Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Washington, D.C. Area

OpenTable

Updated 05 April 2025

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Washington, D.C. Area? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm

5.0

5 (1693)

$50 and over

American

Lovettsville

About the restaurant

Voted 2024 #1 Northern VA Magazine - "Michelin inspectors, take note."

Sourcing food and supporting local artisan growers and producers and utilizing our farm as the chefs pantry gives us the opportunity to create an evolving menu that draws its inspiration from the seasons and in harmony with the earth. The venue has a breathtaking view and natural setting overlooking the Potomac River.

We offer a tasting menu Thursday through Sunday evenings. Please visit our website at www.patowmackfarm.com for the menu.

Weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate or special events – we strive to exceed your dreams. Innovative and skillfully executed dishes follow the lead of nature, being mindful of the environment.

Due to the style of menu on special events and holidays and the complexities involved with individual and specific food allergies, we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions on those days. We make every effort to provide vegetarian and accommodate gluten sensitivities.

Top review

Terry

Dined 6 days ago

Wonderful atmosphere, particularly when the weather allows dining on the patio. The menu is varied and quite delightful.

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Experience

Pancake Breakfast Chefscycle Fundraiser, 4/27/2025

Afghan Bistro

5.0

5 (1403)

$30 and under

Afghan

Springfield

About the restaurant

Afghan Bistro, located in Springfield, VA provides guests an authentic Afghan cuisine with a modern flair.

Top review

Frank

Dined 2 days ago

Food delicious. Lovely presentation. Served hot. Service efficient and happy. Will return soon.

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4.9

4.9 (30)

$50 and over

Turkish

Georgetown

About the restaurant

My Little Chamomile, a full sit down restaurant from Chef Çağla Önal of Green Almond Pantry. My Little Chamomile will be the manifestation Çağla’s vision--to bring her world of Turkish food to her home here in Washington DC. At the first Green Almond Pantry location, diners got a small taste of what it would be like to enjoy the full breadth of Chef Çağla‘s seasonal menu.

Top review

Jessica

Dined 1 day ago

Lili was the most gracious server, and the food itself was excellent, especially the branzino, the peppers and the ezme. Artichoke also stood out, and dessert (the one in the baklava family) was the perfect capstone. Ambience is pacific and minimalist; very restful evening. Recommend!

Jacques' Brasserie at L'Auberge Chez Francois

4.9

4.9 (2526)

$31 to $50

French

Great Falls

About the restaurant

Restaurants in Alsace traditionally have a formal main dining room as well as a casual dining room known locally as a weinstube or brasserie. At the brasserie, diners may enjoy traditional, hearty Alsatian dishes in a warm and relaxing atmosphere. These friendly establishments are immensely popular with Alsatians and visiting them is always the best part of my trips back to Alsace. I opened Jacques' Brasserie at L'Auberge Chez François to bring the tastes and comforts of the Alsatian brasserie to Great Falls.

Top review

Louis

Dined 1 day ago

Out favorite restaurant whenever we visit Great Falls. You can always count on having an awesome experience.

Elizabeth's

4.9

4.9 (1320)

$50 and over

Vegan

Downtown

About the restaurant

Elizabeth's offers an extraordinary dining experience every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. We merge our gorgeous venue with a prix fixe Vegan Tasting Menu at $110 per person. Elizabeth's is a destination for special occasions and adventurous cuisine.

Our sommelier curates a pairing of wines and beverages sourced from around the world at an additional $85 per person. We also offer a non-alcoholic beverage pairing comprised of non-alcoholic wines, mocktails, and infusions for $65 per person.

Fully raw menus are not available. Please call the restaurant (202-347-8349) in reference to any allergies prior to making your reservation. Regarding reservations of 5 or more, please call the restaurant directly. Reservations of more than 8 require a $150 minimum spend per person and a 50% up front deposit.

Top review

Nina

Dined 5 days ago

When you get to heaven, you will discover that the food is exactly what you eat at Elizabeth's! Only, you don't have to die, or live a perfect life! You can enjoy it now. And by "enjoy" I mean, be astonished, delighted, charmed, and so satisfied. The imagination, creativity, and skill that go into creating and executing the menu, as well as serving it, are beyond beyond. A love story to plants and the varied deliciousness and beauty they can provide; here, they meet their full potential.

