Chef Patrick O’Connell has long been the steward of this idyllic restaurant just outside Washington. In a town whose very existence seems tied to his success, dinner here recalls another era. The dining room is embellished to the very last inch, with fringe and fabric all over, patterned carpets, and lush wallpaper. The menu is divided between classics and vegetables, most of which are sourced locally and from the team’s own garden.

Dinner begins in the lounge with a fun, brainy cocktail before moving to the main room where guests settle in at a curved counter built around a stainless-steel workspace. Through a series of small bites and courses, whimsy and surprise are driving forces of inspiration. From chicharron with avocado to cauliflower with caviar, nothing is ever quite what it seems. The fun is carried through to the very end.

Chef Ryan Ratino's ambitious counter is an experience like nothing else in the city. Sitting just above Bresca, the room is a constant hive of activity with sharp-suited servers gliding about and laser-focused chefs working in perfect tandem. From the cutlery to the cooking, expect beauty and boldness. Top-rate seafood and meat from Japan and beautiful sauces form the core of this menu.

Latin American cuisine, plant-based only. It's tasting menu only, but short and long formats ensure a fit. Chefs Tatiana Mora and Miguel Guerra share their creative spirit here, where influences span from Brazil and Bolivia to Colombia and dishes sport originality. A basket of arepas is a fun dish featuring a variety of textures and flavors with tasty sauces like guasacaca, cashew sour cream with chili oil, and butter made of chontaduro.

Chef Yi "Ricky" Wang's omakase features a few otsumami, perhaps poached sweet shrimp in a smoked Maine uni sauce, before progressing to nigiri. It's all impressive, from the Boston surf clam finished with kumquat kosho to the hay-smoked Spanish mackerel sourced from the Carolinas that's bold but balanced. Musk melon with strawberries imported from Japan is a satisfying finale.

It is highly rare for a tasting menu to leave one feeling—well—energized, but so goes the imaginative cooking at this vegetable-focused gem where local farms are the very essence of this passionate operation. The imaginative compositions from Chef Rob Rubba and his team offer delicious insights into what is possible with vegetables. Even bread service is special—enriched with "garleeks" and accompanied by sunflower seed and marigold "butter."

This Navy Yard denizen is hip and lively. Arranged around a roaring hearth, the space features an inviting bar at one end and chef's counter at the other. Albi is a sterling example of open-fire cooking at its best. À la carte is one way to go, but guests may just do better with the hyper-seasonal prix-fixe. Regardless, Chef/owner Michael Rafidi's dishes are full of surprises as he weaves in the flavors of the eastern Mediterranean with a myriad of local ingredients.

It's set on busy 14th Street, but beautiful Bresca far from blends in with the crowd. Instead, it mixes the warmth of a neighborhood treasure with the talent of a special occasion spot. Inside, splashes of gold, a living wall crafted from moss and design elements teetering between whimsical and downright surreal, create a contemporary vibe. The cooking is casual yet ambitious, thanks to Chef Ryan Ratino’s cutting-edge credentials.

Chef Carlos Delgado delivers a taste of his birthplace in a dual concept space in Blagden Alley. Nestled on the first floor, Causa seats around 20 for a tasting menu that takes diners on a journey of flavors inspired by Nikkei cuisine, blending Japanese heritage with Peruvian ingredients and technique. It all begins in Lima with coastal seafood, then progresses into the Andes and the Amazon. A beautifully cooked wagyu is finished with a Peruvian au poivre sauce.

This concept from Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos can be found adjacent to Union Market's La Cosecha. Presentation is the cornerstone here, with an admirable level of showmanship, and dishes embody a love letter to the chef's native Colombia. This is deeply personal cooking, with the chef utilizing Colombian ingredients in dishes that share history and purpose. Two set menus are served throughout the restaurant's two dining rooms.

With stone walls, seasonal arrangements and Warhol-esque prints, this DC powerhouse is equal parts retro glitz and country lodge. Before even crossing the threshold, diners are met by gracious servers. While they may rhapsodize about their favorite dishes, take your time to peruse the menu, complete with stunning creations and playful twists. Classic and modern elements come together in the regional Italian food.

