The Top 100 Restaurants Near Yellow
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Rank 1. 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 2. 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 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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 7. 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 9. 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 10. 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 11. 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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Rank 12. 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 2022 · Nominee · Emerging Chef · Angel Barreto
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - The Fried Rice Collective
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Angel Barreto
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Rank 13. 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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- 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 15. La Bonne Vache
French
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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 17. Sura
Thai
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Rank 18. 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 19. 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 20. 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 22. River Club
Elevated Middle Eastern Cocktail Bar
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Rank 25. Chez Billy Sud
French
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Rank 26. 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 27. Afghania
Afghan Middle Eastern
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Rank 28. 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 29. 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 30. 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 31. 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 32. 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 34. 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 35. 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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Rank 36. La Chaumiere
French
- Washingtonian The soup-and-fire combo · 7 Delicious French Onion Soups to Keep You Cozy All Day Long
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Rank 37. 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 38. 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 39. 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 40. 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
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
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Rank 41. 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 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 45. 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 46. The Pembroke
French
If a Parisian brasserie and a Mediterranean terrace had a baby and somehow ended up in Dupont Circle, it would look exactly like this. The Pembroke, inside the Dupont Circle Hotel, is a proper sit-down dining room done up in marble, salmon velvet, and more greenery than a greenhouse. The crowd leans date-night and hotel-chic, the menu roams from Dover sole to lamb tagine without apology, and honestly it all works.
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Rank 49. Chang Chang
Chinese
Peter Chang is a name DC diners actually know, and his Dupont Circle spot is the kind of sleek, grown-up Chinese restaurant where the food quietly outpaces the room's good looks. The menu plays with Chinese classics in ways that feel elevated without being fussy, and the desserts from pastry chef Pichet Ong are worth saving room for. The crowd runs business-casual with ambitions, the kind of people who definitely Googled the menu first.
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Rank 50. 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 51. Planta Queen
Pan-Asian Chinese
- Washingtonian 8 Exciting and Delicious Vegan Restaurants Around DC
- Washingtonian 8 Exciting and Delicious Vegan Restaurants Around DC
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Rank 52. New Heights
New American
New Heights is a neighborhood restaurant in Woodley Park that's been around forever and has no interest in impressing you on arrival, which is exactly why it works. The carpet is a little beige, the crowd is quiet, and then the food shows up and suddenly everyone at the table is paying attention. It's the kind of New American dinner spot where regulars look smug for a reason.
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Rank 53. 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 54. 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.
- Washingtonian 2026 · #19 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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Rank 55. 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 56. Masseria
Puglian Italian
A Michelin-starred tasting restaurant in a converted warehouse that somehow pulls off glamorous and unfussy at the same time. The chef's Puglian roots shape everything, and the pasta and bread courses alone justify the trip. The room draws a well-dressed crowd who came to linger, and the staff seem genuinely happy to let them. The cocktail bar up front is worth a stop on its own if a full tasting feels like a commitment.
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Rank 57. 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 58. 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 59. Pascual
Mexican
Capitol Hill's hottest reservation right now is this lively, sharing-focused Mexican spot where the cooking feels more Mexico City than D.C. The vegetable dishes are quietly the stars of the table, though the lamb barbacoa will make carnivores very happy. It draws a young, neighborhood crowd who knew early and booked faster than you did. Go with a group, order everything, and sort out the logistics of getting a table before you get excited about going.
