Aracosia accommodates any diet and is proud of taking cooking back to its origins. Chef Sofia Masroor diligently ensures top grade quality cuts of meat and the freshest produce in the market. All foods prepared at Aracosia are prepared with love. No artificial ingredients MSG& or preservatives are used, nor do we cook anything with nuclear such as microwaves and pre-made stations. Full Bar , extensive Wine and Beer menu Come and experience authentic and classical Afghan Gourmet and hospitality at its finest.
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Contact tracing information collected
Popular dishes
Pumpkin Dumplings
Flavored with bistro spices, steamed to perfection and finished off with your choice of yogurt garlic sauce or minced beef, topped with crushed dry mint and cayenne pepper.
34 reviews
Lamb Shank Sabzi Moghuli
Bone-in lamb shank and mixed greens slowly cooked together in a spicy tomato based stew infused with garam masala.
1 reviews
Lamb Shank Moghuli
Bone-in lamb shank and roasted eggplant slowly cooked together in a spicy tomato based stew, infused with garam masala.
19 reviews
Menu
Delicious pomegranate cosmo! Loved the social distancing measures and the heat lamps were superb. Great service, delicious food.
Wonderful restaurant and service!!! The food is consistently great with interesting choices.
Such a welcoming place! Their gracious attitude makes for a special time. The ambience of the outdoor dining was especially nice. The heaters kept us warm despite the cold evening. We ordered the chicken thighs and the vegetarian plate of Middle Eastern style mashed potatoes, greens, eggplant, and butternut squash. Everything was delicious. We can’t wait to enjoy again!
Excellent food and service. Lots of meat choices. Stews are amazing, as well as dumplings. Loved it
Chicken Lawan was fantastic!
This was a great place. Loved the food and the atmosphere was perfect. Highly recommended to anyone looking for delicious food to eat.
The food was amazing! The best lamb shank I’ve ever had! The baklava was also amazing! Also any wine lovers would love their wine selection!
My friend and I enjoyed dining outdoors at Aracosia, even though it was a wintry February evening.
The outdoor tables were well-arranged with heating lamps placed nearby. The food was delicious and the service excellent. We were celebrating a birthday, and Aracosia gave us a lovely treat of almond cake and two glasses of champagne for the occasion.
I would recommend Aracosia for outstanding Afghan food and attentive service.
Highly recommended - delicious food and great service! Definitely the best Afghan restaurant in DC
Really yummy
Both the food and ambiance are great.
Food was amazing. Great times. Moscow mules were wonderful too! Go enjoy!
Our favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. The most lovely staff, Jack and Omar are a great team and make everyone feel welcome. The food is outstanding! I could eat there every day and never get bored of the menu.
The cafe has good Afghan or modified Afghan food that is well prepared and very nicely presented. Mantu, bolanee, sabzi chalou; several types of korma and lamb shanks on pilau are just some of the dishes. You can get a good broad array of food by ordering he appetizers which double in larger portions as entrees. The service is good and the ambience is as good as can be expected at this time. We ate outside on the covered and heated veranda along the road so wind and road noise enter, of course. But now that the Mayor's restaurant restrictions have lifted, you can eat inside.
My meal was terrific. I enjoyed every bite.
I commented you for delivering great service and fantastic food under the circumstances
You are experiencing now.
Thank you thank you.
Best meal ever!!!
They made my friends birthday really special. We realized how much we missed dining out even if it was a little chilly. They kept us warm with extra heaters and brought us cake and bubbly to celebrate.
Amazing restaurant! Would love to go there again!
You cant get much better than this, especially during Covid times. The food is great, outdoor seating can be cool but it is safe and as warm as possible with outdoor heaters. The service is always friendly and informed. The vegetarian options are also good even though you would not associate an Afghani restaurant with vegetarian fare.
Despite the pandemic disrupting our lives, Bistro Aracosia did not disappoint us. Widely spaced indoor seating available, as well as covered outdoor seating with heaters.
Food was delicious, again, with phenomenal appetizers and entrees. Wait staff was both receptive and vary helpful. Some dishes are purposely not spicy, so you like it hot, let them know when you order.
We were.very appreciative that Bistro has remained open during the pandemic. TY
Delicious food and friendly service. Definitely worth trying.
Fantastic food and great service. Great grilled meats and fragrant stews served with a range of sauces. Ask the server to bring you a tasting plate of the appetizers. Atmosphere is great for a social dinner with friends, not too stuffy or too casual. Has become one of our favorite places. Give it a try!
Such tastes. Such grace. We keep coming back for special occasions. Great kid menu as well!
Food was DELICIOUS! They are very accommodating to food allergies and dietary restrictions.
Excellent food and very attentive service, even though our table was out on the sidewalk.
We regularly travel to Washington and have been doing so for quite a few year, and had never found my favorite restaurant.
I just did!
I loved the food, the flavors were excellent and had a uniqueness to them.
As always a wonderful experience. The food is outstanding. The service is always warm, friendly and excellent. And the outdoor dining, a la COVID, is perfectly done
The food and service were flawless. Their outside seating area was very comfortable. It made dining out stress free again
This is my favorite restaurant!! Not only is the good delicious but everyone is so nice! I highly recommend Bistro Aracosia
It is just a lovely restaurant with amazing food. The servers are wonderful as well. If you’ve never tried Afghan food, please come here. It’s just amazing.
Not only the best Afghan restaurant in DC, but one of the best restaurants, period. Delicious food, especially vegetables (so rare.) Friendly, efficient staff.
Second time at this restaurant. The food is very good and lots of choices.
Sat at a table for two right next 3 feet from another separated by plexiglass.
Service was gracious and helpful.
I had the lentil soup and an appetizer size mixed grill. Both enjoyable. There was good selection of wine by the glass although on the expensive side.
This is the first time I had Afghani food and I was absolutely delighted. Bistro Aracosia is a real gem. The food is delicious, the service exceptional.
I will give them 6 stars if I could.
Spent my birthday here. Food is AMAZING, especially vegetarian options! My fave restaurant in DC area.
Excellent choice for date night or just a quaint place to get away and eat some great food!!
Best lamb ever!
Really great food and good variety. Recommend one of the stews and the lamb js great too
We celebrated my wife’s birthday dinner here with our 5 yr old. Definitely kid friendly. From the amazing food to the attentive staff, we highly recommend this place especially for a special occasion. We had a great time. Thank you Bistro Aracosia for making our evening special.
Outstanding food and cocktails and they have a pretty extensive wine by the bottle list. I’d definitely return. Outside dining can be a little loud bc you’re right on the sidewalk on MacArthur Blvd. can’t wait to go back and try more of their Kormas!
We sat in a covered front 'patio'. The food was delish & it was all so much fun for lunch after going to the nearby little Kreeger Museum on Foxhall Rd.
FAQs
Bistro Aracosia offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 363-0400.
Bistro Aracosia is rated 4.9 stars by 1455 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.
