Whether you dine out on the regular or only on special occasions, it’s important to know you’re getting a good experience. Our critics scoured the region and agreed that these 50 restaurants will wow you with impeccable food, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a memorable atmosphere.
By Alice Levitt, Olga Boikess, Dawn Klavon, and Alyssa Langer
Jump to:Top 10|A–D|E–P|R–S|T–Z
Price Key: Entrées = $ 15 and under | $$ 16–25 | $$$ 26–40 | $$$$ 41 and over | * = prix fixe only
Top 10 Restaurants
No. 1: The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
Lovettsville | Modern American | $$$$*
Michelin inspectors, take note. Colby Janowitz, an alum of California’s three-starred SingleThread, one of only two American restaurants on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, took over the kitchen at this Lovettsville working farm last summer. Since then, NoVA has been treated to its own slice of SingleThread’s aesthetic, and The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm has never been better.
Japanese influences now weave their way across nine courses, including three desserts from pastry chef Mykel Winterstine. Each course unwraps like a gift.
In one dish, slices of tuna and compressed watermelon are arranged in a rosette carefully laid with purslane and spicy banana peppers in a foamed dashi made with fresh mint. In another, a black-blistered scallop reposes atop creamy housemade pasta with sweet corn, jalapeños, heirloom tomatoes, and leaves of Thai basil. The corn bows again in the forms of cake and ice cream, served with a peach Bavarian.
Indeed, this restaurant, with its well-informed servers, views of the Potomac, and unparalleled cuisine, is a gift to our region — and possibly Michelin inspectors, too.
Eat This:
Monthly menus change with what’s fresh at the farm. Just trust that the prix fixe will leave you in the best of hands.
No. 2: 2941 Restaurant
Falls Church | Modern American | $$$$
Another restaurant in an office park? Don’t roll your eyes just yet. Yes, it’s a thoroughly NoVA phenomenon that some of us could do without, but 2941 is full of surprises.
Drive a tree-lined path to a series of waterfalls and a well-populated koi pond before entering a dining room filled with top-tier art. But it’s what’s on plates that really shines. On one recent menu, longtime executive chef Bertrand Chemel elevated and deconstructed classic dishes like salade Niçoise and steak au poivre within an inch of recognition, making them both fun and explosively delicious in the process.
Be sure to save room not just for dessert, but for tokens from the kitchen like hyper-concentrated mango cream puffs. After all, 2941 is here to exceed expectations at every turn.
Eat This:
Bluefin tuna crudo Niçoise, rabbit Bourguignon campanelle, peach mirliton
No. 3: L’Auberge Chez François
Great Falls | French | $$$$*
Generosity doesn’t even begin to describe the hospitality at this old-school French restaurant. Appetizers like the tomatoes grown in the restaurant’s garden plated with roasted corn, cabbage, carrots, and micro greens as well as a fragrant bouillabaisse, chock-full of seafood, could be a satisfying meal. But that won’t stop diners from devouring the classic sole with mushrooms, tomatoes, and new potatoes. Each fresh bite leads to another until the bountiful serving disappears.
Even if you’re not hungry when dessert time arrives, a camera-ready kugelhopf-shaped meringue drizzled with crunchy caramel and bathed in crème anglaise is too enticing to skip.
One meal here leads to fantasies of the next — perhaps featuring the Roquefort cheese tart or the mussels with garlic-herb butter, to be followed by an entrée of duck, veal, or beef tournedos. There will definitely be a traditional Alsatian plum tart, all served with a generous spirit and plenty of panache.
Eat This:
Bouillabaisse, La Sole de la Manche, plum tart
No. 4: Ellie Bird
Falls Church | Modern American | $$$
It’s not easy to define the cuisine here. What is easy to agree on? It’s consistently surprising and innovative.
Take the chicken and broccoli, for example. This familiar Chinese takeout concept is elevated thanks to tender Amish chicken with glasslike skin, a rich black garlic sauce, crispy Carolina gold rice, and charred broccolini.
Even desserts, like yuzu posset — a refreshing, sweet-yet-tart, velvety pudding — are a reminder of how masterfully this team, headed by Carey and Yuan Tang, incorporates Asian ingredients into familiar Western dishes.
Amid a fun, casual atmosphere that features bird-themed decorative touches, high-caliber service is comparable to a more formal establishment thanks to a friendly staff mindful of the details.
A seasonal, ever-evolving menu lures diners back to try new dishes. No need to define the cuisine when it’s always memorable.
Eat This:
Vietnamese French onion soup, chicken and broccoli, yuzu posset
No. 5: Harrimans Grill
Middleburg | Modern American | $$$$
Head to the heart of horse country for upscale, regional cuisine. The expansive circular dining room provides sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding verdant grounds. Seasoned servers orchestrate a well-timed performance, presenting dazzling farm-to-table fare, much of it grown in Salamander Middleburg’s own gardens.
The best bang for your resort-casual buck here is the Taste of Harrimans, which includes a starter, entrée, and dessert. The grilled octopus, laid out in a bed of braised field peas, dotted with Spanish chorizo, drizzled with fragrant chimichurri, and crowned with orange zest, is exceptional.
Visually stunning desserts intermingle unusual but harmonious ingredients. The strawberry rose tartlet presents fried-and-frozen vermicelli scattered among rose granite, phyllo, and pistachio ganache — somehow it works.
Harrimans’ diners can expect across-the-board excellence and garden-fresh ingredients in this inviting dining room overlooking rolling hills.
Eat This:
Grilled octopus, Maine diver scallops, wagyu filet
No. 6: Nostos
Vienna | Mediterranean | $$$
You won’t even know what hit you; this charming Greek restaurant comes to Hellenic life from the moment you hear the strains of the bouzouki. Diners are ushered through the white-walled dining room, adorned with nostalgic black-and-white photos of Zorba the Greek himself, Anthony Quinn, and opera grande dame Maria Callas. Memories of a Mykonos adventure come to mind as parties converse over freshly prepared tzatziki and fava Santorinis.
