Capital meals in and around the Capitol.
These days, Washington, D.C.’s best restaurants also count as some of the country’s best. Here are my top 2021 District dining recommendations, from artisan bakeries to blowout feasts and everything in between.
Washington, D.C.’s Best Restaurants 2021
The Washington, D.C. dining scene has gone from “not” to “hot” in the past several years, with more outstanding restaurants emerging every week.
Once considered a dining backwater populated by stuffy power restaurants and big-box chains, Washington, D.C. is now home to award-winning restaurants and an incredible diversity of dining options, for any occasion or international cuisine.
As a food writer, long time District resident, and someone who thinks about food during most of my waking life, I am often asked to recommend places to eat. Plus, I take eating on vacation seriously. Meals are usually the first thing I plan before a trip.
This list is neither exclusive nor comprehensive. Instead, I have focused on restaurants and other food establishments that I personally know and love, and recommend to friends and family.
Photo by Yeon Choi for Unsplash.
Additional Food Guides for D.C. Dining
If you’d like to go down the “best food in D.C.” rabbit hole (who wouldn’t?), I suggest also taking a look at the following resources:
- Eater DC’s list of the 38 Essential Restaurants
- Washingtonian Magazine’s Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C. guide
- Feed the Malik’s Guide to Black-Owned Restaurants in the D.M.V.
- Here’s a list of the Michelin-Starred Restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area
- Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema’s Washington, D.C. Best Restaurants 2021 guide
With that, here are my personal picks for Washington, D.C.’s best restaurants, bakeries, snack shops, and dining experiences.
Photo by Jacob Creswick for Unsplash
Where to Eat Near the Smithsonian Museums and National Mall
For tourists and locals alike, the National Mall and its monuments, memorials, and museums make a breathtaking D.C. experience. But seeing the sights also works up an appetite.
The area immediately surrounding the National Mall is short on restaurants. Luckily, the National Museum of African American History and Culture boasts one of the top museum cafés around. The Sweet Home Café features historic recipes of the African diaspora, all the way up to modern day food. There’s also a great cookbook. (Check the website for current hours due to Covid restrictions.)
One longstanding tradition within walking distance of the museums? Afternoon tea at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel. I tend to think the experience is a little touristy and overpriced, but the grand dame hotel still draws a great following for its selection of scones, pastries, and savory bites in the ornate mirror- and red carpet-lined “Peacock Alley” area.
Central by Michel Richard makes for a lovely meal after a long day of pavement pounding. The restaurant features “American food with a French accent.” Get the gougères.
Photo Courtesy Central Michel Richard
Top D.C. chef Enrique Limardo heads up Immigrant Food, a casual restaurant with food that celebrates immigrant cultures and cuisines through fresh fusion food. There are three locations to choose from, all downtown.
Teaism is a D.C. institution. Favored by the downtown lunch crowd for nourishing, Asian-influenced fare (and a huge selection of tea), Teasim offers a feeling of Zen amid the hustle and bustle.
Everyone likes a good, steamy bowl of ramen, right? Those on the National Gallery, Archives, and Capitol Building end of the Mall can enjoy some of D.C.’s best ramen at Daikaya. (There’s also an upstairs izakaya that takes reservations, and serves a larger menu.)
Upscale-casual Greek Mediterranean restaurant Zaytinya from chef José Andres sits downtown, but within walking distance of the museums. Guests can take advantage of the bright, airy space and great lunch, mezze happy hour, and dinner menus. There’s also weekend brunch.
The Best Restaurants in Georgetown
For being one of Washington, D.C.s most popular and well-trafficked neighborhoods, I sometimes find the area a little short on food options. Luckily, enough solid options exist to satisfy a good appetite.
On the upscale end of things, I suggest elegant waterfront Italian restaurant Fiola Mare. Come for the food, stay for the people watching. The Bidens have had dinner there, and you’ll often spot D.C. movers, shakers, and other sundry society folk. The $45 lunch prix fixe is a great deal.
Up the street, lovely French bistro Chez Billy Sud serves perfect steak frites, mussels, and other classic French bistro fare in a jewel box setting. The wine bar next door has a wood-burning fireplace. Get there early to snag seats. Reservations strongly recommended for dinner.
