The Best Restaurants in DC to Visit Right Now

Chef Peter Chang and his daughter Lydia Chang debuted an upscale, contemporary Chinese restaurant in the Dupont Circle, and it’s attracting critical praise for a menu that is experimental and ever-changing. A fixture on the menu is the roast duck, featuring a bird that is marinated, blanched, air-dried, and tea-smoked. Each duck takes two-days to prepare, so only a limited number are available daily, and they usually sell out. In addition to dinner service, Chang Chang offers a lunch special on weekdays that includes a bento box-style meal with rotating sides paired with a choice of entree. On weekends, the restaurant offers Saturday and Sunday brunch with a spread that marries dim sum favorites with brunch cocktails.
How to book: Via Tock

Doro Soul Food infuses traditional American soul food with Ethiopian flavors. Helmed by Ethiopian-born, French-trained chef Elias Taddesse, the menu features fried and char-grilled chicken at various spice levels from mild (naked) to hot (berbere) and very hot (mit mita). He’s best known for his wildly popular fried chicken sandwich, but the restaurant also offers vegan tenders and sandwiches made from jackfruit and pea protein.

Restaurateur Rose Previte (Maydan and Compass Rose) recently opened Kirby Club as a gathering place for celebrations. It’s a restaurant concept that harkens back to her childhood in Ohio, including her time spent in Lebanese-American social clubs. The menu revolves around kebabs, a universal love language shared across multiple countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. Guests can order a la carte or opt for a “Kebab Shindig,” a full-blown party with one of each kebab on the menu plus dips and spreads like havuc, a seasonal carrot dip with garlic and lemon, or Bessara, a spread made of fava beans, tahini, and cilantro.

At the end of the Red Line in Montgomery County sits this taco truck, parked in the Glenmont Shopping Center to offer an extensive taco menu, including mouth-watering birria tacos. While tacos are the star of this menu, you’ll also find excellent tortas, quesadillas, nachos, and pozole, as well as sides like elote and desserts like strawberries with cream.

At this Levant-inspired restaurant, most of the food comes from the coals of the hearth, like prawns with harissa garlic butter and smoked chicken with corn succotash and pepper tahini. For a more intimate affair try the “Sofra” experience—a semi-improvisational tasting menu from chef Michael Rafidi that you’ll enjoy seated directly in the kitchen for an intimate view of the hearth. If you can’t make it for dinner, check out the sister bakery and cafe, Yellow, which doles out flaky pastries, pita sandwiches, and tahini caramel brownies all day in Georgetown.

Located between Union Station and Chinatown in the new Capitol Crossing development, Bar Spero is the eponymous concept from the Michelin-starred chef behind Reverie, Johnny Spero. Don’t be fooled by its billing as a bar, the restaurant serves a seafood-centric menu inspired by destinations near and far—from the Mid-Atlantic to Basque Country. Menu highlights include imported Spanish turbot and pork from Autumn Olive Farms in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as a raw bar, and most dishes are cooked over the open flame. Meanwhile, guests can also choose from a tightly curated wine list, regional beers on tap, craft cocktails, and a wide selection of vermouths.

Modeled off a classic red-sauce joint, Caruso’s Grocery features classic Italian fare like you might order in The Bronx, Brooklyn, or Bergen County dialed up a few notches. Find handmade pastas dressed up in dishes like rigatoni alla vodka and five cheese ravioli, plus hand-pulled mozzarella with basil marinated tomatoes, chicken parmigiana, pork chops pizzaiola-style to round out the menu by chef Matt Adler. The restaurant also offers dessert classics, like New York-style cheesecake with strawberry preserves and a transcendent tiramisu. The Capitol Hill location is the original, but there’s a new outpost in the Pike & Rose development in North Bethesda.

One of the most exciting tasting menus in the city is tucked away, almost hidden in Shaw’s Blagden Alley. This Peruvian tasting menu features the talents of the award-winning Service Bar team and Peruvian-born chef Carlos Delgado. Think of this restaurant as two spaces in one. Bar Amazonia is located upstairs and has small bite offerings like ceviche and skewers, plus one of the largest collections of piscos in America. Downstairs is where you’ll find Causa’s tasting menu, which takes you on a tour of the country from the Pacific Coast to the Andes mountains.

