DC · Harry Score ranking
The 10 Best Restaurants in Washington.
Ranked by Harry Score — the same formula Harry applies everywhere, run across the whole city, not just the centre. Anything above seventy is worth leaving the house for. Above eighty-five is the reason to make a plan.
Washington's best table is a genuine argument, not a consensus. Half the city's power players want a K Street steakhouse where the point is the company, not the plate. The other half wants whatever José Andrés is doing this year — DC's Michelin guide is barely two years old and he's already collected multiple stars in it. The move nobody outside DC clocks: go to Shaw instead. This city holds the largest Ethiopian population outside Ethiopia itself, and the injera there quietly outclasses most of what's winning awards on K Street.
Harry's ten — Washington
Ranked by Harry Score.- 01Shewa Ethiopian Restaurant
ethiopian · vegan — 1824 Benning Rd NE, Washington
5.0 across 985 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; fairly priced for what it is.
Smart SpendHarry
96
Worth It
83
- 02Egg Yaki
breakfast — 1309 5th St NE, Washington
4.9 across 301 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; fairly priced for what it is.
Smart SpendHarry
93
Worth It
81
- 03minibar
modern-european · spanish — 855 E St NW, Washington
4.5 across 436 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; named by Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best.
Occasion WorthyHarry
93
Worth It
78
- 04Abuare Bar and Restaurant
ethiopian — 1524 U St NW, Washington
4.9 across 627 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; ranked #951 of 3,269 locally on Tripadvisor.
Smart SpendHarry
92
Worth It
81
- 05Burnin Bird Hot Chicken
american — 1829 M St NW, Washington
4.8 across 537 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; a sensible spend, nothing wasted here.
Smart SpendHarry
92
Worth It
81
- 06Ingle Korean Steakhouse
korean · steakhouse — 1926 14th St NW, Washington
4.9 across 196 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; priced about right for what you get.
Smart SpendHarry
92
Worth It
81
- 07Metro Spice
indian — 1005 1st St NE Suit 4, Washington
4.9 across 244 Google reviews; fairly priced for what it is.
Smart SpendHarry
92
Worth It
81
- 08Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar
peruvian · seafood — 1823 L St NW, Washington
4.9 across 28k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; chic spot with a South American feel serving modern Peruvian fare, cocktails & beer.
Smart SpendHarry
92
Worth It
81
- 09Protest Pizza + Bar
pizza — 1633 1/2 P St NW, Washington
4.9 across 192 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; a sensible spend, nothing wasted here.
Smart SpendHarry
92
Worth It
81
- 10Sushi Nakazawa
sushi · japanese — 1100 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington
4.4 across 534 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; named by Time Out and Michelin Guide.
Occasion WorthyHarry
92
Worth It
77
How this list is built Every restaurant Harry has scored across Washington with a Harry Score of 70 or more. Cafés, bakeries, bars, shops and tours are left out, and so is anything Harry rates a tourist tax, a false economy or paying for the scene. Chains with several branches get one entry. Ranked by Harry Score. No restaurant pays to appear. Scores last recomputed .
Questions Harry gets about Washington
- How does Harry rank the best restaurants in Washington?
- Harry runs every restaurant through a scoring formula that cross-references Google, Yelp, and Tripadvisor ratings and critic coverage, then adjusts for tourist skew, rating anomalies, and value-for-money. The Harry Score runs from 0 to 100. Any restaurant above 70 is worth the evening. Above 85, it's the reason to make a plan. This list is ranked by Harry Score, highest first.
- Are these Washington restaurant recommendations paid placements?
- No. Harry Hungry operates with no paid placements and no affiliate links. Every restaurant on this page earned its position through the scoring formula — a restaurant cannot pay to appear here.
- What is the highest-scored restaurant in Washington?
- Shewa Ethiopian Restaurant, with a Harry Score of 96/100. It tops the list above.
Explore by cuisine — Washington
Harry's best in other cities
Elsewhere: Harry's best (all cities) · All cities · The standing.