Washington, DC is a nexus of culture. Its geographic location brings together the northern and southern US, and its role as a major entry point for immigration has led to the creation of hundreds of international communities.
The beautiful collaboration and harmony of the city’s residents comes across in the thriving dining scene – according to recent Yelp data, DC has the most new restaurants relative to its population. Across the city, you’ll find traditional dishes from countries around the world and creative flavor fusions snatching a little bit of inspiration from everywhere.
To make the most of dining in the district, dive into this list of indulgent dishes that highlight the best of DC’s award winning food scene.
Try the potato pierogies at Bresca
Bresca, a contemporary French bistro boasting one Michelin star, is in the U St Corridor, one of DC’s liveliest neighborhoods. While the menu features several fun twists on European dishes, the potato pierogi is a standout – the secret is a family potato dough recipe. Unlike other pierogies in the city, these delicious pockets are bread-like: fluffy, soft and buttery. They’re a divine couple of bites.
How to get it: Bresca is very popular with people in the neighborhood and seating is limited. You will definitely want to make a reservation a few weeks in advance.
Pair steak with fire-roasted eggplant at CUT DC
DC is home to several celebrity chef vanity restaurants, but Wolfgang Puck’s CUT DC is truly worth a visit. Located on a narrow side street in the bustling Georgetown neighborhood, inside of the historic Rosewood hotel, this steak house is a secret foodie destination for DC’s power players. While there’s an abundance of fabulous steak and duck on the menu, it’s a small fire-roasted eggplant that deserves more shine. The charred, tender eggplant offers a delicious smokiness dressed with a green curry peanut sauce.
How to get it: Due to the popularity of the small dining room, you’ll want to make reservations for dinner. Georgetown is notoriously hostile to vehicles, so plan to take a rideshare or wear comfortable shoes for the long walk from the nearest Metro station.
Dive into lamb shank tacos at dLeña
DLeña is a sultry restaurant where the menu draws inspiration from all of Latin America, but Mexican charm makes up the heart of it. Any dish is a delight, but the Australian-imported lamb shank is marinated for 24 hours and braised for five hours with Mexican spices, dried chili adobo, herbs and achiote pepper. The end result is a fall-off-the-bone meat that shreds upon contact. The massive portion comes with blue corn tortillas and a couple of sauces – it’s enough to share, but it’s understandable if you don’t want to.
How to get it: DLeña tends to be popular for celebrations, so you’ll be best off if you make a reservation. It’s less than a fifteen minute walk from the nearest Metro stop.
Indulge in Perry’s shrimp katsu burger
Perry’s is a 40-year old gem in the Adams Morgan neighborhood serving modern Japanese comfort food. Despite the restaurant’s longevity, nothing on the menu feels stale. Perry’s menu has undergone a revamp led by Chef Masako Morishita in the last couple of years, and her work earned much acclaim – she was recently awarded the James Beard Prize for Emerging Chef. To me, the shrimp katsu burger alone clinched the award. It is a fanciful, tall, hot and crispy (and somehow also juicy) sandwich modeled after a similar menu item at Japanese McDonald’s locations. After my first bite, I knew I’d be ordering two.
How to get it: You’ll want to make reservations for Perry’s dinner. The Adams Morgan neighborhood is neither particularly car-friendly nor close to a DC metro stop. Rideshare will be your best tool.
Go coastal with capesante alla capri at Cucina Morini
Cucina Morini is a newer restaurant showing off Southern Italian cuisine with a heavy focus on the seafood dishes you’d find on the nation’s coast. One of the standout menu items is the capesante alla capri – buttery scallops in a creamy herby risotto and juicy, sweet tomatoes.
If you want to take advantage of Cucina Morini’s daily seven dollar martini happy hour, get there right at 5pm to avoid crowds.
How to get it: This bustling restaurant is quite spacious, so as long as you’re not too concerned about getting the happy hour deals, you should be fine as a walk-in.
Enjoy Senegal’s national dish at Moi Moi
Moi Moi is a West African and Southern American fusion restaurant just blocks from the White House. Ingredients like garri, a cassava-based grain, are used to batter and fry catfish Southern style, and one of the best dishes is their thieboudienne, the national dish of Senegal that is beloved throughout West Africa. The one-pot meal comes with rice cooked in flavorful tomato stew, an abundance of veggies like yams, carrots and eggplant plus a huge piece of fried whole red snapper. The whole platter is a filling wonder of flavors.
How to get it: Seating goes fast at Moi Moi so make reservations a few weeks in advance. Parking in this area is hit or miss. Think about a public transportation or rideshare plan, but you should be fine if you choose to drive and don’t mind spending a few extra minutes looking for a spot.
Savor Dauphine’s duck jambalaya
Dauphine’s takes inspiration from all around America, but it’s firmly anchored by New Orleans cuisine. The duck jambalaya may be the best execution of their theme. The satisfying rice entree arrives at the table in a large, steaming pot also served with an additional side of sauerkraut and duck sausage.
How to get it: Dauphine’s is located in the center of the city and is very accessible by public transportation. They usually have space for walk-in diners, but it never hurts to make a reservation.
Revel in beef short rib with saffron at Rania
Rania, is a new Michelin star recipient. Despite its prestige, Rania features a shockingly accessible four-course menu of modern Indian for $90. Much has been said about the popular snacks they serve as an amuse bouche, but further down the menu is a world-class beef short rib swimming in saffron nihari, a meat stew popular in South Asian countries.
How to get it: Make a reservation at Rania at least a few weeks in advance just to be sure you’ll get a seat. Rania is downtown and easily accessible, but parking can get tight on weeknights.
Wing it to Wingo’s for the local mambo sauce
Wingo’s is the DC destination for wings with dozens of dry and wet seasonings to choose from and combine. Go for the six-piece order of mambo sauce wings. Mambo sauce is a DC staple – think ketchup, sweet and sour sauce, and vinegar barbecue sauce tossed together. It’s mostly available at local carryouts, but sometimes a neighborhood bar will have it, too. The drenched, but never soggy wings at Wingo’s are one of the best ways to introduce yourself to this local sauce.
How to get it: Wingo’s has two locations. The location is Georgetown is a walk-up carry-out, so you’ll want to make a plan for where you’ll sit down to eat. But the Glover Park location is a neighborhood bar with more options for parking
Sink your teeth into droolworthy churros at Cranes
Cranes serves beautiful, delicious Spanish-Japanese fusion dishes, but their dessert menu has a perfect churro option worth trying. Chef Pepe Moncayo makes his churros with brown butter instead of the traditional choux pastry dough, which results in a nuttier, aromatic and indulgent bite. The churros, generously coated in sugar, manage to be long and thin without being hollow or overly crispy, and they’re served with a sweet and savory miso caramel sauce and a rich black sesame chocolate sauce. If you’re feeling adventurous, mix the sauces together! This is a dessert you’ll want over and over again.
How to get it: Cranes is a fine dining restaurant, but the churros are also available during their lunch service, which is a bit more of a casual experience. Cranes is conveniently located between multiple Metro stations.