Nepalese dishes can be a bit hard to find around the greater D.C. area, but Royal Nepal serves momocha dumplings, crispy goat intestine with puffed rice, Nepalese lo mein, and roasted wild boar.

This longtime institution focuses both as a neighborhood bar and one of the greater area’s few options for homey, New Orleans-style cooking. The unapologetically seafood-focused menu has choices like shrimp and crab étouffée, crab and crawfish-stuffed flounder, and multiple varieties of gumbo; find Mardi Gras-appropriate drinks like hurricanes and sazeracs, too.

This relaxed bar has a nice outdoor beer garden, and is a chill place to order a customized grilled cheese, a giant pretzel, or some excellent fried pickles. You gotta laugh at “my date is not hungry,” which is how you can add extra fries and two chicken tenders to your order.

Large portions of Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Salvadoran dishes are the norm at this gathering place, also known for its generous margaritas. Fajitas, chimichangas, and more span the large menu. There’s a brunch menu, too.

Spice Kraft distinguishes itself as a neighborhood Indian favorite with delicious tandoor dishes and festive appetizers, including a mango and ginger crispy chicken and a colorful spinach pakora chat. Save during happy hour, with options like a $5 naan flight.

Cali-style tacos, taquitos, fresh salsa, and more are on the menu at this tiny Mexican joint, which serves some of the best margaritas in the area (try the habanero one).

A partnership between former Hill staffers (and now “Shark Tank” vets) Heath Hall and Brett Thompson, both from Missouri, and Alexandria restaurant owners “Mango” Mike Anderson and Bill Blackburn, pulled pork and chicken are among the focuses of this Southern restaurant. Anderson and Blackburn are behind several other restaurants in the neighborhood, like Holy Cow Burgers.

This rotating pop-up bar from Alexandria’s HomeGrown Restaurant Group on Del Ray’s main drag currently transports drinkers to Miami, or the scene of the TV show Miami Vice to be more specific. At Miami Vibes, drinks are named after the show — like the Don Johnson, served with white rum, guava nectar, mint, club soda, and lime. Bar snacks are equally tropical, like Havana pineapple wings, and the soundtrack is all ‘80s music.

These chewy, made-in-house bagels (also from restaurateur Nicole Jones) can be topped with cream cheese in flavors like scallion and chives or cilantro, jalapeño, and lime. Or go all out with bagel sandwiches involving fried egg and cheese or house-roasted wagyu beef and horseradish mayo.

This neighborhood favorite for homemade frozen custard became even more of a must-visit with the opening of Just Fine Donuts, a donut operation with vegan options, inside the shop.

This newly-opened cafe and bakery serves up quintessential French fare like baguettes, croissants, and macarons, with savory lunch options like fig prosciutto panini.

Located in a cute converted house with an expansive front porch, this hangout (particularly popular for brunch) has a bit of French influence to it, seen in dishes like Burgandy snails and bouillabaisse. Patrons can start the morning with croissant sandwiches, croques, omelets and quiches.

Sushi is a main focus of the menu here (fish is good quality, though expect large versus delicate cuts of sashimi), though this restaurant also has a long list of small plates, some on the fusion end of the spectrum (tacos with kimchi, birria short rib ramen, etc.). An affordable happy hour offers $5 sushi options and drink discounts. There’s a selection of cocktails, some with Asian influences like the “Ginger Panda Cure” with wasabi-infused Lunazul tequila and ginger liqueur.

A former gardening outpost transformed into The Garden, as in beer garden. This outdoor watering hole with picnic tables and umbrellas is a great low-key spot to head if you have dogs or kids in tow. The menu includes plenty of craft beer, prosecco, and cocktails like grapefruit crushes on tap, and food like Mexican street corn, bratwurst with sauerkraut, and mozzarella sticks.

This restaurant has transformed into a mini complex of sorts on the south end of Del Ray, made up of Lena’s itself, the Loft at Lena’s upstairs (with a rotating theme, currently Havana 151 with Cuban food and salsa dancing), and the outdoor Lena’s Beer Garden. No matter the setting, you can find solid pizzas, bar food like garlic-parmesan wings, and some dishes with a twist like garlic bread paired with pepperoni sauce.