94 DC Coast ★★

1401 K St., NW | 202-216-5988

Cuisine: Chef/owner Jeff Tunks tapped promising young chef Brendan Cox to head the kitchen late last year, but a slow-and-steady approach is what has kept this atrium-style dining room running well for the past decade. Dishes such as Chinese-style smoked lobster and Tahitian-style tuna tartare are just daring enough, while the risk-averse rely on stalwarts such as fried Chesapeake oysters, roasted Mediterranean sea bass, and crab cakes.

Mood: With its banklike building, the efficiency of the waitstaff, and the professionals who dine here, the place is all business, though it loosens up during the dinner hours.

Best for: A thank-you meal for a client; dinner with parents or out-of-towners.

Best dishes: Mussels in white-wine sauce; chile relleno atop corn and black beans; fried oysters with crispy lemons; brook-trout meunière; Chinese-style smoked lobster; cider-brined pork chop with cabbage and pears.

Insider tips: Don’t try to linger over lunch. Servers aim to get you in and out—great if you’re trying to make a 1:30 meeting, not so much when you’re catching up with an old friend.

Service: ••

Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for dinner. Expensive.

93 Bistro L’Hermitage ★★

12724 Occoquan Rd., Woodbridge | 703-499-9550

Cuisine: Formal French restaurants are a dying breed, but this Woodbridge throwback serves reliable renditions from the canon, including rack of lamb, roast duck, and entrecôte—all fortified with intense wine reductions.

Mood: Inside the suburban exterior, the space exudes a kind of medieval charm, with a stone wall and torchlike sconces. Waiters with white towels add to the quaint formality.

Best for: A relaxing dinner after strolling through the shops of Occoquan’s riverfront; a respite from chain dining.

Best dishes: Lobster bisque; Bibb lettuce with dried cranberries, candied nuts, and Roquefort dressing; seared, pepper-crusted tuna with a sauté of artichokes; organic roasted chicken with mustard sauce and perfect fries; rainbow trout over Champagne risotto; crème brûlée.

Insider tips: Portions are large for fine dining, so consider splitting an appetizer and a dessert.

Service: ••

Open Tuesday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Expensive.

92 Circle Bistro ★★

1 Washington Cir., NW | 202-293-5390

Cuisine: The departure of chef Brendan Cox dealt a bit of a blow to this bistro, known for simple, uncluttered plates of French-inspired American cooking at affordable prices. The menu hasn’t changed much under Richard King, nor has the commitment to procuring top-notch meats, fishes, and produce, but the kitchen has been uneven.

Mood: The orange-walled room is an unexpected oasis—and one of the best spots in town for the opera- or symphony-bound or anyone in need of a getaway lunch. But service is sometimes off, and waits between courses can be long.

Best for: Diners headed to the Kennedy Center; nibbles with a crowd in the moodily lit lounge.

Best dishes: Highlights have included butternut-squash soup with pumpkin-seed oil; fried green tomatoes with rémoulade; brook-trout meunière; sliced hanger steak with bordelaise sauce; roast chicken with jus; souffléd chocolate bread pudding.

Insider tips: The $35 pretheater menu, available until 7, is a good deal, as are the well-priced lunch and bar menus.

Service: •½

Open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate to expensive.

91 Amici Miei ★★

1093 Seven Locks Rd., Rockville | 301-545-0966

Cuisine: Trattoria cooking reminiscent of good neighborhood eateries in Italy. Chef and co-owner Davide Megna’s menu has gotten more daring since the place opened in 2004, so alongside signature pastas such as a textbook veal Bolognese and thin-crusted pizzas are lesser-known Italian preparations such as cockles in saffron broth.

Mood: This is a go-to spot for the neighborhood crowd, giving the dining room the feel of a house party at times. But co-owner Roberto Deias is gifted at making newcomers feel welcome.

Best for: Family dinners and celebrations.

Best dishes: Fritto misto of shrimp and squid; grilled baby octopus with borlotti beans; pappardelle with wine-soaked venison ragu; Sardinian malloreddus pasta with braised sausage ragu; specials of grilled sardines and whole grilled fish simply dressed with lemon and olive oil.

Insider tips: Daily specials showcase some of the most interesting cooking. The dessert cart might seem a bit retro, but the Capri-style chocolate-almond cake and poached pears are sure things.

Service: ••½

Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner. Moderate.

90 Assaggi ★★

4838 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda | 301-951-1988.