L'Auberge Chez Francois

5.0

5 (9443)

$50 and over

French

Great Falls

About the restaurant

Welcome to L'Auberge Chez François, our French country inn a short distance from the nation's capital that has captivated visitors for over 66 years. L'Auberge Chez François is the ideal spot to celebrate special moments, private parties, luncheons, weddings, and cooking demonstrations. Our menu is extensive and full of the flavors of Alsace and traditional French cuisine. Excellent food and service, attention to detail, and a casually elegant atmosphere are hallmarks that have made L'Auberge Chez François a Washington favorite! We hope that you will enjoy your visit with us. Should you not see your preferred time to dine with us, please call us at 703-759-3800.

Top review

JanVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Always a pleasure to dine at L’Auberge. Our server, Eric, was our server, highly professional, knowledgeable, personable yet not intrusive. We enjoyed our meals, especially the dessert soufflés. Alex, the sommelier, is always helpful and attentive, and provides excellent guidance to try wines we might not otherwise choose. L’Auberge is a high-end dining experience, and one we enjoy every time we visit. Merci beaucoup!

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4.9

4.9 (165)

$50 and over

French / Japanese

U Street Corridor

About the restaurant

At Jônt, we are a team of young and inspired chefs taking down the walls between kitchen and guests and taking you on a culinary adventure. Immerse yourself in a progressive tasting menu focusing on the simple, yet luxurious, ingredients around the world with deep inspiration from Japanese cuisine.

We challenge the seasons, navigate beyond the limits of time and break with tradition— getting playful with process and tricky with techniques at the intersection of place and possibility.

Jônt has been recognized with two Michelin stars since 2021.

Top review

Veronica

Dined 7 days ago

What a wonderful experience! The food was amazing, well paced and the service impeccable. Attention to detail with plates of design and perfection. Flavor well balanced with every bite. We added the “what the f***” wine paring which added to the meal. After dinner, dessert was offered at the dessert bar and was served by the pastry chefs. A magical evening.

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La Vela Italian Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (588)

$31 to $50

Italian

Solomons

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

Joan

Dined 4 days ago

This was an excellent dining experience. Everything we ate was delicious, the crab soup and linguine con vongele were the best I have had. We dined outside overlooking the marina and as the sunset the lights were lovely!

Manalu Italian Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (1302)

$30 and under

Italian

Frederick

About the restaurant

Manalu is a new authentic Italian restaurant by Chef/Owner Marco Pontecorvo. The name was to combine all three of his family members names. MA for Marco, NA for Naomi, his daughter, and LU for Lucia, his wife. Manalu's goal is to bring a taste of Italy and a touch of Naples in the town, by serving authentic Italian cuisine and the original pizza Napoletana cooked in a brick oven. The atmosphere is very cozy and warm, perfect for family and friends. Manalu` also has a full bar and happy hour Mon-Fri from 4pm to 7pm. Happy hour also includes a food menu with delicious appetizers.

Top review

Father JohnVIP

Dined 3 days ago

AUTHENTIC Italian cuisine. Many menu options. Fried zucchini appetizer is terrific. Seafood and meat are great. Homemade pasta available and very delicious. Italian music in background. Superb service. A1 👍🏼

Taste of Old Country

4.9

4.9 (121)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Manassas

About the restaurant

Taste of Old Country provides a truly unique artisan bistro & market experience combining the world of food service, private events & retail gourmet food shopping, all under one roof. Home of the Mega Platter, a Mediterranean themed charcuterie board as well as a variety of small bites, artisan panini's, salads, pizza and desserts, you will definitely have a Taste of Old Country, where everything starts and ends with good food, wine, hospitality and friends.

Our bistro wine bar is ideal for a date night, lunch meeting, friends/social/family gatherings or to host smaller corporate/private events. While our culinary wonders cater to all pallets we kindly recommend and welcome our dining experience to adults and older family groups, as our space is not suited for infants or young children.

Conveniently located 1 mile off Exit 47 on I-66 in Balls Ford Center, across the street from the Holiday Inn on Balls Ford Rd.

Top review

TammyVIP

Dined on 29 Mar 2025

It’s another great experience at this wonderful hidden gem.

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