20 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C.
The National Mall, the Smithsonian museums, the monuments—there’s a lot to see in Washington, D.C. But for decades, the restaurants didn’t hold up in the same way. No longer.
In recent years, the nation’s capital has transformed into a bona fide dining destination, moving beyond its beloved steakhouses and power lunch spots (though there are still great versions of those) with a new wave of terrific restaurants popping up in neighborhoods all over the city. And while D.C. has attracted some marquee names known for their restaurants elsewhere (José Andrés, Michael Mina), most often it’s home-grown talent overseeing Washington’s hottest tables.
From the iconic classics to the mod brasseries, locally inspired menus to the far-flung—when it comes to where to eat in D.C., we’ve got you covered.
Read our complete Washington, D.C. travel guide here.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
LeadingDCrestaurantAnju
$$The two-level Anju has a double life: Downstairs, it’s a Seoul-style pub scene with a bar and a few high top tables and stools for walk-in diners (there might be quite a few trying their luck at the host stand). Upstairs, the dining room almost feels like you’ve been dropped into a homey-yet-stylish Adams Morgan apartment. There’s exposed beams, plaster, and rafters, and the space is decorated with houseplants, floral wallpaper and artwork, portraits, and books. If you’re looking for classic Korean dishes like dolsot bibim bap with bulgogi, Anju has that covered on the “Mama Lee’s” section of the menu. Meanwhile, executive chef Angel Barreto has free-reign to play around with everything from 30-day kimchi to jajangmyeon. Desserts are prime examples of Anju’s creativity.
Greg PowersrestaurantL’Ardente
$$$Located in downtown’s new Capitol Crossing development, L’Ardente’s soaring space is outfitted with Murano glass chandeliers, Missoni drapes, Italian bullhide and mohair booths, and a golden-domed Marra Forni oven. This is a see and be seen spot, as evidenced by dressed-up diners eager to trade out sweatpants for a little black dress. (L’Ardente has already received the Obama date night seal of approval, as Michelle and Barack were spotted recently in a corner booth.) Bring your friend who considers herself a fashion influencer—and get her to consult on your outfit choice ahead of time. 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.
Del MarrestaurantDel Mar
$$In adding this stunner to their local restaurant empire, business partners Maria and Fabio Trabocchi expanded beyond the Italian cuisine for which they’re famous and into the realm of Spanish tapas. Del Mar, in The Wharf, is a riot of color and patterns, from the tiles and the plates to the staff’s custom uniforms—and the fish sculpture suspended from the ceiling. No expense was spared creating this gorgeous modern Mediterranean interior, and the view of the river is just as priceless. The paellas (made with Bomba rice) are breathtaking; though you’ll be tempted to fill your table with seafood from the raw bar or cooked dishes like Andalusian gambas al ajillo and charcoal-baked potatoes with aioli and brava sauce. Whatever you get, cap the meal with chocolate-hazelnut churros.
Hawkeye JohnsonrestaurantAlbi
$$With dishes as eye-catching as heirloom tomato “fattoush,” a spiced duck breast with charred fava beans, and crab and spring pea-topped hummus, 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.
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Le DiplomaterestaurantLe Diplomate
$$At Le Diplomate, it’s as if someone picked up a Parisian bistro and dropped it in the middle of D.C.’s trendy 14th Street—shiny red booths, green subway tile, a show-stopping zinc bar, and all. Philly restaurateur Stephen Starr’s audacious French brasserie is still a hot ticket a decade in, particularly the l’Orangerie space and the charming sidewalk tables. Favorites here include bistro dishes like the seafood plateau, house cheeseburger, steak frites, pricey dover sole meunière (available on Thursdays), and trout amandine. Go for a rowdy group dinner—it’s already loud and bustling, and the tables have a way of making friends with their neighbors before the night’s over.
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Vina SananikonerestaurantTonari
Japan’s Italian craze lands in D.C. thanks to Daikaya Restaurant Group’s Tonari, which has been lauded as one of the first destinations on the East Coast to serve “Wafu Italian.” La dolce vita at Tonari translates to thick, almost fluffy slices of pizza made with flour from Japan and topped with brick cheese and the likes of pickled wakame and clam, or layers of corn sauce, chives, and Kewpie mayo and mentaiko (cod roe) cream. Multiple versions of the negroni abound here, from a version with Beefeater gin and orange bitters on draft, a dry tequila-based negroni, one with a rum twist, and a cherry blossom negroni. If you want a restaurant that will introduce you to dishes you’ve never tried before, this is the place.
Scott SuchmanrestaurantMasseria
$$$Even the wooden fence outside Masseria looks stylish. Walk beyond it though, and you’ll see an outdoor lounge with fire pits and patterned tiles the color of the Mediterranean. Chef Nicholas Stefanelli, who worked with Fabio Trabocchi (of Fiola Mare and Del Mar) at Maestro back in the day, has created a modern Pugliese menu that includes everything from pasta to seafood to burrata. It all gets an element that elevates it: The burrata Pugliese is served with caviar and oyster; the cult favorite linguine is tossed with spicy XO-sauce. You’ll want to try as much of it as you can, which is why we recommend opting for a six- or eight-course tasting menu, both of which are offered nightly.
