The Best Levantine Food in Washington
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The best Levantine food in Washington, according to the experts: AAA, Michelin Guide, and The Rammys have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Yellow comes out on top.
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La' Shukran and Z&Z Manoushe Bakery hold the next two places. The Rammys shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Michelin Guide next.
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Rank 1. Yellow
Levantine
A wood-burning oven anchors this fast-casual Levantine cafe in Georgetown, where the line out the door reorganizes itself around whatever Michael Rafidi's team pulled from it most recently. Mornings run on pastries and shakshuka; afternoons shift to stuffed pitas and batata tots with urfa sauce. By night it flips to table service and a dinner menu. The Michelin Guide gave it a Bib Gourmand, which tracks.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Approved
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- The Rammys The Rammys: Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
- AAA Approved
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Rammys Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
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Rank 2. La' Shukran
Levantine
Up a set of funkily painted stairs off a Union Market alley, this French-Levantine bistro from the chef behind Albi earns its own conversation. The hummus topped with smoky escargots and arak butter landed on the New York Times list of best dishes across the country, and the falafel with dill yogurt and trout roe is close behind. Za'atar cocktails, jewel-toned walls, and habibi funk on vinyl fill out the rest.
The awards
- The Rammys The Rammys: Finalist · New Restaurant of the Year
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2025 · The Restaurant List
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- The Rammys Finalist · New Restaurant of the Year
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 3. Yellow
Levantine Bakery
Za'atar and labneh croissants sit next to a chocolate seven-spice cruffin in the pastry case, which tells you most of what you need to know about this fast-casual Levantine café in Ivy City. French technique carries the baked goods, while the kitchen leans into the Middle East for everything else. Evenings bring charcoal-grilled kebabs and meze from an open hearth, so the place quietly shapeshifts between breakfast spot and dinner counter without making a fuss about it.
The awards
- The Rammys The Rammys: Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
- The Rammys The Rammys: Finalist · Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year
- Time Out Time Out: The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
- The Rammys Finalist · Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year · Alicia Wang
- The Rammys Finalist · Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year
- Time Out The 20 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Washington, DC
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Rank 4. Z&Z Manoushe Bakery
Levantine
The crust on Z&Z's za'atar manoushe is chewy through the middle and genuinely crisp all the way to the edge, which sounds simple until you're eating it. This four-table Levantine flatbread bakery in Rockville operates something like a pizzeria, with variations on the signature item boxed up to go. The New York Times named it among D.C.'s top restaurants, and Bon Appétit put it on its best new restaurants list.
The awards
- Bon Appétit Bon Appétit: America's Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times The New York Times: The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now