The Splurge-Worthy Guide to Dining in D.C.

Opulence with purpose is how chef Rob Rubba describes the cooking at his charming restaurant emphasizing seasonal vegetables. Using only the best produce sourced locally from organic and regenerative farms to create a spectacular tasting menu (both vegan and vegetarian), dining here means a conscientiously luxurious experience that raises the bar for plant-forward cookery. Vegetables are transformed into miniature masterworks like the simple celery root fried in local sunflower oil, formed into a tumble weed and then filled with a smoked tofu puree. Magic.

Albi’s name translates from Arabic to “my heart”, which is why the literal heart of the restaurant is the kitchen’s wood-burning heath. Grab a spot at the tasting table to watch chef Michael Rafidi spin his magic in Levantine-traversing dishes like barbecued lamb kebab, chicken musakhan with saffron yoghurt, or seven spice lamb rice spiked with almonds and lodi pumpkin. Can’t choose? The sofra menu – chef’s choice – spotlights peak season ingredients, a snip at $145 per guest with a drinks pairing that’s well worth the splurge.

Take a journey with Casa Teresa’s table menu through the memories of chef Rubén García’s great-grandmother, from crisp chicken croquetas and Andalusian gazpacho, to decadent jamón Ibérico and, of course, no trip here is complete without a serving of the oozy Basque cheesecake. García has spent years refining his craft cooking at some of Spain’s legendary institutions – including five years at El Bulli – and his expertise shines when turning even the simplest of dishes into decadent bites.

No surprise that the most talked about dish here is the Duck Feast, a three-course menu built around their signature rotisserie duck. Snack on bread and butter and rich duck liver pâté before the main event arrives, but don’t fill up because the feast truly begins with the succulent bird that comes accompanied by watercress and panzanella, grilled carrots and gnudi, and white truffle duck fat potato pavé. The desserts – from sweet potato toffee cake, cocoa silk pie to the almond cake topped with vanilla bean poached pears – make for a fitting conclusion to a truly accomplished menu.

It’s not easy to get into this celebrated hotspot as reservations open one month in advance, but if you’re quick with your fingers, you might just snag one of the coveted tables at this Capitol Hill fine dining restaurant. Pineapple and Pearls bills itself as a festive nightly party with green balloons adorning the ceiling, an absinthe fountain, and even a soft serve ice cream machine. Besides incredible meals and entertaining staff, the restaurant also gives out party favors with luxe mementos, including a delicious midnight snack. And if you really want to splurge, ask about their Gummy Bear and Caviar Sundae!

We love that Fabio Trabocchi gets us — specifically how sometimes we want the most luxe form of Italian cooking. And that of course is Fiola’s superpower, whether the full-bore “Viaggio” tasting menu or the more modest “Leggero.”  And of course it’s truffle season, which means you can go truly big and heady for $600/person. (Look for the “Truffle Experience” on the booking page for any evening.)

Barcelona-born chef Pepe Moncayo transforms traditional Spanish dishes into intricate flavor combinations at his newest venture Arrels, which means ‘roots’ in Catalan.  From paellas to croquetas de bacalao, to charred leeks with romesco and crisp, luscious churros (made by hand each day), every bite is a masterful display of flavor and technique. Many ingredients find their raison d’être via simple preparations, like star vegetarian dishes, charcoal-grilled swordfish, and luxuriously marbled Wagyu beef kissed with the flavor of an open flame – an impressive dish, even in a town known for its steak. Finish with the rich La Vina-style Basque cheesecake to cap a decadent meal.

Relax at chef Nakazawa’s omakase counter at the glitzy Waldorf Astoria hotel to sample a 20-course tour through some of the most sublime specialty fish in the D.C. area. Each bite, from the tuna topped with gold osetra caviar, soy-marinated king salmon, toro temaki handroll, to the Murasaki uni melts in your mouth, is a true once-in-a-lifetime indulgence.

The rooftop option at Gravitas is just the spot for a way to enjoy Matt Baker’s cooking in perhaps a slightly more chill format. “Slightly” being the key word, because there’s always the caviar service starting at $95, with a sublime roster of cocktails to accompany.

L’Ardente, which means “glam Italian,” lives up to its name. The luxe interior is splashed out with custom Missoni drapes, Murano chandeliers, and even the pizza oven glitters with golden tiles covering the dome. Despite the stunning decor, it’s the food here crafted by chef David Deshaies that really shines. Familiar dishes are transformed into something extraordinary, like the decadent 40-layer lasagna or the Venetian “risotto” made from riced calamari and with no actual rice. L’Ardente is also a place where you can splurge on that lobster al limone or a porn star caviar martini, but it’s also a place where you can just order an expertly made margherita pizza for just $18.

Did someone say caviar menu? Each of the nine courses on this iconic establishment’s Caviar Tasting Menu highlight Petrossian Caviar, from the Chesapeake Bay crab and cucumber rillette topped with Royal Kaluga caviar, to the last bite of the Imperial Ossetra caviar cheesecake with a caviar purée and lemon cream. Each course is beautifully paired with wine or Champagne – a once-in-a-lifetime meal, yours for a cool $2,500 per person. There is, of course, also Patrick O’Connell’s legendary tasting menu (perhaps the greatest in the region), a snip at $388 per guest.

Honey-soaked dates, grilled halloumi, charred carrots with harissa followed by entrees of whole roasted cauliflower or grilled butterflied branzino dusted with sumac are just some of the dishes on Maydan’s Tawle menu, a curated, well-traveled meal designed to be enjoyed family-style. This showstopper is known for its open hearth cooking and understated luxury, and owner Rose Previte offers her Lebanese heritage as a departure point to guests, who can enjoy a culinary tour around Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Georgia and Lebanon, all while never leaving the table.

Pepe Moncayo has combined his Spanish upbringing with his time in Singapore for electric, eclectic cooking that you could shorthand as “Spanish-Japanese” but really is its own remarkable thing. The combination means that each course is presented as a work of art, melding flavors and techniques from two of the world’s great culinary heavyweights. To drink, there are options for beverage pairings, but there’s also plenty of excellent wine and sake by the glass or bottle if you’d prefer to go with the flow.

Choose your indulgence — from the two-day dry-aged Peking Duck with perfectly crisp skin and tender meat served with house-made steamed pancakes and duck sauce, or go all-in with the Crown Tasting Experience, a 14-course culinary journey of modern Chinese cuisine that entails a curated selection of signature dishes including the hand-pulled Mr. Chow Noodles and house made colorful dim sum sampling. No wrong options.

With sweeping waterfront views overlooking the Potomac, chef Fabrio Trabocchi’s two-storey jewel box of a restaurant is the perfect setting to indulge in coastal Spanish fare. Go all out here, from the Oscietra Royal Caviar accompanied by warm blinis and velvety crème fraîche to a three-pound whole European sea bass grilled Basque-style and served with potatoes anadera and a signature Donostiarra sauce of garlic, smoked paprika, and sherry vinegar.

Le Dip offers Gallic joy in every speed and style, but we’re always mindful of the option to go big when we wish. That comes in the form of the grand plateau seafood platter ($195), with a fish market’s worth of iced sea creatures. But also lobster frites, and daily plates like a dover sole meunière and pork Milanese.