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Bites of foie gras from Bresca
Bites of foie gras from Bresca.
Rey Lopez/For Bresca

Celebrate a Special Occasion With D.C.’s Fanciest Meals

Consider these extravagant places for big birthdays, date nights, and more

by Kalina Newman and Eater Staff Updated
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Bites of foie gras from Bresca.
| Rey Lopez/For Bresca
by Kalina Newman and Eater Staff Updated

Whether you have a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any other reason to toast, there are plenty of high-end restaurants across D.C. that pull out all the stops for a night to remember. Look for luxury items like foie gras or caviar, with menu formats that offer courses in the double digits (with three-figure price tags to match).

Here are 15 destinations for some of D.C.’s fanciest meals, including several with to-go packages and a la carte, budget-friendly options.

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Tail Up Goat

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Adams Morgan destination Tail Up Goat — known for piling Mediterranean preparations of local ingredients into thick toasts, pastas, and composed entrees — offers four-course dinner menu available in its dining room or on the patio for $98 per person, with two optional wine pairings for $75 or $125, respectively. Mains include a pork loin served with yukon gold potato, cherry pepper and salsa verde, monkfish with summer squash and shishito peppers, and beets topped with a basic and fennel crumble. Dessert gets even more interesting with coconut panna cotta and dark chocolate tarte.

1827 Adams Mill Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 986-9600
(202) 986-9600

Also featured in:

Elcielo

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At this Michelin-starred Colombian restaurant, the option is to go big or go home—literally. The Colombian restaurant exclusively serves The Experience, a $228, 22-course tasting menu aimed at transporting diners from the shoreline of Cartagena to the depths of the Amazon jungle. Get ready to get messy, because one course titled “Chocotherapy” invites diners into a sensory experience that involves washing your hands with chocolate. While the tasting menu is subject to change on availability, courses include pumpkin served with chayote squash and maple syrup, and scallops with hearts of palm and edible flowers. A ten-glass wine pairing is offered for an additional $150.

1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 569-9855
(202) 569-9855

Also featured in:

Xiquet by Danny Lledó

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Glover Park’s high-end Spanish restaurant specializes in Valencian cuisine and has a Michelin star (as well as the guide’s Sommelier of the Year Award). The $220 tasting menu features 22 different experiences that begin with aperitivos and continue with courses ranging from smoked duck with trumpet mushrooms to house-aged tuna loin and more. Wine pairings are available for $200 per person, and a 22-percent competitive wage charge is added to the final bill.

2404 Wisconsin Ave, Washington, DC 20007
Vegan paella gets cooked over orange wood fire at Xiquet
Vegan paella gets cooked over orange wood fire at Xiquet
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

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Maydan

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A wood-burning hearth fires off dishes showcasing flavors from across the Middle East and North Africa at Maydan, which has maintained its status as one of D.C.’s hottest restaurants with a variety of prix fixes, to-go options, and a rug-lined impromptu patio. The $75 per-person “Tawle” menu, (which translates to table in Arabic), features a curated list of dishes for diners to share family-style and is available for parties up to six.

1346 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 370-3696
(202) 370-3696
Beiruti hummus from Maydan Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Also featured in:

Seven Reasons

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Venezuelan chef Enrique Limardo explores pan-Latin influences with colorful sauces and dramatic plating at his trendy fine dining restaurant north of U Street NW. Its three-course, prix-fixe menu changes daily based on sourcing and availability of products and is priced at $80 per person. Diners choose from dishes like Hokkaido scallop with curry and prime beef tenderloin with a yuca croquette and beef jus. If you’re still hungry, a selection of a la carte dishes are available to add on to your meal.

2208 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 417-8563
(202) 417-8563
The bar at Seven Reasons. Seven Reasons/official photo

Also featured in:

Bresca/JÔNT

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Chef Ryan Ratino of modern gastronomic bistro Bresca took his venture a step further with Jônt, a tasting menu and bar situated upstairs. That 14-seat chef counter is open for diners to make their way through 32 different preparations influenced by seasonal ingredients and Japanese seafood, priced at $375 per person. (Wine pairings range from $195 to a pricier $650 “F**k it” pairing).

1906 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 518-7926
(202) 518-7926
Bresca DC duck
Plated duck at Bresca.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Also featured in:

Gravitas

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Chef-owner Matt Baker’s Chesapeake-sourcing American restaurant lures big spenders out to Ivy City. After winning its first Michelin star in the tire company’s 2020 D.C. guide, Gravitas has tinkered with its tasting menu format, offering everything from a three-course “Taste of Gravitas” ($90, Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 6 p.m. or at the bar all night), to a $165 five course tasting menu with a vegetarian option also available.