Kefalograviera cheese is pan-flamed tableside for a saganaki that merits a shout of “Opa!” The simply prepared but supremely tasty grilled swordfish, steak, and chicken souvlakis are memorable for their quality and flavor.
Dessert takes the meal to the next level. Varieties of baklava abound, but our money is on the traditional version, brimming with coarsely chopped walnuts and a divine honey drizzle.
A meal at Nostos is an inspired event from the moment you step foot inside the door. Enjoy every outstanding morsel as if you’d paid for a flight to Greece to enjoy it.
Eat This:
Saganaki, swordfish souvlaki, traditional baklava
No. 7: Ometeo
Tysons | Tex-Mex | $$$
Tex-Mex north of Dallas has a deservedly bad reputation for plastic cheese and bottled sauces. But Long Shot Hospitality, the group behind The Salt Line, had the foresight to recruit Austin-based Top Chef winner Gabe Erales to collaborate on its latest restaurant. The result? A Tex-Mex palace that would wow even in Erales’ home state.
Fajitas get the star treatment, arriving in sizzling pans girded with queso asadero that melts and caramelizes as the vegetables beneath the meats soften. Those proteins might include a simple chicken breast or skirt steak, but they can be upgraded to shareable feasts that combine flesh such as bone-in short ribs and rib-eye. Diners fold them into corn and flour tortillas, both made before their eyes on a rotating comal in the open kitchen.
Think you don’t like Tex-Mex? Ometeo will prove you wrong.
Eat This:
Pineapple aguachile, fajitas de res con todo, tres leches cake
No. 8: NUE: Elegantly Vietnamese
Falls Church | Modern Vietnamese | $$$
Grill-blackened Vietnamese sausage and a mound of garlicky rice are bathed in gravy. There’s nothing bland about this thickened jus — at first bite, the whole dish sings with the anise and clove of pho.
Welcome to NUE, where some of the world’s best dishes, whether it’s al dente pappardelle, or Hawaiian loco moco, are somehow improved with a fresh edge of Viet flavors.
Impressionistic flora dominates the main dining room, making the interior as exciting as what arrives from the kitchen. Brunch dishes are every bit as pleasing as the ambitious dinners.
At this year-old stunner, named for the French word meaning “naked,” dishes are stripped to their ideals, then reconceived even more scrumptious than before.
Familiarity with Vietnamese food isn’t a prerequisite, but a meal here quickly proves why it’s one of the planet’s great cuisines.
Eat This:
Vegetarian cha gio, bo kho pappardelle, Viet loco moco
No. 9: Mama Chang
Fairfax | Chinese | $$
Mom knows best, and chef and restaurateur Peter Chang recognizes this at his Fairfax restaurant, a celebration of the important women in his family.
Homestyle Chinese cooking, including dishes that have been passed down for generations, shine here, amid attentive service and a casual, spacious atmosphere. Traditional foods transport diners from the modern, upscale restaurant to the kitchen of Chang’s family.
Take, for instance, Mama’s hand-pulled noodles with beef brisket — the rich broth, never-ending noodles, and fall-apart meat result in a bowl of pure comfort. Peking duck, boasting shatteringly crisp skin, delicate flesh, and all the fixings, is great for sharing. From flaky and sweet BBQ pork pastry to pan-fried yuanbao pork dumplings, the more dim sum, the merrier.
Culinary talent runs deep in this family, and a meal here is just short of getting invited to a Chang family dinner — we’ll gladly take it.
Eat This:
Scallion bubble pancake, BBQ pork pastry, hand-pulled noodles with beef brisket
No. 10: Joon
Vienna | Persian | $$$
Saffron, pistachio, rose, sumac, pomegranate. The aromatic beauties of Persian cuisine could be described as the food’s life force, a concept summed up with a single Farsi word, “joon.”
In fact, this elegant restaurant, sandwiched between the Tysons locations of Rolex and Tiffany & Co., is full of that guiding frisson. From servers who feel like friends sharing a secret with you, to bursts of color on the walls and ceilings, Joon is vividly alive.
This owes more than anything to the flavors. The menu is primed for sharing, whether it’s whole roasted branzino or rotisserie duck, all served with crispy rice. Appetizers and desserts? Also worth splitting with your companions. It’s part of a life-affirming evening of flavors that awaken the senses and introduce Joon into your vocabulary — and dining rotation.
Eat This:
Lamb and pistachio meatballs, sabzi polow ba mahi, saffron and rose water ice cream
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A-Z
Ada’s On The River
Alexandria | Modern American | $$$
Location, location, location — Ada’s prime waterfront address nails it when it comes to ambience and vibe, but does the food live up to the views? Thankfully, yes.
The wood-burning stove is the star of the show, lending a complex charred quality to not only steaks and fish, but to unexpected applications like the grilled kale-and-citrus salad, which boasts a complex smoky-sweet flavor. Seared scallops are caramelized and served atop corn soubise and coal-roasted corn. Lobster mac and cheese features sizable shellfish chunks and a velvety, Old Bay–scented sauce. If you’ve managed to save room, the Valrhona chocolate soufflé is a must; the steaming, caramel-drenched treat is worth the wait and great for sharing.
Attentive, hospitable servers and managers are diligent in checking that customers are satisfied. Whether you’re seated on the spacious outdoor patio or enjoying the river views indoors through floor-to-ceiling windows, it may be difficult to tear your gaze away, but dishes here are worth the distraction.
Eat This:
Lobster mac and cheese, seared scallops, Valrhona chocolate soufflé
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Agora
Tysons | Mediterranean | $$
Most of us have learned to expect exactly what’s in the name at small-plates restaurants. Agora is a refreshing anomaly where four or five of those dishes can be enough to feed two.
