Three January restaurant weeks are happening around D.C.
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Francophile feast at Josephine in Alexandria. Photo: courtesy LeadingDC
Three winter restaurant weeks are happening around D.C. in January.
What's happening: Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week — the area's biggest, spanning the DMV — runs Jan. 15-21. New pricing tiers include lunch and brunch for $25 and $35, and dinners for $40, $55, and $65.
- Alexandria Restaurant Week runs Jan. 19-28, with over 70 restaurants serving $30, $40, and $50 prix-fixe dinners.
- Falls Church is jumping in the restaurant week game for the first time (Jan. 19-28) with 40-plus restaurants serving a diverse array of cuisines at all price points.
Why it matters: You have tons of chances to dine out on a deal.
What's new: A bunch of new (and even yet-to-open) restaurants are participating in D.C. Restaurant Week. Here's my hit list.
- In Falls Church, my top new picks are Nue for upscale Vietnamese and The Falls, a new Mid-Atlantic restaurant from The Liberty Tavern owners.
- In Alexandria, playful wine bar Virginia's Darling and Parisian newcomer Josephine look enticing.
Yes, but: Don't forget about the tried-and-true classics (they're restaurant week pros!). I've had great restaurant week meals at Sushi Taro in Dupont Circle, cozying up by the fire at La Chaumiere in Georgetown, or dining on upscale Indian at Bombay Club and Rasika.
- It's also a good time to check out Alexandria standbys like Evening Star Cafe and Hank's Oyster Bar, throwback Taverna Cretekou, or classic Italian A La Lucia before it closes this year.
What's next: Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week in February. Cordellicious!
More top picks (for D.C. and Virginia):
🍝 Thompson Italian: The top-notch Italian — specializing in homemade pastas — is offering Restaurant Week at both its Falls Church and newer Alexandria locations (three courses, $50).
🐦 Ellie Bird: The terrific spinoff of D.C.'s Michelin-starred Rooster & Owl in Falls Church serves dishes like salmon ceviche and duck confit cassoulet in (three courses, $55).
🌮 La Tingeria: One of the area's best taquerías is dishing up a great lunch deal for Falls Church: two menu items plus sides and a drink for just $10.
🧑🍳 Xiquet: It's rare for Michelin-starred spots to do Restaurant Week, which makes the $65 dinner at this superb wood-fired Spanish spot in Glover Park very intriguing (especially since dinner is usually $265+).
💃 L'Ardente: This newer "glam Italian" near Mt. Vernon Triangle doesn't disappoint, and chef David Deshaies — a Michel Richard acolyte — is a restaurant week veteran (three-course lunch, $35).
🇲🇾 Makan: A newcomer to Restaurant Week, this cool Malaysian spot in Columbia Heights is all about big flavors, including the crave-able curry mee soup and chicken sates on the special menu (two dishes, $40).
🍣 Perry's: There's a reason everyone's buzzing over chef Masako Morishita's new menus at this stalwart Japanese restaurant in Adams Morgan — sushi is fantastic, as are plates like beef tenderloin curry rice (three-course dinner, $55).
🍜 Yunnan by Potomac: Old Town's noodle house is serving any four courses on its lengthy menu for $50, like comforting mixian (rice noodle soup), buns, and dumplings.