1401 Okie St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 763-7942
(202) 763-7942
Tuna crudo at Gravitas
Tuna crudo at Gravitas
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Also featured in:

Annabelle

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Longtime D.C. chef Frank Ruta — formerly of Palena, the Grill Room, and Mirabelle — is renowned for old-school Continental cooking, on-site curing, fresh pastas, and homey basics like roasted chicken. Rotating options at this fine-dining spot in Kalorama include a grilled New York strip steak with glazed carrots and buttered black eye peas ($40) and a spice-rubbed bluefin tuna served with a caper-anchovy vinaigrette ($27). Don’t skip dessert from pastry chef Aja Cage, with choices like a cinnamon caramel parfait ($14) and mocha toffee crunch cake ($14).

2132 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
(202) 916-5675
(202) 916-5675

Also featured in:

Sushi Taro

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Fans of Japanese seafood have plenty to celebrate at Sushi Taro, where everything from a la carte staples to nine-course tasting menus are available. To really ramp up an occasion, spring for Sushi Taro’s custom omakase set, starting at $250 for a chef’s selection of the freshest fish available (“Premium” Saturday reservations will run you $350). Indoor dining reservations are available on Resy. Its seafood-centric takeout menu that started during the pandemic includes a wagyu sukiyaki set and sashimi omakase plate (order two days in advance).

1503 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 462-8999
(202) 462-8999
Famed D.C. Sushi Restaurant Sushi Taro Announces Its Closing Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Also featured in:

Masseria

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Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s stylish Italian restaurant near Union Market specializes in two dining experiences, modeled after cooking in the Puglia region. For really momentous occasions, a $236 eight-course tasting menu is available at Chef’s Table or Chef’s Counter. Diners opting for the $178 six-course “La Cucina” menu can sit at either the sala dining room, the bar, or the indoor pergola with views of the restaurant’s seasonal garden.

1340 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 608-1330
(202) 608-1330

Also featured in:

Nina May

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The contemporary American restaurant features cozy dining areas and a big outdoor patio, but those opting to take the finer things back home can also order in. Menu highlights include speciality cocktails such as the Nina May G&T made with Mediterranean tonic and seasonal fruit, and dishes range from snacks like herb-scented house rolls ($14) to small plates like charred sweet corn angolotti ($20). Can’t make up your mind? A six-course chef’s choice menu is available for $65 each.

1337 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 518-3609
(202) 518-3609
Nina May’s feast ribs can be heated up at home.
Laura Chase de Formigny Photography

Also featured in:

The Dabney

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Blagden Alley’s resident wood-fired restaurant from James Beard Award winner Jeremiah Langhorne, reopened its dining room after the pandemic with a $170 prix-fixe, six-course Mid-Atlantic menu. Plates rotate daily with ingredients sourced from local farmers and foraging. Reservations are available inside or outside.

122 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 450-1015
(202) 450-1015

Also featured in:

Cranes

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Chef Pepe Moncayo debuted his highly anticipated, highly ambitious Spanish-Japanese restaurant in Penn Quarter right before the pandemic, and it received a Michelin star the next year. Street-side tables outfitted with fire pits along Eighth Street NW are a prime place to sample his ten-course omakase menu ($128), gorgeous tapas, and high-end sake.

724 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 525-4900
(202) 525-4900
Nameko mushroom rice with stracciatella, enoki, and myoga.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Also featured in:

Albi

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Chef Michael Rafidi explores the food of his Palestinian and Jordanian relatives at his wood-fired restaurant in Navy Yard. Dine inside or in greenhouse enclosures on the patio. In addition to a la carte options like wood-fired lamb dolma ($28) and a swordfish kebab ($58), there’s a special $125 tasting menu highlighting seasonal dishes. Compliment the meal with $55 or $95 beverage flights.

1346 4th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 921-9592
(202) 921-9592
A plate of ground duck sfeeha (meat pies) served with pine nuts, lemon, and a side of whipped garlic toum at Albi Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Also featured in:

Shilling Canning Company

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This Mid-Atlantic restaurant and raw bar with a wood-burning oven offers three-course prix fixe packages ($65 per person), plus a $125 Chef’s Tasting menu with a $65 beverage pairing. The menu rotates seasonally, packed with produce plucked from local farms and seafood sourced from the Chesapeake. Reserve a seat inside or on its patio garden, or go the takeout route from their ghost kitchen venture, AmperSandwich.

