The Top 100 Restaurants Near Truong Tien
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Rank 1. Rice Paper
Vietnamese
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
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Rank 2. Truong Tien
Vietnamese
Tucked deep inside the Eden Center mall, this Vietnamese restaurant feels like you've stumbled onto something you weren't supposed to find. The staff speaks mostly Vietnamese and the menu descriptions leave a lot to the imagination, but the regulars around you never look uncertain. Go for the rice-cake and tapioca-dumpling appetizers, then the spicy lemongrass noodle soup, which is exactly as good as everyone at the next table is making it look.
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Rank 3. Padaek
Laotian Thai
Padaek is the homestyle Laotian spot that helped put the cuisine on the map in DC, which is a real thing that happened and you should take advantage of. Expect punchy lime salads, fragrant soups, and banana-leaf-wrapped fish, the kind of cooking that tastes like someone's mom made it but with serious skill behind it. The crowd knows what they're doing and so does the kitchen.
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- Washingtonian 2025 · Nashville Hot Chicken Bánh Mì · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
- Washingtonian 2025 · Nashville Hot Chicken Bánh Mì · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
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Rank 6. The Falls
Mid-Atlantic
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Rank 7. 2941 Restaurant
French
- AAA Four Diamonds
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · #1 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
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Rank 8. Peter Chang
Chinese
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- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - The Fried Rice Collective
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - Fried Rice Collective
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Rank 11. Nue
Vietnamese
Nue is a modern Vietnamese restaurant that makes a strong case for the 30-minute trek to Falls Church. The dining room leans into impressionist pastels and florals, which sounds like a lot but somehow works, and the cocktails are the kind people photograph before tasting. The crowd skews date-night and special-occasion, dressed up just enough. The food is genuinely creative without being weird about it, which is harder to pull off than it looks.
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
- Washingtonian 2026 · #79 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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Rank 12. Joon
Persian
Persian food done with real care and zero shortcuts, in a room that works for both a family dinner and a date you're hoping goes well. Joon is an upscale restaurant that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about a cuisine that doesn't get nearly enough credit. The rice alone is worth the trip, and the stews are the kind of thing you'll still be thinking about on the drive home.
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
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Rank 13. Fava Pot
Egyptian
The smell hits you before you've even found a seat, like someone's mom has been at the stove since morning. Fava Pot is a homestyle Egyptian restaurant in Falls Church where the owner greets you like you're late to dinner, not a stranger walking in off the highway. The menu is genuinely vast and comforting, and the fava-bean falafel alone is reason enough to make the trip.
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Rank 14. Thompson Italian
Italian
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Rank 15. 1789
French-influenced New American
A proper sit-down restaurant tucked into a Federal period townhouse in Georgetown, spread across six rooms and three floors like a very elegant maze. The servers have been running this room longer than most guests have been alive, and it shows. The crowd is mostly proud parents treating their Georgetown kid to something nicer than the dining hall, dressed accordingly. The kitchen does French-leaning American classics and does them well.
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Rank 16. Modan Restaurant
Japanese
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · #6 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
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Rank 18. My Little Chamomile
Mediterranean
Tucked into a cobblestone Georgetown alley, this Turkish-Mediterranean spot is the kind of place that makes you feel like you stumbled onto something. The menu leans into home-style cooking, and the "From Mom's Kitchen" section is where you want to spend most of your attention. The bread alone is worth the trip. Expect a crowd of people who look like they know Georgetown well and are very pleased with themselves for finding it.
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
- Washingtonian 2026 · #14 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- Washingtonian 2025 · Rice-Stuffed Artichoke · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
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Rank 19. Apéro
French
A tiny, candlelit French bistro on P Street where the whole point is champagne and caviar, and nobody's pretending otherwise. Midnight-blue walls, a Persian rug, and a secret garden out back that was made for a first date you want to go well. The rest of the menu is French classics done properly, but the couples and dressed-up regulars in here already know what they came for.
