The Resy Hit List: Where In D.C. You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in and around Washington, D.C.: a monthly-updated (and now expanded!) guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In D.C. Not to Miss This Month
- Making the Mozza It: It’s Big Openings season in the District, including the long-awaited arrival of Osteria Mozza from L.A. chef Nancy Silverton, the latest Stephen Starr project in town. We’ve got all the details. And later this month, the Washington edition of New York’s Minetta Tavern from Keith McNally is due in Union Market, with two floors of dining plus a secret rooftop bar. All the latest openings can be found in New on Resy.
- Omakase Abundance: Is it just us, or has D.C. been on a winning streak of new omakase counters? One of the latest is an intimate eight-seat experience from Sushi Snob Omakase x Jango offered at both lunch and dinner. Or try one of several other options found across our nation’s capital.
- Dine Out for Thanksgiving: Why stress over brining and basting the turkey? Instead, book a reservation at one of the hottest restaurants in town for a full-on turkey feast. We like the price-fixed menu options offered at Fiola and the Lounge at The Salamander DC for a classy Thanksgiving affair. And keep an eye on our Resy Events page for more options.
- Balance of Power with Pints and Politics: Election Day is upon us, and if you’re a tried-and-true Washingtonian that means hitting up your local watering hole to celebrate (or drown away your misery) on election night returns. Blackfinn Ameripub and P.J. Clarke’s will show the results as they roll in late into the wee hours of the morning.
New to the Hit List (Nov. 2024)
Bar Del Monte, Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi, Maketto, Pappe.
1. Pascual Capitol Hill
One of the year’s most anticipated, and most highly lauded, restaurants. The wife-and-husband team Isabel Coss and Matt Conroy, of Lutèce fame, created an intimate Mexican restaurant in Capitol Hill in what was formerly a barbecue shop. The space is reminiscent of one of Mexico’s beach-chic eateries, and all that remains of the barbecue joint is the smell of wood-fired coals. Dishes that take on those smoky flavors include lamb-neck barbacoa, and tacos al pastor with each tortilla made in house. And don’t miss the parsnip tamal, with its spice-rich mole blanco. While seating is limited to indoors, there are bar seats for walk-in visits and plans for a patio, should a mezcal margarita be calling your name.
2. Astoria DC DuPont Circle
The sleek and intimate space here makes you want to linger for a nightcap or two. And this gem of a craft cocktail bar happens to have some of the city’s best cocktails both in classic formats, like the Vieux Carré, and with unique presentations. That includes tropical drinks like the Molokai Mule, Hart of Darkness, and Dr. Funk, all served in tiki-style mugs. Even better, there’s a deep Sichuan-inflected menu of noodle dishes, plus large-format dishes including water-boiled fish — a seafood feast that reduces down and absorbs the fiery flavors of chiles, Sichuan peppercorn, and doubanjiang to create a rich, savory, and aromatic broth.
3. La’ Shukran Washington D.C.
Michael Rafidi is at it again, adding to his recently opened YELLOW Union Market with a second-story bar and restaurant that can only be accessed from a discreet doorway in the back alley. This bistro-meets-bar and rooftop terrace is looking to be one of the hottest new openings of 2024, and it features unique dishes from across the Levant Region. The food and drinks work in harmonious balance. Take for instance the foie gras with halva butter and pickled huckleberries. The dish comes served with a side of puffed ras-el-hanout beignets combining rich and buttery flavors. This pairs perfectly with a Bedouin Coffee — bar director Radovan Jankovic’s take on an espresso martini infused with cardamom.
4. ANJU Dupont Circle
For robust Korean dishes layered with complex, fermented flavors, look no further. Start with their irresistible mandu — pork and kimchi dumplings — and finish with something bright, like melon flan with pistachios, candied orange peel, and sweetened condensed milk. Beyond the classic gochujang-glazed Korean fried chicken (served here with Alabama white sauce) and the ssam board, we are keen on the dolsot bibimbap served over a hot stone bowl of rice, and your choice of bulgogi or tofu. Indeed, Mama Lee’s Classics are also recipes innovatively adapted from chef Danny Lee’s mother, the family’s first restaurateur — including a jjigae of pork rib, soft tofu, and aged kimchi.
5. Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi Washington D.C.
Dōgon is celebrity chef Kwame Onwuachi’s third act of sorts. Having established himself in D.C., he opened the critically acclaimed restaurant Tatiana in New York City about two years ago. This restaurant, which exudes sleek date-night vibes from the moment you enter the doorway, is named for the Dogon people who inhabit what are now parts of Mali and Burkina Faso, and whose mythology is strongly tied to the stars, specifically Sirius. The menu also pays homage to the American historical leader Benjamin Banneker, and features African diaspora dishes, including Mom Duke’s shrimp, the must-order dish alongside a Chesapeake-influenced hoe crab topped with crunchy bits and shitto (a hot sauce from Ghana).