360 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 554-7474
(202) 554-7474
Shilling Canning Company’s plant-filled patio.
Shilling Canning Company/official photo

Also featured in:

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Tail Up Goat

1827 Adams Mill Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009

Adams Morgan destination Tail Up Goat — known for piling Mediterranean preparations of local ingredients into thick toasts, pastas, and composed entrees — offers four-course dinner menu available in its dining room or on the patio for $98 per person, with two optional wine pairings for $75 or $125, respectively. Mains include a pork loin served with yukon gold potato, cherry pepper and salsa verde, monkfish with summer squash and shishito peppers, and beets topped with a basic and fennel crumble. Dessert gets even more interesting with coconut panna cotta and dark chocolate tarte.

1827 Adams Mill Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 986-9600
(202) 986-9600

Elcielo

1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002

At this Michelin-starred Colombian restaurant, the option is to go big or go home—literally. The Colombian restaurant exclusively serves The Experience, a $228, 22-course tasting menu aimed at transporting diners from the shoreline of Cartagena to the depths of the Amazon jungle. Get ready to get messy, because one course titled “Chocotherapy” invites diners into a sensory experience that involves washing your hands with chocolate. While the tasting menu is subject to change on availability, courses include pumpkin served with chayote squash and maple syrup, and scallops with hearts of palm and edible flowers. A ten-glass wine pairing is offered for an additional $150.

1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 569-9855
(202) 569-9855

Xiquet by Danny Lledó

2404 Wisconsin Ave, Washington, DC 20007

Glover Park’s high-end Spanish restaurant specializes in Valencian cuisine and has a Michelin star (as well as the guide’s Sommelier of the Year Award). The $220 tasting menu features 22 different experiences that begin with aperitivos and continue with courses ranging from smoked duck with trumpet mushrooms to house-aged tuna loin and more. Wine pairings are available for $200 per person, and a 22-percent competitive wage charge is added to the final bill.

2404 Wisconsin Ave, Washington, DC 20007
Vegan paella gets cooked over orange wood fire at Xiquet
Vegan paella gets cooked over orange wood fire at Xiquet
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Maydan

1346 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009

A wood-burning hearth fires off dishes showcasing flavors from across the Middle East and North Africa at Maydan, which has maintained its status as one of D.C.’s hottest restaurants with a variety of prix fixes, to-go options, and a rug-lined impromptu patio. The $75 per-person “Tawle” menu, (which translates to table in Arabic), features a curated list of dishes for diners to share family-style and is available for parties up to six.

1346 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 370-3696
(202) 370-3696
Beiruti hummus from Maydan Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Seven Reasons

2208 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Venezuelan chef Enrique Limardo explores pan-Latin influences with colorful sauces and dramatic plating at his trendy fine dining restaurant north of U Street NW. Its three-course, prix-fixe menu changes daily based on sourcing and availability of products and is priced at $80 per person. Diners choose from dishes like Hokkaido scallop with curry and prime beef tenderloin with a yuca croquette and beef jus. If you’re still hungry, a selection of a la carte dishes are available to add on to your meal.

2208 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 417-8563
(202) 417-8563
The bar at Seven Reasons. Seven Reasons/official photo

Bresca/JÔNT

1906 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chef Ryan Ratino of modern gastronomic bistro Bresca took his venture a step further with Jônt, a tasting menu and bar situated upstairs. That 14-seat chef counter is open for diners to make their way through 32 different preparations influenced by seasonal ingredients and Japanese seafood, priced at $375 per person. (Wine pairings range from $195 to a pricier $650 “F**k it” pairing).

1906 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 518-7926
(202) 518-7926
Bresca DC duck
Plated duck at Bresca.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Gravitas

1401 Okie St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Chef-owner Matt Baker’s Chesapeake-sourcing American restaurant lures big spenders out to Ivy City. After winning its first Michelin star in the tire company’s 2020 D.C. guide, Gravitas has tinkered with its tasting menu format, offering everything from a three-course “Taste of Gravitas” ($90, Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 6 p.m. or at the bar all night), to a $165 five course tasting menu with a vegetarian option also available.

