Although it’s often said that the United States lacks a distinctive cuisine of its own, there’s no denying that the country boasts of a rich culinary tapestry that has evolved over time — drawing from both its history and global influences. A New York bagel, Chicago deep-dish pizza, Philly cheesesteak, Texan barbecue, or the bold flavors of Cajun and Creole cuisine in Louisiana are just a few iconic examples that come to mind when we think of “American food.” However, amid these well-known dishes, there’s one city that often flies under the radar, despite offering an impressive array of international flavors. I am talking about the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. In my 7.5 years of living in and traveling through the country, some of the best and most cosmopolitan foods I’ve had were in D.C. So, if you’re planning a trip to the US capital and wondering where to eat in Washington D.C., be sure to check out some of my favorite restaurants in the city.
Rasika
Starting off with Rasika as I own their cookbook and have sporadically tried making some of their dishes. Rasika offers a unique take on Indian cuisine, blending traditional flavors with Western influences. They have two outlets: one at Penn Quarter, and the other at West End. We visited the Penn Quarter branch after a whole day of walking around at the Arlington cemetery.
For appetizers, we tried the Crab Pepper Masala, Palak Chaat, and Chicken Gujiya from their Holi special menu. The crab was cooked in a garlic and black pepper “sukha” masala and layered with phyllo pastries. I loved the contrast of textures within each bite, and although I did wish that the pepper was dialed down a bit, it did not deter my enjoyment of the dish. The Palak Chaat was exactly as it sounds: crispy baby spinach tossed in sweet and spicy yogurt with date and tamarind chutney. It was a riot of flavors and vanished from the table before any photo could be taken. I have a soft spot for any dish that involves meat being encased in some kind of dough (read mutton samosas, empanadas, curry puffs etc). And the Chicken Gujiya was right up my alley!
For mains, we ordered their house special Raan-e-Rasika along with some naan. The raan was made of minced lamb, and then shaped and arranged along the bone to resemble a lamb shank. The gravy was cashewnut and saffron based. The presentation and concept were fascinating, and while I really enjoyed the “shank” itself, I found the gravy a bit too fennel-forward for my taste. I think I’d have preferred it in a korma-style sauce.
To end our meal on a sweet note, we indulged in the Date and Toffee Pudding. It was everything you’d want in a dessert—sticky, gooey, and utterly delicious. A perfect finish to a memorable meal!
Ilili
Located in the vibrant Wharf neighborhood, Ilili offers a delightful take on Lebanese cuisine with strong Middle Eastern influences. One of my long-standing gripes with Middle Eastern restaurants in Seattle’s Eastside is the lack of variety — the menus feel repetitive, with little innovation or regional distinction. Ilili, however, was a dream come true, as it featured a menu full of dishes we usually struggle to find here.
We kicked things off with hummus paired with the fluffiest, most pillowy pitas which, in my opinion, were only second to Shaya in New Orleans. These were accompanied by Mekanek, a dish of sauteed lamb sausage with lemons and pinenuts, that was the perfect vehicle for the pitas!
Our mains were Kibbeh Naye Beirutiyyeh, a cold dish of steak tartare and bulghur, mashed with onion, mint, and jalapeno, and shaped like a flat kebab, and our eternal favorite Bone Marrow which was a combination of warm steak tartare, along with pomegranate seeds and pickles. Both were delicious, but the former had a slightly gluey aftertaste. The Bone Marrow was the unanimous winner in this category.
Dessert came in the form of Ilili Candy Bar, which was a chocolate and caramel fondant cake and black sesame ice cream. It was absolutely stellar, hitting all the right notes of sweetness and texture!
A word of caution if you’re dining at Ilili. In the USA, it is typical of restaurants to levy an 18-20% service charge for parties of six or more. For less than that capacity, you are expected to tip. Our bill came in the digital format, and we were not able to see a breakdown of charges. Because it was just the two of us, we tipped on the total like we normally would, only to realize on our way back to the hotel that they had already added a 20% service charge to the bill. So, if you, like us, get a digital bill, don’t shy away from asking whether service charge has already been included, so you can pay accordingly.
Zaytinya
Under James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés, Zaytinya’s menu reflects the rich regional diversity of classical Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines. This was totally up our wheelhouse, and after much deliberation between booking a Spanish tapas spot or this one, we ultimately chose Zaytinya.
It was an unusually cold March evening, and having had more than enough coffee for the day, I chose to start with a Za’atar Margarita. It came in a small glass but packed quite a punch.
I am an ardent lover of mushrooms, and if I could trade my meat or seafood with anything vegetarian, it would always be mushrooms. So, it was no surprise that I chose the Mushroom Kapnista, a warm, hearty dish featuring smoked mushrooms, dates, roasted walnuts, and labneh. It was every bit as satisfying as I’d hoped.
