About Compass Rose
100 Very Best 2016
100 Very Best 2019Few restaurants can pull off a menu on which Venezuelan arepas share space with Korean ribs and grilled Greek calamari with pistachio-feta salad—all equally delicious. Owner Rose Previte lived and traveled in more than 30 countries before drawing on her voyages for a global restaurant, which feels like a genuine reflection of flavor memories instead of a culinary mishmash. Credit a carefully curated menu, served in intimate rowhouse rooms filled with string lights, colorful pillows, and fresh flowers. (Truly homey, Previte used to live upstairs.) The biggest difficulty you’ll find in this inviting place is waiting the recommended three minutes for the khachapuri bread—mixed tableside—to settle in a perfect blend of butter, egg, and cheeses. Moderate.
Also great:tuna poke; Spanish fried whole baby fish; grilled Peruvian chicken hearts; Compass Rose cocktail (Georgian sparkling wine, pomegranate, rose water).
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.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
Kristen Hinman has been editing Washingtonian’s features since 2014. She joined the magazine after editing politics & policy coverage for Bloomberg Businessweek and working as a staff writer for Voice Media Group/Riverfront Times.