Cuisine: Rustic, regionally inspired plates evocative of the trattorias of Italy. Domenico Cornacchia, the onetime corporate toque at Franco Nuschese’s three restaurants (Cafe Milano, Sette Osteria, Sette Bello), is the man shaking sauté pans in the open kitchen.

Mood: Little about the handsome room has changed since the restaurant’s days as Centro, but the setting now is more engaging for couples and families than for singles who are after romance. And though it’s often crowded, the acoustics allow for conversation.

Best for: A casual meal of cheeses and salumi at the mozzarella bar or in the dining room; regional Italian fare and pastas with something for everyone.

Best dishes: Burrata cheese; sliced-to-order Parma prosciutto; condiments of green-tomato marmalade and basil-marinated zucchini; fritto misto of seafood and vegetables; chicken livers over polenta; pappardelle Bolognese; baked pasta in mascarpone sauce; veal short ribs with gremolata; lamb three ways; Alaskan lingcod with mashed celery root and celery salad with capers; chicken Milanese with arugula (lunch menu); buffalo-ricotta cheesecake with lemon zest.

Insider tips: Trying every cheese from the mozzarella bar may be fun, but most distinctive are the creamy burratas and the meaty salumi plates. The $15 two-course lunch special is a great bargain.

Service: ••½

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Moderate to expensive.

89 Kaz Sushi Bistro ★★

1915 I St., NW | 202-530-5500

Cuisine: East meets West as chef/owner Kaz Okochi pushes sushi and traditional plates to the edge. When it works, his fusion can be revelatory. When it doesn’t, you’ll long for the no-muss selections from the sushi bar.

Mood: A Zen atmosphere draws World Bankers, K Street lobbyists, and GW students to this snug restaurant.

Best for: Getting away from it all at lunch; a group gathering at dinner.

Best dishes: Velvety foie gras with plum-wine jelly; mayo-slicked seaweed salad; crispy shrimp temaki; tuna with shaved white truffle; seared scallop with lemon salt; crunchy eel with pickled radish; gingery braised short ribs; yellowtail sashimi; a boozy chocolate marquise with lemon-vodka ice cream.

Insider tips: Bento boxes at lunch are as appealing to look at as they are to eat—chicken miso and nigiri maki versions are best. The more elaborate-tasting bento at lunch is good for grazers; you get a little bit of many things.

Service: ••

Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Moderate.

88 Present ★★

6678 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church | 703-531-1881

Cuisine: Plates are adorned with carved-radish blossoms, and even the dish names are fanciful. Will you choose the Sleeping Duck on Golden Pond or Tuna Swimming in Mango Grove? Theatrics notwithstanding, high-quality ingredients and the finesse of chef Luong Tran lift this strip-mall retreat above its Falls Church rivals.

Mood: A wall of trickling water imparts a spalike calm over the wood-latticed dining room, where Vietnamese expats and a handful of nonnatives settle in for quiet dinners attended by vested waiters.

Best for: Both timid eaters and devotees of Vietnamese cooking. There’s plenty on the menu that doesn’t require a sense of adventure, but there are also dishes you won’t see many other places.

Best dishes: Seafood salad in a halved pineapple; Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Rolls, spring rolls encased in a lacy sheath; fried rice with lump crab and shrimp; salt-and-pepper fried shrimp on pineapple; grilled pork over vermicelli bun; hash of sautéed baby clams in a giant sesame-cracker shell; soup with tofu, pork, and long-cut chives; fried banana in coconut milk; rich Vietnamese coffee.

Insider tips: Servers tend to push easy-to-like items and dissuade Westerners from ordering esoteric dishes. You might have to gently insist on what you want.

Service: ••½

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Inexpensive.

87 Ravi Kabob House ★★

305 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, 703-522-6666 | 250 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, 703-816-0222

Cuisine: These no-frills Pakistani kebab houses, across the street from each other, sling some of the area’s best, juiciest meats—whether in kebabs over fluffy rice, sided with a hot round of naan, or submerged in the spicy stew called karahi.

Mood: None. The dining room is flooded with fluorescent light, and patrons order at the counter and eat with plastic plates, knives, and forks. On the plus side: A staffer usually delivers the food and clears your table, too.

Best for: Fast dinners when you don’t want fast food; takeout.

Best dishes: Slow-cooked, charcoal-grilled kebabs: lamb chops, bone-in chicken, and seekh kabob made with minced, spiced beef; lamb-and-seekh-kabob karahi; chana masala, a rich chickpea stew; mango lassi.

