night at age 16. By Washingtonian Staff. More about Bandit Taco Tenleytown - 4629 41st NW. Zaytinya by Jose Andres. Salvadoran immigrants Fernando Gonzlez and Debby Portillo specialize in central-Texas-style meats from an oak-fueled smoker, including thick, buttery slabs of American Wagyu brisket, peppery pork ribs, and jalapeo-cheddar sausages. Spice fans should head here for a fiery version of the popular curry. No trip to Rasika would be complete without ordering the palak chaat, lighter-than-air, flash-fried spinach topped with yogurt sauce. 15 E St., NW Go for a rowdy group dinnerits already loud and bustling, and the tables have a way of making friends with their neighbors before the nights over. Its Also a Hot Mess. Here's a list of the Washington, D.C. area's Michelin-Starred Restaurants Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema's latest dining guide But weve always spotted him in the open kitchen, plating exquisite dishes that speak to both his Spanish heritage and his career in Asia. Rose's Luxury Restaurants Eclectic Capitol Hill Local chef Aaron Silverman's two-story Barrack's Row joint is worth every bit of the buzz it's getting this year.. This is a see and be seen spot, as evidenced by dressed-up diners eager to trade out sweatpants for a little black dress. Then move on to a thin pizza spread with onion cream, Brussels sprouts, and pomegranate, or a peppery carbonara. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. See chicken shawarma restaurants in Washington. By Luke Mullins. The Venezuela-born chef made a big splash in Baltimore before decamping to 14th Street in 2019. Veteran DC chef Ris Lacoste helms this casually refined West End dining room. 1776 I St., NW Hes a detail obsessive, too: Wed come here for the rainbow of creative salsas, perfectly pressed corn tortillas, and Rancho Gordo black beans alone. With dishes as eye-catching as heirloom tomato fattoush, a spiced duck breast with charred fava beans, and crab and spring pea-topped hummus, its definitely worth it to invest in the full sofra tasting experience at Albi.