The Resy Guide to Plant-Forward Latin American Food in D.C.

Cuisine: Colombian

For exquisite examples of Colombian fare, look no further than The Royal. Arepas, or crispy cornmeal cakes, are one of the country’s hallmarks, and here you have lots of different vegetable options. Try the cheese arepa with heaps of melted cheese, served alongside sliced avocado and pickled slaw; the arepa rancheros, where the crispy corn pocket is stuffed with a fried egg, avocado, beans, and cilantro; and the hearts of palm arepas filled with crunchy hearts of palm, cabbage, carrots, and scallions, all drenched in a creamy tomato salsa, then sprinkled with sunflower seeds.

Other treats include guava pastries; fries served with an aji amarillo sauce (a luscious yellow chile pepper sauce); and plantain breakfast muffins. In the morning, pair your meal with one of their creative coffee concoctions, and in the evening, take advantage of the restaurant’s cocktail scene, which highlights Colombian ingredients in drinks like the conejito, made with rum, coconut water, guanabana, panela, and lime.

Cuisine: Peruvian

What’s fun about China Chilcano is that it doesn’t limit itself to traditional dishes. Instead it marries three of the country’s varied culinary cultures: Peruvian crillo, Chinese chifa, and Japanese Nikkei.

Winning choices include the jiaozi de la chacra, cilantro-infused dumpling wrappers stuffed with a savory mix of potatoes and veggies; addictive yuca fries; a quinoa salad with sweet Peruvian corn, cheese, and potatoes; fried rice cooked with veggies; and chow mein noodles. Quinoa hails from Peru, and the country has more than 4,000 varieties of native potatoes, so the quinoa salad is a must.

Call 202-783-0941 for reservations.

And don’t skip dessert: the suspiro limena is a classic Peruvian dessert with a hypnotic condensed milk custard, fluffy meringue, and sweet passion fruit. Pair it all with a pisco sour, Peru’s most famous drink.

Cuisine: Salvadoran

Turning to El Salvador, pupusas take in the spotlight. After all, what could be better than griddled cornmeal pancakes, stuffed and then topped with a crunchy cabbage and carrot relish and drizzled with a mild tomato sauce?

El Tamarindo serves some of the best pupusas in town, but it may be hard to choose from the extensive menu. Favorites among locals include the loroco con queso pupusa, stuffed with cheese and loroco buds before being cooked, so the cheese is gooey and luscious. Loroco, an earthy edible flower from El Salvador, serves as a perfect contrast to the nutty and creamy cheese. The jalapeño and cheese is another popular choice, as is the bean and cheese pupusa. If pupusas aren’t your jam, the venue also has vegetable enchiladas, tamales, and fried yuca.

Pro tip: El Tamarindo also offers vegan pupusas, made with cashew cheese and jackfruit “chicharron.”

Cuisine: Panamanian

There may not be many Panamanian restaurants in D.C. — or anywhere in the States — but that’s OK because we have takeout-focused Esencias Panamenas, which offers a comprehensive menu of traditional fare with plenty of vegetarian options. For newcomers to Panamanian food, the sampler platter is probably your best bet, piled high with hearty and delicious dishes like crunchy ground corn fritters, white cheese, yuca balls, patacones — addictively crispy twice-fried green plantains — fried yuca, ground corn patties, and hickory vegan barbecue riblets.

If you opt for something not on the platter, try the rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, the yuca frita, and the traditional Panamanian beet and potato salad. Just be sure to save room for the decadent rum cake, infused with Ron Abuelo, Panama’s most famous rum.

Cuisine: Venezuelan

Highlighting some of Venezuela’s best ingredients and dishes, this La Cosecha pop-up also is entirely vegan. On the small but dynamite tasting menu, the casaba de yuca are delightful: wafer-thin, crunchy crackers, served with a rich avocado spread. Ravioli with corn is delicate and delicious, and the Venezuelan asado negro, where cauliflower is simmered in a sweet and tart sauce, is fragrant, meaty, and filling.

Pro tip: Check out Mita’s website regularly for updates on their next pop-up dinner.

Cuisine: Cuban

This long-standing Cuban restaurant is a staple in D.C. Some of their best items are on the apertivos section of the menu; D.C. residents love the pineapple guacamole, spinach and cheese bunuelos (delightfully savory fritters served with a tangy goat cheese crema), black bean soup, and bread served with mango butter. The drink menu at Cuba Libre is especially impressive, with nine different mojitos, rum tastings, and sangria. Insider tip: For a super-fun evening, swing by on a Friday or Saturday, when the restaurant features Latin dance music from a local DJ.

Call 202-408-1600 for reservations.

Cuisine: Peruvian

This new Blagden Alley hot spot is all the rage, both for the food and impressive pisco menu. The restaurant includes two floors and two concepts, with Causa offering a more high-end dining experience and Bar Amazonia offering more casual dishes that highlight the rich gastronomic culture of Peru. The menu at Bar Amazonia includes classic Peruvian dishes with a modern touch, with sections for snacks, skewers, and hot and cold dishes. The pisco menu is remarkable, with dozens of different bottles of Peru’s grape-based brandy. Try it straight, in a pisco flight, or in pisco cocktails — the choice is yours.

Cuisine: Cuban

The charming Colada Shop now has four locations around the DMV, with one on 14th Street, one on the Wharf, one in the National Harbor, and one in Potomac, Md. The menus at all four locations are very similar and include Cuban treats like sweet and savory guava and cheese pastries; a marvelous veggie Cuban sandwich with marinated mojo mushrooms and cauliflower smothered in Swiss cheese and aioli, served on freshly made Cuban bread; and house fried plantain chips served with a creamy black bean dipping sauce. Mojitos and Cuban coffee are in abundance at all locations, too.

Pro tip: The Potomac location offers plantanachos — nachos made with freshly fried plantain chips.

Cuisine: Salvadoran

La Casita has locations all around the DMV, including a spot in Silver Spring, another in Gaithersburg, a counter in La Cosecha near Union Market, and a venue in Nationals Park. The pupusas are dynamite, with options ranging from bean and cheese to mixed vegetable to spinach. Some of the locations offer vegan pupusas, as well as gluten-free pupusas. And there are also plenty of other offerings, like tamales and tacos.

Cuisine: Brazilian

This D.C. institution, open since 1992, serves up classic fare for dinner seven days a week. What’s less known about The Grill from Ipanema is their fantastic brunch. The three-course brunch menu comes with options for one glass of Champagne, a pitcher of mimosas, or bottomless mimosas by the glass. The menu includes mandioca frita, a dish of Brazilian yuca fried to crunchy and starchy goodness; an omelet stuffed with veggies and melted cheese; a fresh salad with hearts of palm, avocado, and giant olives; and a platter with rice, black beans, collard greens, and farofa, which is toasted cassava flour cooked with butter and garlic.

Call 202-986-0757 for reservations.