A Navigation Tool for Dining in DC
Image: Drinks to start. Last Updated: May 2026 Overview: Down an alley, off H Street, is a crucible of talent. Providencia is a small bar space serving vibrant cocktails and soul-soothing food. Apropos of the moment, it is a reminder the magic that happens when different backgrounds interact and meld. It is also a testament […]
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Image: So much depends on a green leaf next to a glazed beet over creamy pilaf. Last Updated: August 2025 Overview: Mita does not transport you away when you walk in. The big corner windows across the street from the 9:30 Club means you never forget where you are. But as the meal progresses, the […]
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Image: To remind you of the name. Last Updated: March 2024 Overview: Saya Salteña opened downtown near the World Bank in a small spot with warm pockets to fill you up. Salteñas are Bolivia’s close relative of the empanada. They are more “soupy” than otherwise expected, to the point you should eat from the top […]
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Image: Shrimp pil pil over “rice pudding.” Last Updated: January 2024 Overview: We have a soft spot for the overachieving neighborhood restaurant. The kind of place that finds ways to put out something special despite a lack of resources. The kind of place that lacks pretention but serious about its business. They are rarely found […]
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Image: Carton of Goodness Last Updated: October 2023 Overview: The heart of the menu at District Rico is pollo a la brasa, Peruvian-style chicken cooked on a rotisserie. It is so imbued with flavor that sauces are not necessary and may distract. Tim Carman provides this backstory on the chicken’s preparation in a 2022 review […]
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Image: Tuna “Empanada.” Some assembly required. Last Updated: October 2023 Overview: El Cielo at La Cosecha is one of four branches of the acclaimed Bogotá restaurant that garnered a Top 50 Restaurant in Latin America prize. Miami is the other U.S. locations, Medellín rounds out the list. The D.C. location has a Michelin star and […]
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Image: Arepa, dinner version. Last Updated: May 2023 Overview: Certain places find a niche that didn’t really exist before. (Did we know we needed a hummus bowl spot before Little Sesame?) The Royal is an all-day café that starts serving coffee and breakfast at 10:00. At lunch the menu rolls over to focus on small […]
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Image: Spinach, Chicken, Pork. Last Updated: November 2025 NOTE: Lunas de Buenos Aires closed suddenly in November 2025. Overview: Empanadas are the heart of this short menu in a big cinder-block spot across from the main hall in Union Market. The empanadas are worth the walk over. They are done with a thin crust that […]
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