Insider tips: Thrill seekers might try a karahi made with lambs’ brains; the contrast of the mild, curdlike brains and the fiery stew—with garlic, ginger, cilantro, and chilies—is wonderful.

Service: •

Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Inexpensive.

86 Hank’s Oyster Bar ★★

1624 Q St., NW, 202-462-4265 | 1026 King St., Alexandria, 703-739-4265

Cuisine: Old Salts, Malpeques, Kumamotos—there are always at least five kinds of oysters on the blackboards at these boisterous fishhouses. The rest of the menu draws liberally from New England (fried clams, lobster rolls) but also ranges below the Mason-Dixon Line (nightly meat-and-two specials, nicely spiced collards).

Mood: A festive din rises above the narrow dining rooms.

Best for: A relaxed date; dinner with the kids (but call ahead to put your name on the waiting list); a group oyster feast.

Best dishes: Oysters on the half shell; broiled oysters with butter; peppery sake/oyster shooters; peel-and-eat shrimp; fried shrimp and calamari; overstuffed oyster po’ boy with slaw.

Insider tips: Sunday through Friday from 5:30 to 6:30, selected oysters on the half shell are a dollar each. And keep in mind there’s no dessert—just a chunk of dark chocolate with the check.

Service: ••

Open Monday through Friday for dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate.

85 Hollywood East Cafe on the Boulevard ★★

2621 University Blvd. W., Wheaton; 240-290-9988

Cuisine: The area’s best dim sum, presented by a team of hustling, cart-pushing servers. The regular menu has good moments, too—hearty casseroles, rich pork-and-seafood combos, full-bodied soups amid a roster of some 200 Hong Kong–style dishes—but the kitchen can be inconsistent. This spinoff of Janet Yu’s original Hollywood East, also in Wheaton, earns a place on this list for its stellar weekend brunch.

Mood: Doors open at 10:30 am on weekends, and by 11:30 or so there’s usually a wait. The banquet-style dining room takes on the excitement of a trading-room floor, with diners sneaking peaks at the bounty on nearby tables and hailing carts like cabbies at rush hour. By 2, the crowd thins, but usually the dumplings have been sitting, too.

Best for: Weekend brunch.

Best dishes: Among the dim sum, shrimp dumplings; noodles wrapped around crullers; pork buns; sharkfin; deep-fried shrimp-stuffed hot peppers; custard doughnuts fashioned into carrots. On the regular menu, a luscious steamed ling fish with ginger and scallions; salt-and-pepper shrimp; baby clams in black-bean sauce; pork-and-oyster casserole.

Insider tips: There’s dim sum during the week without the carts; you order à la carte, checking boxes on a slip of paper.

Service: •½

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Inexpensive.

84 PassionFish ★★

11960 Democracy Dr., Reston | 703-230-3474

Cuisine: Restaurant impresario Jeff Tunks’s latest raw bar and seafood emporium dabbles in influences near (crab cakes), far (Mexican seafood cocktail), and farther (Thai-style crispy flounder with tamarind-chili sauce).

Mood: With a soaring dining room, artfully bubbled chandeliers, crisp service, and good-life chatter at the tables, the most ambitious restaurant in Reston Town Center exudes a big-city aura.

Best for: A business lunch or dinner; cocktails at the bar; a date.

Best dishes: Clams casino reimagined as a dip and served with a warm baguette; Big Daddy, a seafood tower of iced oysters, clams, shrimp, crab claws, and lobster; spicy bigeye-tuna roll; fried oysters with apple slaw; fried clams; roasted whole branzino with green sauce; butter-poached lobster in red curry; crab cakes; freshly fried doughnut holes.

Insider tip: If reservations are tight, try the bar, which has lots of dining space.

Service: •••

Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Expensive.

83 Pete’s Apizza ★★

1400 Irving St., NW | 202-332-7383

Cuisine: Few pizzas are as refreshingly unpretentious—or as large—as the 18-inch versions at this Columbia Heights eatery. The New Haven–inspired, thin-crust pies also can be had by the slice.

Mood: Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the urban bustle into the dining room, but the space is softened by butter-hued walls and wooden furniture.

Best for: Grabbing a slice to go; a quick meal with friends before or after a show or movie.

