The One Who Keeps the Book Washington D.C.
How to Get the Toughest Restaurant Reservations in D.C.
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Often, the most important dining question doesn’t revolve around where to eat: It’s how do we get in?
That’s where we come in.
For years, we’ve been going straight to the source to ask restaurant hosts, maître d’s, and general managers for all the secret tips, tricks, and shortcuts to getting into the city’s most in-demand restaurants. You know, all the ones you set countless Notifies on Resy for, and the ones you’ve set multiple alarms for in anticipation of their next reservation drop.
We want to make it easier for you to find out all the intel you need, so consider this your ultimate cheat sheet for getting into those much-loved restaurants, and check back here on the regular; we’ll be updating this list frequently.
The One Who Keeps the Books
Albi Navy Yard
Chef Michael Rafidi isn’t afraid to experiment with traditional recipes and techniques for wood-fired Levantine cooking that you’ve likely never quite experienced before.
Reservations Drop: Reservations drop for two calendar months at a time, with a given month released at midnight on the first day of the preceding month.
Should You Walk In? The dining room is reservations only. However, you can try your chances for a walk-in seat at the bar.
Must Orders: Jericho dates with ras el hanout and brown butter; smoked lamb khubz (wood-fired potato pita); barbecued prawn; and crispy kibbeh. For dessert, labne ice cream with pomegranate molasses and the brown butter knafeh. To drink, a za’atar martini.
Pro Tip: If you want to try even more dishes, opt for the sofra (“a table set for you” in Arabic) experience, where chefs create a five-course spontaneous menu.
Read more about how to get into Albi here.
Le Diplomate Logan Circle
You’ll find any French classic you could dream of here, from escargots to steak au poivre to profiteroles, along with all the right wines.
Reservations Drop: Reservations drop 30 days in advance.
Should You Walk In? Yes. Just check in at the host stand and they’ll get to you as soon as you can.
Must Orders: The petite plateau loaded with fresh seafood; cavatelli au gratin; crispy artichokes; steak au poivre; and duck a l’orange.
Pro Tip: Their patio seating is some of the best in the city for people watching. When the weather’s nice, act accordingly.
La’ Shukran Union Market District
This rooftop bar and bistro from Michael Rafidi, the award-winning chef behind Albi and Yellow, delivers on the vibes.
Reservations Drop: Reservations drop 21 days in advance at midnight, but keep an eye on rooftop reservations, which may open three days in advance depending on the weather forecast.
Should You Walk In? Yes, but it might be difficult. Bar seats open for walk-ins later in the evening, and the staff will seat you in unreserved tables if they can, but reservations are “highly encouraged.”
Must Orders: Smoky escargot hummus; hashweh fried rice with seven-spice lamb ragout and pickled apricots; and the chicken liver parfait with halva butter jam and ras al hanout beignet. For dessert, warm lemon madeleines and Arabic-style pressed coffee.
Pro Tip: Pay special attention to the cocktail list from Radovan Jankovic — its many accolades are well-deserved.
Read more about how to get in here.
The Red Hen Bloomingdale
For those nights when all you want (or need) is a satisfying bowl of pasta and a glass of nice wine, head straight to one of D.C.’s coziest and most beloved Italian restaurants, from the same team behind All Purpose.
Reservations Drop: Thirty days in advance at 8 a.m.
Should You Walk In? Yes. They hold some space for walk-ins. If there’s a wait, you can spend it at their bar.
Must Orders: Campanelle with wild mushrooms and sage; mezze rigatoni with tomato and fennel sausage ragu; grilled bread with cultured butter and shaved radishes; and charred broccolini with tahini Caesar dressing. Oh, and the roasted maple panna cotta for dessert.
Pro Tip: If you do walk in, they recommend doing so before 7 p.m. or after 9 p.m. to limit your wait times.
