The Resy Hit List: Where In D.C. You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
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There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
Consider it your essential resource for dining in and around Washington, D.C.: a monthly-updated guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In D.C. Not to Miss This Month
- D.C. Power Lunch: Who says you need a summer Friday to enjoy a three-martini lunch? After all, Washington is the capital of power lunches with back-room deals. The many new lunch menus for September give ample opportunity to sample unique dishes like a juicy Argentine rib eye at Brasero Atlantico, or a whole Big Mac-style pizza at Boogy & Peel.
- Celebrate Rosh Hashanah: Get your gefilte fish on this Jewish new year. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is serving several Jewish delicacies, including vegetarian chopped liver and matzo ball soup. Elsewhere, Summer House has both a dinner to-go and dine-in prix-fixe menu ($65) with specialties that include challah bread, gefilte fish, and apple galette.
- Sizzling Steakhouses in Georgetown: Is D.C. a steakhouse-obsessed town? We think so. Add to the steakhouse scene: two new players firing up the grill over in Georgetown. The Oak Room is an upscale steakhouse that brings New York’s chef Timothy Hollinger to Washington. This comes on the heels of Bully Spanish Steakhouse from chef Pepe Moncayo inside the St. Gregory Hotel.
- H Is for “Hungry”: Sept. 19 brings the H Street Festival — one of Washington, D.C.’s largest neighborhood celebrations, with 12 blocks of restaurant and bar specials offered all day long. If you need a break from the street party, book it to Tapori, Maketto, or Toki Underground for top-notch eating nearby.
New to the Hit List (Sept. 2026)
Emma’s Torch, The Grace, La Merna, La’ Shukran, The Oak Room, Pizzeria Paradiso.
1. The Oak Room Georgetown
This grand American grill is defined by nostalgia, precision, and old-world hospitality, from the same restaurant group that brought D.C. country line dancing and racks of ribs at Desert 5 in Union Market. Chef Tim Hollingsworth (formerly with The French Laundry), features classic American dishes like shrimp cocktail, a 22-ounce king-cut prime rib, and Dover sole served in a brown butter sauce with capers. You can’t miss the dramatic seafood tower. Upstairs, Bernadette’s offers a distinct mood shift, channeling a candlelit supper club inspired by legendary European rooms like Hotel Costes, Harry’s Bar, and Annabel’s. Designed for long evenings and late-night energy, the space pairs live music, martinis, grower Champagne, indulgent late-night dining, and richly layered interiors wrapped in velvet and candlelight.
2. The Dabney Shaw
Gather around The Dabney’s iconic wood-fired hearth with chef Jeremiah Langhorne to taste some of the best and freshest mid-Atlantic fare. Current menu options include a five-course prix-fixe experience and an à la carte menu, with every ingredient representing the history of the mid-Atlantic region. Sample seafood direct from the Chesapeake Bay, like Maryland jumbo lump crab or fried catfish larb. Or opt for a family-style plate of barbecue spiced chicken served with salsa verde and jalapeno butter. The wine menu also reads like a love note to Virginia wine country with regional vineyards — from Spinning Wheel to Rosemont Winery — featured prominently for paired tastings.
3. La’ Shukran Union Market District
Located above YELLOW in Union Market, Michael Rafidi’s La’ Shukran pulsates with nocturnal energy. Enter this casual bar and it feels as if you’ve been transported to the Levant region with the decor, music, and menu to match. The whole experience was meant to celebrate an immersive experience in Arabic traditions, but with a bit more Rafidi style. Hence the smoky escargot swimming in arak butter, or a side of the Maryland crab served with sweet corn and whipped labne. It pairs perfectly with a Bedouin coffee — bar director Radovan Jankovic’s improved take on the espresso martini, here infused with cardamom spice. Plus, there’s an entire hummus section of the menu.
4. Cordelia Fishbar Union Market
Cordelia’s is the place for coastal-inspired dishes, whether you crave a curated selection of crudo or cured seafood specialties, like a shareable turbot or coal-roasted oysters glossed in spicy ‘nduja butter. This Union Market seafood house is also the place for daily oyster happy hour or bottomless weekend brunch — designed to highlight the freshest flavors from both land and sea. For seafood lovers seeking pristine raw bar selections or those just looking for a mouthwatering burger, Cordelia delivers a dining experience that is accessible for the whole family.