That’s not to say that guests shouldn’t ask for more — one can’t overestimate the pleasures of tasting their way through the Turkish and pan-Mediterranean selections on offer — but when it comes to satiety, this is one small-plates spot that doesn’t skimp.
A sampler of spreads, paired with hot, sandal-shaped flatbreads, includes six favorites. Whether it’s Greek htipiti or mint-speckled Turkish cacik, it’s all worth dipping in. Grilled rings of squid are garlicky and bright with citrus but also sizzle with heat thanks to Maras chiles. Finish with the cheese stretch of the sweet künefe. The plates are larger than you’d think, and the size of the satisfaction is even greater.
Eat This:
Spread sampler, grilled kalamar, künefe
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Ambar
Arlington | Balkan | $$$$*
All-you-can-eat buffets are not for everyone — but what if you could have all the benefits of a buffet without the inconvenient shortcomings? Ambar is the perfect hybrid, where diners can order as many dishes as they desire, while remaining seated.
The $54.99 all-you-can-eat dinner (or $42.99 brunch) starts with a bounty of spreads, mezze, charcuterie, and breads. Small plates is the name of the game here; some are very small, while others are shareable.
Beef short rib goulash — tender meat, rich broth, and orzo — is a rustic, stick-to-your-ribs dish not to miss. On the lighter side, grilled shrimp are complemented by a delicate corn purée. Flash-fried cauliflower with spinach tahini pesto is another favorite. The abundance of plates arriving at your table is an impressive sight.
The stylish, floral space is well-suited for larger parties — just make sure everyone arrives hungry. They’re about to have a buffet delivered straight to the table, after all.
Eat This:
Beef short rib goulash, cauliflower, grilled shrimp
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Aracosia McLean
McLean | Afghan | $$
Lamb and veal can be polarizing. Ethics aside, anyone on the fence about the meats that are less popular in the United States would be well-advised to experience their tenderness at this second-story Afghan restaurant.
A walk up from the parking garage transports diners to a romantic slice of Asia Minor with a large menu of dumplings, kebabs, and stews that, yes, feature lamb and veal. Eager young servers are more than happy to explain the relative advantages of each dish, but the best way to choose is to not decide at all: A sampler plate includes enough options for days of leftovers.
Veal moghuli capitalizes on the adipose melt of boneless shank in a tomato-based braise with eggplant and aromatic garam masala. The lamb chops? Seductively soft without a hint of gaminess. Here, lamb and veal will quickly become part of every diner’s desires.
Eat This:
Dumpling sampler, lamb shoulder chops, veal moghuli
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The Ashby Inn & Restaurant
Paris | Modern American | $$$$
It is a blessing in disguise that cell service drops when you approach The Ashby Inn, as you will want to pay attention to your food.
While a prix fixe option is available, diners can opt for à la carte. If dining for brunch (ideally outside on the scenic terrace), don’t skip the Ovoka Farm wagyu beef burger, an indulgent sandwich boasting onion-bacon jam and taleggio fondue.
Meat continues to shine at dinner. Between the prime New York strip steak and rack of lamb — both eminently tender and served alongside seasonal vegetables and potato purée or Parmesan gnocchi — diners will not leave hungry.
Each dish is artistically plated with meticulous attention to detail. In contrast to the pastoral décor, service errs on the formal side. Don’t expect a quick meal here, but you won’t want to rush out anyway.
Whether you’re day-tripping, exploring wine country, or staying at the inn for a weekend retreat, leave your phone in your pocket here.
Eat This:
Rack of lamb, prime New York strip steak, Ovoka Farm wagyu beef burger
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The Black Sheep
Manassas | American | $$$
A good meal is determined by the food. A great one goes hand-in-hand with warm hospitality and a beautiful setting. At this Manassas gem that’s the centerpiece of an entertainment complex, a handsome vintage barn has been transformed into an accessible dining venue with a wide-ranging American menu.
Crispy calamari may sound like a ho-hum standby, but here it’s punched up with cherry peppers and fried to perfection. Shrimp are always tempting here, especially when suffused with lemon, garlic, and salty capers. A decadent version of mac and cheese is as chock-full of lobster as it is melting fromage. Juicy and flavorful wagyu beef sliders feature bacon jam and cheddar cheese.
Yes, the food is excellent, but the special treats at The Black Sheep are caring servers who allow diners to truly relax beneath a well-placed chandelier.
Eat This:
Calamari, wagyu beef sliders, bourbon butter cake
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Café Colline
Arlington | French | $$$
Time-honored Gallic favorites are crafted here with precision and panache. But this Parisian-style bistro isn’t all business; diners are treated as welcome guests.
They’ll find themselves compulsively spreading a classic chicken liver mousse on one crouton after another, savoring each creamy, crunchy bite. Another French staple — tuna Niçoise — is just as compelling. It’s offered in a stacked presentation that literally elevates each mouthful.
Roast chicken is a bistro standby that the kitchen nails. Moist and flavorful, it falls off the bone. What’s more, the burger and fries are crafted with the same concern for top-level sourcing and cooking as the rest of the menu.
Don’t even think about just eating a spoonful or two of dessert, such as the pots de crème or Basque cheesecake. The staff takes its mission of offering a French fantasy seriously — it’s just up to you to indulge.
Eat This:
Foie de volaille, tuna Niçoise, pots de crème
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Carbonara
Arlington | Italian | $$
The Rat Pack fills the room at this new Italian restaurant with their music — and their spirits. Frank, Dino, and Sammy would all feel right at home in the always packed dining room here, watching a server set a cheese wheel ablaze to add salty Parmesan to the restaurant’s namesake bucatini.
The show doesn’t end there. Watch the team roll out everything from pappardelle to gnocchi in the open kitchen. For a sampling of their efforts, order the prime short rib lasagna, so packed with melting meat that the cheeses and even pasta piled within are almost an afterthought. Watch a server slide a layer of mozzarella cheese onto the chicken parmigiana tableside.
Just like the souls on the stereo, Carbonara knows that all the world’s a stage.
Eat This:
Italian long hot peppers, famous chicken parmigiana alla vodka, prime short rib lasagna
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Carmello’s
Manassas | Mediterranean | $$$$
This warhorse of a bistro has been serving Italian and Portuguese fare for nearly 40 years.
Don’t expect anything but a lively scene while eating at the bar, or caring service in the white-tablecloth dining room. Appetizers are hearty. They include arancini (crunchy, cheesy rice balls), flavor-packed tips of filet mignon, and most notably, tender, grilled octopus spiked with lime.
While it’s hard to resist ordering the Flintstone-sized bone-in prime rib, opt for the meaty pork chop, known for its intense, umami flavor. Meltingly tender agnolotti are sauced with sizable bites of lobster. The bright and springy limoncello sponge cake with a rich mascarpone mousse offers a refreshing finish to an indulgent meal.
With a final bite of made-to-order zabaglione, it’s easy to see how this charmer has delighted diners for decades.
Eat This:
Picadas de bife, pernil de porco, limoncello cake
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Celebration by Rupa Vira
Ashburn | Modern Indian | $$
Four years into running this innovative restaurant, chef Rupa Vira is still pushing the boundaries of Indian cuisine.
For one, diners are unlikely to find Calamari 65 anywhere else. In her lush purple-hued dining room, Vira serves her version of the Indo-Chinese dish usually made with chicken, featuring tentacles coated in rice flour. They’re fried, then enrobed in a spicy red sauce dotted with fragrant curry leaves.
Other new dishes include a boneless lamb curry flavored with chipotle for a smoky burn that seems as suited to enchiladas as a dip for garlic naan.
But diners shouldn’t miss Vira’s classics, such as her Celebration Special, a creamy makhan malai that’s served amid a pour of dry ice and topped with rose petals and edible gold. There’s no skimping on creativity here, but what makes Celebration a destination is its outsized flavors.
Eat This:
Calamari 65, chipotle gosht, Celebration Special
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Clarity
Vienna | Modern American | $$$$
Every neighborhood needs a reliable, go-to spot for any occasion, be it date-night drinks, family visiting, or an anniversary. In Vienna, Clarity has long been that place.
Servers are friendly, and the space feels upscale yet casual, the ideal middle ground for most evenings. The food follows suit, achieving a delicate balance between rustic and unpretentious, while also elevated and refined.
Take the Bolognese, a generous bowl of well-sauced pasta that’s dressed-up comfort food incarnate. Similarly, the caramelized scallop appetizer is elegant and nicely seared but dressed down thanks to a modest bed of corn-and-bacon chowder. And then there’s the pork schnitzel, pounded thin, coated in corn flakes, and crisped to perfection, alongside a rich jus and buttermilk spaetzle.
Familiar dishes can lead to disappointment if they’re not executed properly, but Clarity gets it just right. No matter the dining occasion or company, a meal here makes sense.
Eat This:
Caramelized U-8 Day Boat scallop, corn flake–crusted pork schnitzel, Seven Hills beef & Elysian Fields lamb Bolognese
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The Conservatory at Goodstone Inn & Restaurant
Middleburg | Modern American | $$$$*
A fire is roaring inside the glass-encased Conservatory, whether the trees on view through the windows are dusted with snow or it’s the hottest day of the year. Hunting lodge–style comfort prevails throughout all seasons here. So does the farm-fresh, prix fixe fare grown right at the inn.
In season, that might mean garlicky poached tomatoes. They’re buried beneath a layer of mozzarella that executive chef Paul Verica brulées tableside, caramelizing the cheese and releasing the aroma of the surrounding basil. It’s miles away from the boring Caprese salad the dish could have been.
Whether diners choose the tasting menu (with three, five, or seven courses) or the nine-to-12-course Chef’s Trust menu, there will be gifts like a Chesapeake oyster brightened with calamansi to start and mango-flavored mignardises to finish. Another thing you can count on? The cozy atmosphere.
Eat This:
Olive oil–poached tomatoes, scallop, strawberry & chocolate
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Evelyn Rose
Vienna | Modern American | $$$
It’s hard to see the housemade ricotta cavatelli beneath a liberal ladle of tomato-braised brisket and pork shoulder, but your teeth will know they’re there as soon as they sink in. The likable chew of the pasta, however, is second in importance to the pile of yielding protein that includes chef Nick Palermo’s signature meatballs.
The term “elevated comfort food” has become hackneyed, but refining what feels and tastes good is exactly what Palermo and co-owner Sam Schnoebelen do at the restaurant named for their grandmothers. Imagine a combination of crisp onion rings and beefy French onion soup, and you’ve got the French onion rings that consistently grace the ever-changing menu.
Pasta, such as the cavatelli and double egg-yolk pappardelle in short-rib ragout, are highlights that lift this new neighborhood restaurant to destination status.
Eat This:
French onion rings, whole-milk ricotta cavatelli, fried Amish half chicken
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Field & Main
Marshall | Modern American | $$$$*
There is no wrong answer when it comes to ordering at this farm-to-table restaurant. For a casual meal, savor local wagyu in the form of the OooMami Smash Burger and crispy potatoes. For special occasions, pull out all the stops with the five-course tasting menu. Either way, you’ll be talking about it for days.
The locally sourced menu brings globally inspired cuisine to the rural town of Marshall, an hour from DC. The knowledgeable and welcoming staff is ready to make you comfortable.
Private outdoor cabana seating is a fun option for larger parties, but dining inside allows guests a kitchen view to watch the team perform like a well-oiled machine. Dishes like seared scallops, blackened pork chops, and bison strip steak are beautifully presented. Whether it’s an informal dinner or a milestone event, Field & Main pivots seamlessly.
Eat This:
OooMami Smash Burger, bison strip steak, griddled pound cake
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Honest Grill
Centreville | Korean | $$$$
Henry VIII’s vast kingdom never included Goryeo — now known as Korea — but he would have felt right at home with the excess of a Korean barbecue feast.
Honest Grill, with its aged meats and walls lined with wine bottles, is a kingly alternative to the all-you-can-eat menus and low-quality options that define many KBBQ restaurants. Still, you can expect to leave stuffed.
Here, set menus called “guides” include everything from funky dry-aged Angus rib-eye to blanket-soft, thin slices of Duroc pork galbi.
For the best variety, order the pork and beef guide with its roster of tender cuts, both fresh and marinated. And don’t miss the legend-worthy stretch of the corn cheese, which is flavored with crispy bacon. King Henry would have accepted nothing less. Neither should you.
Eat This:
Pan-fried veggie dumplings, pork and beef guide, corn cheese with bacon
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Ingle Korean Steakhouse
Vienna | Korean | $$$$
Remember Clara Peller? She gained fame in the 1980s for demanding, “Where’s the beef?” in Wendy’s commercials. If only she’d lived to experience this temple of bovine goodness.
If you’re not craving wagyu cooked to its ideal, dine elsewhere. The immaculately trained staff here doesn’t fire up the grill for any old meat. In fact, diners can also order gift boxes of the coddled cattle. Beef even appears in starters and sides such as steak tartare and fried rice.
The prix fixe features four heavenly cuts, including a marinated zabuton (“little pillow,” from the chuck primal) that could be called nothing less than meat candy. Everything from the rugged tri-tip to the marbled galbi is a gustatory delight. Here’s the beef we’ve all been waiting for.
Eat This:
Corn cheese, hwe moo-chim, wagyu cuts of the day
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Kirby Club
Fairfax | Lebanese | $$
You didn’t know you wished you had a Lebanese grandmother. But after this dining destination in the Mosaic District feeds you, you’ll realize the appeal. It won’t take long before your table is covered with mezze, kebab platters, and colorful dips. The sparkling flavors of this spread live up to their appealing presentation, while obliging servers make diners feel like family.
It’s hard to stop swabbing the warm pita through dips like the havuç, a sprightly carrot purée with sweet, tangy red onion accents. Other pleasers include the fried Brussels sprouts with sweet and sour notes and falafel with a soufflé-like center and crispy exterior. Alternate swoops of the sauces with bites of the softly spiced chicken and a variety of kebabs. (These are served bedded on savory couscous — yet another treat.)
There are no bad seats in this crowd pleaser. Nestled at the central bar or at a window table overlooking the street-side patio, you’ll feel right at home. This is, after all, a family affair, worthy of your newfound Lebanese grandma.
Eat This:
Fried Brussels, falafel, kebab plate
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Kismet Modern Indian
Alexandria | Modern Indian | $$$
No one ever truly gets tired of chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. But what if that pillowy bread was instead stuffed with herbed blobs of goat cheese?
At this sequel to DC’s Michelin-recognized Karma Modern Indian, basics are elevated, but the real reason to dine here is for regional dishes diners won’t find anywhere else without making a pan-Indian food trip.
Case in point? Branzino pollichathu, a take on a Keralan dish that features a meaty, skin-on fish filet that’s fried, then coated with spices and finished in a banana leaf. Scooped up with the aforementioned bread, the heavily spiced fish is a passe-partout dish that’s as memorable a part of a casual lunch as of a special dinner.
Yes, you can order your garlic naan and your tikka masala here, but you’ll be rewarded handsomely for expanding your horizons.
Eat This:
Amritsari snapper, herb-and-goat-cheese naan, branzino pollichathu
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Local Provisions
Sterling | Modern American | $$
What we wouldn’t give for the perfect neighborhood joint — a spot to come as you are, bring friends and family, and devour your favorite foods. Some days you’re in a sophisticated grilled branzino piccata mood; on others, you crave a hearty bowl of rigatoni. This Sterling spot fits the bill for that tall order.
The family-run restaurant has gained a loyal following thanks to its well-crafted cuisine, friendly interior, and stellar craft cocktails. Stop in for an intriguing take on grilled Spanish octopus, intermingled with cannellini beans in a lively chimichurri. Or embrace a flavorful mesquite-roasted beef sandwich, accompanied by Virginia cheddar, horseradish, onion straws, and housemade chips. Plentiful bar seating will make you want to pull up a stool and become a regular.
Eat This:
Grilled Spanish octopus, burrata Italiana, loaded labneh dip
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Magnolias at the Mill
Purcellville | American | $$$
Too many restaurants try to make locavorism their entire concept. Yes, simple foods prepared simply can be dreamy, but Magnolias does it several steps better with creative preparations served in a setting that exudes history.
The scent of old wood inside the circa-1905 mill brings its own appeal to dishes that are sourced from Purcellville and its neighbors. Grilled local peaches are the base for one of its many complex salads. This one combines candied hazelnuts with crumbled goat cheese and mint vinaigrette with a balsamic reduction for a symphony of sweet and tart elements.
The burgers here are just as varied, but the greatest rewards might be with more upscale dishes that incorporate seasonal risottos. One dish has a pink one flavored with raspberry, while another sparkles with fresh mint. It’s local food that goes beyond simplicity.
Eat This:
Grilled peach salad, free-range bison burger, bread pudding du jour
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Meokja Meokja
Fairfax | Korean | $$
You’re the type of diner who knows that the best things in life can come at the end of a lengthy line. The hustle and bustle at this energetic bulgogi slinger has your name on it. But you might not have to wait. Reservations for Meokja Meokja are available on OpenTable — they’re hard to get but worth it to avoid an hour or more walking around the parking lot.
Once at your table, festooned with banchan such as gingery salad, funky kimchi, and toothsome fish cakes, the best bet is Combo 2. It includes brisket, pork belly, bulgogi, and galbi, plus gooey corn cheese, a bubbling steamed egg, and tofu soup, all for $64 for two diners.
Yes, you’ll have to wait until the end of the meal for the sweet surrender of the marinated galbi. Think of it as your reward for skipping the line.
Eat This:
Sliced brisket, marinated beef short rib galbi, corn cheese
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Padaek
Arlington & Falls Church | Thai-Lao | $$
It wasn’t so long ago that dishes like khao soi and naem khao were considered exotic even to Southeast Asian food obsessives in our region. Since opening the original Padaek in 2010 in Falls Church, Laotian chef Seng Luangrath has raised the profile of her native dishes exponentially among NoVA’s diners.
With her new Arlington Ridge location, Luangrath, now Michelin-recognized for her DC restaurants, is upping her game even further. Order the naem khao thadaeu, crispy coconut rice salad with tangy pork sausage, to taste her origin story, then try the gaeng hang lay, a satiny Burmese-inflected curry, to experience the way she continues to break new ground.
Yes, a bowl of crispy noodles in the form of khao soi has probably become your comfort food in the past decade. Now it’s time to see what else Luangrath has up her sleeve.
Eat This:
Naem khao thadaeu, paa tawd, gaeng hang lay
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Rice Paper
Falls Church | Vietnamese | $$
Familiar menu choices like pho are well-made at this Eden Center hub, but it would be a waste of a visit not to delve into its roster of less common specialties.
A flavorful hot pot brimming with chicken, seafood, rice, and vegetables exudes goodness. Leafy herbal greenery accompanies the crepe-like bánh xèo. It’s a hands-on dish that offers a rainbow of flavors and textures as one custom-crafts savory bites. Grilled fish with dill, a North Vietnamese specialty, evokes delicious memories of Hanoi. A cabbage salad loaded with shredded chicken (and its innards) is both satisfying and refreshing, as is a banana blossom salad with duck gizzards.
Shrimp wrapped in tofu skins along with shredded pork skin that punctuates a salad is another winner. Indeed, one could throw a dart at the menu; everything, from the familiar to the hard-to-find, is worth a taste.
Eat This:
Gỏi gà, bánh xèo, chả cá thì là
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Roadhouse Momo & Grill
Ashburn | Nepalese | $$
Momos, those overstuffed, aromatically spiced dumplings for which Himalayan food is best known, get marquee billing here. But the ample menu invites diners to learn more about Nepalese cuisine.
Start with the sekuwa, spice-rubbed meat that’s lightly charred on the grill. At Roadhouse, order pork, chicken, paneer, or even buffalo in this fantasy of fire and flesh. The chow mein may be inspired by the familiar Chinese dish, but Nepalese spices suffuse it, allowing the flavors to take flight into the stratosphere. Fans of Indian butter chicken shouldn’t miss the makhmali chicken, a more robust version that’s as rich with chiles and cumin as it is with tomatoes and cream.
Yes, the juicy dumplings are worthy of your time and gastric real estate, but Roadhouse shows diners that Nepalese food is so much more than momos.
Eat This:
Sekuwa, chow mein, makhmali chicken
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Roberto’s Ristorante Italiano
Vienna | Italian | $$$$
When a chef and restaurateur has gained Roberto Donna’s level of fame, it would be easy to sit on one’s laurels. But while James Beard Foundation Award– and Iron Chef–winner Donna may have decamped to quieter Vienna from DC, he’s not shy about continuing to challenge himself.
The menu is approachable to suburban diners, but Donna adheres to seasonality with fervor, making additions and subtractions almost daily. The results can be lip-smackingly creative. Diners shouldn’t be afraid to try a dessert of fried ravioli stuffed with tomato jam and drizzled with creamy dots of pistachio sauce. After all, it’s an appealing way to prolong the lives of summer tomatoes.
Guests feel like valued friends as they dine beneath a candy-colored Chihuly chandelier. As comfortable as they are, their chef is never one to sit still, and the meal is all the better for it.
Eat This:
Culatello e fichi, pappardelle al cinghiale, tiramisu
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Ruthie’s All-Day
Arlington | Southern | $$$
Located in a former chocolate factory, this family-friendly comfort food destination succeeds at being all things to all people. Chef Matt Hill serves everything from morning coffee and locally sourced breakfast to craft cocktails and seasonally focused dinner.
Ruthie’s considerable strengths include mouthwatering smoked brisket, lovingly prepared on a custom-built, wood-burning hearth. It’s dabbed with succulent barbecue sauce with a hint of mustard and delivered with loads of options for satisfying sides. Diners sit inside the bright and cheerful eatery or plant themselves on the pleasant, umbrella-shaded patio on sunny days.
And those sides? Nora Mill stone-ground grits impress, as do the buttermilk biscuits. For those eager to experience a down-home meal among friends, Ruthie’s universal dining appeal sets a high bar — morning, noon, or night.
Eat This:
Smoked brisket, crispy Brussels with fish sauce vinaigrette, buttermilk biscuits
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Sabores Tapas Bar
Arlington | Tapas | $$
Going bottomless for a meal sounds like the stuff of nightmares, but at this merry tapas purveyor, it’s a brunchtime delight — and you can keep your pants on. For $32.99, diners are treated to everything on the broad menu of Spanish and Latin American small plates.
It’s easy to graze through a dozen or more without even taking notice. There’s no shame in ordering both versions of the Spanish pan con tomate — tomato-topped bread with either Manchego cheese or Serrano ham. Chilaquiles, tortilla chips sautéed in guajillo chile sauce, are served with scrambled eggs and earn their place on the Chef’s Favorites section of the menu.
Lunch and dinner are à la carte and well worth your attention, but there are times that even the most conservative among us just has to try every bite.
Eat This:
Pan con tomate y queso Manchego, Chuleton Vasco, la maceta de chocolate
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The Salt Line
Arlington | Seafood | $$$
Consistently fresh New England style seafood in a relaxed, fun setting reels diners in here. If the weather is right, ask for an outside table at this bustling urban outpost with an enticing bar and plenty of great people-watching opportunities.
Go casual with a classic lobster roll, accompanied by crave-worthy fries. The plump, meaty shellfish is best coated in butter, Connecticut-style.
Have fun ordering from the oodles of oyster varieties, perhaps paired with a massive shrimp cocktail and delicate snow crab claws. Raw bar selections arrive elegantly on an ice-filled platter, complete with every accoutrement diners might fancy.
For seafood fans, ordering up an indelible meal at The Salt Line is, well, like shooting fish in a barrel.
Eat This:
Oysters, Maine Peekytoe crab roll, lobster roll
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Semifreddo Italian Cuisine
Manassas | Italian | $$$
Chef Franklin Hernandez’s celebrated eatery in an everyday shopping center hides a pleasant surprise — sharp white tablecloths and simple elegance. Knowledgeable staffers are supremely attentive, offering enticing menu descriptions and frequent check-ins.
Hernandez creates unexpected pleasures like grilled Romana salad — his version of a Caesar — with value-added char to the lettuce’s exterior. Classic calamari fritti balances delicate crispness with zesty marinara, achieving exceptional results.
Housemade pastas prevail here, with plenty of choices; ravioli polpa di granchio (crab ravioli) is bathed in lobster bisque for a rich, hearty plate. Diverse entrées like pan-seared barramundi filet or vitello marsala provide consistently noteworthy options. Don’t leave without sampling the restaurant’s namesake semifreddo to end your experience on a sweet note. The strip-mall location may not be able to boast of its beauty, but Semifreddo’s other assets make it amply clear what diners find attractive about this Italian eatery.
Eat This:
Grilled Romana salad, ravioli polpa di granchio, semifreddo
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Sense of Thai
Ashburn | Thai | $$
The “St.” at the end of this stalwart’s name may have gone the way of the aurochs this year, but the street food hits keep coming. While you may have tried all of beverage director Jeremy Ross’ whimsical cocktails during the restaurant’s eight-year span, chances are there are still dishes from chef Porntipa Pattanamekar that you have yet to discover.
The sausage-packed Street Fried Rice is as redolent of sweet-and-sour tamarind as it is chiles, and both could bring sensitive souls to tears. If you’re moved by beauty (and heat), the crunchy papaya salad, som tum, could do the same.
This is the Thai night market dining you crave, with the service — and air conditioning — you deserve.
Eat This:
Som tum, Hang Over Lo Mein, Street Fried Rice
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SER
Arlington | Spanish | $$$
The joys of crispy rice, from bibimbap to arancini, know no national borders. And when Spanish gastronomy is among the most sought-after on the planet (just look at the Barcelona location of the current World’s Best Restaurant, Disfrutar), there are no crunchy grains with a following as devoted as paella.
The giant pans at SER are intended to sear as much rice as possible. They come to the table sizzling, sized for at least two to three diners. Options include seafood, vegetarian, and meaty iterations. The last of those might include crisp-skinned chicken legs, bites of rabbit, and sausage melded with a mix of vegetables that includes green beans and chunks of artichoke.
One might call the one-pot dish simple, but the collection of flavors here is anything but. Score one more point for the crispy rice dishes of the world.
Eat This:
Paella, croquetas, goxua
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Sfoglina
Arlington | Italian | $$$
Food lovers hail chef and restaurateur Fabio Trabocchi as a gastronomic alchemist turning flour and water into satisfying pasta dishes. At his Rosslyn paean to the noodle, this magic is on full display.
A flexible menu that invites sampling and sharing offers a range of regional recipes. Whether it’s goat cheese–filled ravioli or spaghetti with zucchini, the thinly rolled noodles have a bit of a bite. The sauces blossom with flavor. Zucchini coins entwined in spaghetti are a testament to a less-is-more approach to fine dining. Roman-style rigatoni with pecorino cheese and black pepper is another minimalist winner.
Edgy art, unusual light fixtures, marble-topped tables, and café-style chairs establish a chic atmosphere that adds a further dimension to an outstanding meal. But the true magic is on each plate that features an unforgettable bite of pasta.
Eat This:
Fabio’s ravioli San Leo, spaghetti alla Nerano, parmigiana di melanzane
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The Study
Alexandria | Mesoamerican Fusion | $$$
You won’t find Costa Rican cuisine anywhere else in NoVA. Blend it with American, Korean, and even the Indonesian flavors of chicken satay, and you’ve got a one-of-a-kind restaurant worth a trip from just about anywhere.
Three years into his tenure at The Study, executive chef Tomas Chavarria continues to innovate. Take, for example, the chocolate sampler. The name may be the same, but each year, the dessert is a completely different presentation of a series of chocolate preparations, all featuring a mix of percentages and provenances. On a recent visit, it was a layered, pudding-like delicacy that flit from fruity to earthy with each bite. Suitably, it was topped with gold.
It’s a dish for the sophisticated chocolate lover, just as The Study is a place for diners eager to taste something unique.
Eat This:
Hamachi tiradito, steak & onions, The Study chocolate sampler
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Thompson Italian
Alexandria & Falls Church | Italian | $$$
What swam in the ocean hours ago is now memorialized in a sea of garlic. Onyx-colored tendrils of linguine twist and curl around scallops that taste of a briny sweetness that tells you one thing: Thompson Italian is a restaurant more obsessed with fresh, seasonal ingredients than it is with the dogma of classic cuisine.