If you need a casual spot, Il Canale serves up excellent Neapolitan pizza, and also has a full menu of homey Italian pastas, soups, salad, and parmigianas.
For quick daytime bites in Georgetown, I love the seasonal, vegetarian, nutrition-dense tacos and enchiladas at Chaia. Chaia sits on semi-hidden Grace Street — also home to the must-visit Green Almond Pantry. This little gam serves some of the best focaccia in D.C., though everything is seasonal, fresh, and homemade.
Easy-to-miss Chinese teahouse Ching Ching Cha sells a large selection of loose and brewed tea and accoutrements in the retail section, with a cozy restaurant area in back with a full “tea menu” and additional small bites.
Up Wisconsin Avenue, Lutèce serves casual French seasonal fare in a lovely little setting. Nearby Boulangerie Christophe is the place to go for authentic French pastries, sandwiches, soups, quiche, and good bread.
You can also satisfy your Georgetown sweet tooth at Paris-based Ladurée (les macarons!) or at upscale chocolateries L.A. Burdick and newcomer Petite Soeur.
Located on a quiet neighborhood corner near Georgetown University, Call Your Mother boasts the District’s top bagel and schmear game, plus bagel sandwiches, latkes, and the occasional donut.
The Best Nice-Casual Dinners in D.C.
The short answer to where to find a great dinner in the District? Lots of places. Washington, D.C. has some excellent restaurants, from hole-in-the-wall taco spots to blowout prix fixe dinners.
My favorite restaurants in the nice-casual range include Chez Billy Sud, above, as well as:
- The Dabney: upscale, seasonal, local fare. Reserve well in advance
- Le Diplomate: D.C’s perennially-popular answer to a Paris bistro. All-around great brunch, dinner, bread basket, and food. Reserve in advance.
- Reveler’s Hour is making some of the most delicious, interesting seasonal Italian food in D.C. right now, served in a convivial, chic atmosphere.
- Annabelle: Elegant jewel box Annabelle is helmed by former White House chef Frank Ruta, where he offers an elegant, select menu of seasonal fare — including his famous roast chicken.
- Centrolina: Chef Amy Brandwein’s upscale Italian restaurant Centrolina is one of the best in D.C. Brandwein is the real deal. Centrolina is also open for lunch, and casual offshoot Piccolina makes an excellent option for a quick bite or takeaway.
- Red Hen: Amazing pasta. Full stop. Get the rigatoni with fennel sausage ragù like everyone else.
- Sushi Taro: Don’t let the quasi-hidden entrance above a CVS pharmacy fool you. This Michelin-starred restaurant is my favorite sushi spot in Washington, D.C. Favored by many Japanese ex-pats.
- Maydan: A feast of Middle Eastern-influenced food cooked over an open flame. Cool setting, too.
- Anju: The District’s best Korean food, in a charming location at the base of Adams-Morgan, near Dupont Circle
More Best Dinners in D.C.
For excellent food in a casual setting, I love:
- Thip Kao: Laotian food at its finest. I love this place. Not for the spice intolerant.
- Cane: This restaurant featuring the food of Trinidad and Tobago is getting lots of attention for all the right reasons.
- All the great Ethiopian fare: D.C. is known for its outstanding Ethiopian fare. Top restaurants include Zenebech, Tsehay, and Chercher.
Other Best Places to Eat in the District
The Sunday farmers market at Dupont Circle is huge, wonderful, and open year round. Pro tip: Get there early if you don’t want to wait in a long line for Call Your Mother’s bagels and schmear.
Make sure to check out Union Market for some of D.C.’s best food stalls. Across the street or so, be sure to also enjoy sister food hall La Cosecha, featuring excellent Latin American fare.
The best places in D.C. for bread and croissants are Bread Furst, Boulangerie Christophe, and hyper-local artisan bakery Seylou. (Seylou even mills its own flour.)
Don’t see anything that sounds like what you’re looking for? Contact me and I’ll be happy to offer additional suggestions!
What a timely story. Moving to DC. Can’t wait to try some of your recommendations..
That’s great! So happy to welcome you to the District soon, neighbor! Feel free to email me if you ever need more food/dining recommendations, and the surrounding suburbs have a lot of great places, too. I have lots that I didn’t include for space reasons 🙂