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Rank 20. Ometeo
Afghan Middle Eastern
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
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Rank 22. Rasika
Indian
- Eater The All-Time Eater 38
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
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Rank 23. Green Almond Pantry
Mediterranean
A tiny Mediterranean lunch counter in Georgetown where you go in for a sandwich and somehow walk out with three containers of lentils and a tart you didn't plan on buying. The focaccia sandwiches are the move, but the fridge case full of ready-to-eat salads and savory pastries is what keeps the neighborhood regulars coming back looking slightly too pleased with themselves.
- Washingtonian 2026 · #59 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Cagla Onal Urel
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Rank 24. Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi
Afro-Caribbean
Kwame Onwuachi is a genuine celebrity-chef name, and his Afro-Caribbean restaurant inside the Salamander Hotel is exactly as cool as that sounds. The menu is built for sharing, with bold, technically sharp plates that somehow also feel personal to DC. The room draws the kind of crowd that dresses up just enough to mean it. The cocktail list, including the non-alcoholic side, is worth your full attention.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Condé Nast Traveler 2024 · The best new restaurants in the world
- 50 Best #37 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 26. SER Restaurant
Spanish
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- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
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Rank 28. Pho Thin
Vietnamese
This pho shop has been legendary in Hanoi for years, and the Falls Church outpost already has the crowds to prove it. What makes it different is the broth, which is deeply savory and garlicky rather than the sweet, star anise-heavy bowls you find everywhere else around DC. The noodles are wide and chewy, and the wok-seared ribeye on top genuinely earns its reputation. Go hungry, dress casually, and don't ignore the pickled garlic on the table.
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Rank 29. Chay Restaurant
Vietnamese
Chay is a Vietnamese restaurant where the meat-free cooking is so convincing you'll forget to feel virtuous about it. The chef makes her own faux meats and seafoods from tofu and vegetables, and they genuinely hold up. Think spicy lemongrass noodle bowls, bright papaya salads, and a "clam" dip that sounds absurd until you taste it. The room draws a laid-back, curious crowd who came for the food and not to prove a point.
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Rank 30. Anju
Korean
Anju is a Korean gastropub on 18th Street where the whole concept is food made for drinking, which means everything arrives salty, spicy, or rich enough to justify another round of soju. The crowd is young and loud and clearly regulars, packed into a brick-walled room that manages to feel cozy at full capacity. The menu pulls from real home cooking, and that warmth comes through in every bowl.
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - The Fried Rice Collective
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Emerging Chef · Angel Barreto
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Angel Barreto
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Rank 31. Bostan Uyghur Cuisine
Uyghur Chinese
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Rank 32. Amparo Fondita
Mexican
Modern Mexican done with real care in a minimalist Dupont Circle room, where the Michelin folks handed out a Bib Gourmand and honestly, it tracks. The chef nixtamalizes corn in-house and the menu swings from a raw bar to mole-glazed halibut to sides that quietly steal the show. The crowd tends toward first dates and neighborhood regulars who've figured out that the "simple" dishes are never actually simple.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
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Rank 33. Blue Duck Tavern
American
Tucked inside the Park Hyatt, Blue Duck Tavern is an upscale American restaurant with the kind of sprawling, light-filled room that makes everyone look like they have their life together. Glass-enclosed booths, walnut wood, a wood-burning oven anchoring the open kitchen. The crowd skews well-heeled and unhurried, and the menu leans into good American sourcing done with real care. Save room to browse the dessert station and a tea list long enough to require a guide.