- 50 Best #42 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · New Restaurant of the Year
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Chef of the Year · Matt Conroy & Isabel Coss
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Rank 60. Pineapple & Pearls
New American
Most tasting menus whisper at you reverently. This Capitol Hill spot with a Michelin star does the opposite, and that's exactly the point. It's a full prix-fixe production with caviar, tableside absinthe, chefs in gold Nikes, and the kind of energy that makes it feel less like fine dining and more like a very well-fed party. The crowd dresses up and leans in. Come hungry, come festive, and don't expect a quiet night.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
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Rank 61. 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
- Bon Appétit 2018 · #2 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Eater 2018 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 62. 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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- 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 64. Rose's Luxury
American
Rose's Luxury holds a Michelin star and somehow still feels like dinner at your most talented friend's place, complete with string lights and an open kitchen. It's a prix fixe spot on Capitol Hill where the cooking is genuinely clever without being smug about it. The crowd is first-daters and regulars who've memorized every course, all equally happy to be there, which tells you everything.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Washingtonian 2026 · #23 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
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Rank 65. 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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Rank 66. Cucina Morini
Italian
A Sicilian-leaning trattoria in NoMa where the bar crowd spills into every corner and the energy never really dips. The kitchen makes its pasta in-house and offers half portions, which is the kind of move that actually lets you eat well instead of committing to one bowl and having regret. Comfort food done with real skill, and a room full of after-work regulars who clearly know something you don't yet.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Time Out #12 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
- Washingtonian 2026 · #36 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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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 68. Shia
Korean
Edward Lee's 22-seat Korean fine dining room is one of those places where every course makes you wonder why more restaurants don't cook like this. The tasting menu takes traditional Korean ingredients seriously without being stiff about it, and the Korean spirits list goes deep into territory most people have never tried. First-daters and food-curious regulars fill the tiny room, all quietly impressed and pretending they're not.
- Esquire 2025 · 50/50 · The Best Martinis in America
- Washingtonian 2026 · #37 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
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Rank 69. Tsehay Restaurant And Bar
Ethiopian
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Rank 70. 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 2026 · #6 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
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Nancy Silverton brought her beloved LA osteria to Georgetown, and DC has not been quiet about it. This is a proper Italian restaurant, the kind where the room is loud and the food is rich and everyone seems to know they're somewhere worth being seen. The roast chicken over sourdough is genuinely the move. Former presidents and tech billionaires have eaten here, which tells you something about both the food and the vibe.
- Washingtonian 2025 · Chicken alla Diavola · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
- Washingtonian 2025 · Chicken Alla Diavola · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
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Rank 72. 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 73. 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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- 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 75. Purple Patch Food & Drink
Filipino
- Time Out #17 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
- 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 77. Thip Khao
Laotian, Thai
Thip Khao is the restaurant that put Laotian food on the map in DC, and it's been worth the trip ever since. It's a casual Columbia Heights dinner spot where the food is designed to share, which means you and whoever you dragged along should order way more than feels reasonable. The "jungle menu" goes places most kitchens won't. Sticky rice is non-negotiable. The crowd is adventurous and unpretentious, which is exactly the right energy for this kind of meal.
- The New York Times 2021 · The Restaurant List
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
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Rank 78. The Red Hen
Italian
A rustic Italian spot in Bloomingdale that's been earning its Michelin Bib Gourmand for a reason, The Red Hen is reliably packed with the kind of neighborhood crowd that books weeks out and still shows up early. Exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and moody lighting give it a farmhouse warmth without trying too hard. The pastas are the move, and the bar is a solid fallback when you forgot to make a reservation, which you did.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Chef of the Year · Mike Friedman
- Washingtonian 2026 · #18 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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Rank 79. 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 80. La' Shukran
French, Levantine
Finding it is half the fun: duck into a Union Market alley, spot the green door, and climb the stairs into a jewel-toned bistro where French technique meets Levantine soul. Chef Michael Rafidi runs one of DC's most genuinely original rooms, all habibi-funk vinyl and cool-kids energy. The menu is built for sharing, the cocktails are saffron-spiked, and snapping a reservation requires actual effort. That's usually a sign.
- The New York Times 2025 · Falafel Jibneh · The Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S.
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · New Restaurant of the Year
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 81. Casamara
Mediterranean
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Rank 82. Tapori
Indian
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Suresh Sundas
- Eater 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Washingtonian 2026 · #43 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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Rank 83. Bar del Monte
Italian
Casual Italian in a converted auto shop on Mt Pleasant, and yes, they lean into the gimmick just enough to be charming without being annoying. The menu rotates constantly, but the kitchen stays committed to good Italian instincts, and the bubble-crusted pizzas alone justify the trip. The room fills up with neighborhood regulars and first-daters who all somehow look equally at home. Wash it down and end with gelato piled absurdly high.