Chef Matt Baker is luring diners to Ivy City with this gorgeous spot, which transforms local products into modern, deeply complex items. The décor pays homage to the place's industrial bones with exposed brick and stark walls, softened by greenery. Fine service and an open kitchen enhance the appeal. Set menus are available with three, four, and six courses to choose from, along with some supplements. Wonderful yellowfin sashimi comes with a complex soy vinaigrette.

Boasting all the buzz of a hornet’s nest, this soaring box of glass and marble virtually reaches for the sky. Inside, it's decked out with brass accents, terra-cotta, and a tight counter positioned directly under Chef Enrique Limardo’s perch. The counter functions as a restaurant within a restaurant with room for just a handful of diners to enjoy an elaborate tasting menu that celebrates Latin flavors, ace ingredients, and exacting technique.

Just down the street from Rose’s Luxury and Pineapple and Pearls, this intimate boîte is yet another feather in the same restaurant group’s proverbial cap. Possessing all the charm of a carriage house, the dining room is closer to a sunroom encased in glass with expansive views of the green surroundings. The cooking is equally attractive: Seasonal fare prepared with panache and a touch of luxury. Think oysters with fried potatoes and seaweed remoulade.

With its seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces, this is a shining beacon amid high-rises, restaurants, and stores galore. Donning the requisite brick walls and farmhouse vibe, the former warehouse feels glam yet spartan—with a stainless steel kitchen, chrome accents, and an impressive glass-encased wine cellar. Such a feel-good sense extends to the staff, who clearly like working here as much as diners enjoy lingering over meals.

With oversized Champagne bottles, velvet dinner jackets, and balloons galore, Chef Aaron Silverman’s Pineapple and Pearls focuses on playful reverie; the upbeat mood rings closer to a New Year’s Eve party, and guests are encouraged to dress to impress. Dinner is a noticeably condensed affair, punctuated with potent surprises like tableside absinthe cocktails and truffle-infused amaretto warmed over candlelight.

This fine dining concept seems fit for a queen, and good thing too, since Rania translates to "queen" in Hindi and Sanskrit. The team delivers something entirely enticing here with an inventive menu. There are plenty of contemporary touches along with a few surprises with dishes like chana masala panisse dressed with green garlic chutney, or hay-aged pork vindaloo featuring tender flavorful loin.

A talented husband-and-wife duo is behind this appealingly contemporary, hipster hot spot. The setting is the perfect match for its modern, edgy cuisine, which meanders from the Middle East and Mediterranean all the way to Asia. There is unabashed creativity unleashed in such dishes as fried oyster mushrooms with mushroom powder serving as tempura batter.

This dining room is all about fun, with a laid-back décor including exposed bulbs strung above the counter facing into the open kitchen, lending a convivial mood that’s like dining in a friend's backyard. The family-style prix fixe menu has its own cheeky tone, starting with the "really, really, really good challah" (and it is), served with an artful ruffle of caraway honey butter. The cooking is equal parts approachable and ingenious.

This second outpost of Chef Daisuke Nakazawa’s critically acclaimed sushi house is elegant and intimate with dark wood and gold accents. For the best seat, angle for one of the leather stools at the marble counter, where you can watch the itamae work their magic. The team works in a tidy fashion, their hands moving as adeptly as a surgeon along meticulously organized counters. Ingredients are sourced both locally and from abroad.

The Dabney exudes charming, contemporary farmhouse vibes with its exposed brick, light walls, and dark wood, and the look is completed by a slickly arranged open kitchen complete with a wood-fired hearth. Chef/owner Jeremiah Langhorne serves up the flavors of the Mid-Atlantic with a hint of a Southern accent and the tasting menu is a deeper, more committed expression of the team's talents.

Chef Danny Lledó's kitchen is equipped with a smoker and a wood-fired hearth to produce a menu that proudly extols Spanish cuisine with a focus on the delights of Valencia. Morsels like dill-cured bonito arranged with creamy, cool ajo blanco lead up to heartier compositions such as crisped-skin turbot with smoked trout roe-studded beurre blanc. The rice preparations steal the show, like the Alicante-style rice with rabbit and mushrooms cooked over the hearth.