6. Maketto H Street NE
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Erik Bruner-Yang’s restaurant along H Street is somewhere you can quickly become a regular. This is where Bruner-Yang puts his stamp on Cambodian and Taiwanese flavors. Gather a crew, and eat your way through the menu. There isn’t a single dish we wouldn’t recommend — from dim sum to pan-fried noodles, and a five-spice fried chicken like no other. Bruner-Yang also recently opened Providencia, a speakeasy-esque cocktail bar in the alley behind Maketto. Pro tip: Go for dinner at Maketto, then ask your server to put you on the bar’s waitlist. In no time, you’ll be sipping his Lights of the Night Market, a gin-mezcal sour with pandan, inspired by Taipei.
7. Bar Del Monte Mount Pleasant
This restaurant with buzzy appeal in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood has a walk-in line to prove it’s the Italian restaurant of the moment. A new project from the 2 Amys team, it features seasonal ingredients and a no-fuss approach to Italian-style cuisine. Top dishes of the moment include the porcini mushroom salad, fried zucchini fritters, and a margherita pizza rivaled only by their sister restaurant. Do as the Romans do: end your meal with a digestif or espresso, and finish off on a sweet note with the crème caramel.
Find more info here.
8. Shilling Canning Company Navy Yard
Shilling sources some of the Mid-Atlantic region’s best ingredients by partnering with local farms and picking garden-fresh produce grown on their front patio. Under each menu item, including on the seven-course tasting menu (priced at $150 per person), you’ll find the local farm where ingredients were sourced. Also, Ampersandwich is back by popular demand for lunch. This pandemic-era pop-up recently returned; chef Reid Shilling turns out selections like a Baltimore pit beef sandwich and the McReid — his take on a barbecue rib sandwich.
9. Immigrant Food – Ballston Ballston-Virginia Square
Immigrant Food recently expanded its D.C. footprint to Arlington, Virginia after gaining a downtown D.C. following at both lunch and dinner. Washingtonians love this menu for its political sensibilities and a menu that spans the globe. The restaurant celebrates immigrant street food in a cozy, intimate setting with popular lunch dishes like the Madam VP Heritage bowl. This tribute to the Vice President (and maybe future President) Kamala Harris combines her Indian and Jamaican heritage with a coconut-curry chicken served over turmeric rice with plantain, chickpeas, and pineapple. Think of Immigrant Food as your “approachable chic” gastronomic experience, where the food is politics.
10. L’Avant-Garde Georgetown
L’Avant-Garde honors the French tradition of dining with pleasure. Chef Sébastien Giannini has stepped in and revised the menu to include a new lunch offering, plus updated French Riviera-style cuisine for dinner. That includes salade Niçoise and sea bass seared in olive oil and a generous helping of eggplant caviar. Still, duck remains one of the most prominent features on the menu. You can try it in one of two ways: A foie gras cooked in terrine with cognac, cherries, and toasted brioche. Or a seared duck breast served with cherries, red cabbage, and a duck demi-glace with caramelized gala apples. Pro tip: Giannini also serves up one of the best burgers in town.
11. Cucina Morini Mount Vernon Triangle
This new concept from Chef Matt Adler brings the legacy of Osteria Morini to the Mount Vernon neighborhood but with a Southern Italian flair. The menu is inspired by Adler’s extensive travels along the Italian coast, with a menu highlighting small plates, family-style dishes and handmade pastas. Do not skip out on ordering pollo alla diavola, a fiery chicken dish from Southern Italy, and linger before or after your meal at the Aperitivo Bar. It is arguably the best bar to save a buck or two at happy hour. Sip on $7 martinis, or a $10 Made in Manhattan, featuring a twist on that classic drink with the addition of Cynar.
12. KAYU H Street Corridor
Chef Paolo Dungca celebrates his Filipino roots with a spirit of “bayanihan” — a concept that centers on community and uplifting others. But what defines Kayu (formerly Hiraya) is a sense of fun, one that permeates all day long, from ube and rainbow-colored lattes to happy hour cocktails, like a pandan daiquiri, as well as a brisket, egg and cheese served on a golden-brown laminated bun, with an optional McDonald’s-style hash brown. Dungca has also taken that spirit upstairs, literally: He recently debuted a tasting menu on the second floor, with options to try all of his best dishes in a seven-course ($145) offering.
