The District’s cuisine continues to rank among the best in the world, with both restaurants and bars around the District garnering critical acclaim.
This year, the ’50 Best’ list for the top restaurants in North America features three restaurants right here in Washington, D.C.!
The three restaurants are:
- Dōgon
- Albi
- Moon Rabbit
Where was Dōgon ranked?
Opened by Chef Kwame Onwuachi in 2024, this elevated Afro-Caibbean fusion eatery is located right in the Salamander Washington DC hotel near the District’s Southwest Waterfront.
In addition to being named one of the best restaurants in the nation this year by the New York Times, this place managed to rank #37 in the ’50 Best’ list for top restaurants on the continent.
The most frequently recommended dishes to try are the Ethiopian shiro and the West African jollof rice, but there is nothing on the menu that disappoints.
Where did Albi rank among the best restaurants in North America?
Frequently considered the best restaurant in the District and one of the top in the nation, the head chef and owner of Albi won the 2024 James Beard award for most outstanding chef in the country!
However, despite the critical acclaim and local reputation as the top dining destination in the District, Albi ranked as the #34 restaurant in North America in the’50 Best’ 2025 list.
While Albi still serves as a culinary Mecca that Washingtonians should try to experience at least once, it was not actually the highest-ranked restaurant in the District this year, at least according to ’50 Best’.
What was Moon Rabbit ranked on the ’50 Best’ list?
Moon Rabbit, a modern Vietnamese restaurant located in the Penn Quarter, managed to rank as the #17 best restaurant in North America this year, the highest ranking in the District.
The cuisine here fuses the life experiences of chef-owner Kevin Tien, utilizing premium, seasonal ingredients to create modernized and reimagined Vietnamese recipes that incorporate techniques and ingredients Tien has encountered throughout his life.
It’s no stranger to critical acclaim, having both earned a spot on the local Michelin guide and the NYT’s top-50 restaurants in the nation ranking in 2024.
It seems like Moon Rabbit and Chef-Owner Kevin Tien are only just getting started.