An Eater's Guide to Dining in D.C.

Outsiders may think of D.C. as a city of stodgy politicos, but its food scene boasts a hotbed of creativity for the people who work, live, and travel here to enjoy. Considering the wood-burning Levantine cooking going down in Navy Yard to a West End destination for dressed-up crowds and abstract Mediterranean flavors, the Washington area has one of the most vibrant restaurant scenes in the United States. Here is Eater’s regularly updated guide to the neighborhoods and foods every aspiring D.C. aficionado needs to know.

—Updated by Tierney Plumb

As the stereotype goes, D.C. is a world of power breakfasts and steak houses. But the best thing about eating in D.C. is the variety of international cuisine found around the city and its surrounding suburbs in Maryland and Virginia.

Southeast Asian foods are particularly strong. Longtime popular destinations include Baan Siam for Northern Thai and Maketto for Taiwanese and Cambodian cafe food. The family that sparked the #LaoFoodMovement has essential eatery Thip Khao in Columbia Heights and new digs in Northern Virginia (Padaek). Malaysian specialties full of sweet, spicy, sour, and funky flavors at Makan make the Columbia Heights restaurant one of the buzziest in the city. Much of the area’s rich Vietnamese food culture is centered around the Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia. And for refined Korean bar food from a rising, James Beard Award-nominated chef, check out Anju in between Dupont and Adams Morgan.

Two high-end, wood-burning Middle Eastern restaurants have attracted national notice over the past few years: Albi, in Navy Yard, and Maydan, just north of the U Street corridor. On H Street NE, Trinidadian-themed Cane is known for pimento-smoked jerk chicken wings, whole fried snapper escovitch, and doubles (fry bread, stewed chickpeas, spicy chutneys) that offer a high-end version of the Caribbean specialties found in carryouts along Georgia Avenue NW. The cuisine also has a home at sit-down St. James on 14th Street NW.

D.C. is also home to some of the largest populations of Ethiopian and Salvadoran expats in the nation. Ethiopian favorites such as beef or lamb tibs and stewed chicken doro wat at the Habesha Market or Dukem in the Little Ethiopia area of Ninth Street NW and at Chercher a few blocks south. French-trained chef Elias Taddesse mixes Ethiopian traditions into American classics with a new spice-blasted carryout in Shaw called Doro Soul Food and burger spot Melange. Find Salvadoran pupusas at Gloria’s in Columbia Heights, El Tamarindo in Adams Morgan, or El Rinconcito near the convention center.

No trip to D.C. would be complete without a chili-cheese half-smoke from Ben’s Chili Bowl. The historic, Black-owned restaurant sits on a U Street corridor once known as “Black Broadway.” Nearby soul food staples such as Henry’s Soul Cafe — famous for its sweet potato pie — or breakfast go-to Florida Avenue Grill have been comforting customers for decades. Oohs and Aahs is another must-visit for crunchy wings, collard greens, and gooey mac and cheese.

For a fancy, all-day option there’s Penn Quarter’s opulent, hotel brasserie Café Riggs — a stylish spot for fresh oysters, a stellar nitro espresso martini, and commitment to local ingredients near the National Portrait Gallery. Head to the buzzy U Street corridor for glistening ceviche and pisco sours at Peruvian eatery El Secreto de Rosita and new options for billowing cocktails (Enigma) and rooftop sushi (Baby Shank). Dauphine’s, a Mid-Atlantic-meets-New Orleans restaurant downtown, has also been attracting lots of buzz for throwback cocktails, raw bar fare, and Creole cooking with local bent.

Meanwhile, Georgetown’s iconic Cafe Milano is a destination for people-watching (especially for bold-faced names). Another only-in-D.C. spot is the red velvet-wrapped Off The Record bar, hidden away in the basement of the Hay-Adams hotel and is one of many prime picks for a celebratory night out in D.C. Diners can look for famous faces at high-profile places such as Bourbon Steak and Fiola Mare, indulge in high-end Indian food at Rasika (don't forget to order the palak chaat), and get to know the cuisine of famous humanitarian José Andrés at Jaleo, Zaytinya, fancy Barmini/Minibar, or his polished hotel perch the Bazaar. Even a bagel shop, smash hit “Jew-ish” deli Call Your Mother, may get a visit from the president on any given Sunday.

Eater D.C. is the place to go for frequently updated guides to everything from bold new restaurants to specific dishes like succulent roast chicken — charred Peruvian birds are another local specialty — the pizza that makes up the city’s Neapolitan renaissance, or world-class sushi and delectable dim sum. Here, Eater narrows the field to highlight some of the very best destinations in the area.