Suresh Sundas and Dante Datta (formerly of Rasika) teamed up for this restaurant inspired by the history, culture, and flavors of India. The menu has classic dishes like chicken tikka masala and wild mushroom biryani. But there are also several “Indian-ish” takes inspired by other regions of the world, like wok-fried cabbage and Zaatar olive naan.

As they say in New Orleans—lez le bon temps rouler! And the good times definitely roll at Dauphine’s, a restaurant that pays homage to the Crescent City. Expect an abundance of New Orleans-themed dishes, like lightly dusted beignets, seafood gumbo, and a raw bar that greets you at the door. Chef Kristen Essig called the Big Easy home for more than two decades and developed the menu and concept alongside chef and partner Kyle Bailey (both of The Salt Line). The duo utilizes Mid-Atlantic seafood including soft shell crabs, Chesapeake oysters, and rockfish. Order up a hurricane, and you might feel as if you’ve been transported to the French Quarter, and you can also find other expertly crafted cocktails from Neal Bodenheimer, owner of Cure, a top bar in New Orleans, and beverage director Donato Alvarez.

Salvadoran immigrants are smoking the best version of Texas-style barbecue in the DMV at this charming pithouse in Riverdale Park, with a smaller vendor stall in Union Market. When you pull up to 2fifty BBQ, chances are you’re here for the wagyu brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and sausage links. But another favorite dish, by far, is the brisket pupusa, which seamlessly blends two cooking traditions together—Salvadoran and American-style barbecue.

Casey Patten (Grazie Grazie) and Gerald Addison (Bammy’s) are tossing pies at this red sauce joint. The latest addition to the Midtown Center development downtown, it's a respite from office buildings and fast-casual joints with an outdoor pizza garden and an extensive list of negronis. Order up the Green Goodness, with collard greens, provolone and pecorino cheese, and calabrian chilis, or the Drunken Love topped with vodka sauce and loaded with a mix of aged and fresh mozzarella, provolone, basil, and pepperoni cups. Main entrees are meant for sharing and include a whole branzino or the Chicago-inspired chicken vesuvio.

Chef and owner Thomas Harvey’s goal for his new 2,600-square-foot counter service restaurant was to become the go-to neighborhood spot in Falls Church. Mission accomplished—the all-day restaurant cafe is stocked with house-made sandwiches, pastries, pastas, and other dishes prepared over the open flame. Locally sourced seasonal ingredients drive the menu, so guests can look forward to entrees like cedar plank salmon with hot honey-roasted root vegetables, fennel, and Cippolini chutney, or port-braised beef short ribs from Virginia’s Seven Hills Food. Save room for one of the tempting desserts which include honey cake and a killer banana split, incorporating topplings like honey roasted peanuts, popcorn, and chocolate and caramel sauces.

DC's newest saloon and smoked burger bar is served up from the owners of Sloppy Mama’s and Republic Cantina. So needless to say, the vibes are full-on western—think Texas or New Mexico by way of our nation’s capital. Playing to the theme, the menu has a green chili burger (The Puebla) akin to what you might get in Santa Fe. There’s also a stacked smashburger called The Lancaster with a smoked beef patty, bacon, smoked cheddar, arugula, tomato relish, and pickled onion. All the burgers are made with a blend of prime brisket trim and Roseda Farms dry-aged beef. Pair that with one of the zero-proof drinks on tap, like an orange-Mexican oregano soda. The latest addition to the menu is brunch featuring smoked breakfast sandwiches on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

This family-style Italian restaurant sticks to a simple menu of pasta, antipasti, and hearty mains sure to leave everyone at the table happy. Start with a glass (or carafe for sharing) of the grapefruit Aperol spritz. Then order up a few antipasti dishes—the dry-aged beef carpaccio and housemade burrata offer a nice salty-savory combination. For mains, it’s hard not to load up on pasta, from the thick and creamy cacio e pepe bucatini to the rigatoni and lamb. There’s also a “bambini” menu for the kids and a heated outdoor patio overlooking Eastern Market, making this an enticing place to sit and linger as Italians do.

On any given day, the streets of Mount Pleasant are buzzing with early risers hungry for La Tejana’s breakfast tacos. Ana-Maria Jaramillo and Gus May have crafted a menu of Tex-Mex breakfast tacos that draw repeat customers. The menu includes a vegan taco (La Betsy), a vegetarian option (El Frijolito), and a popular pick: the Tio Willie with scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and queso drizzle.

