This post was updated in February 2025.
Is there any better soup than French onion? It’s less like a soup, and more like a bowl of melty cheese, croutons, and caramelized onions with just the right amount of broth—so in our opinion, no. And since there’s a lot of soup similarity, here’s a bowl for every French onion craving.
The ultra-cheesy
Le Diplomate
1601 14th St., NW
Le Dip’s French onion soup doesn’t skimp on the fromage, which is heaped atop slices of the brasserie’s delicious homemade baguette and broiled until bubbling. You won’t see the robust onion broth upon arrival, but it’s hiding under all that incredible molten cheese.
The classic
Minetta Tavern
1287 Fourth St., NE
“A lot of guests say it’s the best they’ve had outside of France,” says the server of this Union Market newcomer’s onion soup. We’re happy to report he isn’t being hyperbolic—the crock is draped in melty Gruyère, and packed with deeply caramelized onions and tufts of crusty bread. But the recipe, courtesy of New York Minetta chef Laurent Kalkotour, gets the most important element right: the broth, which tastes as if it had been simmering for hours and hours.
The vegetarian version
Central Michel Richard
1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
The late, great DC chef Michel Richard created the delicious—and deceptively meat-free—recipe that is still served at this Penn Quarter. How does that broth get such depth of flavor? Two kinds of miso. Other than that, the soup is pretty by-the-book: onions caramelized in French butter, white wine and thyme, and a burnished cap of provolone and Gruyère.
Another great vegetarian version
Primrose
3000 12th St., NE
You won’t miss the beef broth in this Brookland wine bar’s bowl. An earthy, rich liquid draws its flavor from kombu, mushrooms, and deeply caramelized onions. Sorry, vegans, the gooey topping of gruyere and emmental cheeses are there to stay.
The suburban find
Charley Prime Foods
9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg
At this Gaithersburg steakhouse, chef Adam Harvey derives his soup from a recipe he learned decades ago at Alexandria’s Morrison House. The broth—amped with Worcestershire and lemon—could stand on its own. But slowly cooked onions deglazed in port, sherry, and Madeira, plus lots of gooey Gruyère, make it a bowl to remember.
The soup-and-fire combo
La Chaumiere
2813 M St., NW
Is there anything better than dipping into a cauldron of soup next to a warming fire? The winter dream is a reality at this Georgetown stalwart, which takes its classics seriously. The Gratinée Lyonnaise traditionally gets a rich twist with the addition of egg yolks and a dash of Port.
The French dip/French onion soup mashup
Randy’s Prime Seafood & Steak
8051 Leesburg Pk., Vienna
Two of our obsessions—French dip sandwiches and French onion soup—come together in this crave-inducing sandwich. The Tysons steakhouse piles thinly sliced prime rib onto a buttery roll from sister bakery Best Buns, and accents it with gruyere, caramelized onions, truffled béarnaise aioli, and warm beef jus. Duck fat fries take it over the top.
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.
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.