5. Daru H Street Corridor
Suresh Sundas and Dante Datta teamed up for this restaurant inspired by the history, culture, and flavors of India. Along with familiar favorites like wild mushroom biryani, the menu also features several “Indian-ish” takes inspired by other regions of the world, like wok-fried cabbage and za’atar olive naan. The restaurant recently added weekly deals that pull in H Street neighbors from half-priced wine nights on Wednesdays to a generous happy hour featuring $10 plates of chicken tikka masala or paneer makhani with rice and garlic naan and $13 cocktails.
6. Bammy’s Modern Caribbean Washington D.C.
Get on island time at Bammy’s — a rum bar located in Navy Yard with waterfront views of the Anacostia River. If it’s happy hour, order up a Painkiller and some jerk wings to set the vibe. Bammy’s executive chef Peter Prime hails from Trinidad, and he serves traditional dishes like brown stew beef, jerk lamb chops, and crispy cassava, plus whole fried snapper. Best of all, Bammy’s now has a second takeout option located inside the Union Market food hall.
7. Masseria Union Market
Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s first restaurant in the city remains a celebration of big, harmonious Italian flavors. Named for the charming agricultural estates of the Puglia region, where his family is rooted, the restaurant features an open-air courtyard with relaxed seating, plus a covered pergola seating area and an indoor sala with a view of the kitchen. The menu brings together the welcoming tastes of an Italian country estate, with a five- or seven-course tasting menu option, as well as à la carte menu at the bar. Service includes bread, antipasti, fresh-made pastas, and seafood dishes including freshly shucked Wellfleet oysters topped with Petrossian Royal Daurenki caviar.
8. Emma’s Torch Silver Spring, Maryland
Doing good can be as tasty as a warm cinnamon bun or stack of brown butter pancakes at Emma’s Torch, a culinary training center in the heart of downtown Silver Spring with a mission to empower refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking through culinary education. This nonprofit social enterprise expanded to Maryland after its successful upstart in New York City, serving up an all-day cafe menu that draws upon students’ cultures and culinary upbringings. On the debut menu, look for brunch essentials like a Mediterranean-style shakshuka served in a rich tomato gravy with crispy rice, two soft poached eggs, crispy chickpeas, and tahini. There are also grab-and-go sandwiches and an array of pastries that pair perfectly with the robust coffee program.
Find more info here.
9. Uchi DC Downtown
Uchi’s arrival to D.C. brings a new sleek sushi counter to the city. The iconic hama chili features cool yellowtail packing heat from Thai chili ponzu with orange supreme. Chicken braised in coconut milk forms the soul of the comforting Sasami Yaki. And the Kinoko Usuzukuri is a standout plant-based carpaccio with seasonal mushroom, shallot, and shiro zu. Special occasions call for the Hot Rock, perfect for sizzling sliced Australian wagyu, served here with kosho tamari butter and whiskey maple ponzu. And don’t forget to try the legendary fried milk dessert — a non-negotiable closer for any Uchi meal — that literally bursts with flavor.
10. Lutèce Georgetown
Lutèce has become a D.C. hot spot for French cooking in the comfy confines of a dining room that seats only a few dozen. Top dishes to try here include the skewered duck hearts with a jus and mandarinquat — Conroy’s latest twist on duck à l’orange — or Parisian gnocchi with snails and fermented butter, or a steak tartare spiked with harissa. Service hours have expanded, and this cozy neo-bistro is now open seven days a week. That means more room for late-night bottles, lingering date-night courses, and the kind of friend-meet-up dinners that accidentally become all-night affairs.
11. Sid Gold’s Request Room Union Market
Belt out your favorite tune with friends at Sid Gold’s Request Room — a karaoke speakeasy that’s perfect for your next night on the town. Enter through an alley door and enter a space that’s always lively and centered around a classic piano bar experience. Classic cocktails from old fashioneds to martinis also set the tenor. After a sip, take the stage with an accompanist and belt out from a selection of pop, rock, soul, and even punk… and yes, you can play punk on a piano and belt out the perfect tune after a few sips of liquid courage.
12. La Merna Dupont Circle
From husband-and-wife duo G. Bradley Shorten and Meg Schmitt, La Merna offers Midwest hospitality, inventive cocktails, and an in-house cheese program. Schmitt founded a nationally distributed cheese company, trained in cheesemaking in Italy, and brings that expertise to La Merna through housemade ricotta, mozzarella, and stracciatella. Bradley’s Chicago portfolio includes Kim’s Uncle in suburban Chicago, and his Chicago flagship, the purposefully named Pizza, Fried Chicken, Ice Cream. All this translates into one of The District’s only Chicago tavern-style pizza pubs. Pastas like ravioli ‘nudja round out the menu. Look for outlandish cocktails like the Coffee & Cigarettes: an espresso martini with the option to pair with an actual cigarette for $3 more.
