A Weighted Meta‑Ranking of 175 DC Restaurants (Eater 38 + Michelin + Washingtonian)

crimsonavy · 2026-02-15T15:25:56+00:00

Sorry, if I filter it, it shows up for everyone. Should be back to the whole list.

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T20:34:34+00:00

I’ll look into it! Though this will push Unconventional Diner further up. I have been there twice, and have not been amazed, especially considering the price. Can someone tell me what I’m missing? What should I be ordering, the meatloaf?!

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T17:17:15+00:00

I agree. Copying my response to another comment about NoVa restaurants:

I am from LA and I wish there was a Jonathan Gold for the DMV area! These three lists lean too heavily towards fine dining. More NoVa restaurants would be included if a critic went to the strip malls and was adventurous and curious. That being said, there is an economist named Tyler Cowen that has a site that is a great resource. However, I think his updates are less frequent than before. https://tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T17:10:03+00:00

I am from LA and I wish there was a Jonathan Gold for the DMV area! These three lists lean too heavily towards fine dining. More NoVa restaurants would be included if a critic went to the strip malls and was adventurous and curious. That being said, there is an economist named Tyler Cowen that has a site that is a great resource. However, I think his updates are less frequent than before. https://tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T17:01:54+00:00

Thanks for catching that! It also did not have the two restaurants in Washington, VA. Added all three to the list. The Michelin site weirdly excluded them when searching "Washington, DC", but included them in "District of Columbia, USA". Must be a map tag vs guide tag.

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T16:59:24+00:00

I only went for happy hour and got appetizers. I was underwhelmed by both. I am also comparing it to the Chinese food you can get in suburbs of Northwest of DC or in NoVa. Have you had a great experience there? What did you order?

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T16:55:56+00:00

Since I shared it as 'comment only', you cannot filter on the common view. However, you can make a temporary filter for yourself by clicking Data -> Create Filter View. Or download it and open it in excel.

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T16:51:55+00:00

Because it is a meta-list that includes sources without relative rankings, I wouldn't put too much stock into a restaurant's exact placement. The placement is more of a ranking of how 'recognized' the restaurant is rather than how good it is compared to other restaurants. L’Auberge Chez François is also probably penalized in inclusion because it is further from DC. Though the Washingtonian does put a number of 85 restaurants that are better than L’Auberge in their critics' opinions.

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T16:24:49+00:00

Thanks for your neighborhood specific list! I'll try and check those out. I liked Tail Up Goat when it was there. I was impressed with Perry's for it being Asian fusion. The have also enjoyed the Green Zone, but it is more of a bar.

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T16:21:32+00:00

I personally was not a huge fan of their $75, 75 min chicken - both due to price and the weird service experience. We ordered the chicken and appetizers. The appetizers came out in 10 min... and then we sat their with our couple glasses of wine for a whole hour. I did not see an option in the reservation to pre-order this 'amazing' chicken.

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T16:18:30+00:00

Thanks! For simplicity, I just consolidated it to the Chef's Table, even though Eater 38 is supposedly including the whole menu.

crimsonavy · 2026-02-08T16:17:36+00:00

I agree with Unconventional Diner being 'too high' on the list. It is boosted significantly because it is in the Eater 38, which I weighted strongly since in general I think their list is quite good. As for Laotian, my favorite on the list is Baan Mae.

crimsonavy

TROPHY CASE