The Best Wine Bars Near Royal, by the Record

1. Wine Enthusiast Forward 50 Restaurants

The restroom walls are lined with illustrated wine descriptions, which tells you exactly what kind of neighborhood restaurant this is. A cozy Columbia Heights pasta house and wine bar, Reveler's Hour runs a rotating slate of seasonal Italian small plates under arched ceilings and muted green tiles. The sommelier who co-owns the place steers you toward bottles you've never encountered, and the housemade pasta is the thing to build an order around.

1. Wine Enthusiast Forward 50 Restaurants
2. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
3. The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now

1. Washingtonian Another great vegetarian version · 7 Delicious French Onion Soups to Keep You Cozy All Day Long

A wine bar in Middleburg horse country with over 70 pours by the glass, though the food holds its own against the list. Snacks lean indulgent, and the bigger plates, duck confit, lobster curry, hanger steak au poivre, are serious enough that calling this a wine bar starts to feel like underselling it. The chef's cocktail policy runs "no fru fru," which apparently still leaves room for mezcal, Chartreuse, and Aperol in one glass.

1. Wine Enthusiast Forward 50 Restaurants
2. Washingtonian #55 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
3. James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Jarad Slipp