Osteria Mozza – DC Georgetown
If you’re like everyone who loves Nancy Silverton’s original Osteria Mozza in L.A., it’s hard to move past your favorites. But that’s why you keep returning.
Reservations Drop: 28 days in advance at midnight.
Should You Walk In? Yes. They save room in the dining room, at the mozzarella bar, and in the market for just that purpose.
Must Orders: Arancini alla bolognese; focaccia di recco; anything from the mozzarella bar; ricotta and egg raviolo; and sunchoke cappellacci with wild mushrooms, sunflower seeds, and thyme. To finish. the butterscotch budino.
Pro Tip: Do some shopping in their market before or after you take your seat – you have to walk through it to get to the dining room, anyway.
Read more about how to get in here.
Astoria DC DuPont Circle
This gem of a craft cocktail bar also happens to have some of the city’s best Sichuan food, and excellent cocktails.
Reservations Drop: Two weeks in advance.
Should You Walk In? Absolutely — it’s even encouraged — but the wait can get long.
Must Orders: Dan dan noodles; chile oil wontons; stir-fried pea shoots with garlic; mapo tofu (which can also be made vegan); and a Jai Alai to drink.
Pro Tip: Come with a big group. Many dishes can be made in either single or double portions, and they’re all designed to share.
Cana Adams Morgan
Sipping the national drink of Brazil or any featuring cachaça, rum’s cousin made with fresh sugarcane, tastes that much sweeter with Brazilian funk and soul vinyl playing in the background.
Reservations Drop: 30 days in advance.
Should You Walk In? You can, but only for bar seating.
Must Orders: Cod empanada; duck leg croquettes; fluke with coconut leche de tigre; picanha with farofa; and brigadeiro for dessert. To drink, anything with cachaça.
Pro Tip: Keep an eye on their website for the live music schedule; the experience here is only improved with some bossa nova.
Maison Adams Morgan
Photo courtesy of Maison
The decorated team behind Lutèce has yet another French-influenced winner.
Reservations Drop: 30 days in advance.
Should You Walk In? Sure! You may have to wait, however.
Must Orders: Warm bread with lovely flower-shaped butter, roasted oysters with bone marrow and vin jaune, lamb tartare, brioche stuffed chicken, crispy tête de cochon. Obviously, wine to drink.
Pro Tip: If you’re a night owl, they’re open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a special late-night menu that also includes a fried chicken cordon bleu sandwich and Basque cheesecake.
Read more about how to get in here.
Photo courtesy of Maison
Omakase @ Barracks Row Capitol Hill
Ricky Wang’s Monday and Tuesday pop-up omakase counter at Ginza BBQ Lounge and Karaoke got so hot on the local sushi scene that the noted chef (formerly of Sushi Nakazawa) just had to make it permanent with this exquisite omakase bar (along with otsumami — Japanese bar food — options) above Han Palace, just next door.
Reservations Drop: Two weeks in advance at 12:01 a.m.
Should You Walk In? No, it’s reservations only.
Must Orders: You’re in the (very) capable hands of the chefs here, so just sit back and relax.
Pro Tip: Make sure not to wear any perfumes during your visit, as they have a strict policy against it because it can negatively impact your taste and experience.
Lutèce Georgetown
Photo by Rey Lopez for Resy
It would be easy to say everyone goes to this always-buzzing Georgetown bistro for the focaccia — it is perfection — but that would be an egregious simplification. It’s everything: The charming dining room, the wine and well-crafted cocktails, the always affable service, and a tight menu that fluctuates with the seasons, all from the same stellar team behind Maison and Pascual.
Reservations Drop: 30 days in advance at 11 a.m.
Should You Walk In? You can, but know that the dining room is rather cozy and tends to fill up quickly.
Must Orders: The menu changes all the time (sometimes even weekly), but if the pommes paillasson with crème fraîche and caviar, boudin noir pithivier, pan au lait, and honey semifreddo are on the menu, take note.