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Rank 34. Perry's
Japanese
Perry's is an Adams Morgan neighborhood Japanese spot that's been around forever, but the kitchen has quietly become one of the more talked-about in the city. The menu mixes sushi with Japanese comfort food that doesn't play it safe, think fried mochi, katsu burgers, and dumplings that have no business being as good as they are. The crowd is relaxed and local, the kind of place regulars treat like their living room.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · Emerging Chef · Masako Morishita
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
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Rank 36. Meaza Restaurant
Ethiopian
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- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Rahman "Rock" Harper
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Rank 38. minibar by José Andrés
Contemporary
José Andrés holds two Michelin stars here, and the room earns every one of them. It's a tasting counter experience where the whole point is that nothing is what it looks like, and the chef's team seems genuinely delighted to watch you figure that out. Sharply dressed servers hover at the edges while guests in their best outfits crowd a curved counter, watching cooks work close enough to touch. Weird, smart, and genuinely fun.
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Rank 39. Birndo Bar and Restaurant
Ethiopian
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Rank 40. Obelisk
Seasonal Italian
Obelisk has been around forever, serving a five-course prix-fixe of seasonal Italian cooking in a room that feels more like a neighborhood spot than a formal commitment. Which is probably why it draws a younger crowd than you'd expect. The food is honest and unfussy, the antipasti alone justify the trip, and everything from the bread to dessert is made in-house. Clear your evening, though, this one takes its time.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Esther Lee
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Rank 42. Fiola
Italian
Fiola is a Michelin-starred Italian tasting restaurant sitting on Pennsylvania Avenue, which means you're eating exceptional pasta roughly halfway between the White House and the Capitol, which feels appropriately dramatic. The room pulls off retro glitz without the stuffiness, and the crowd tends to run toward people who've loosened their ties but not their ambitions. The kitchen does modern regional Italian in a way that makes the classics feel genuinely exciting rather than dutiful.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- 50 Top Italy 2026 · #7 · The Best Italian Restaurants In The World
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
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Rank 43. Jônt
American, Japanese
Ryan Ratino holds two Michelin stars here, and the room earns every one of them. It's a counter-style tasting menu above Bresca, with sharp-suited servers and chefs moving like they choreographed the whole thing. Japanese seafood and wagyu meet flawless French technique, and dessert gets its own dedicated counter. The crowd dresses up and means it. Worth every penny if you're the kind of person who thinks dinner should feel like an event.
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Rank 44. Nazret Ethiopian Restaurant
Ethiopian
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Rank 47. Amazonia
Amazonian Peruvian
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · World’s Best Spirits Selection
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Winner · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Carlos Delgado
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Rank 48. The Dabney
American
A Michelin-starred fine dining room tucked down a cobblestone alley in Shaw, which already tells you something about its personality. The hearth does real work here, giving everything a quiet smokiness that ties the Mid-Atlantic cooking together. The crowd skews date-night and special-occasion, but the recently added à la carte option means you're no longer locked into a full tasting menu commitment just to get in the door.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- Washingtonian 2026 · #15 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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Rank 49. Rooster & Owl
American
A Michelin-starred prix-fixe spot in Columbia Heights where the menu bounces from steakhouse classics to Japanese yam to a pear salad doing a cacio e pepe impression, all in four courses. It sounds chaotic and it kind of is, but the kitchen sticks the landing every time. The crowd leans creative-class, dressed like they read the right newsletters. The bar will even match wines to whatever you end up ordering, which is a genuinely nice touch.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
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Rank 50. Annabelle
American
Annabelle is the rare upscale American spot that actually earns its elegance, tucked into a modest brick building in Kalorama where the vibe inside far outpaces the exterior. A marble bar greets you first, which is the universe's way of saying order a cocktail. The dining room draws a grown-up, well-dressed crowd that knows how to have a good time without making a scene. The seasonal menu changes often enough to keep regulars guessing.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Washingtonian 2026 · #97 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Ashok Bajaj - Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
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A full-on Greek taverna that actually commits to the bit, with olive trees indoors, hand-thrown pottery on the walls, and a menu that reads like a greatest-hits of the Mediterranean. The room feels warm and unhurried, the kind of place where big groups settle in for the night. Grilled fish, souvlaki, spanakopita, and those fries will keep you busy, and you're finishing with baklava whether you planned to or not.