Best dishes: Seasonally inspired antipasti, which have included a quinoa salad with beets and walnuts and grilled summer squash; white-clam pie; pizza topped with pepperoni or fennel-scented sausage; Sorbillo’s Original, a turnover filled with cured meat, ricotta, and mozzarella; gelato from Georgetown’s Dolcezza; amaretti cookies.

Insider tips: During weekday happy hour, 4 to 6:30, a pint of Peroni beer plus a slice of cheese pizza is $5. If you’re customizing a pie, stick to a couple of toppings—the pizzas can get too heavy when they’re loaded.

Service: ••

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Inexpensive.

82 La Chaumière ★★

2183 M St., NW | 202-338-1784

Cuisine: Julia Child–era French classics—quenelles in lobster sauce, salmon in puff pastry—get their due, as do fanciful desserts such as profiteroles and soufflés.

Mood: A beamed, farm-inspired room complete with a stone hearth and walls tacked with copper pans and horseshoes. Tables are squeezed close together, the better to listen in on the denizens of Georgetown.

Best for: Dinner with parents; a celebratory meal where you can laugh as loud as you want and not have your voice rise above the din; big appetites—portions are hefty.

Best dishes: Appetizer or entrée of pillowy pike quenelles in a rich lobster sauce; boudin blanc with sautéed apples; onion soup; wedgelike salad with Roquefort; Grand Marnier soufflé with crème anglaise; apple tart on puff pastry; classic profiteroles stuffed with vanilla ice cream.

Insider tips: There are standout specials throughout the week. Diners come on Wednesdays for couscous strewn with lamb, chicken, and beef, on Thursdays for cassoulet loaded with sausage and duck confit.

Service: ••

Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Expensive.

81 Comet Ping Pong ★★

5037 Connecticut Ave., NW | 202-364-0404

Cuisine: Chef Carole Greenwood, a locavore before the term was trendy, embellishes her thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas with everything from soft-shell crabs to pepperoni.

Mood: Young parents, hipster yuppies, and Ping-Pong enthusiasts all flock to this witty riff on an old-time pizza parlor. The warehouse-chic decor is softened by reclaimed-wood benches, and cool light fixtures ramp up the funky atmosphere.

Best for: Parents who aren’t willing to trade in grown-up dining after Junior arrives as well as diners who see nothing blasphemous in washing a pie down with wine.

Best dishes: Spicy chickpea-and-green-bean salad with kaffir-lime leaves and lemon; spice-rubbed wings, sometimes hot, sometimes not; perfectly simple tomato-and-mozzarella pie; the Yalie, topped with clams, Parmesan, and an aromatic blend of fresh garlic, onion, and thyme; the Little Lamb, which brings together lamb sausage, potato slices, melted onions, sage, Gorgonzola, and dates.

Insider tips: Get there early and some dishes might not be made yet; get there late and you risk a lengthy wait. Bands occasionally play, and don’t forget the free table tennis in the back.

Service: ••

Open Monday through Friday for dinner, Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner. Inexpensive.

80 Etete ★★

1942 Ninth St., NW | 202-232-7600

Cuisine: Among local Ethiopians, the name Tiwaltengus Shenegelgn is on par with the name Michel Richard among foodies. Stevie Wonder seeks her out whenever he’s in town. What’s the fuss? Etete, as Shenegelgn is known—it means “mama” in Amharic—cooks with the finesse of a demanding craftswoman, her peppery stews hearty and complex but never burdensome.

Mood: With lacquered tables and wine-bar-style lights, this dining room has the feel of a modish bistro. Etete occasionally makes the rounds, like any proud chef, but she’s much more likely to dispense gomen (buttery, jalapeño-laced collards) from a long-handled pot than talk about her sourcing. An expansion has created a second dining room upstairs to handle the overflow from young urbanites on their way to and from clubs.

Best for: Leisurely lunches or dinners with friends and family. As with dining in Europe, expect to be left alone for long stretches and to flag down your server for the check.

Best dishes: Sambusas, deep-fried three-cornered pastries filled with lentils; berbere-powered stews, including doro wat, which comes with chicken and a hard-boiled egg, and yebeg wat, with cubes of lamb; vegetarian sampler, which might include gomen, yekik alicha (a soupy split-bean stew), and azifa (green-lentil stew mixed with a fiery Ethiopian mustard and served cool).

Insider tips: If you’re dining with a group, the fasting platter—an array of vegetable stews—is a good choice to balance a mainly meat-filled meal.

Service: ••½

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Inexpensive.