Pro Tip: If you’re interested in a more comprehensive experience, make a Resy for the chef’s table, where you’ll enjoy a tasting menu and an optional — but highly encouraged — wine pairing.
Read more about how to get in here.
Photo by Rey Lopez for Resy
Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi Southwest Washington
Stories and history fill Kwame Onwuachi’s Afro Caribbean restaurant, from paying homage to the land surveyor who drew up the lines for Washington D.C. to the chef’s own Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and Creole heritage. At its core, though, Dōgon’s all about superb cooking with fantastic cocktails to boot.
Reservations Drop: 28 days in advance.
Should You Walk In? No, reservations are required.
Must Orders: Charbroiled oysters with Croatian butter and parm; suya pork belly; crab with a plantain hoe cake; braised wagyu oxtails; and rum cake.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip the cocktail list. One standout is the Flower Pot Punch with rum, spiced pineapple syrup, and grenadine, highlighting Black-owned spirits brands.
ANJU Dupont Circle
Anju doesn’t take tradition lightly: Co-chef Danny Lee’s Korean mother consulted on the menu. But what’s appealing is how Lee and co-chef Angel Barreto push the envelope further, reimagining everything from soju to street food, to delicious effect.
Reservations Drop: Three weeks in advance.
Should You Walk In? Yes, they typically reserve seats at the bar and in the patio for just that purpose.
Must Orders: Pork and kimchi dumplings; fried chicken with spicy gochujang glaze; tteokbokki with green beans, zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms; bulgogi bibimbap,; as many banchan as you can fit on your table; and misugaru donuts with pistachio gelato.
Pro Tip: Pop by for happy hour on weekdays from 5 to 6 p.m., where you can enjoy deals like $7 glasses of wine and $8 portions of that beloved fried chicken.
The Occidental Washington D.C.
It’s one of the oldest and longest-running restaurants in our nation’s capital, no less. At its peak, The Occidental was the epitome of fine dining in D.C., where politicians, visiting celebrities, and luminaries came to see and be seen.
Reservations Drop: 28 days out at midnight.
Should You Walk In? Yes, if you want to try your luck at the bar.
Must Orders: Shrimp cocktail; herring under a fur coat; beurre blanc oysters; buttermilk biscuits with honey butter; Vermont cheddar mac and cheese; and The Pork Chop That Saved the World (long story). For dessert, baked Alaska or bananas foster that gets toasted tableside.
Pro Tip: Come dressed to impress. This spot deserves it, given the amount of history that’s happened within its four walls, and you won’t feel out of place since the waiters are always donning white tuxedos.
L’Ardente East End
Citronelle veteran David Deshaies and his team rethink Italian classics and create new ones of their own at this spectacular trendsetter, with its double-high ceilings, Murano glass chandeliers, and attention-grabbing wood-fired grill.
Reservations Drop: 60 days in advance at midnight.
Should You Walk In? Yes, but only for the bar.
Must Orders: Rosemary focaccia; margherita pizza; grilled radicchio salad; their signature 40-layer lasagna; and raspberry pavlova.
Pro Tip: Word on the street says this spot has one of the best espresso martinis in town, so order accordingly.
Grazie Nonna Midtown Center
Glittery chandeliers and candelabras flickering off the windows, family portraits on the walls, and tables laden with meat and cheese platters, heaping bowls of pasta, and hand-tossed thin-crust pizzas with a symphony of toppings — that’s the draw at this Midtown Center delight from Michelin-starred chef Gerald Addison.
Reservations Drop: Two weeks in advance.
Should You Walk In? Yes, but be prepared for a wait.
Must Orders: Any of the super-thin crust pizzas; clams casino; lumache with Sunday sauce; shrimp scampi; and bucatini alfredo.
Pro Tip: If brunch is more your speed, theirs happens to be particularly fun. There’s a bellini cart, cannoli pancakes, and cinnamon focaccia with vanilla glaze.