13. PLANTA Queen, DC Downtown
PLANTA Queen expands D.C.’s options for plant-based dining, featuring chef David Lee’s favorite dishes from across Asia. The restaurant immediately transports diners to an elegant Chinese courtyard brimming with dishes reflective of the region. Must-order dishes include the spinach shiitake with udon noodles, bang bang broccoli, and an array of dumplings. This spot is also one of the few places in the city to try vegan sushi like unagi eggplant and ahi watermelon nigiri.
14. Ama Capitol Riverfront/ Navy Yard
Ama brings the essence of Northern Italy to the Navy Yard. Chef Johanna Hellrigl and husband Micah Wilder have pulled from regions around the Ligurian Sea and the “Pale Mountains” of Alto Adige to create a dining experience that is inviting and unrushed. Mornings begin with Caffè Vergnano espresso “al banco” and a delicately flaky cornetto, followed by focaccia Genovese sandwiches and seasonal salads. As the sun sets, Wilder has conjured up spritzes, seltzers, and carbonated frozen drinks to complement signature Northern Italian flavors and dishes, including Tyrolean knödel and Ligurian langoustines.
15. Pappe Logan Circle
Pappe offers an immersive Indian experience in the heart of DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood. The menu features a wide array of North Indian cuisine with dishes like goat vindaloo and allepey fish curry. There is also an entire vegetable section on the menu. Find four different types of vegetable paneer, or side with some korma, daal two ways (smoked black lentils and yellow lentils), and channa pindi (slow cooked chickpeas). Pappe is also well known and loved for its daily 5-7 p.m. happy hour menu featuring $12 cocktails like a cardamom gimlet and turmeric mango margarita.
16. Omakase @ Barracks Row Capitol Hill
Ricky Wang’s pop-up omakase counter got so hot on the local sushi scene that the noted chef (formerly of Nakazawa DC) just had to make it permanent with this exquisite omakase bar above Han Palace. Climb the steps to a sushi counter experience perfect for your next date night. There are only two seatings each night. Wang’s concept consists of small dishes followed by a nigiri tasting totaling about 20 courses. Right now, the menu also features seasonal favorites like Chesapeake soft shell crabs. Pro tip: Don’t miss his otsumami — Japanese bar food — options.
17. Amparo Fondita Dupont Circle
Chef Christian Irabién brings a taste of Mexican cuisine to Dupont Circle, with a focus on the country’s coastal regions and an homage to his mother and grandmother’s cooking from Chihuahua, Mexico. The restaurant’s seafood-focused menu transports diners to the beach with offerings like citrus-cured fluke ceviche or red snapper with esquites and salsa macha. Consider even a simple a side of black beans: Irabién works with heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo in Napa Valley, and cooks via a time-intensive process that uses avocado leaves and traditional Mexican spices, an homage to the traditional agricultural practice known as milpa.
18. Opal Chevy Chase
A cool coastal vibe sets the scene for the dining room and menu this new American restaurant from chef Colin McClimans. Starters include a succulent saffron spaghetti with clams and fiery chile flakes or tuna sashimi with garlic chili crunch, avocado, and tostada shells. Meanwhile, most main dishes are cooked in a wood-burning oven. That includes a Maryland-style rockfish, and a grilled chicken paillard with sunchokes, olives, and a mint cream yogurt. And every Sunday, Opal does grilling and chilling right. Pull up to the patio with a Sunday skewer menu, including surf-and-turf mix of steak, shrimp and lamb kebab.
19. Cana – Caipirinha Bar Adams Morgan
The caipirinha cocktail takes center stage at this new Brazilian bar and restaurant in Adams Morgan that adds a dash of Rio De Janeiro to your next date night agenda. Cana is a tropical tribute to the lively botecos of Brazil, where the spirit of music and dance pulses through the air. In true Rio fashion, this bar also features a wide array of vintage vinyl, plus soulful Brazilian cuisine, like salt cod croquettes and a dish snack called torresmo. It’s a delicious and meaty pork belly fried to a crisp and topped with fennel and lime plus maracuja aioli for dipping.
20. Perry’s Adams Morgan
You certainly can’t beat the rooftop view at Perry’s, plus the expertly crafted omakase tasting menu from chef Masako Morishita, who was recently named Emerging Chef of the Year by the Beard Foundation. One bite of her edamame dumplings, and it’s easy to see why this restaurant is one of the most talked-about in Adams Morgan. What kept us coming back for more this year? For one thing, a Japanese-style breakfast menu, the likes of which D.C. has never seen before. It’s offered Saturdays and is a hearty spread of Morishita’s favorites, including grilled salt-cured ocean trout, a Japanese-style soft omelet, and nasu agedashi — fried shishito and eggplant served in a sweet dashi soy broth.
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