For mains, we had Lamb Baharat — a spice-rubbed lamb leg kebab with tabbouleh, charred tomatoes, and tahini sauce, and Lamb Kleftiko — smoked lamb shoulder encased in phyllo pastry with a kefalogravgera cheese spread and sprinkled with dill. As lovers of all things Middle Eastern and all things lamb, we were blissfully satisfied with both these dishes.
We were not in the mood for having any dessert, but for the ardent chocolate lover that P is, it was hard to ignore the call of the Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake which consisted of a molten center Valrhona chocolate cake, mastic ice cream, and roasted pistachios. It was the perfect indulgence to round out the meal.
Pisco y Nazca
If you know me well, you’re aware of my deep affection for Peruvian cuisine. Of all the places I’ve visited in close to four decades of my life, my culinary experience in Peru has been unrivaled. So naturally, I get excited whenever I spot a Peruvian restaurant wherever I go. This particular evening, we weren’t very hungry. We had already enjoyed a hearty brunch at our favorite café in D.C. (stay tuned for that!), and could have easily skipped dinner. But when you see a Peruvian restaurant, it’s simply impossible not to indulge. So, we refrained ourselves, and from the vast array of sumptuous menu at Pisco y Nazca, ordered a modest Ceviche Sampler and Causa Sampler.
The Ceviche Sampler included traditional ceviche (fish, classic leche de tigre, cancha, choclo, sweet potato), cremoso ceviche (fish, shrimp, creamy leche de tigre, sweet potato, ají limo), and callejero ceviche (octopus, fish, shrimp, calamari, cancha, rocoto, crispy plantains). The Causa Sampler featured crocante (panko shrimp, whipped potato, rocoto aioli), tartare (tuna tartare, Asian aioli, whipped potato, wonton crisp), and pollo (chicken salad, whipped potato, avocado, red pepper confit, mayonesa acevichada) causas. We ate until we were almost too full to move, but it was worth every bite!
P would rarely skip dessert (can you believe he’s on a dessert ban that he’s actually stuck to for over six months, with just a few exceptions?!), and so, however full we were, we welcomed to our table an Arroz con Leche Cheesecake, which came with arroz con leche custard, dulce de leche sauce, and a quinoa crunch, and we finished it with reluctant urgency!
Tatte Bakery and Café
Remember, moments back I told you that we were full from a brunch we had earlier in the day that we went to Pisco y Nazca? It was at Tatte Bakery and Café, hands down our favorite place to eat at in DC. We had first been to Tatte Bakery with our parents at Boston in 2019. And even though the Lamb Meatball and Labneh Shakshuka and a few other things we had were lip-smacking, the long line to get in, and seating challenges had ever so slightly dampened the eating experience. Thankfully, in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area (the DMV), there’s a Tatte Bakery almost on every corner — 16 in total — and with little to no wait times, we made it a point to visit three different locations during our five-day stay!
In our multiple outings to Tatte, we had the Lamb Hash (lamb cooked with warm spices and sautéed with potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, pickled red cabbage, topped with a poached egg and green dressing, and served with roasted garlic labneh, tomato salad and housemade challah), Braised Short Rib Couscous Bowl (with a harissa-maple glaze, served on a bed of lentils and toasted couscous sautéed with sundried tomatoes, marinated charred kale, and sumac-roasted onions), Cilbir (Turkish poached eggs with sauteed spinach, roasted Jerusalem artichoke, garlic labneh, and Aleppo chili oil, served with sourdough), and an array of desserts, including Espresso Mocha Mousse and Orange Upside Down Cake. But as caffeine addicts, our top favorite item from Tatte was the Pistachio Latte, which we’ve been making at home ever since. We tried both the hot and iced versions, and the hot one is absolutely the way to go.
Special mention must be made to Ambar, an upscale Capitol Hill restaurant specializing in Balkan cuisine, where we took our parents in 2019, but it was so long back that neither do I remember what we had, nor do I have any photo that would help me remember six years later. All I do recall is that the food was fantastic, and introduced us to flavors we hadn’t experienced before.
A quick tip about dining in Washington, D.C.: Restaurants can get incredibly busy during the evenings — often more so than in bustling cities like New York or Los Angeles. We had reservations for every place we visited (except Tatte, which doesn’t take them), and every table was occupied, both indoors and on the patios. So, it’s always a good idea to make reservations ahead of time.
True to the city that Washington D.C. is, the food scene reflects its cosmopolitan nature, rich cultural heritage, and innovative spirit. D.C.’s culinary landscape is an essential part of experiencing everything this dynamic city has to offer. And in my eyes, Washington D.C. will always be the place that has treated me to some of the best foods I’ve had in this country.
This post is not affiliated with any of the restaurants mentioned, and all meals were paid for out of our own pockets.