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Favorite Gathering Place of the Year
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 52. Mama Chang
Chinese
Peter Chang is a genuine celebrity in the DC Chinese food world, and Mama Chang is his tribute to the home cooks in his family. It's a warm, upscale-casual spot where the crowd looks like a Fairfax suburb on a good night out, and the dry-fried cauliflower lands on basically every table for a reason. Check the seasonal specials, especially any hand-pulled noodles, and don't skip the lychee pepper chicken.
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
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- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - The Fried Rice Collective
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - Fried Rice Collective
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Rank 54. The Bombay Club
Indian
Polished Indian dining steps from the White House, where the power-lunch crowd loosens their ties but never their ambitions. The room channels old British Raj club energy, all plush and proper, and the cooking is the real deal, ranging from Northern grilled meats to Southern coconut dishes. You'll spend half the meal squinting at the banquette trying to figure out which senator that is. That's half the fun.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Ashok Bajaj - Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
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Rank 56. Rania
Contemporary Indian
A Michelin-starred prix-fixe doing contemporary Indian in a way that feels genuinely exciting rather than just dressed up. The kitchen takes the classics seriously and then quietly does something unexpected with them, and the cocktails are built to keep pace with the bold flavors on the plate. The crowd leans date-night and special-occasion, everyone looking like they planned the outfit. Worth every bit of the commitment.
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Rank 58. Rasika
Modern Indian
Modern Indian done right, in a room loud enough that nobody's listening to your conversation anyway. Rasika pulls in a real cross-section of D.C., from Hill staffers unwinding to couples on a proper date night, and the vibe works for both. The food is confident and unfussy, the kind of cooking that makes you wonder why Indian food ever got saddled with a cheap reputation. Do yourself a favor and order extra naan, because you will run out.
- Eater The All-Time Eater 38
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
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Rank 59. Tail Up Goat
Caribbean
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Hospitality
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Rank 60. Bistro Aracosia
Afghan
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- Northern Virgina Magazine 2025 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Matt Hill
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Rank 62. Mita
Vegetarian Peruvian
Michelin-starred plant-based Peruvian tasting menu in Shaw sounds like a sentence designed to start arguments, but Mita genuinely earns it. The kitchen ranges across Latin America, and the food is inventive without being smug about it. The crowd is curious and mostly sober, here for the ride. Two format options mean you can commit as much as you want. Wear something that says you made a reservation two weeks ago.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Punch 2025 · Best New Bartenders · Lou Bernard
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
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Rank 63. RIS
New American
Ris Lacoste has been running this upscale New American spot near the West End for years, and it still feels like the neighborhood's living room, if the neighborhood runs on expense accounts and good wine. The room is warm and roomy with enough tucked-away corners that no one feels on display. The menu hits familiar notes but finds ways to surprise you, which is a harder trick than it sounds.
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Rank 64. Sura
Thai
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Rank 65. The Occidental
American
This grand American dining room a block from the White House has been around forever, and a recent overhaul turned it from a dusty landmark into one of the chicest rooms in DC. Olive-green velvet booths, excellent martinis, a menu of oysters and rib eye that somehow feels both timeless and fun. The crowd skews power-lunch and date-night, everybody looking like they have somewhere to be afterward.