Hottest Restaurants

Eater’s heatmap, updated once a month, is a go-to guide to the buzziest openings in D.C. Consider Pascual, for daring Mexican dishes on Capitol Hill; Joia, for smash burgers and ube ice cream in Mt. Pleasant; Little Chicken, for a bright pink poultry pad at the Wharf; La Bonne Vache, for a dreamy corner bistro serving cheffed-up burgers in Georgetown; Moon Rabbit, for a rebooted Vietnamese favorite in Penn Quarter; Pesce, for crowd-pleasing calamari in an artsy Dupont dining room; Pastis, for NYC’s blockbuster brasserie now in Union Market; Hiraya Restaurant, for a fancy Filipino dinner on H Street; and 2Fifty Texas BBQ, for fabulous barbecue in Mt. Vernon Triangle.

The Essential 38

When narrowing down the Eater 38, one must-visit is Albi, where chef Michael Rafidi’s refined take on dishes from Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, and other countries throughout the Mediterranean include za’atar dusted pita that incorporates labneh and potato into the dough, lamb kefta cooked with a cinnamon stick handle, a crunchy urfa-chile condiment, and hummus that’s smoother than Lando Calrissian. The Middle Eastern marvel also snagged a coveted spot on Eater’s 11 Best New Restaurants in America. His next-door Levantine cafe Yellow expanded to Georgetown with delicious wood-fired pies at night.

Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

At chef Amy Brandwein’s expanded Piccolina, the wood-fueled oven leans casual Italian, roasting off omelets in long-handled pans, a superlative eggplant Parm, and all sorts of bread and pastries. And chef David Deshaies (Unconventional Diner, Central) leads “glam Italian” showstopper (and Eater DC’s former Restaurant of the Year) L’Ardente in D.C.’s glossy Capitol Crossing. The same development is home to Love, Makoto, a Japanese playground for luxe sushi and barbecued meats, as well as seafood-centric Bar Spero. Meanwhile, Union Market is home to 5-year-old tavern St. Anselm with perfectly cooked steaks and seasoned salmon collar. If Michelin-starred tasting menus are your bag, D.C. has plenty.

Bars

If there’s one place to imbibe while in town, head to the depths of the aforementioned Riggs Hotel for martini service and daring cocktails at Silver Lyan, the cocktail lair from world-famous bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana that picked up the 2022 U.S. Hotel Bar of the Year Award at Tales of the Cocktail. D.C. has no shortage of standout bars, however, from the Green Zone, a destination for Middle Eastern-themed mixology in Adams Morgan; huge whiskey bar Jack Rose Dining Saloon nearby; dumplings and Frenchified cocktails at high-energy Bar Chinois; affordable cocktail spot Service Bar on U Street NW; Union Market rum distillery Cotton & Reed; and espresso martini standard-bearer Residents in Dupont. There’s also the bar heatmap, which chronicles the new hot drinking spots around town. And check out any of D.C.’s beloved dives for a no-frills night out.

Pizza

Is pizza D.C.'s strong suit? Maybe not, but there are plenty of high-quality pies to pick from. New York transplants will feel most at home at the dive-y but authentic Wiseguy in Chinatown, Navy Yard, Arlington, and Wheaton. A few newer options are giving Wiseguy a run for its money: Andy’s Pizza (Shaw, Navy Yard, Adams Morgan, Tysons Corner, Old Town), and Capitol Hill food hall stall Slice Joint. Neapolitan pizza is the most prominent style around town, with excellent versions at 2 Amys, Pupatella, and Etto. Meanwhile, All-Purpose — which has a second location in Navy Yard — and Timber Pizza Company attract followers looking for a similar style of pizza with slightly more creative toppings and trappings. Union Market district’s Stellina Pizzeria, which has newer locales in Mt. Vernon Triangle and Shirlington, Virginia, is drawing attention for its cacio e pepe pie and inventive panini like the one packed with fried octopus and burrata. For square-shaped slices on a focaccia-like crust, consider ‘70s-chic Sonny’s in Park View.

Ice Cream

Gelato is huge here, with a ton of local companies like Dolcezza, Pitango, and Dolci Gelati. At one point, custard shop the Dairy Godmother in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood probably had the biggest cult following of D.C.'s ice cream offerings (President Barack Obama was known to stop by). Now are plenty of places to get a cold treat, from quirky mini-chain Ice Cream Jubilee (which just debuted in Georgetown) to Mount Pleasant’s Mt. Desert Ice Cream (another known favorite of Obama). Prefer other desserts? Check out this guide to nearly 20 different dessert-focused maps for D.C.

