Diners' Choice: Neighbourhood gem restaurants in Washington, D.C. Area

OpenTable

Updated 05 June 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighbourhood gems 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 book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Pinstripes - Bethesda

4.8

4.8 (229)

$30 and under

American

North Bethesda

About the restaurant

Pinstripes: Where Sophisticated Fun Meets Exquisite Dining. With over 30,000 square feet of entertainment space, indulge in scratch-made Italian-American cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, and a robust wine list. Enjoy our weekday happy hour from 3-6:30pm, or don't miss our famous bottomless brunch buffet on weekends. Experience modern bowling and bocce with full-service dining and entertainment options. Perfect for corporate gatherings, celebrations, or family events, our versatile spaces accommodate parties of 20 to 1000 guests. Book your unforgettable experience today!

Top review

BrianneVIP

Dined on 5 June 2025

Great food and service. We ate outside and the server made sure we were attended too. We experienced their lunch service.

Rosemary Bistro Cafe

4.8

4.8 (555)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Friendship Heights

About the restaurant

Rosemary Bistro Cafe is a restaurant based in Washington, D.C. that serves classic French-based cuisine. All our menu offerings prepared using the freshest ingredients. If you’re looking for a cozy dining experience in the D.C. area, come by our restaurant today.

Top review

DeborahVIP

Dined on 6 June 2025

Always great! One of the best neighborhood restaurants in DC.

Discover more

Popular dish

French Onion Soup

Tikka

4.8

4.8 (8)

$30 and under

Indian

Van Ness

About the restaurant

At Tikka, we bring the heart and soul of North Indian and Nepali cuisine to your plate, blending tradition with a touch of innovation. Renowned for our signature dishes from the tandoor and our authentic tikka masala sauce, we take pride in delivering bold, vibrant flavors that stay true to their roots. Our menu showcases the depth of South Asian culinary artistry, crafted with expertise and passion for authenticity. Complementing our food is our unique collection of cocktails, each infused with a South Asian twist—exciting yet comfortably familiar.

Top review

David and Claudia

Dined on 30 May 2025

Well-presented, delicious food. Attentive but unobtrusive service. A surprise find!

Sushi Rock

4.7

4.7 (888)

$30 and under

Asian

Arlington

About the restaurant

Sushi Rock is a combination of love, passion and perspective. It is the love to eat good food and drink well while doing so with great people. In providing the place for people to do this, Sushi Rock represents the perspective that both can be done in a fun and entertaining environment full of energy. Sushi Rock embodies the opportunity to be the local watering hole, the destination, the cozy meet-up place, the big group place or the special event place. Whatever the patrons needs, we believe Sushi Rock is the one place where everyone can feel comfortable in any size group sharing themselves, sharing a drink, and/or sharing good food.

Top review

MarcVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Best place for lunch with amazing sushi and great service!

Vaso's Kitchen

4.7

4.7 (198)

$30 and under

Greek

Alexandria

About the restaurant

Vaso's Kitchen serves Greek, Italian Cuisine, located in a quaint Alexandria neighborhood.

Top review

Robert DianneVIP

Dined on 2 June 2025

Excellent meal while dining outside! Flounder and Chicken Salad & 2 personal pizzas, all were served perfectly cooked . We will definitely return.

Murphy's Grand Irish Pub

4.7

4.7 (381)

$30 and under

European

Old Town Alexandria

About the restaurant

---- IF FOR SOME REASON, ALL RESERVATIONS SLOTS ARE GONE, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ONLY ALLOW FOR 30% OF OUR ENTIRE RESTAURANT TO BE RESERVED AT ANY ONE TIME TO ALLOW ROOM FOR WALK-INS ----
Opened in 1978 and located in the heart of historic Old Town, Alexandria, Murphy's Grand Irish Pub is one of Alexandria's best-loved and most inviting restaurants. Murphy's offers an extensive menu and top-class traditional cuisine in the welcoming ambiance of its cozy settings.

A short 10-15-minute drive from the nation's capital, this landmark establishment is located at the main intersection in Old Town, King & Washington.

Today, the tradition of great food and drink remains as steadfast as when the doors first opened back in 1978

Murphy's has Live Irish Music seven nights a week and on weekends, on both floors.

Top review

JoanieVIP

Dined on 18 May 2025

If you don’t mind the traffic noise, I recommend sitting outside under umbrellas, sipping mimosas and people watching. Friendly staff and great food. Always a winner for Sunday brunch!

Guapo's

4.7

4.7 (279)

$30 and under

Mexican

Bethesda

About the restaurant

Right in the heart of downtown Bethesda, Guapo’s is your go-to spot for vibrant Latin-inspired flavors, handcrafted margaritas, and the kind of warm, lively atmosphere that turns any meal into a celebration. Whether you're grabbing lunch on the patio or sitting down for dinner with friends, you’ll always feel at home here.

From sizzling fajitas to freshly prepared guacamole, our menu brings together tradition and flavor in every bite. Planning a birthday, office gathering, or special event? Our private venue is perfect for any celebration—and we offer full-service catering to bring the Guapo’s experience straight to you.

At Guapo’s Bethesda, great food and good vibes are always on the menu.
📞 For catering and private events, call 1-866-350-4400.

Top review

Caren

Dined 7 days ago

Good food , good atmosphere (ate outside). Waiter could’ve been better(language issues BUT he really tried…maybe new.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Virginia Gateway

4.7

4.7 (259)

$30 and under

American

Gainesville

About the restaurant

Time counts at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. Since our humble beginnings back in 1978, we've continued to refine our brewhouse experience to make BJ's a place where you can make the most of any meal. We want BJ's to be a place where the moment you leave is the moment you plan on coming back. We pride ourselves in our craft and attention to detail. Our guests come here for our award-winning handcrafted beer. They come here for the Southern California twist we've put on the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. And they come here for our Pizookies®, our world-renowned dessert. But above all we know people come here to make their good times better. So in many ways we haven't just crafted a brand, but a mindset. And our guests are the reason for this. And it's because of them we're continually striving to make sure every moment they choose to spend with us counts. Welcome to BJ's, a restaurant with a Brewhouse soul.

Top review

Bryan

Dined 7 days ago

Great meal and great service. Thanks.

Emmy Squared Pizza – Old Town

4.7

4.7 (373)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Alexandria

About the restaurant

Serving Detroit-style pizzas and an award-winning burger. Full service bar, local drafts & wine selection.

Top review

Tobey

Dined on 29 May 2025

Best pizza in DC! So many options, great flavors, and wonderful service! We went twice in one week while visiting the area.

Muoi Tieu

4.7

4.7 (28)

$30 and under

Vietnamese

Silver Spring

About the restaurant

Open Mon/Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun, closed Tues/Wed. Muoi Tieu is a cozy family-run Vietnamese restaurant and market in the heart of Takoma Park, Maryland, with a small but carefully curated menu that offers a combination of popular Vietnamese dishes (e.g., pho, spring rolls) and less common home-style dishes (e.g., braised pork belly, pan-fried fish with ginger nuoc cham) with plenty of gluten-free and vegan options. Our small market also offers a variety of common Vietnamese condiments, pantry items, and Asian snacks. Like our name, which means "salt and pepper" in Vietnamese, our concept is simple: we want to bring classic, savory Vietnamese food to our community.

Top review

Barbara

Dined on 17 Apr 2025

Began with raw fish (2) and vegan salads to share. Mains were the duck, steak and one of the fish. Favorite is the beef pho but that will need to wait for the next visit.

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