217 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., USA

The Washington, D.C., metro area is home to one of the largest Eritrean populations in the United States, and many in the community get their taste of home at this well-established restaurant. Try the shiro, an aromatic Eritrean chickpea stew served in a clay pot along with spongy injera bread. Keren is also a popular neighborhood breakfast spot, offering classic American egg sandwiches; if, however, you're up for a virtual trip, try the ful, a dish made with mashed fava beans. The restaurant is small and simple but big in flavor and history.

From early morning until well into the evening, you'll find chatty diners at this bookstore café. Breakfast fare is popular, with crab cake benedict one of the top choices. A few vegan and gluten-free dishes are also offered. If you're dining alone, the bar is your best bet as staff can be reluctant to give single diners one of the coveted outside or window tables.

Nestled in a hidden alley between L and M streets (Midtown Center), Little Chicken is a fun spot serving all things fried chicken. Start with a locally brewed beer or a glass of champagne if you're feeling fancy. You can order cocktails like margaritas and hard cider by the pitcher, perfect for lingering around and playing shuffleboard on the patio. The restaurant offers crispy fried chicken, either bone-in or boneless, and spicy or regular. From waffle fries to mac and cheese, there's a long list of sides to choose from. 

The owners of Los Hermanos (meaning "brothers" in Spanish), which was initially a bodega, began offering home cooked–style Dominican food after customers began asking about the smells that were coming from the back of the store. A must-order is mangú, the national dish of the Dominican Republic made with mashed plantains and accompanied by salami, fried cheese, and egg. Save room for a batido (milk shake) made with papaya, soursop, or mango.

Lutèce finds its inspiration from Parisian "neo-bistros," French restaurants where chefs use a creative license with twists on traditional fare. The menu at Lutèce features French staples like duck and steak with unique pairings such as steak tartare with fermented chili. The inviting dining room, with its exposed brick, vintage accents, and cozy atmosphere, makes it a choice for a romantic dinner in Georgetown.

Served in a warmly lit, elegant setting, the award-winning Belgian menu at Marcel's—the flagship restaurant of acclaimed chef Robert Wiedmaier—often includes multiple seafood choices (like perfectly seared diver scallops and Blue Bay mussels), succulent duck breast, and a selection of foie gras. Order the mixed-melon minestrone with yogurt sorbet and cream for dessert. If you're craving fine dining but are short on time, check out the happy hour menu, which offers small dishes like duck liver mousse and escargot for $12 a plate. 

Michelin-starred Maydan is an idyllic culinary journey to the Middle East with an intricate entrance, wood fire taking center stage, and a colorful bar. Maydan transformed their outdoor seating into a Middle-Eastern dining experience called “Tawle.” Guests must order from the prix-fixe menu, which includes a variety of family-style dishes inspired by the Middle East, Northern Africa, and the Caucuses. Order grilled lamb, homemade breads, and hummus served family-style.

A fixture in the neighborhood dining scene, this authentic Turkish restaurant and wine bar with a patio serves dishes such as doner kebabs, manti, and dolmas. If cocktails are more your thing, take advantage of the mojito bar, offering a wide selection of the drink in flavors like watermelon and blueberry.

The menu at this classic neighborhood bar–restaurant concentrates on seafood, with both Cape Cod and Baja influences, bringing a coastal dining experience to the city with a winning formula. Look for cod, lobster rolls, fish tacos, and even panfried trout. The bright, airy, nautically themed place seats about 220, and has a big, dog-friendly patio outside overlooking Massachusetts Avenue. Happy hour is popular, and there's even a takeout ice-cream stand. The only downside is that it's a mile from the nearest Metro station at Tenleytown.

Once a legendarily hard-to-reserve spinoff in the back of a bigger sibling, this critically beloved experimental laboratory of super-chef José Andrés now has about a half-dozen more seats in its new location. Yet Andrés remains as committed to pushing limits, as he puts it, using the magic of molecular gastronomy. Expect to pay more than you can imagine but leave amazed. Previous hits have included a foie-gras "lollipop" coated with cotton candy. For those not lucky enough to snag a table, try reserving online for a spot at barmini next door—the entrance is on 9th Street, north of E Street—where top-secret, creative, and already beloved cocktails are served. Demand there is so high that seatings are capped to two hours.

At this saloon-inspired venue, European and American flavors come together with seasonal ingredients. The menu changes weekly, with dishes like a half-roasted chicken with truffle butter or seared sea scallops with roasted eggplant. Having brunch on the patio is a great way to check out the Adams Morgan scene.

Shades of mauve and green, black Art Deco accents, and potted palms decorate this Vietnamese gem in an often overpriced and overhyped neighborhood. Appearances count here, but on the plate and not in the clientele—and you'll be grateful for that when you tuck into the crisp spring rolls or refreshing salad of shredded green papaya, cucumber, and basil, topped with shrimp or chicken. Daily specials include imaginative preparations of the freshest seafood. In addition, "caramel"-cooked and grilled meats are standouts.

Mission Dupont serves tacos, burritos, nachos, and other Tex-Mex fare in a casual setting. It's a popular hangout for young professionals, graduate students, and interns, who particularly enjoy the legendary happy hour. In warmer months, order a giant margarita out on the patio, and take in the lively Dupont Circle scene.

