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

Digging into a hefty pile of pancakes from this casual counter in Eastern Market makes for the perfect end to a stroll around the Capitol. Morning favorites include not only pancakes but also shrimp and grits; crab cakes, fried oysters, and fresh fish are popular at lunch. Plan to be in line by noon on Saturday to ensure the availability of every dish, and prepare to pay extra for real maple syrup.

Follow convention and order quickly, eat, and give up your seat for the next customer.

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.

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.

The Pembroke at the Dupont Circle Hotel is one of the most beautifully designed D.C. hotel restaurants, and it's not unusual to see an influencer posing in the newly renovated space. A wraparound porch allows for tons of natural light, and a coral leather booth is the perfect place to be seen while eating a colorful salad, hearty steak, or delicate seafood dish from the American-focused menu.

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. 

If you need to take a break from a museum without straying too far, check out Rice Bar, a fast-casual Korean restaurant located a block away from the Air and Space museum. The restaurant specializes in bibimbap, a Korean rice bowl dish usually topped with savory marinated beef, gochujang (chili pepper paste), and sautéed vegetables. The eatery allows customization of the bowls and offers vegetarian and vegan options like tofu and egg protein choices. Aside from the rice bowls, they offer a wide selection of soups with classic Korean flavors like kimchi, spicy kalbi, and tofu. 

The brainchild of veteran chef Ris Lacoste, RIS serves elevated but comforting seasonal New American fare in an earthy-chic, light-filled space—the sort of place you'll find locals, the after-work crowd, and even a celebrity or two. You should definitely try the daily and seasonal specials, but you can always count on the mainstays, including onion soup, mussels, and RIS's "famous meatloaf."

The original branch of the popular local barbecue chain now has a dining room, so you can sit and enjoy the baby back ribs and tender smoked chicken. Additional locations can be found in Arlington and Alexandria, as well as inside the Capital One Arena.

The cavernous space that once hosted one of the capital's most notoriously crazy bars is now a symbol of the area's maturation, thanks to a slick makeover and classy comfort-food lineup. The hearty but well-designed fare includes a fried-chicken sandwich redolent of sriracha sauce that will rock a spice-lover's world. If the food ever feels a touch too pub-grubby, look to the airy interiors and funky design—anchored by a splendid rooftop deck—and cultured cocktail menu for a taste of how highbrow a former college haunt can be.