1401 Okie St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 763-7942
(202) 763-7942
Tuna crudo at Gravitas
Tuna crudo at Gravitas
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Annabelle

2132 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

Longtime D.C. chef Frank Ruta — formerly of Palena, the Grill Room, and Mirabelle — is renowned for old-school Continental cooking, on-site curing, fresh pastas, and homey basics like roasted chicken. Rotating options at this fine-dining spot in Kalorama include a grilled New York strip steak with glazed carrots and buttered black eye peas ($40) and a spice-rubbed bluefin tuna served with a caper-anchovy vinaigrette ($27). Don’t skip dessert from pastry chef Aja Cage, with choices like a cinnamon caramel parfait ($14) and mocha toffee crunch cake ($14).

2132 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
(202) 916-5675
(202) 916-5675

Sushi Taro

1503 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036

Fans of Japanese seafood have plenty to celebrate at Sushi Taro, where everything from a la carte staples to nine-course tasting menus are available. To really ramp up an occasion, spring for Sushi Taro’s custom omakase set, starting at $250 for a chef’s selection of the freshest fish available (“Premium” Saturday reservations will run you $350). Indoor dining reservations are available on Resy. Its seafood-centric takeout menu that started during the pandemic includes a wagyu sukiyaki set and sashimi omakase plate (order two days in advance).

1503 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 462-8999
(202) 462-8999
Famed D.C. Sushi Restaurant Sushi Taro Announces Its Closing Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Masseria

1340 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s stylish Italian restaurant near Union Market specializes in two dining experiences, modeled after cooking in the Puglia region. For really momentous occasions, a $236 eight-course tasting menu is available at Chef’s Table or Chef’s Counter. Diners opting for the $178 six-course “La Cucina” menu can sit at either the sala dining room, the bar, or the indoor pergola with views of the restaurant’s seasonal garden.

1340 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 608-1330
(202) 608-1330

Nina May

1337 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

The contemporary American restaurant features cozy dining areas and a big outdoor patio, but those opting to take the finer things back home can also order in. Menu highlights include speciality cocktails such as the Nina May G&T made with Mediterranean tonic and seasonal fruit, and dishes range from snacks like herb-scented house rolls ($14) to small plates like charred sweet corn angolotti ($20). Can’t make up your mind? A six-course chef’s choice menu is available for $65 each.

1337 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 518-3609
(202) 518-3609
Nina May’s feast ribs can be heated up at home.
Laura Chase de Formigny Photography

The Dabney

122 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001

Blagden Alley’s resident wood-fired restaurant from James Beard Award winner Jeremiah Langhorne, reopened its dining room after the pandemic with a $170 prix-fixe, six-course Mid-Atlantic menu. Plates rotate daily with ingredients sourced from local farmers and foraging. Reservations are available inside or outside.

122 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 450-1015
(202) 450-1015

Cranes

724 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Chef Pepe Moncayo debuted his highly anticipated, highly ambitious Spanish-Japanese restaurant in Penn Quarter right before the pandemic, and it received a Michelin star the next year. Street-side tables outfitted with fire pits along Eighth Street NW are a prime place to sample his ten-course omakase menu ($128), gorgeous tapas, and high-end sake.

724 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 525-4900
(202) 525-4900
Nameko mushroom rice with stracciatella, enoki, and myoga.
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Albi

1346 4th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

Chef Michael Rafidi explores the food of his Palestinian and Jordanian relatives at his wood-fired restaurant in Navy Yard. Dine inside or in greenhouse enclosures on the patio. In addition to a la carte options like wood-fired lamb dolma ($28) and a swordfish kebab ($58), there’s a special $125 tasting menu highlighting seasonal dishes. Compliment the meal with $55 or $95 beverage flights.

1346 4th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 921-9592
(202) 921-9592
A plate of ground duck sfeeha (meat pies) served with pine nuts, lemon, and a side of whipped garlic toum at Albi Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Shilling Canning Company

360 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003

This Mid-Atlantic restaurant and raw bar with a wood-burning oven offers three-course prix fixe packages ($65 per person), plus a $125 Chef’s Tasting menu with a $65 beverage pairing. The menu rotates seasonally, packed with produce plucked from local farms and seafood sourced from the Chesapeake. Reserve a seat inside or on its patio garden, or go the takeout route from their ghost kitchen venture, AmperSandwich.

360 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 554-7474
(202) 554-7474
Shilling Canning Company’s plant-filled patio.
Shilling Canning Company/official photo

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