This casual spot with Persian fare and a focus on high-quality ingredients will steal your heart. Whether you're craving kebabs, falafel, baklava, or gyros, you cannot go wrong (although we do strongly recommend the baklava and the salmon kebabs). The freshly baked pita served with every order is a great touch.

Despite its tiny dining room, this Italian stalwart, under the helm of veteran chef Esther Lee, has maintained a pull on special-occasion diners since the late 1980s, offering only a pricey, five-course, prix-fixe dinner that changes nightly. A sample menu—with its mouthwatering delicacies—is posted on the website to give diners an idea of what to expect. Think handmade pasta, high-quality meats, and rustic bread to accompany the meal. 

A delicious meal in a picture-ready place for under $20 is hard to come by in Washington, D.C., especially in Georgetown. Nevertheless, these gems still exist, like Oki Bowl, a lively ramen bar on Wisconsin Avenue. Colorful lamps and hanging flowers decorate the eclectic dining room, making it social media–ready. Beyond the unique styles of ramen like curry, kimchi, and tom-yum, you can also order rice bowls with veggies or Japanese fried chicken. 

Visitors and employees from surrounding offices flock here to drink at the several bars, which seem to go on for miles, and enjoy well-prepared buffalo wings, hamburgers, and hearty sandwiches (the Reuben is a must). Old Ebbitt also has one of Washington's best-known raw bars, a 160-year-old institution (it claims Teddy Roosevelt may have "bagged animal heads" at the main bar). Pasta is homemade, and the late-night menu runs from hummus to tacos until 1 am seven days a week. Despite the crowds, the restaurant never feels cramped, thanks to its well-spaced, comfortable booths. Nevertheless, service can be slow at lunch and during happy hour when the oysters are half-price.

No-frills soul food is what you'll find at this friendly eat-in or take-out place, where the price is right, and the food is delicious. Ultrarich macaroni and cheese, succulent chicken and waffles, and teriyaki salmon just beg to be devoured, and collard greens are cooked with vinegar and sugar rather than the traditional salt pork. Save room for the hummingbird cake (pineapple with banana–cream cheese frosting). Smack in the middle of the U Street area, the place is both a neighborhood hangout and destination for those missing the perennial dishes that Mom always made best. And best of all, it's open until 4 am on Friday and Saturday.

The specialty at chef José Andrés's Mexican stunner are antojitos, literally translated as "little cravings." But the high ceilings, gracious service, and gorgeous Frida Kahlo–inspired interior are anything but small, and even the smallest of dishes is larger than life when doused with chocolate mole poblano sauce or piquant lime-cilantro dressing. Standouts include homemade margaritas topped with a clever salt foam, the seared Chesapeake perch with serrano and cilantro, and grasshopper tacos—yes, those are bugs basted in tequila and chili sauce, and they're delightful. Museumgoers shouldn't miss the filling and fanciful lunch specials.

This Parisian-style café is fast and casual yet sophisticated. The puff of its cheese gougeres, the heft of its salty-sweet croque monsieur sandwiches, and the delicate crunch of its almond-flour macaron cookies will leave you craving more. Although there can be lengthy lines, when you compare the prices and quality here to other Downtown lunch options, nothing else comes close.

Chef Jeff Black does serve three kinds of po'boys, but that's about as working-class as it gets at this dazzlingly decorated homage to the bivalve. East and West Coast oysters come raw, with perfect dipping sauces—at half-price all day on Monday and during happy hour every other day—or warm in five irresistible guises, from bacon wrapped to crusted in cornmeal and sprinkled with sweet-potato hash. If you eschew shellfish, Black has you covered with a grass-fed steak lovingly bedecked in blue cheese. Expect to get the best and pay for it here, where craft cocktails are $12, and each warm apple pie serving comes baked in its own miniskillet. Upstairs, the classy crowd endures lengthy table waits with Peroni on tap at the breezy Black Jack bar.

If you need a break and a quick hit of sugar in between sightseeing, Pitango is a great place to stop for a while, or just pick up a sorbet or gelato on the fly. It would be hard to pick a standout flavor among the stellar rotating cast, but their most popular is Fondante, a rich chocolate. Newer flavors include white nectarine, golden kiwi, and hibiscus blossom. If you're hungry for something more substantial, pick up one of their sandwiches made with Italian meats and cheeses on freshly baked focaccia or a to-go box of their handmade, signature, almond cookies. 

Chef Haidar Karoum grew up traveling throughout Europe, acquiring a Continental polyglot's sensibility that serves him perfectly wearing the toque at Proof. Like a wine lover's tour of the Mediterranean, diners can stop by France for the grilled flat-iron steak with sautéed spinach and bacon, or try the Turkish foray that is lamb chops with pistachio, apricot, and sumac. This is the rare restaurant and wine bar that plays both roles to the hilt, with an expertly curated cheese and charcuterie list as well as an array of small pickled plates that pair with Pinots or a craft cocktail such as the unique gin-and-lime "Dunning." The decor is soothing and chic, perfect for a postmuseum retreat.