Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in District of Columbia

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in District of Columbia? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Cafe Riggs

4.8

4.8 (179)

$31 to $50

Contemporary French / American

Penn Quarter

About the restaurant

In the grand tradition of French cuisine, Café Riggs presents a contemporary American brasserie that reimagines classic dishes within a vibrant setting.

Top review

Maria

Dined on May 28, 2025

It was our 3rd time at Riggs (every time we are in D.C. we come to Riggs) and it was amazing as any other time before. The food was delicious, service was good and professional and we enjoyed our dining experience. Looking forward to come back next time we visit D.C.

Alero - Dupont Circle

4.7

4.7 (17)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Dupont Circle

About the restaurant

Enjoy Mexican cuisine at Alero in Dupont Circle. Welcome to the animated Mexican ambiance and munch on our delicious fajitas. Alero has it all from nacho platter, fried plantains, to fajitas, burritos, tacos, and everyone’s favorite the Mexican seafood paella. Make sure to bring family and friends to savor Alero’s Margarita Tower, Pancho Villa. We offer a variety flavorful tequila, beers, and cocktails. This eatery and bar is an ideal spot for hanging out, dating nights, and just to purely have fun!

Top review

David

Dined on May 7, 2025

The service was professional and prompt. The food was delicious and the drinks were excellent.

Él Bebe - Navy Yard

4.7

4.7 (32)

$30 and under

Mexican

Navy Yard

About the restaurant

Welcome to El Bebe!

EL BEBE (translation: “he drinks”) is a new taco joint at the Navy Yard in DC. Wicked tacos, bangin’ queso, frozen margaritas, and Mexican fare served daily. Tacos before the game, tequila for date night – we’re not here to judge – we’re here to bring the flavor.

Two-hour time limit

Top review

RobertVIP

Dined on Jun 23, 2025

Had a really great dinner here! Margaritas were super tasty and happy hour deals were a great value.

dLeña - Chef Table

4.7

4.7 (94)

$50 and over

Contemporary Mexican

Mount Vernon Square

About the restaurant

Join dLeña, as featured in the 2022 edition of The MICHELIN Guide DC, at our signature chef’s table tucked behind the main bar with an exquisite leather banquette facing directly into the open kitchen. Chef will prepare eight courses for 160.00 per guest, with an optional beverage pairing for 75.00 per guest. Each of our guests will receive a take-home surprise to enjoy the morning after. ¡Salud!

*Kindly note we are not able to accommodate menu substitutions for our Chef’s Table experience.

Top review

Merritt

Dined on Jun 4, 2025

First, and most importantly, the food was wonderful. Just about every one of the eight dishes was well-conceived, beautifully constructed, and often presented with some dramatic surprise. I enjoy watching our dishes being plated before our eyes, and am always impressed by the extreme attention to detail that goes into that effort at this level. Service was everything to be expected in a Michelin-star restaurant. The interactions with Chef Carlos were an important part of the evening, with information about the inspirations for some of the dishes letting us appreciate the art more fully, and the descriptions with the wine service were very good. dLeña is highly recommended by all four of us. Really, the only significant negative about the whole experience was the ambient noise level. The restaurant is very noisy, and for me it was loud enough to distract from all the other wonderful things going on. If not for the noise, I'm sure all the rating factors would have been full fives.

Discover more

Experience

Chef's Table Experience

Sports & Social DC

4.7

4.7 (25)

$30 and under

Unspecified

U Street Corridor

About the restaurant

Sports & Social is DC's newest premier sports watching destination. This one-of-a-kind sports bar boasts a 25-foot LED media wall, and over a dozen HDTVs, it’s the next best thing to watching the game at the stadium. Sports & Social offers guests an elevated dining and beverage experience including made-from-scratch menu items and curated cocktails.

Top review

Jessica

Dined on Apr 19, 2025

It was a great spot for dinner before the show we sat at the Lincoln Theater. The chicken bacon ranch tacos were out of this world!

Boqueria - Dupont

4.6

4.6 (2319)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Dupont Circle

About the restaurant

A neighborhood favorite since 2012, Boqueria brings the lively spirit of Barcelona’s tapas culture to Washington DC in a warm, contemporary space that hums with energy from lunch through late night. It’s a go-to for festive happy hours, intimate dinners, spirited gatherings with friends, and al fresco meals on the seasonal outdoor patio.
Guests share classic Spanish dishes like jamón ibérico, garlic shrimp, pan con tomate, and patatas bravas—paired with signature paellas, sangrías, cocktails, and Spanish wines.
Located just down the block from Dupont Circle Park, Embassy Row, and Foggy Bottom, and a short walk from K Street.
Please note that in some cases, large party reservations may require a set menu. If that is the case, a host will reach out to confirm with all the details.

Top review

Christopher

Dined on Jun 20, 2025

Very nice experience, lots of tapas to select, service was great.

The Arsenal at Bluejacket

4.6

4.6 (1075)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Navy Yard

About the restaurant

Bluejacket is a brewery without boundaries—pushing the limits of traditional styles to create small-batch beers that are bold, balanced, and full of character. Set in a striking former Navy Yard warehouse, our dining room and bar offer a front-row seat to the brewing action. Here, guests can enjoy a diverse lineup of beers alongside a seasonal menu that highlights local ingredients and is thoughtfully designed to complement what’s in your glass.

Top review

Robert

Dined 5 days ago

Great food and good selection of beers especially IPA's The service was outstanding!

Toryumon Japanese House

4.6

4.6 (172)

$30 and under

Japanese

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in the “Golden Triangle” of the Central Business District of The Downtown DC.

Toryumon Japanese House offers tasty Southeast Asian Cuisines. It’s trendy eatery offering creative sushi, Tokyo style Ramen Asian fushion meals!

Toryumon Japanese House serving everything on the menu is freshly prepared in-house with thoughtful attention to even the most subtle details. The restaurant blends classic Japanese culinary traditions with an new asian style food, ingredient-driven menu, warm hospitality and clean design to deliver a contemporary and engaging asian dining experience.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. Humbly Yours.

Top review

David

Dined on Jun 13, 2025

Very enjoyable dining experience. Love the Happy Hour menu (drinks, apps and sushi) - will definitely be back!

Bar Japonais

4.5

4.5 (138)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Logan Circle

About the restaurant

Led by Chef Masaaki "Uchi" Uchino, Bar Japonais offers a dynamic dining experience that blends Japanese cuisine with French influences. We offer a limited number of Omakase experiences nightly so please reserve yours through the Experience link below.

The signature Omakase experience features a meticulously crafted, 9-course (16 selections) rotating selection of exceptional seasonal ingredients. The menu also showcases vibrant Japanese-French dishes, complemented by an eclectic selection of wines, sake, and cocktails, embodying the spirit of both cultures.

Top review

aaron

Dined 7 days ago

Amazing food and service. The hamachi with dill was amazing. Our server was extremely knowledgeable and gave us some very interesting information regarding sake and introduced us to doburoku.

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Experience

Sparkle-ist Hosts Champagne Omakase with Chef Uchi

Experience

Drag Brunch hosted by Cake Pop!

Café Fiorello DC

4.5

4.5 (40)

$30 and under

Italian

Penn Quarter

About the restaurant

After 50 years across the street from New York's Lincoln Center, Café Fiorello is now in Washington, D.C.

The menu features culinary staples that have made the restaurant an iconic dining destination from its vegetable antipasto bar to its trademark thin-crust pizza.

Top review

SeanVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Good food and even better service! Highly recommend

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