Sushi

D.C.'s standout omakase restaurants are Sushiko, Kaz Sushi, and Michelin-rated fixture and New York import Sushi Nakazawa. Union Market’s O-Ku, which originated in Charleston, South Carolina, features a variety of raw fish sure to satisfy sushi aficionados. Find other sushi essentials here.

Beer

Any list that Neighborhood Restaurant Group's beer director Greg Engert played a role in creating (Shelter in Capitol Hill, Bluejacket Brewery in Navy Yard, Churchkey on 14th Street NW) is worth a visit. The city's most famous brewery is arguably DC Brau in Northeast D.C., but there are tons of formidable breweries both inside the District and nearby as well, from Atlas Brew Works (Ivy City, Navy Yard) to Port City Brewing Company (Alexandria, Virginia) to LGBTQ-friendly Red Bear Brewing Co. in NoMa and an Ivy City outpost of Brooklyn brewery Other Half. Virginia’s beloved IPA maker Solace Brewing touched down in D.C. with a sprawling Navy Yard tap room. Find some of the newer breweries here. The city is packed with outdoor beer gardens (like Dacha or Wunder Garten). And Virginia-born Aslin Beer Company added a sunny outpost in Logan Circle.

Brunch

D.C. loves day-drinking, as evidenced by the popularity of brunch here. Standout brunches include egg-topped pizzas and Sicilian disco fries at All-Purpose, the brasserie fare at Le Diplomate, and the unconventional diner food at Unconventional Diner. For the latest brunch to try across town, go here.

Ramen

D.C. is a huge ramen town, with new noodle shops opening up constantly — even in the stifling-hot summer. Toki Underground and Daikaya are among the established players, while Haikan and Bantam King are adding to the scene as well. And Basebowl Ramen slings noodles and sushi next to Nationals Park. Ren’s Ramen is worth a trip up to Silver Spring.

Here are the key food-centric areas of the city to explore, as well as what to eat in each. A strong showing of the latest and greatest tasting menu options are scatted all over town.

Touristy areas

D.C. is nothing if not a tourist destination, whether it be families visiting the nation's capital, students here on school trips, or just those looking for a cool and affordable place to visit (remember that monuments and many museums are free here). Tourists in D.C. tend to flock to the National Mall — walkable to notable restaurants such as Old Ebbitt Grill and Hill Country — as well as the historic neighborhood of Georgetown (check out an ultimate staycation guide to Georgetown here.) Find other can’t-miss eateries around the Convention Center as well. The Wharf, a waterfront development on the Southwest edge of the city, is an attraction in and of itself with big-name options like Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen. Before or after a concert at the Anthem, consider dining options at the snazzy new Pendry hotel, massive cocktail bar/rum distillery Tiki TNT, excellent sushi rolls from fast-casual Fat Fish, Mexican mainstay Mi Vida, and pricey Spanish spot Del Mar. Check out the Southwest Waterfront’s musts here.

Adams Morgan

Known for its eclectic, international flavor and its status as a bar crawl destination, this neighborhood has landed some of the city’s most respected restaurants in recent years. Go to Keren for Eritrean breakfast, Lucky Buns for top-notch burgers, Lapis for refined Afghan dishes, the Game for Filipino bar food, Green Zone for Middle Eastern-flavored cocktails, and Tail Up Goat for Mediterranean toasts and fresh pasta. Other standout options include pasta and wine bar Reveler’s Hour or Shibuya Eatery with dimly-lit bar Death Punch up top. To plan a well-rounded day in the neighborhood, go here.

Shaw

Restaurateurs and drinking pros continue flocking to this welcoming neighborhood. Standbys include All-Purpose pizzeria, Seylou Bakery, and the Dabney, for hearth-fueled Mid-Atlantic cooking. Other musts include wine bar Maxwell Park, edgy, neon-lit cocktail lair Never Looked Better, Eighteenth Street Lounge 2.0, and “urban garden” Calico. With tasting menus that take veggies to new heights, Rob Rubba won the 2023 James Beard Award for outstanding chef at Oyster Oyster. Head to Amazonia/Causa for a two-story temple to Peru that was named one of Eater’s Best New Restaurants in America. For best bets in the neighborhood, go here.

