DC’s culinary personality has caught the attention of serious foodies and some of the best-known names in the culinary world. The city’s top restaurants have also garnered widespread media attention.
At the Mandarin Oriental, Executive Chef Eric Ziebold (formerly of The French Laundry) tantalizes diners with modern American cuisine at CityZen, recognized as one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the World” by Food & Wine.
Downtown hotspots Rasika, Oyamel, Brasserie Beck and Acadiana were recently counted among the best new restaurants in America by Esquire’s celebrated food critic, John Mariani. Georgetown’s Michel Richard Citronelle was named one of the best restaurants in the country by Gourmet; you can also sample Michel Richard’s cooking at his newest venture, Central, located on Pennsylvania Avenue.
As local chefs and home-grown talent make names for themselves in DC dining rooms, some of the world’s leading chefs have also set up shop in DC.
Bistro Laurent Tourondel opened a DC location of its popular New York restaurant, BLT Steak, a block from the White House. Wolfgang Puck chose the Newseum to be the home of The Source, his entrée into the Washington, DC fine dining scene. The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC’s Westend Bistro was developed by Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin fame.
DC’s leading restaurants have also pushed the limits of diners’ imaginations. Executive Chef José Andrés and Chef Katsuya line up reservations months in advance for minibar, a six-seat restaurant located inside Café Atlantico. Diners feast on 30-35 mini-courses, ranging from foie gras wrapped in cotton candy to a mojito disguised in an atomizer, paired with a selection of fun and flirty wines.
Discover for yourself why discerning foodies are discovering DC's restaurant scene by plugging in to the DC foodie experience.
