Over the past year, restaurants, along with so many other businesses across the city, have suffered tremendously. For many, the setbacks are irrevocable: an overwhelming amount of restaurants have closed, while the ones that have managed to stay open continue to fight for their lives as they attempt to weather out this tumultuous storm. While the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight, these establishments are by no means out of the woods.
Now more than ever, it’s imperative that we continue to support these restaurants and small businesses. With springtime approaching and warmer weather upon us, there’s never been a better time to go out, indulge a bit, and support your favorite restaurants and local businesses.
Below are the five best restaurants I’ve eaten at over the past year.
It’s time to revive our beloved city, one delicious bite at a time.
Albi
We have dined at Albi more than any other restaurant on this list, and with very good reason. The food is consistently delicious, service is warm and affable, the wine list is unique and extensive, and its Navy Yard location is pretty hard to beat.
Albi is proof that not all hummus is created equally. Trust me when I say that their fresh, creamy, velvety take on hummus may just be better than any hummus we’ve ever had, and that includes our travels to Greece, Turkey, Morocco, and anywhere else we’ve ever ordered hummus (which at this point, likely exceeds hundreds, if not thousands, of places).
Albi’s cuisine is a brilliant blend of Levantine (think: Middle Eastern) and Atlantic influences. Their distinctive wine list highlights varietals from lesser known regions (at least to us) of Macedonia, Lebanon, and Georgia. Menu favorites include the sweet and sumac carrots (trust me), black sea bass, the blue crab labne, and the best pita bread you’ve ever had in your life.
Albi is an absolute treat and a must dining experience in DC!
Social Distancing: Albi has a number of heated greenhouses that are perfect for social distancing.
El Cielo
Without question the best dining experience on this list and one of the best we’ve ever had in DC. EVER.
El Cielo is relatively new to DC’s culinary scene and what an explosive and spectacular addition it is!
Reminiscent of gastronomic powerhouses like DC’s Minibar and Chicago’s Alinea, El Cielo is much more than a restaurant; it’s a culinary theater experience where the dishes are grand masterpieces, ingredients are showcased as dazzling performers, and the presentation is a show-stopping avant-garde spectacle that commands the audience’s utmost attention.
We immersed our gluttonous selves in the El Cielo Experience where we were treated to 22 sublime courses. The extensive menu included small bites, drink pairings, a coffee course, the incomparable washing-of-the-hands-in-chocolate-while-also-licking-it-off-your-fingers course (formally named Ruby Chocotherapy), palette cleansers, main entrees, and three desserts.
While we certainly aren’t new to the molecular gastronomy and cooking- with-liquid-nitrogen scene, El Cielo still managed to blow us away with its ingenuity, innovation, and keen attention to detail.
Lick Me! was such a fun, playful, and sublime course! A sumptuous slather of creamy goodness that is meant to be literally licked off of the plate. Don’t be shy — everyone else who ordered the tasting menu is doing the exact same thing. The course is intended to be ridiculously silly while simultaneously tantalizing your tastebuds.
Each and every course was fantastic – the level of precision and attention to detail was remarkable and each bite was more impressive than the last.
El Cielo does an outstanding job paying homage to its Colombian roots while also thinking outside of the box and adding its own layers of inventiveness. Its authentic and vibrant cuisine reminded me of Restaurant Leo, Bogota’s world-renowned restaurant owned by a mother-daughter powerhouse duo, and our favorite dining experience while traveling throughout Colombia.
El Cielo is a tour de force of bold flavors and mastermind creativity. Without question, dining here will be a memorable and magical experience!
Fiola Mare
Our first dinner out after a two-month shut-down, and oh, did it feel amazing. We were like two kids in a candy store and relished every single morsel of our incredibly indulgent meal. The weather was amazing, the service was impeccable, the food was luxuriously divine, and the wine was exquisite. This night out was so much more than a dinner out. Good food and wine is a way of life for us Hills. Call it frivolous. Call it gratuitous. Call it whatever you want. For us, our return to Fiola Mare and return to DC’s restaurant scene represented hope, joy, and a small sense of returning to normalcy. To say we were over the moon on this night would be a vast understatement.
The Georgetown Waterfront isn’t exactly known for its fine dining, but Fiola Mare has proven to be an exception. We fell in love with Fiola Mare the first time we dined here in 2014 and it continues to knock us off our feet each and every time we return.
Everything here is outstanding and made from the highest quality of ingredients. But people tend to like favorites, so here they are: the stunning seafood tower, hamachi crudo, the lobster ravioli (swoon), and the branzino. The bomboloni (ricotta donuts) are insanely good, too.
Fiola Mare is special-occasion worthy and its waterfront setting makes for a spectacular and memorable evening.
Social Distancing: Fiola Mare’s patio seating is expansive — making it an ideal dining spot for social distancing.
O-Ku
The first time we dined at O-Ku was shortly after our trip to Japan, which was hands down the best culinary trip of our lives. O-Ku didn’t disappoint then, and it hasn’t disappointed ever since. Its nearby Union Market location makes it all too easy and all too tempting to resist. It’s not the cheapest of places, especially if you decide on ordering 80% of the menu like us; but, oh my goodness, is it delicious.
Everything here is divine, but if I have to choose favorites, then here you go: anything and everything with tuna (I promise — it’s not your standard run-of-the-mill tuna preparation), scallop kun, O-Ku spider roll, unagi san, and all of the nigiri (or as much as your wallet and stomach can handle).
Something worth noting: we recently ordered take-out from O-Ku and for the price, it was pretty disappointing. We couldn’t put our finger on it, but something about our meal just didn’t translate well from what we’re accustomed to from O-Ku. While we will certainly dine at O-Ku again and again, we will not be ordering take-out from here again…it’s just not worth the price.
Our trusted and true sushi delivery comes from Sushi Hachi, located on 8th Street SE in Capitol Hill.
Social Distancing: O-Ku has a lovely rooftop that’s perfect for social distancing!
Seven Reasons
This Logan Circle gem is a perennial favorite. I’ve dined here several times as well as ordered take-out during Covid and each and every time the food has been exceptional.
At this point, I’ve probably made my way through at least two thirds of the menu. This is not to say that the menu is limited; quite the contrary actually. It just means that I tend to order all the things and typically dine with others who also enjoy eating and trying all the things!
While I can honestly say that I’ve loved every single plate I’ve ever ordered here, there are of course several stellar standouts that deserve special recognition. Menu favorites include: the Seven Reasons ceviche, crispy octopus, cauliflower tempura, and the meatless tartare.
Social Distancing: Seven Reasons has a gorgeous rooftop draped in greenery. One of the best rooftops in DC, in my opinion!
I can only assume that by this point, your mouth is watering, you’ve paused a few times to make several dinner reservations (and of course promptly returned to reading this post in its entirety), and you have or are planning to call/text/email/send smoke signals to invite me to all of those said dinner reservations.
Happy eating, all! And here’s to building back one of the greatest cities there is, one decadent bite at a time.
Related Read: A Guide to Six DC Michelin-Starred Restaurants
Recent Read: Five Outdoor, Family-Friendly, and Free Off-the-Beaten-Path Places to Explore