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

14th Street/Logan Circle

Before the Shaw renaissance took place, 14th Street NW was the location to be for D.C. restaurants, and it's still an important place to find a concentrated number of hot spots. Here, find Stephen Starr mega-bistro Le Diplomate (get the duck salardaises), international small plates place Compass Rose (home of essential international drunk food khachapuri), and much more. The strip is also home to no-rules Japanese restaurant Nama Ko from Boston celebrity chef Michael Schlow. Nightlife excitement stretches into the neighboring areas of U Street and Columbia Heights (Queen’s English, Makan) as well. A stretch of 14th Street just north of Columbia Heights has three of the best traditional Mexican restaurants in town, Taqueria Habanero, Mezcalero, and seafood-focused Anafre, which added pizza to the menu during the pandemic.

Union Market

The city’s preeminent food hall is the main attraction at this formerly wholesaler heavy stretch of Northeast D.C. But the area bordering Union Market has become a hot spot for restaurants, too, boasting heavyweights such as St. Anselm and coastal Italian tasting menu restaurant Masseria. Rum distillery Cotton & Reed is a smart stop for a cocktail, Last Call is great for a late-night (and cheap) Old Fashioned, A. Litteri is a timeless Italian grocery with classic subs. La Cosecha, a Latin American market with the central Serenata cocktail bar, Grand Cata grocer and wine shop, and a host of other food vendors selling Salvadoran pupusas, Peruvian sandwiches, and Venezuelan hot dogs, has slowly come together over the past few years.

Dupont Circle

D.C.’s dining nucleus is flush with options for elegant hotel fare (Lyle’s, Doyle), adults-only mini golf with a side of cocktails (Swingers), bottomless brunch (ala), and Spanish tapas (Boqueria). Find the top neighborhood musts here.

H Street NE

One of D.C.’s densest restaurant corridors, H Street attracts a rowdier crowd that likes to party late into the evening. Standbys include Toki Underground for ramen, Maketto for Southeast Asian cafe fare, Irregardless for Virginia wines and seasonal ingredients, and Ethiopic for Ethiopian.

Capitol Hill

This is where elected officials and advocacy groups hash out their differences. That said, the area right next to the government's office buildings isn't really the best segment of Capitol Hill for dining (though you'll find some old-school lobbyist haunts like The Monocle and Charlie Palmer, among other choices). The trick is to walk a little further towards Eastern Market and Barracks Row to find the real destination dining, including chef Aaron Silverman’s trend-setting Rose's Luxury (and more budget-friendly sibling Little Pearl), taxidermy-filled tavern Hawk ‘n’ Dove, inventive Chinese-Korean counter Chiko and its new breakfast spot I Egg You. Inside Eastern Market itself, the place to visit is Market Lunch, which draws long lines for crab cakes and blueberry buckwheat pancakes. Find the best of the neighborhood here.

Virginia and Maryland

The Northern Virginia and Maryland suburbs are an integral part of the D.C. area's overall dining scene. For one thing, they are a hotbed for much of the area's best international dining, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Salvadoran, Korean, and more.

It's important to learn the major neighborhood names across Maryland (Wheaton, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Rockville) and Virginia (Clarendon, Ballston, Old Town Alexandria, Del Ray, Falls Church, Tysons Corner) as area chefs are gambling more and more on areas outside D.C. Destination restaurants include 2941 and Peter Chang's restaurants — make a beeline to Mama Chang for home-style Chinese in Fairfax.

Just north of the Beltway, Wheaton, Maryland, packs in a huge variety of tastes such as shawarma from Max’s Kosher and fried watercress salad from Ruan Thai. Up in Rockville, Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly has become a destination for Filipino food and Dupont’s Thai Chef Street Food added a color-soaked outpost in recent years. And for extraordinary brisket with an awe-inspiring backstory, head to the small Maryland town of Riverdale Park to try 2Fifty Texas BBQ. The same area is also home to a snazzy new food hall and buzzy bakery.

Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

---

Eater D.C. is updated up to a dozen times every weekday with breaking news stories, maps, features, guides, trend pieces and more. Here's how to best use it:

• Keep an eye on the Eater D.C. homepage. New stories will always show up near the top and flow down toward the bottom of the page as they get older, while important recent stories will stay pinned to the top. Also, check out the National site, Eater.com, for both national and international food news.
• Subscribe to our newsletter, which goes out every weekday afternoon and includes links to the day's top stories. We also frequently send a weekend newsletter with maps to help diners eat through their days off.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates on new stories and more throughout the day.

Have questions not answered here? Have a juicy tip to share? Want a super-specific restaurant recommendation? Here's how to reach us.

• Email dc@eater.com to reach the editor.
• Send a tip through the tipline, which can be anonymous or otherwise.