Andrew CebulkarestaurantThe Dabney
$$Blagden Alley is a hugely buzzy dining destination, thanks in part to Chef Jeremiah Langhorne’s acclaimed The Dabney. Langhorne, who worked for Sean Brock at McCrady’s in Charleston, S.C., for five years, sources ingredients from the Chesapeake Bay and the Mid-Atlantic area, then cooks them over live fire on the hearth. The menu changes constantly, offering dishes like green garlic hush puppies with country ham and citrus mayo or summer squash tart, ricotta, sunflower seeds, cherry, and basil. It’s hard to resist the skillet cornbread, no matter the season.
Jennifer ChaserestaurantDauphine’s
$$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 D.C. Executive Chef Kristen Essig decamped from New Orleans to open Dauphine’s, 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. 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.
Jen ChaserestaurantSeven Reasons
$$The menu at Seven Reasons changes often to keep up with chef Enrique Limardo’s whirling imagination. The Venezuela-born chef made a big splash in Baltimore before decamping to 14th Street in 2019. Here, hamachi tiradito looks like a museum-worthy piece of artwork; coffee roasted short rib mingles with crispy polenta and pepita crumble; and The Melting Cloud dessert encases lemon-coconut pie in a haze of cotton candy. Gather friends to try bites of the small, medium, and large plates, which feature riffs on classics like mini arepas, tostadas, and ceviche.
Dan AhnrestaurantHanumanh
$$Chef Seng Luangrath and family garnered acclaim for their Laotian cooking at Columbia Heights’s Thip Khao, and now they’re letting loose at Hanumanh, a fun Shaw newcomer that experiments with tradition. Two must-order starters: an Outback-inspired blooming mushroom and a thinly sliced banana-blossom salad. The compact menu rotates frequently—fresh, funky dishes meant for sharing include vermicelli noodles with fermented fish-pork sauce, steamed Cornish game hens, beef meatballs with sticky rice, and red crab curry. The fiery food here goes hand-in-hand with fruity tiki drinks; try the restaurant’s eponymous cocktail, with banana-flavored Lao-style whisky, brown butter condensed milk, passion fruit, mango, and vanilla.
Greg PowersrestaurantRasika
$$You can see Rasika’s window-side booths with curved canopies from outside the West End restaurant—snag one of those, and you’ve gotten the best seats in the house. No trip to Rasika would be complete without ordering the palak chaat, lighter-than-air, flash-fried spinach topped with yogurt sauce. James Beard Award-winning chef Vikram Sunderam also does a black cod entree that’s so popular it seems to fly out of the kitchen, as well as a number of dishes geared toward vegetarians. For dessert, save room for kulfi (a frozen milk dish a bit like ice cream). This longtime D.C. dining jewel is still one of the most exciting Indian restaurants in the country.
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Kate WarrenrestaurantPineapple and Pearls
$$$At Pineapples and Pearls, in Capitol Hill, the team behind Rose’s Luxury can flex their imagination to the max. 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. But this is still truly a feast in every sense; in spring, the meal might include delicacies like everything bagel pimento cheese gougères or squab with cocoa sauce and cherries. And the setting befits the cooking. The acclaimed fine dining restaurant shook up its decor with a new look that involves lots of glitz, from pink hued walls to a balloon art installation. Note: You must make reservations well in advance.
CentrolinarestaurantCentrolina
$$At Centrolina in CityCenterDC, The District’s poshest new mixed-use development, chef and owner Amy Brandwein changes her menu seasonally, but her terra cotta-clad wood oven is always in use. The pastas are her signature—from back-to-basics like ravioli and bolognese to elegant riffs like squid ink spaghetti tangled around soft shell crab—but entrees like wood-grilled fish or lamb chops are also excellent. If you’re still in the neighborhood the next day swing by Brandwein’s cafe and coffee shop, Piccolina, across the street for espresso, pastries, and a sandwich/pizza mash-up called a panuzzo.
John ColerestaurantRooster & Owl
$$$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.
Rey LopezrestaurantMaydan
$$A gigantic fire pit is the first thing you’ll spot at Maydan in the U Street area, and it’s fitting because so many items are cooked over this open flame. The menu mixes North African and Mediterranean flavors, and the cocktails and wines (similarly sourced) complement them well. Scoop up flatbread—still warm from the hearth—with condiments and dips like muhammara, a Syrian spread made with walnut, red pepper, and pomegranate molasses. Then dig into the mains—a whole chicken slathered in turmeric and coriander or a lamb shoulder—and sides, which include spiced halloumi and lemon-harissa carrots.
Bourbon SteakrestaurantBourbon Steak
$$$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.
GettyrestaurantRose’s Luxury
$$Thanks to its neon-green sign and inevitable line, you’ll spot Rose's Luxury from across the street—although the perennially popular spot now takes reservations. Chef Aaron Silverman has made a huge impact on the D.C. food scene since the restaurant opened in Barracks Row in 2013; his lychee salad with pork sausage, habanero, and peanuts is officially one of the city’s cult classics. The menu manages to pack in creative dishes without taking itself too seriously; try the sun gold tomato bucatini and, of course, the popcorn brûlée for dessert.
Clyde’s Restaurant GrouprestaurantOld Ebbitt Grill
$$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.
restaurantRoaming Rooster
$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.
