Michelin and Bon Appetit decided this year that Washington is a food city worth paying attention to, but some of us have long appreciated the vibrant dining scene here. Among the area’s monumental assets: one-of-a-kind Indian, Spanish and modern American establishments and headliners including chefs José Andrés and a relative newcomer, Aaron Silverman. It’s true, though, that growth has recently exploded, with about 90 restaurant debuts this summer alone and the promise of many more good things to come. That’s why this year’s dining guide is the most expansive since I became food critic in 2000. My colleagues Tim Carman and Fritz Hahn weigh in with their takes on the area’s best cheap eats and go-to bars, respectively. And I give you 52 reviews of freshly visited establishments from all around the DMV — a restaurant for every week of the year.
All-Purpose finds a way to improve by opening a new location on the Anacostia riverfront.
Aaron Silverman and his team serve one exquisite surprise after another, on the plate and in the glass.
Chef Cedric Maupillier turns the routine into something wonderful, makes us laugh, or both.
“Worth a special journey”? Thanks to Patrick O’Connell, of course it is.
Johnny Monis’s second restaurant rewards the adventurous with funky flavors and VIP treatment.
Sure, it’s tight. But thanks to gracious service, enticing food — and now drinks — you won’t notice.
The Falls Church carryout bakes its own crisp baguettes for these satisfying Vietnamese sandwiches.
The sister restaurant to Daikaya focuses on ramen, with poultry in the broth, but also serves a killer fried bird.
From the team behind Rasika, this street food specialist has become a Cleveland Park favorite.
By making loaves, sandwiches and sweets to die for, Mark Furstenberg proves he deserves his accolades.
At Amy Brandwein’s CityCenter restaurant, you’ll pass the pastas — and everything else — around the table with delight.
It takes a lot of skill to present food this polished yet accessible. Chefs Jonathan Krinn and Jason Maddens have done it.
Owner Rose Previte makes it all happen at this cozy upstairs retreat off 14th Street. For even more of an escape — and a feast — book the private Bedouin tent.
This hushed, almost-hidden dining room is accessible through Alta Strada. Once you’re through the velvet curtain, prepare to indulge.
Chef Jeremiah Langhorne's facility with the enormous hearth at the center of this handsome dining room results in delicious plates with a local focus.
You’ll feel the burn and taste the char at Victor Albisu’s steakhouse, where meat isn’t the only draw.
The seafood at this Shaw newcomer is fresh and simple, but the kitchen also has a way with side dishes.
Relocated to Barracks Row, it’s a carnivore’s paradise thanks to meat master Nate Anda. But vegetarians are welcome, too.
At the bustling Spanish tapas place on the busy 14th Street corridor, the best seat is at the counter.
The eldest of the three Italian restaurants created by chef Fabio Trabocchi has low-calorie options and indulgent possibilties.
The Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s current star showcases Rob Rubba’s way with international accents.
Thanks to the sons of the chef and co-owner, this Cleveland Park stalwart is pulsing with new energy.
In Bethesda, the newest arrival in the Mike Isabella family of Kapnos restaurants is outpacing its siblings.
The menu changes frequently, but you’ll always find something to appreciate at one of Charm City’s best restaurants.
The perennial favorite plates textbook examples of some of the cuisine’s trademark dishes.
Chef Nicholas Stefanelli's Italian retreat in Union Market is one of the most alluring restaurants in the city.
In Penn Quarter, executive chef Matt Kuhn cooks dishes with familiar ingredients in ways that don’t taste like everyone else’s.
The restaurants in Rockville and Arlington are firing on all cylinders with their enticing Sichuan cuisine.
Chef Austin Fausett and general manager Brent Kroll have infused the wine-focused restaurant in Chinatown with their own charms.
Bryan Noyes’s shop is a food destination in tiny Marshall, Va., especially for its cakes and pies.
Sure, there's more competition for Aaron Silverman's Barracks Row eatery these days, but continues to cast a spell on its customers.
The restaurant in the National Museum of African American History and Culture offers pleasing takes on dishes from four different regions of the country.
Spike Gjerde’s fetching barn of a restaurant in Baltimore is one that sweats the small stuff.
If you can’t find something to enjoy in this soaring José Andrés property, you’re too darn picky.
