Must see restaurants in Washington, DC

Top Choice
Ben’s Chili Bowl
Ben’s is a DC institution. The main stock in trade is half-smokes, DC’s meatier, smokier version of the hot dog, usually slathered with mustard, onions…
D
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Dabney
Chef Jeremiah Langhorne studied historic cookbooks, discovering recipes that used local ingredients and lesser-explored flavors in his quest to…
C
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Comet Ping Pong
Proving that DC is more than a city of suits and corporate offices, Comet Ping Pong offers a fun and festive counterpoint to most of the city's eateries…
B
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Busboys & Poets
Busboys & Poets is one of U Street's linchpins. Locals pack the place for coffee, boozy brunches, books and a progressive vibe that makes San Francisco…
B
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Bistrot du Coin
The lively and much-loved Bistrot du Coin is a neighborhood favorite for roll-up-your sleeves, working-class French fare. The kitchen sends out…
C
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Compass Rose
Compass Rose feels like a secret garden, set in a discreet townhouse a whisker from 14th St's buzz. The exposed brick walls and sky-blue ceiling give it a…
S
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Shouk
Fast and casual, Shouk creates big flavor in its vegan menu of Israeli street food, served with craft beer and tap wines. A crazy-good burger made of…
R
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Rose's Luxury
Michelin-starred Rose's is one of DC's most buzzed-about eateries. Crowds fork into worldly Southern comfort food as twinkling lights glow overhead and…
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A Baked Joint
Order at the counter then take your luscious, heaped-on-housemade-bread sandwich – perhaps the smoked salmon and scallion cream cheese on an open-faced…
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Donburi
Hole-in-the-wall Donburi has 14 seats at a wooden counter where you get a front-row view of the slicing, dicing chefs. Donburi means 'bowl' in Japanese,…
A
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Ambar
Ambar buzzes, especially at happy hour, when the convivial, European-style restaurant slings heaps of small plates. Roasted pepper and eggplant, smoked…
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Little Serow
Set in a cavern-like green basement, Little Serow has no phone, no reservations and no sign on the door, and it only seats groups of four or fewer (larger…
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Tail Up Goat
With its pale-blue walls, light wood decor and lantern-like lights dangling overhead, Tail Up Goat exudes a warm, island-y vibe. The lamb ribs are the…
C
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ChiKo
ChiKo stands for Chinese and Korean, and it fuses the cuisines with low-key style. Dishes such as pork and kimchi potstickers and chilled acorn noodles…
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Fiola Mare
Fiola Mare delivers the chichi Georgetown experience. It flies in fresh fish and crustaceans from Maine and Tasmania daily. The yacht-bobbling river view…
B
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Baked & Wired
This cheery cafe whips up beautifully made coffees, bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits and enormous cupcakes (like the banana and peanut-butter-frosted…
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Pom Pom
Pom Pom gets heaped with praise by foodie tastemakers (Bon Appétit magazine, James Beard Foundation) and no wonder. It's hard not to fall for panko fried…
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Sichuan Pavilion
Many Chinese come to this few-frills restaurant to feast on fiery, aromatic Sichuan classics. Around the world, piquant Sichuan (or Szechuan) cuisine is…
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Bub & Pop's
A chef tired of the fine-dining rat race opened this gourmet sandwich shop with his parents. Ingredients are made in-house from scratch – the meatballs,…
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Equinox
Chef Todd Gray has long eschewed imported ingredients in favor of meat, fish, fowl, vegetables and fruit sourced from farms in the Shenandoah Valley and…