This Takoma Park restaurant from Jeff Black and Danny Wells has lots of oysters, a strong brunch menu and live music in the evenings. It's also a destination for creative vegetarian offerings. Read more.
D.C.'s Lao restaurant has made a splash with its spicy and unusual fare (yes, ant eggs have appeared on the menu). Try the jungle menu for the spiciest dishes the restaurant has to offer. Read more.
Perhaps the most representative restaurant of the growing Filipino food trend in D.C. over the past couple of years, Bad Saint has been drawing lines down the street since opening last September. Read more.
Jack Rose was already the city's (maybe even the country's) top whiskey bar. Now, there's solid Southern food to match, courtesy of chef Russell Jones. Read more.
Feast on Afghan dumplings, pumpkin preparations, baked eggplant, and standout kebobs in many varieties. A recent recipient of Michelin's Bib Gourmand designation, vegetarians eat well here. Read more.
The restaurant has become known for its pastas, breads, wines, and attentive and easygoing service. Lamb ribs are a sure bet, but don't ignore rotating dishes highlighting seasonal ingredients. Read more.
Under the direction of chef and co-owner Hiroshi Seki, the restaurant features adventurous dishes like beef tongue, classics like kara-age and a number of accompaniments to its fine sake selection. Read more.
The sheer diversity of this neighborhood restaurant's small menu is impressive, and the kitchen manages to excel at a number of different cuisines, ranging from South American to Georgian. Read more.
Cedric Maupillier has created a buzzing neighborhood spot in Shaw. Standout dishes range from a fried chicken-inspired spin on coq a vin to scallops prepared in the style of boudin blanc. Read more.
The Dabney, Jeremiah Langhorne's Washington debut, shows some of the most aggressive commitment to local sourcing and Mid-Atlantic cuisine in the region. As a result, the dishes change frequently. Read more.
Here, Rob Rubba makes a name for himself with unique dishes with an Asian flair, and has a particular way with duck. Find a carefully-curated wine list and a festive dim sum brunch here, too. Read more.
This versatile LeDroit Park restaurant has flourished as a neighborhood gathering place at all hours of the day, from breakfast to those between-lunch-and-dinner hours. Read more.
The Red Hen is the whole package: food, design, service. Bloomingdale residents and destination diners turn here for offal, homemade pastas, and a carefully-curated wine list. Read more.
Stephen Starr's first entry into the D.C. market excels at classic dishes like steak frites and skate, as well as some interesting twists like foie gras mousse. The atmosphere is loud and bustling. Read more.
The contemporary small plates menu boasts a strong selection of cheese and charcuterie, as well as pintxos, bocadillos and classic tapas dishes. Read more.
Getting in can be a challenge — but the payoff is worth the wait. The chef prepares fiery, authentic Thai cuisine in a spare and stylish setting. Read more.
One of the most romantic restaurants in the city, Iron Gate features cooking from Vermilion veteran Anthony Chittum. There are both tasting menus and a la carte options at the restaurant. Read more.
The restaurant serves up a stellar brunch buffet, properly made Manhattans and traditional Indian fare such as lamb roganjosh. The thali platters are a good way to sample a variety of dishes. Read more.
Victor Albisu's South American restaurant serves up a variety of grilled smoky meats, and menu items like arepas. There's even a cocktail list with edible, meaty garnishes available in the lounge. Read more.
The buzzy restaurant has delicious brussels sprouts, flatbread and octopus small plates, and a number of fun festivals throughout the year, celebrating events like Greek Easter. Read more.
On the ground floor: Sapporo-style ramen in a bustling setting. Upstairs, an izakaya specializing in Japanese bar food, whiskeys, shochu and Japanese beer. Read more.
Wiseguy is one of the few places in D.C. to find authentic New York-style pizza. The restaurant also offers some New York standards like garlic knots and chicken rolls. Read more.
From the team behind Daikaya and Haikan, Bantam King is D.C.'s first restaurant entirely dedicated to chicken ramen. Find fried chicken and killler dumplings here, too, but the soup is the main star. Read more.
Complement a glass of sangria with Ibérico ham, patatas bravas, croquetas served in a shoe and, of course, a variety of paellas served in pans that feed six people or more. Read more.
he wide-ranging wine list (with plenty of sherry and Lambrusco) helps balance the meaty fare. New winter menu additions include must-try seafood options, too, like ahi tuna sliders. Read more.
Chef Vikram Sunderam mans the kitchen at the Penn Quarter restaurant, where he takes a modern look at traditional Indian fare with favorites like the crispy palak chaat, flavorful curries and more. Read more.
There is more of a Chinese influence to the menu now, and that shows in its dan dan dumplings, wok-fried noodles, and tableside wonton soup. Read more.
Masseria has one of the more affordable tasting menus in the city. Diners can also go the bar snack route to lounge in one of the city's most transporting restaurant design settings. Read more.
The unique design, combining indoor/outdoor spaces and restaurant with retail, provides a home for an addictive dim sum brunch and beloved dishes like Taiwanese fried chicken. Read more.
All locations of Hank's Oyster Bar are great neighborhood hangouts, but Hank's on the Hill gets a nod this time around for its festive vibe and the ever-changing cocktails to be found at its Eddy Bar. Read more.
Aaron Silverman's experimental restaurant plays with dishes like a pork lychee salad, Vietnamese pate and bigger, family-style plates like schnitzel or brisket. Warning: lines here tend to be epic. Read more.
Pastry chef Alex Levin has established the Navy Yard Italian haunt as the place to go for dessert. Charcuterie dishes and Italian cocktails are also worth exploring here. Read more.
The newly revamped lounge is the most affordable — and really, the best — way to experience this restaurant. Enjoy superior cocktails, excellent burgers, and a swank feel. Read more.
Mike Isabella's second restaurant in the Kapnos empire puts the emphasis on seafood, with dishes like a lobster salad flatbread. Read more.
This homey Ballston restaurant has a flair for dramatic Spanish dishes and drinks. Head here for roast pig, paella, and a variety of seafood dishes (including barnacles). Read more.
Bertrand Chemel's skills are evident in dishes like paella soup and broccoli raviolini with smoked pioppini mushroom. Diners can have a snack at the bar, an a la carte meal, or a full tasting menu. Read more.
Jennifer Carroll puts her own spin on French classics like moules frites and French onion soup, while still getting creative with additional Mediterranean fare. Read more.
Hai Duong is a restaurant where diners can find everything from expertly-made banh xeo (savory crepes) to fine rice and noodle dishes (and yes, that pho is pretty terrific, too). Read more.
