D.C.’s Best Dining Neighborhood of 2019, According to the Experts

Following an Eater tradition, we asked a group of restaurant critics, journalists, bloggers, and friends of the site to weigh in on the year in food. Their answers to the annual “Year in Eater” survey will be revealed in several posts. Next up, the dining experts share their picks for the city’s top dining neighborhoods.

Tim Carman, Washington Post food writer: My quick take is the Union Market area. You have Stellina Pizzeria, Shouk, St. Anselm (which served the best hanger steak I think I’ve ever had), Masseria, and Dolcezza (I still haven’t been to O-Ku Sushi). Then there are all the stalls and counters inside Union Market, which is a feast unto itself.

Lori McCue, DCist food and arts editor: It took close to a decade, but 2019 seems to be the year that developers finally made the Union Market district happen. Stellina Pizzeria, Serenata, and the continuing legacy of stellar rum cocktails at Cotton & Reed have made the neighborhood one of my go-to evening destinations.

Lori Gardner, Been There, Eaten That blogger: The new restaurants that opened this year are all over the map, so it’s harder to pinpoint a single neighborhood these days. I do like what’s happening near Union Market with the addition of Coconut Club, St. Anselm, Stellina Pizzeria and, when it’s fully up and running, La Cosecha.

Ann Limpert, Washingtonian food editor and critic: H Street NE/Union Market. It got Cane, Thamee, Stellina, Fava Pot, and, while it lasted, Philly Wing Fry (please, please come back). PLUS La Cosecha.

Lenore Adkins, food writer: H Street NE. It hits all price points and offers options for almost every palate. And I might be a little biased because it’s within walking distance of my building.

Tom Sietsema, Washington Post food critic: I’m digging what’s happening on H Street NE, with the arrival of Cane and Thamee especially, but the food scene downtown (did I just type that?) has improved significantly with the debut of Immigrant Food, Modena, Piccolina and Punjab Grill, among other places.

Jessica Sidman, Washingtonian food editor: Georgia Avenue NW is on the rise with new spots (Call Your Mother, Sonny’s Pizza, Tsehay Ethiopian) joining longtime favorites (Fish in the Neighborhood) and great bars (DC Reynolds, Reliable Tavern). Plus there’s a lot more on the way, including Saint Vincent wine and Tabla (a Supra spinoff with Georgian soup dumplings and khachapuri).

Rick Chessen, Rick Eats DC blogger: Columbia Heights.

Laura Hayes, Washington City Paper food editor: Adams Morgan.

More in the Year in Eater 2019

• These Were the ‘Most D.C.’ Food Stories of 2019
• 2019’s Saddest Bar and Restaurant Closings
• D.C. Dining Experts Sum Up the 2019 Restaurant Scene in One Word
• D.C.’s Best New Restaurants of 2019, According to the Experts
• Where D.C. Food Writers Loved to Eat in 2019
• The 17 Most Beautiful Restaurants That Opened in D.C. This Year
• Eater D.C.’s 10 Most Popular Stories of 2019