Michael Schlow and executive chef Derek Watson (of Morimoto fame) have curated a menu with everything from a full sushi bar to hot entrees like a Koji-aged pork chop and wagyu New York strip. Top your meal off with a pour from one of the most extensive sake menus in the city and Nama Ko's signature soft-serve ice cream and sorbet offerings, including a honey-miso black truffle flavor.

This innovative restaurant and bar are thriving with sustainability in mind. Mid-Atlantic vegetables take center stage at Oyster Oyster. Chef Rob Rubba honors producers who share an ethos of environmentally friendly farming and ingredients that are sourced and foraged locally. The tasting menu makes use of several varieties of mushrooms, plus many other tasty vegetables and local oyster dishes. Pair it all with organic and biodynamic wines.

This husband and wife team runs a Cantonese-style restaurant serving Hong Kong cuisine with a twist. Chef Henji Cheung grew up eating and cooking traditional Cantonese and Hakkanese dishes with his family—and his menu reflects this upbringing. Expect fresh seafood, housemade silken tofu, and Hong Kong pin noodles. Meanwhile, Sarah Thompson curates an extensive list of natural wines to match the flavors of the menu and several options come from small family vineyards.

Known for luxe Indian dining that took The District by storm in 2019, Punjab Grill has now reopened with a new look, name, and menu. RANIA held onto the former restaurant’s opulent feel to serve up unexpected takes on Indian cuisine in a dining room with sleek finishes like an Onyx bar and bone inlay tables. Executive chef Chetan Shetty has sourced rare spices and ingredients for each menu offering like chile spice blends from Delhi and special garlic blends from Maharashtra. For $75 or $90, guests can select from a three- or four-course menu, each with a handful of options like 18-hour sous vide lamb wrapped in cheela, a savory Indian pancake, or chicken kofta topped with an excessive amount of white truffle for added decadence.
How to book: Reservations via Tock

The farmer’s market dictates the menu at chef Yuan Tang’s build-your-own tasting menu restaurant where sharing is encouraged. The menu’s offerings change based on what’s in season, but each guest gets to choose each course from a selection of vegetable-forward dishes. Unlike other fine dining spots, Rooster & Owl also allows you to tack on additional dishes for $10, so you’ll never leave hungry.

Ruthie’s All Day is an all-day, any-day kind of hangout with a comfort food menu that centers on dishes from a custom-built, wood-burning hearth. Come for coffee or free wifi but stay to indulge whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Mr. W’s Biscuit is one of the best bets at breakfast—this sausage and scrambled egg biscuit comes with the option to top it with cheddar or goat cheese. Or get messy with a juicy Rad Burger (on both the lunch or dinner menu) or some finger-licking good smoked spare ribs.

At Shilling Canning Company, you’ll find an outstanding, seasonally driven menu that features sustainably sourced produce from the Mid-Atlantic plus several housemade preserves. Shilling Canning Company serves a tasting menu at the chef's counter, similar to the three-course menu available in the dining room and on the garden patio. The tasting menu changes each week and features local fishermen in the Chesapeake region, as well as partner farms from Maryland and Virginia. It’s also home to a ghost kitchen called Ampersandwich best known for its thick-stacked burger and deli-style sandwiches.

Jeanine Prime (Cane) is a notable restaurateur offering guests a taste of the Caribbean with African, East Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, and French influences. On the menu, you’ll find several island staples like callaloo soup which has pureed spinach, chilies, and coconut milk, and comes topped with lump crab meat. Larger formatted plates are meant for sharing, including the Trini-style taro dumplings and pepper shrimp served with a scotch bonnet and pimento chili sauce and creamy corn-based puree called coo coo. Do not miss out on the paratha platter, which for $60 features an assortment of duck, beef, and vegetable curries served with murtani, a spicy mix of roasted okra, tomatoes, eggplant, and garlic.

This Italian-Japanese restaurant was first credited with bringing “wafu” (Japanese-style) pasta and pizza to Washington. Katsuya Fukushima is one of the city’s most celebrated chefs, and his team is loyal to wafu-style pizzas, like the pepperoni pie with Japanese brick cheese and shoyu-pickled jalapenos. The menu also features pasta made in Sapporo, Japan and includes several variations to choose from like noodles covered in XO sauce and topped with bonito and Spam, or a tagliatelle bolognese with nduja and Japan’s S&B brand curry. The latest addition is Tonari's “Hole in the Wall” Dessert Bar, featuring a sweet, new tasting menu overseen by the restaurant’s talented pastry chef Mary Mendozza.