- Wine Enthusiast 2025 · Top 50 New Restaurants
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
- Washingtonian 2025 · Oysters With Beurre Blanc · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
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Rank 66. Feru Bar and Restaurant
Ethiopian
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Rank 69. Sababa
Israeli Middle Eastern
The hummus here has its own listing as a daily special, which tells you everything about how seriously this place takes the food. It's a lively Israeli small-plates spot in Cleveland Park where the Mediterranean tiles and good wine list keep the vibe loose, but the kitchen keeps things focused. Order the salatim plate to start, pile the table with small plates, and plan to stay longer than you meant to.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Ashok Bajaj - Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
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- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Wine Program of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Ashok Bajaj - Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
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Rank 71. Shōtō
Modern Japanese
Shōtō is a sleek modern Japanese restaurant where the room does half the work, volcanic stone cascading from the ceiling, warm wood everywhere, and lighting dialed to make everyone look suspiciously attractive. It draws the kind of crowd that dresses up without trying too hard. The menu leans on robata grilling and sushi, and the Japanese whiskey list is genuinely impressive, so let the bar be your first stop before you eat.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
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Rank 72. Lapis
Afghan
Afghan food done with real care, in a room full of vintage rugs and hurricane lamps that practically beg you to linger over another cocktail. This is a cozy sit-down restaurant in Adams Morgan with a Michelin Bib Gourmand to its name, and the cooking is lighter and more fragrant than you might expect. The crowd skews date-night and clearly knows the menu well. Order the dumplings and whatever rice dish they're pushing, and don't skip dessert.
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Rank 73. Das Ethiopian Cuisine
Ethiopian
Ethiopian food in a Georgetown townhouse sounds like a fever dream, but Das pulls it off beautifully. It's a proper sit-down restaurant with a menu that swings from classic Ethiopian comfort dishes to things that'll genuinely catch you off guard. The injera is the move, ideal for scooping through the combination sampler. Vegetarians are well covered too. The room draws a relaxed, well-dressed crowd, and the staff treats everyone like a regular.
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Rank 75. River Club
Elevated Middle Eastern Cocktail Bar
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Rank 76. St. James
Caribbean
Modern Caribbean restaurant on 14th Street where the cooking genuinely earns its hype, which is a rare thing. The room has an industrial-cool look softened by color, and the menu is built for sharing, which gives you an excuse to order too much. Start with a rum cocktail, then work through smoky jerk brisket and whatever else the table can handle. The crowd skews date-night and friend-group, dressed up just enough to feel like the evening matters.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Time Out #4 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
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Rank 77. Lapis Afghan Bistro
Afghan Middle Eastern
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- Time Out #15 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
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Rank 79. La Bonne Vache
French
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Rank 81. Ceibo
Uruguayan
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
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Rank 82. Makeda
Ethiopian
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Rank 83. La Tejana
Mexican
A Bib Gourmand breakfast taco counter that started as a pop-up and wisely never left. The flour tortillas here are genuinely special, warm and soft in a way that makes you realize most places have been doing it wrong. Fillings run from eggs and beans to chorizo and brisket, and the whole operation is fast, cheap, and no-reservations. Mt. Pleasant regulars in hoodies fill the line most mornings, and honestly they have the right idea.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year
- Time Out #16 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
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Rank 84. Zaytinya
Mediterranean
José Andrés runs this sleek mezze spot pulling from Greek, Lebanese, and Turkish cooking, and it's earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good reason. The room feels breezy and modern, full of suits loosening up over spreads and pita alongside groups of friends with no plans to leave anytime soon. Order a bunch of small plates, let things pile up on the table, and let someone else figure out the bill.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- Washingtonian Where to Eat Near the National Mall
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Rank 86. Your Only Friend
American
A Bib Gourmand sandwich bar that takes the format way more seriously than it has any right to, which turns out to be a good thing. The menu reads like someone who actually knows cocktail bars decided to open a deli instead, and the drinks are genuinely worth ordering. The crowd skews young and neighborhood-casual, the kind of people who appreciate a good sandwich and aren't embarrassed about it.
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. East
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year
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Rank 87. Residents Café & Bar
Contemporary Middle Eastern
A Bib Gourmand café tucked into a black-painted row house in Dupont, with a shady patio out front and two levels of exposed brick, mid-century stools, and Edison bulbs inside. The menu lands somewhere between a Istanbul kitchen and a European bistro, which sounds chaotic but somehow works. Brunching creative types and after-work regulars both feel at home here, which tells you the vibe is relaxed enough that nobody's trying too hard.
