The 20 Best Restaurants in Arlington

1. James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - The Fried Rice Collective
2. Northern Virgina Magazine The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
3. James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Drewno and Danny Lee - Fried Rice Collective

1. The Rammys Finalist · Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year
2. James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Rahman "Rock" Harper

1. The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
2. Northern Virgina Magazine The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia

1. James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · Peter Chang

1. The Rammys Finalist · Wine Program of the Year

1. The Rammys Finalist · Casual Restaurant of the Year

A working pasta station behind glass sets the tone at this lively Italian trattoria in Arlington, where a whimsical Sophia Loren portrait watches over the room. The name refers to the women who traditionally made fresh pasta by hand, and the menu leans into that, pulling shapes and fillings from different Italian regions. A three-pasta tasting doubles as a miniature tour of the country without the jet lag.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
2. Northern Virgina Magazine The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

Lamb and chicken skewers come off the coals heavy with cumin at this Uyghur restaurant tucked into an Arlington strip mall. The skewers are the draw, but the menu around them pulls equal weight: flat noodles in tart red broth, cold noodles sparked with chili oil, and a beef-and-onion stuffed flatbread that regulars tend to order twice. The New York Times named it one of D.C.'s 25 best restaurants.

1. The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now

Whole roast suckling pig, ordered tableside with enough ceremony to make your neighbors jealous, is the move at this Spanish tapas restaurant in Ballston. The co-owner, Spanish himself, infuses his own spirits, and the gin and tonic is the kind of thing that makes you question every gin and tonic you've had before. Paella, croquetas, and a raw bar round things out, and the patio catches a breeze when the weather cooperates.

1. Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.

1. Washingtonian 8 Exciting and Delicious Vegan Restaurants Around DC

1. Northern Virgina Magazine The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
2. James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Matt Hill

The bucatini arrives spun tableside inside a wheel of parmigiana, which tells you immediately that this Arlington red-sauce Italian spot has more going on than the checkered-tablecloth classics. Chef Mike Cordero keeps inventing, so the menu shifts, but the instinct stays the same: familiar comfort food pushed somewhere unexpected. The room fills with people who came for spaghetti and meatballs and end up ordering whatever the server talks them into.

1. Northern Virgina Magazine #8 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia

Murals on the walls, A5 wagyu with foie gras on the plate: the contrast is kind of the point at this Arlington sushi spot. The menu runs toward the lavish end of the spectrum, with precision plating that makes you feel slightly guilty picking up your chopsticks. The ceviche with wasabi nori chips cuts through all that richness with real sharpness. Book ahead; the room fills fast and nobody's rushing out.

1. Northern Virgina Magazine #4 · The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia

1. Northern Virgina Magazine The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia

1. Northern Virgina Magazine The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia