District of Columbia · best-of list
The 7 Best Restaurants in the District of Columbia
All 7 restaurants our route editors picked in the District of Columbia, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. 5 come with an insider tip.
Our curated picks
7 restaurants in the District of Columbia, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Georgetown 3 picks
1789 Restaurant
Georgetown · On our Washington, DC New Year's Eve route
American restaurant in an 1840s Federal townhouse near Georgetown University, open since 1960.
Tip: A good choice for a quieter Dec 30 dinner by the fireplace.
Clyde's of Georgetown
Georgetown · On our Washington, DC New Year's Eve route
Saloon on M Street that has served burgers, crab cakes and brunch since 1963.
Martin's Tavern
Georgetown · On our Washington, DC New Year's Eve route
Family-run Georgetown tavern since 1933, with wooden booths and a long weekend brunch.
Tip: Ask for a booth; it is the room where JFK is said to have proposed to Jackie.
Photo: David · CC BY 2.0
National Mall & Downtown 2 picks
Old Ebbitt Grill
National Mall & Downtown · On our Washington, DC New Year's Eve route
Washington's oldest saloon, founded in 1856, with mahogany bars and an oyster bar a block from the White House.
Tip: Book New Year's Eve weeks ahead; on Dec 30 the bar is the easiest way in.
Rasika
National Mall & Downtown · On our Washington, DC New Year's Eve route
Ashok Bajaj's modern Indian restaurant in Penn Quarter, known for its crispy spinach palak chaat.
Washington, DC 2 picks
Ben's Chili Bowl
Washington, DC · On our Capital Cities Corridor route
U Street landmark since 1958, known for the chili half-smoke.
Tip: Order the original chili half-smoke.
Photo: Ben Schumin · CC BY-SA 2.5
Union Market
Washington, DC · On our Capital Cities Corridor route
Food hall in a market building with local vendors, oysters and Korean, Indian and Latin stalls.
Tip: Lunch on weekends gets busy; go weekday.
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in the District of Columbia?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 7 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of the District of Columbia has the most restaurants on this list?
Georgetown has the most (3 of 7), followed by National Mall & Downtown (2) and Washington, DC (2).
More lists for District of Columbia
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Georgetown 3 on this list
- National Mall & Downtown 2 on this list
- Washington, DC 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.