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- Food & Wine 2023 · Mentaiko and Corn Pizza · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
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Rank 89. Maydān
Middle Eastern
The open fire at the center of this Middle Eastern restaurant isn't just for atmosphere, it does most of the actual cooking, and you can tell. Go for the prix-fixe and let the spreads, grilled meats, and rice pudding arrive in waves while you work through the cocktail list. The crowd leans date-night and special-occasion, everyone looking slightly more dressed up than they needed to but not mad about it.
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Eater 2018 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Bon Appétit 2018 · #2 · America's Best New Restaurants
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- Esquire 2023 · Medina's Martini Service · The Best Martinis in America
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Cocktail Program of the Year
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Rank 92. Queen's English
Chinese
A cozy Columbia Heights neighborhood spot doing inventive Hong Kong-inspired cooking at prices that won't wreck your night. The room is small and quietly stylish, with blue banquettes and geometric screens giving everyone a little privacy, and the Michelin Bib Gourmand crowd filling the place most nights. High-heat wok dishes that actually taste like someone's been thinking hard, not just showing off.
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Henji Cheung
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Time Out #9 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
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Rank 93. Cana
Brazilian
A tiny caipirinha bar in Adams Morgan that somehow nails both the drinks and the food, which is rarer than it sounds. The crowd is loose and loud, vinyl's on the turntable, and everyone at every table has ordered the picanha steak. The charcoal oven turns out serious food, and the fried tapioca squares with spicy guava dipping sauce are the kind of snack you keep reordering without meaning to.
- Washingtonian 2025 · Dadinhos de Tapioca · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
- Washingtonian 2026 · #26 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- Eater Best Night Out
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Rank 94. Chez Billy Sud
French
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Rank 95. Koryouri Urara
Japanese
A tiny omakase counter in Georgetown where the chef insists it's just homestyle Japanese cooking, then serves you ten courses that say otherwise. The room is sparse, but the warmth comes from the chef herself, who makes a tasting menu feel genuinely personal rather than performative. The crowd tends toward couples and serious eaters who've done their homework. Book ahead and surrender to whatever's coming.
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Rank 96. Del Mar
Spanish
The paella alone, loaded with lobster and giant prawns, justifies making a reservation at this upscale Spanish dining room on the Wharf, where floor-to-ceiling windows look straight out over the Potomac. The room runs coastal blues and polished brass, and the crowd dresses to match. Fabio Trabocchi's kitchen moves between luxury and comfort with ease, from caviar canapés to humble croquetas, and the seafood is rarely anything less than gorgeous.
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Rank 97. The Saga
Spanish
Spanish tapas and sharing plates done with a Latin American twist, right next to the Ritz-Carlton in a room so calm and cream-colored it almost dares the food to be interesting. It more than rises to the occasion. The arroz morada alone, a vivid pink rice with roasted vegetables, is worth the trip. The crowd leans date-night polished, the kind of people who ask thoughtful questions about the wine list and mean it.
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Rank 98. Oyamel
Mexican
José Andrés runs this lively Mexican spot near the National Mall, and it draws a faithful crowd of off-duty staffers and tourists who've done their homework. Pull up a stool at the ceviche bar, order something cold, and graze through small plates that take regional Mexican cooking seriously without making you feel like you're in a lecture. The happy hour menu is a genuinely good deal in a city that doesn't always bother.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Omar Rodriguez
- Washingtonian Where to Eat Near the National Mall
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Rank 100. Elmina
Ghanaian
Eric Adjepong runs this stylish Ghanaian restaurant on 14th Street, and it's the kind of place that makes you wonder why West African food hasn't had a bigger moment in this city until now. You can do a full tasting menu or graze from the bar menu, which riffs on Ghana's casual chop-bar tradition. The room draws a well-dressed crowd that clearly did their research, and nobody looks like they're in a hurry to leave.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
- Washingtonian 2026 · #6 · 100 Very Best Restaurants