About Nido
Fed up with noisy restaurants? This newcomer has departed from the herd, forgoing exposed brick and dangling bulbs in favor of a warm and soothing dining room pulsing with gentle bossa nova. The mood of a casually sophisticated dinner party is reinforced by Aaron Wright’s Mediterranean dishes, many of which—such as his chicken thigh with lemon, olives, and jus—consist of no more than three elements on a plate. Some, including a luscious Sicilian chickpea purée, might look like something you could whip up at home, but there’s more process to them than you can see. The less-is-more approach might not yield a host of discoveries at the table, but you’re almost assured of a relaxing and rewarding meal. Stick around for dessert. There are only a few sweets every night, but each is a model of elegant restraint.
Don’t miss: Patatas bravas;octopus with gigante beans; pappardelle with short ribs; seafood stew; blueberry upside-down cake; pistachio pot de crème.
See what other restaurants made our 100 Very Best Restaurants list. This article appears in our February 2016 issue of Washingtonian.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
