Best Restaurants In Virginia, DC: Daily Meal’s 2019 List

WASHINGTON, DC — Residents of the DC/northern Virginia region know their fine dining. The Daily Meal unveiled its “Best Restaurants of 2019,” and the online food and dining site included a handful of restaurants from Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Diners in the area clearly value an exquisite meal prepared by talented, creative chefs. Roughly three restaurants are in the District of Columbia and Virginia, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Here are the best restaurants in Virginia and DC, according to the Daily Meal’s report:

• Alewife: 3120 E. Marshall St. in Richmond

"The seafood-focused Alewife is inspired by the local catch of the Chesapeake Bay. Chef/owner Lee Gregory’s menu changes based on what’s fresh and seasonal, but expect dishes like flounder ceviche with pickled peppers, citrus and fish sauce; crispy crab claws with horseradish mayo and pickled celery; fried sugar toads (a type of pufferfish) and mackerel with delicata squash, farro and guanciale vinaigrette," writes the Daily Meal. "There’s a relaxed vibe and plenty of local beer on tap, and Gregory is bringing new, bold flavors to Richmond."

• The Inn at Little Washington: Middle and Main Streets in Washington, Virginia

"Self-taught chef Patrick O'Connell opened this Virginia restaurant, about a 90-minute drive from Washington, D.C., in 1978, and it is ornate, eclectic and luxuriously romantic. He formed alliances with local farmers and artisanal producers long before it was fashionable and developed into a sophisticated modern American chef of the highest order," says the Daily Meal. "Menu items at The Inn at Little Washington might include classics like Imperial osetra caviar with peekytoe crab and cucumber rillettes, tuna and foie gras confit with black truffle vinaigrette, and pepper-crusted duck breast with brandy-roasted peaches and pain perdu. The Inn, a member of the Relais & Châteaux group, has a much-deserved AAA Five Diamond rating."

• Seven Reasons: 2208 14th St NW, Washington, DC

"Open since April, Venezuela-born chef Enrique Limardo’s Seven Reasons serves Latin fusion fare inspired by his travels to Peru, the Amazon and the Caribbean. It’s a brick-walled, multi-level space with a bustling bar and an open kitchen, and the menu is fun, accessible and seriously inspired," writes the Daily Meal. "It’s separated into snacks, small plates, medium plates and large plates, so you can customize your meal from start to finish. We suggest you plan on sharing: Start with bluefin tuna tartare with enoki and chipotle, mini Venezuelan arepas and a butternut squash cacao tart; move on to cauliflower tempura with mango chutney and lamb loin with coconut curry sauce; and finish up with a fried whole fish with seafood rice and creole sauce or a 24-ounce Berkshire pork chop. And with dishes including “Vegetarian Insanity” and “Sweet Potato Madness,” non-meat-eaters will have plenty to love, too."

The Daily Meal only considered restaurants that served consistently excellent food across all aspects of the dining experience, had frequent menu changes, and showed a strong connection with their local community.

“Our list of the best restaurants of 2019 encompasses universally beloved fine dining restaurants, casual institutions where time stands still, perfect pizzerias both old and new, trendy must-visit, classic steakhouses as well as some of the very best restaurants to have opened this year,” an author of the report said.

California had the most restaurants on the Daily Meal’s list with 12, followed by New York with 11.

The full list of restaurants is available on the Daily Meal.