- Bon Appétit 2024 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Washingtonian 2025 · Arrosticini · Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
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Rank 84. Little Sesame
Middle Eastern Coffee Shop
- Washingtonian 8 Exciting and Delicious Vegan Restaurants Around DC
- Washingtonian 8 Exciting and Delicious Vegan Restaurants Around DC
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Rank 85. Dauphine's
Cajun & Creole
Dauphine's is a sprawling, three-level New Orleans-style restaurant that earns its Michelin Bib Gourmand the old-fashioned way: through serious Cajun and Creole cooking that couldn't care less about impressing you. The room is big and buzzy, full of the kind of crowd that orders another round before finishing the first. Go hungry, work through the oysters and the blackened crab, and save room for dessert.
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Rank 86. 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 87. Eatopia Eatery
Ethiopian
- Washingtonian The Hot List: 10 Restaurants Around DC We’re Loving Right Now
- The Washington Post The 8 best Ethiopian restaurants in and around D.C.
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Rank 88. Unconventional Diner
Modern New American
It looks like a classic diner, white walls and seafoam booths, but the menu is doing something a little sneakier. This Bib Gourmand spot in Shaw takes comfort-food staples and nudges them just far enough that you feel like you discovered something. Brunch draws the weekend crowd, and the lemon meringue pie has a devoted following. Book ahead, because the locals already figured this one out.
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Rank 89. Baan Siam
Thai
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
- Washingtonian 2026 · #76 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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Rank 90. Elfegne
Ethiopian
Ethiopian food done right, in a warm Adams Morgan dining room where families and first-daters alike tear into injera without worrying whether they're doing it wrong. Elfegne is a full-sit-down restaurant, family-run and clearly proud of it, with good natural light, solid wine, and cooking that makes most of its neighbors look like they're just going through the motions. Come hungry and order the lamb.
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Rank 92. Karizma
Modern Indian
Modern Indian in Penn Quarter with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and it earns it. Karizma is a proper sit-down restaurant where the cooking takes Indian cuisine seriously without taking itself too seriously, so the room stays lively rather than hushed. The naan alone is worth the trip. The drinks menu, including some genuinely good alcohol-free options, is more creative than you'd expect, so don't just default to beer.
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Rank 93. Marcus
American
Marcus Samuelsson's hotel restaurant in NoMa is the rare kind of upscale dining room that actually earns its price tag. The cooking pulls from all over, Southern, West African, Scandinavian, and somehow it coheres into something genuinely exciting rather than confused. The room draws a well-dressed crowd that came with a reservation and a plan. The crab rice, despite its modest name, arrives as a full production, and the blue cornbread lives up to the talk.
- Washingtonian 2026 · #32 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- Eater Rising Chef · The 2025 Eater DC Award Winners · Anthony Jones
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Anthony Jones
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Rank 94. Gravitas
Contemporary
Gravitas is a Michelin-starred tasting spot in Ivy City that makes you feel like you discovered it yourself, even though word is very much out. The exposed brick and open kitchen give it just enough edge to balance the serious cooking happening inside. Set menus run three to six courses, so you can calibrate how deep you want to go. The crowd dresses up slightly, takes their time, and pretends not to notice the table next to them.
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Rank 95. Daru
Indian
Daru is a neighborhood Indian spot in Capitol Hill that takes the cuisine somewhere new without losing the plot. The team behind it cut their teeth at Rasika, and it shows in the cooking, which earns a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good reason. Blue cheese on tandoor chicken sounds like a dare, but it works. The room hums with good music and regulars who look pleasantly surprised by their own plates.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · Rising Culinary Star of the Year · Suresh Sundas
- Bon Appétit 2022 · America's Best New Restaurants
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Rank 96. Ama
Northern Italian
- The Rammys 2025 · Finalist · New Restaurant of the Year
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Johanna Hellrigl
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Rank 97. Tabard Inn
Southern French
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Rank 98. L'Ardente
Italian
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- Washingtonian 2026 · #44 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · David Deshaies
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Rank 100. Chai Pani
Indian
Chai Pani brings the James Beard Award-winning Indian street food party from Asheville to Union Market, and it fits right in. The DC outpost is loud, color-drenched, and genuinely festive, the kind of place where everyone looks like they're having more fun than you until you order something. Go for the snacky stuff, the crispy bites and tangy tamarind things, and don't plan on getting out of there without overeating.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani - Chai Pani Restaurant Group
- Washingtonian 2026 · #29 · 100 Very Best Restaurants