I've been eating my way through DC for nearly a decade — here are the 9 best places where you should actually eat and drink

• There are seemingly endless impressive dining experiences for hungry visitors to Washington, DC.
• Insider compiled a list of some of the best restaurants and eateries in the nation's capital.

I've called DC home for nearly a decade and in my opinion, one of the best ways to experience diversity in Washington, DC, is by quite literally eating your way through it.

I'm still regularly impressed by the seemingly endless dining options that abound in all four quadrants of our nation's capital. From traditional homestyle Ethiopian platters in northwest DC to modern Indian cuisine in the northeast, there are many restaurants I always recommend to visiting friends and family, starting with these nine standout restaurants. Here are my top picks for the best places to eat in Washington, DC.

Habesha

Located in the heart of DC's U Street Corridor, I think this no-frills spot serves some of the best Ethiopian food in the district. My favorites include beef or lamb tibbs, shiro wat (dried chickpea stew), gomen (collard greens), and injera, a fermented flatbread made from teff flour. If you're new to the cuisines, I suggest opting for a combo platter to sample as many dishes as possible. There's also a market section where you can stock up on Ethiopian staples like injera, coffee, lentils, and spice blends.

La Jambe (Shaw)

If you're looking for a laid-back spot for dinner with friendly service, La Jambe is a beloved neighborhood French wine bar in Shaw that serves what I consider to be the best bistro menu in the city. Helmed by rising star chef D'Angelo Mobley, I find the dishes here to be as much a feast for the eyes as the palate.

The seasonal menu of contemporary French fare features classics like steak au poivre, steamed mussels, and a cheese and charcuterie platter. If you're willing to experiment — which I highly recommend here — try rotating small plates like the scallop ceviche. Mobley transforms the bivalves into a mousse-like texture using a meat grinder, and its presentation with tiny dollops of vadouvan (a French-style curry powder), mushroom butter, and a garnish of crispy, puffed rice is a multi-sensory experience. I could eat them by the dozen.

With dishes like achiote-spiced jackfruit phulka (flatbread) tacos and an overnight marinated nariyal (coconut) lamb shank, Daru has taken DC's food scene by storm since opening in August of 2021. The inventiveness extends to the cocktail menu as well. I highly recommend the Hari Daiquiri, which takes its inspiration from green mint chutney, and the Kali Kooler, a twist on the classic Tom Collins.

Smoke & Mirrors

While unmatched views of the US Capitol make this rooftop lounge a must-visit for out-of-towners, the elevated cocktail menu made using high-end ingredients and spirits like Lagavulin, a 16-year-old single malt whisky and in-house grown herbs, is sure to pique the curiosity of anyone looking to try something different.

Smoke and Mirrors' innovative American fare features shareable plates such as the diver scallops served with frisée, smoked pork belly, a poached egg, and salmon roe, and the baked crab fondue with a warm, salted pretzel. As the weather warms, choose a table on the patio overlooking the Capitol Hill neighborhood and congressional buildings.

Call Your Mother Deli

When I need to satisfy my cravings for New York-style bagels or a classic pastrami or egg and cheese sandwich, I head straight to Call Your Mother Deli, which has managed to amass a devoted following since it first opened in 2018. When I really want to shock my taste buds, I order the Horizon with smashed avocados, Fritos, and jalapenos on an everything bagel, or the King's Point with nacho-jalapeno cream cheese, bacon, and crispy shallots served in a cheddar bagel.

Anju

Anju's contemporary take on traditional Korean cuisine has earned consistent praise, regularly ranking prominently on DC's best restaurant lists. I recommend trying menu staples such as the kimchi bokum bap (seafood and vegetable fried rice) and the ori jajang myeon (pan-roasted duck breast with wok-fired noodles in a black-bean paste). If you're visiting on the weekend, know that brunch, and the creative cocktails that accompany it, are not to be missed.

Serenata

Housed inside La Cosecha, a buzzing Latin American food market in Northeast DC, Serenata's cocktail program rings true to its name, the Spanish word for serenade. That's because the flavors and ingredients in the cocktails come together to sweetly serenade you sip by sip as you explore the region with one country's drink at a time.

I like to head to Bolivia with the Lado Oscura De La Luna, made with Rujero Singani, a centuries-old Bolivian spirit, cherry-serrano reduction, sherry, walnut bitters, banana, lemon, and aquafaba. I also highly recommend asking beverage director Andra "A.J." Johnson to make you something based on your flavors of choice; it's how I discovered TRÄ•KÁL, an earthy pear-and-crabapple spirit from Patagonia.

Moon Rabbit

Celebrated local chef, Kevin Tien, brings contemporary Vietnamese cuisine to the Wharf in his newest district restaurant, Moon Rabbit. Drawing from personal memories, Tien crafts an elevated menu of shared plates.

Dishes I highly recommend include the tom rang muoi, salt and pepper Ooshi shrimp with a ramp remoulade and hot pepper, and the ca tim xao, a caramelized twice-cooked eggplant with sunflower miso satay, candied sunflower seeds, and Thai basil.

The signature cocktails like the Five Spizerac, a playful riff on the Sazerac with yellow chartreuse and five spice, and the wine menu are expertly curated to complement and highlight the flavors of your meal. If you end up picking a mix of meat and seafood dishes like my table did, try a glass (or bottle) of the Domaine Bellevue rosé. I found it true to its "truly chuggable" descriptor.

Oyster Oyster

With sustainability at its forefront, Oyster Oyster has managed to captivate the minds and appetites of both Washingtonian and visiting diners since first opening its intimate, 28-seat dining room in 2021.

More recently, the creative, plant-forward tasting menus that change "micro-seasonally" earned this creative restaurant a finalist spot on the annual James Beard Awards list. Reservations for the $85 tasting are hard to come by, so planning a few months ahead is a must.

And, if you've been contemplating the $55 alcohol pairing, I can tell you from personal experience to go ahead and just do it. The curated selection of socially responsible ciders, wines, and beers by wine director Sarah Horvitz, without a doubt, enhances your dining experience.

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