Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area by diners

Fine dining in the United States isn't what it used to be. Many customers are no longer interested in classic white tablecloths and 16-ounce New York strips; these days, it's all about cutting-edge culinary experiences.

Although steakhouses have defined fine dining in America since the 19th century, that started to change in the mid-1990s. Elite chefs like Thomas Keller and his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, French Laundry, unearthed a whole different kind of tasting experience (with 40 courses), and a new age of fine dining was born. Soon, prix fixe meals—a French style of serving with a set menu—became the norm for fine dining in the U.S.

Between the rise of chefs' tasting menus and consumers' continued desire to have diverse culinary experiences, the restaurants that grace the pages of top-tier restaurant reviewers like Zagat or the Michelin Guide look very different today than they did 30 years ago. Restaurant goers aren't just looking for high-quality food. They want the type of menu that will tell a story. They want creative ingredients they've never tried before. They want to be transported into a whole new world.

With so many innovative menus and restaurant experiences popping up across America, it can be challenging to choose where to go for a special evening. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area using data from Yelp. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself.

Only businesses with at least five reviews and at least level 2 pricing (i.e., $$ to $$$$) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with five or more locations nationally (based on Yelp data) were not included. Restaurants in certain lower-cost categories (like "diners," "buffets," and "food trucks") were excluded. Data is as of June 25, 2025.

Read on to find a potential restaurant for your next special meal out!

1 / 29

#29. Ted's Bulletin Noma

- Rating: 4.3/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1005 First St. Northeast STE 3 Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Comfort Food, New American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 29

#28. Le Diplomate

- Rating: 4.3/5 (5574 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1601 14th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Brasseries, French, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 29

#27. The Lafayette

- Rating: 4.3/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 800 16th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 29

#26. Sampannee Thai

- Rating: 4.3/5 (187 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2122 P St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Thai, Cocktail Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 29

#25. The Dabney

- Rating: 4.3/5 (873 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 122 Blagden Aly Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Desserts, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 29

#24. Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

- Rating: 4.3/5 (2066 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 750 15th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 29

#23. Pineapple & Pearls

- Rating: 4.3/5 (470 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 715 8th St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 29

#22. Gypsy Kitchen DC

- Rating: 4.3/5 (950 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1825 14th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tapas/Small Plates, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 29

#21. Chef Geoff's West End

- Rating: 4.3/5 (614 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2201 M St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 29

#20. Cranes Spanish Kaiseki

- Rating: 4.3/5 (743 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 724 9th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tapas Bars, Lounges, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 29

#19. il Canale

- Rating: 4.3/5 (5017 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1065 31st St. Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 29

#18. La Grande Boucherie

- Rating: 4.3/5 (669 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 699 14th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: French, Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 29

#17. Maydan

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1262 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1346 Florida Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Moroccan, Lebanese
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 29

#16. St. Anselm

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1083 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1250 5th St. Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Steakhouses, New American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 29

#15. dLeña

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1129 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 476 K St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Mexican, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

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16 / 29

#14. ilili Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (645 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 100 District Square Southwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Lebanese, Mediterranean, Halal
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 29

#13. Quill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (231 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1200 16th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Cocktail Bars, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 29

#12. Rania

- Rating: 4.4/5 (221 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 427 11th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Wine Bars, Indian, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 29

#11. Rose's Luxury

- Rating: 4.5/5 (2410 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 717 8th St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Italian, Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp

20 / 29

#10. O-Ku

- Rating: 4.5/5 (730 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1274 5th St. Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 29

#9. Ambar

- Rating: 4.5/5 (2355 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 523 8th St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Modern European
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 29

#8. Chloe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (715 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1331 4th St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Modern European
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 29

#7. L'Ardente

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1368 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 200 Massachusetts Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

24 / 29

#6. Rooster & Owl

- Rating: 4.5/5 (506 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 2436 14th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp

25 / 29

#5. minibar

- Rating: 4.5/5 (422 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 855 East St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

26 / 29

#4. Mazi

- Rating: 4.5/5 (403 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1518 K St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Mediterranean, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

27 / 29

#3. Baan Siam

- Rating: 4.5/5 (676 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 425 I St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Thai, Wine Bars, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

28 / 29

#2. Kappo DC

- Rating: 4.6/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 4822 MacArthur Blvd. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

29 / 29

#1. Jont

- Rating: 4.6/5 (129 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1904 14th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 319 metros.