Leave it to chef-owners Gabe and Katherine Thompson to upgrade tried-and-true recipes with Virginia’s bounty. The fritto misto centers around meltingly tooth-friendly calamari but also zucchini and chunky peppadew peppers. The coating is tempura-light with nary a hint of grease.
Seasonality extends to desserts, where coconut tapioca pudding is bathed in blueberries or tiramisu is flavored not with coffee, but with bright, bursting berries. With every bite, the Thompsons pay tribute to tradition, but best it with their of-the-moment flavors.
Eat This:
Fritto misto, squid ink linguine, berry tiramisu
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Trattoria Villagio
Clifton | Italian | $$$
A festive vibe seasons the hearty pastas at this welcoming, celebratory spot. Whether you sit at a cozy indoor table or on the enchanting patio, there’s sure to be something on the wide-ranging menu to satisfy your party’s lust for Italian American fare.
Dunking the perfectly cooked crustaceans of the Shrimp Badda-Bing in tangy tomato sauce is a delightful, hands-on experience.
Pastas are a must-order, and there are lots of tempting choices. The supple noodles in the tagliatelle Bolognese are bathed in a fresh-tasting meat sauce. It’s a classic that never gets old in the hands of the expert chefs here. The towering, multilayered chocolate cake is the ideal end to your occasion; not too rich or too sweet, it’s bound to please your crowd.
Eat This:
Shrimp Bada-Bing, tagliatelle Bolognese, chocolate cake
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Trio Grill
Falls Church | Modern American | $$$
“Upscale casual” may be an overused term in the dining world that often doesn’t ring true, but it’s the quintessential description of this modern neighborhood grill, where you can show up in jeans but still have a first-rate meal.
Housemade gnocchi are the way to start — the lighter-than-air dumplings are seared and served atop an herbaceous pesto and red pepper butter. Crabcakes are a winner, too; stuffed with plenty of lump crabmeat and minimal filler, they arrive crispy and caramelized. For omnivores, the braised short rib is tender as can be, falling apart and soaking in a rich red wine jus.
Presentation is sophisticated, though not overly showy, and service is accommodating and polite. No matter the occasion, attire, or company, this upscale casual spot is worth a visit.
Eat This:
Housemade gnocchi, crabcakes, red wine–braised short rib
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Trummer’s
Clifton | Modern American | $$$
An atmosphere of ease rules in the airy, upstairs dining room and on the shaded terrace at this Clifton retreat. There’s no stuffy dress code. Shirtsleeves and shorts mingle with cocktail dresses — often at the same table.
The menu reflects this relaxed, as-you-please approach. Hearty steaks, meaty pork chops, and pasta with short ribs offer meat lovers their protein fix. Friday and Saturday are prime rib nights, when you’ll see that specialty ceremoniously presented at many tables. Whole, spit-roasted branzino and daily rotisserie specials like duck or porchetta are other appealing choices.
Scallops paired with maitake mushrooms offer deep, earthy, almost-meaty flavors. Crispy Brussels sprouts, accented with blue cheese, are an exceptional side dish.
Desserts, like the rest of the menu, offer easy-to-love indulgence. A blackberry crème brûlée — rich but not cloying — makes a lovely coda to an evening of fine dining with the comforts of home.
Eat This:
Porcini-crusted scallops, Boursin cavatelli, crème brûlée
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Tuscarora Mill
Leesburg | American | $$$
This chameleon of a restaurant feeds the masses with gusto. Located on the site of an historic 1899 grain mill, Tuskie’s offers comfortable cuisine with broad appeal.
Expect to find multigenerational families dining next to dreamy-eyed couples next to boisterous ladies’-night-out groups, each joyfully indulging in a menu that runs the culinary gamut.
Stop in for a smoked beef brisket sandwich and bacon-bedazzled corn chowder. Or plan a special night out dining on a rosemary-laced, grilled rack of lamb or Béarnaise-blessed beef tips and scallops.
Appetizers worth ordering include exceptional crispy chicken wings and pork belly tacos. Portions are beyond generous, ensuring leftovers to crave. Tuskie’s all-around appeal attracts guests from across the region to experience the draw of historic Leesburg’s downtown, all while enjoying a notable bite.
Eat This:
Crispy chicken wings, corn chowder, The Barn Yard “Au Jus”
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Virginia’s Darling
Arlington | American | $$$
The casual charm of this woman-owned wine bar comes as a lovely surprise as its relaxed hospitality belies the sterile office complex in which it resides.
It doesn’t take long for appetizers to blanket each table. Deviled eggs are jazzed up with wasabi, while the equally classic clams and chorizo is accompanied by a grilled baguette. Smoked white fish atop crunchy croutons is neither too salty nor too fishy and quickly disappears.
Craving a heartier meal? You’ll be happy to make it a steak night with a beautifully grilled New York strip, but save room for an amazingly smooth panna cotta. Not all of us have stellar chefs for friends. When you dine at Virginia’s Darling, you’ll feel like you do.
Eat This:
Deviled eggs, New York strip, panna cotta
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Yume Sushi
Arlington | Japanese | $$$
“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” Thanks, Mae West, but sometimes, too much can simply be too much. At Yume Sushi, chef Saran Kannasute is well aware of this. He serves his excess-embracing fare in artfully austere presentations that make his version of “too much” exactly enough.
Yes, there’s more sweet Hokkaido sea urchin than you can likely force into your anticipating maw atop the thin noodles in a slick of garlic butter. But the uni pasta somehow still feels clean.
Thank the modern interior for some of this. It’s best to dine at the sushi counter, facing not only the action at hand, but also the eye-appealing graffiti mural.
Even when guests sup on A5 wagyu, monkfish liver, and French caviar, they’ll leave Yume Sushi feeling light and inspired.
Eat This:
The Winner, uni pasta, create-your-own roll
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Feature image of Ometeo by Michael Butcher
This story originally ran in ourNovember issue. For more stories like this,subscribeto Northern Virginia Magazine.
