With a D.C. restaurant industry emerging from a two-year pandemic, going out to eat now comes with a semblance of normality. The Eater 38 offers a selection of defining culinary destinations that showcase the diversity of D.C. (and its many suburbs). While recent versions of this map recognized the limits of dining out during a pandemic with a focus on comfort, takeout, and outdoor dining, the latest edition eases those restrictions. Restaurants on this map must be open for at least six months. For the most exciting new restaurants in town, check out the heatmap.
For the spring 2022 refresh, new additions to the 38 include L’Ardente, for pristine pizzas in stylish downtown digs; No Goodbyes, for a bounty of local, wood-fired ingredients in a hot Adams Morgan hotel; Maïz64, for a refined, masa-obsessed Mexican menu in Logan Circle; and Daru, for blue cheese chicken kebabs and high-class cocktails off H Street.
The following restaurants, while definitely still worth a trip, are leaving the 38: Muchas Gracias, Rooster & Owl, Cane, and Rose Ave Bakery.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.
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