13. Namak Adams Morgan
In the heart of Adams Morgan, the the owners of Perry’s and Unconventional Diner bring you Namak — a culinary adventure into the heart of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, with a mix of Old and New World classics. The latest addition is a new brunch menu from chef Lindsey Flowers. Her menu features favorites from the restaurant’s dinner menu, like a lamb smash burger and Adana kebab served with lavash, as well as new breakfast dishes including a cardamom coffee cake, strawberry-rose French toast, and an omelet with harissa, red tahini, and a side of cucumber-tomato salad.
14. Oasis The Listening Bar Arlington
Oasis is Arlington’s newest listening bar, merging Japanese cuisine with a hi-fi audio experience. Inspired by Japan’s listening bars, the restaurant offers a sensory experience featuring master sushi chef Jose Ventura along with live DJ performances, and Japanese-inspired cocktails. A wide range of sakes are offered in flight tastings. Whisky enthusiasts will also enjoy a premium Japanese whisky omakase experience. Oasis proudly serves Joy Boy craft beer, a locally made Virginia brew perfect for pairing with Japanese bites from grilled skewers to nigiri and sashimi at the sushi counter.
15. Catahoula DC Navy Yard
This Cajun and Creole dining experience is rooted in the Big Easy’s culinary traditions, and offers epic riverfront views of the Anacostia River. The dining room is new to Navy Yard, and feels like a French Quarter brasserie matched with a bar that slings New Orleans-themed cocktails. Revelers will want to gather around the “boil garden,” which hosts crawfish seafood boils alongside frozen cocktails, and offers a lively open-air atmosphere. Upstairs, you’ll find a wine terrace inspired by Bacchanal in New Orleans, with a global selection of wines, plus charcuterie, and one of the best views of the Frederick Douglass Bridge.
16. Pizza Paradiso Spring Valley
D.C.’s original Neapolitan pizza spot is the perfect hang in D.C.’s Spring Valley neighborhood, either on the climate-controlled patio, or inside at the bar known for its rotation of more than 250 different types of craft beer with a happy hour that pours from 3-6 p.m. daily. The secret to the Paradiso magic is the process it takes to make its pies. The pizza-making starts with a wood-burning domed stone oven that cooks at a temperature of 650 degrees. The end result: light, airy, yet perfectly crisp dough for pies from a margarita and four-cheese pizza to more unique options like the di mare — a spicy pesto shrimp pizza. Best of all, you can order 12-inch pies half-and-half for those who want to try a little bit of two different styles.
17. Her Diner Adams Morgan
This Adams Morgan all-day cafe is an inclusive space meant for everyone at any meal — breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Comfort food dishes (pro tip: order the meatloaf) meet regional cocktails like Maryland’s Orange Crush, and you better believe there is a daily happy hour. Her Diner is also a neighborhood gathering place for Wednesday trivia, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” watches on Fridays, and destination weekend brunch with a group of friends.
18. Bombay Club Downtown
This old-school restaurant serves up polished maître d’ service alongside iconic large-format Indian dishes, like the tandoori salmon and Hariyali trout (filleted tableside, no less). And with nearly 40 years of service, somehow Bombay Club remains as reliable as ever, especially the silver-platter thali, still one of the city’s most satisfying dishes on the menu. Open for lunch and dinner and mere steps from the White House, this is also a place where politicos gather to trade talk of the town.
19. Wheelhouse Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase is embracing a new nautical vibe. Wheelhouse from the Georgetown Events Hospitality Group’s crew (Millie’s, Jetties, and Surfside) packs Chesapeake flavors into a menu that features oysters casino, raw clams, and Maryland crab soup. And those flags lining the ceiling — you bet they are of the sailing variety. So, go ahead. Anchors away, as you toast to a round of sea breezes.
20. The Grace Shaw
The latest restaurant from chef Sanjay Mandhaiya (Karravaan and Pappe) leans heavily to the tavern bar setting. The menu features nostalgic sandwiches, like the club sandwich, Reuben, and Cuban, alongside pub grub that channels bold Indian flavors like a mango-coconut shrimp with sweet and spicy mango chow. If The Grace bar program is a step above that’s on purpose, given the big shoes it has to fill: the space was formerly The Passenger bar. As at its predecessor, here you’ll find well-executed classic cocktails, including a tamarind-banana daiquiri and top-notch martini. With rich woods, gentle ambient lighting, and cozy textiles and art, the Grace is settling in as a neighborhood destination. Don’t miss the perfectly cooked steakhouse-style burger.
