Minibar by Jose Andres is a modernist tasting menu restaurant in Penn Quarter, Washington DC.
Minibar by Jose Andres in Washington DC is the chef's two-Michelin-star, 12-seat counter on E Street, a 20-course modernist tasting menu pulled.
Editorially verified May 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: 20-course modernist tasting, Caviar cone
Must order: Whatever course requires both hands; the kitchen is unsentimental about it.
Tip: Book at midnight three months out via Tock. The wine pairing leans Old World Spanish; ask for the deep-dive option.
Address: 855 E St NW, Washington, DC 20004, Washington DC
Jaleo in Washington DC is Jose Andres's 7th Street Spanish tapas room, the kitchen that opened ThinkFoodGroup in 1993 and codified DC's modern small-plates.
Signature: Gambas al ajillo, Paella valenciana
Order: The paella valenciana with rabbit, snail and green bean; ordered table-wide and finished with a torch.
Tip: Lunch is the easier reservation; the sherry list runs deep into Manzanilla pasada that the bartenders will pour by the glass.
Rose's Luxury in Washington DC is Aaron Silverman's Michelin-star Capitol Hill rowhouse on 8th Street, the line-out-the-door Barracks Row room that flipped.
Signature: Pork sausage and lychee salad, Family-style mains
Order: The pork sausage, habanero and lychee salad; on the menu since 2013 and the room's calling card.
Tip: Reservations open 4 weeks out via Tock at 10:00 sharp; the walk-up roof bar Bar Pilar takes overflow on warm nights.
Raw Omakase DC in Washington DC is Chef John Yi's Logan Circle Japanese tasting counter on the third floor above Takara 14 on 14th Street, a sub-ten-seat.
Signature: Edomae nigiri progression, Seasonal sashimi course
Order: Whichever nigiri course leads the run.
Tip: The 18:00 seating is the 15-course $125 menu; the 20:15 seating is the 18-course $150 menu. Reserve via the website Tuesday through Saturday.
The Dabney in Washington DC is Jeremiah Langhorne's Michelin-star Blagden Alley room in Shaw, a Mid-Atlantic wood-hearth kitchen built around regional.
Signature: Wood-hearth oysters, Cast-iron cornbread
Order: The cast-iron cornbread with sorghum butter; the kitchen pulls it from the hearth on a long handle.
Tip: Book the bar seats facing the hearth; the show is the kitchen, not the dining room. The Cellar wine bar is the quieter alternative.
Maydan in Washington DC is Rose Previte's James Beard award-winner above 14th Street, a courtyard around a live-fire pit serving North African.
Signature: Whole-fire lamb shoulder, Flatbread from the live fire
Order: The lamb shoulder cooked over fire for ten hours, ordered as a family-style bookend.
Tip: The booth seats face the fire; ask for one. The pre-shift cocktail flight at the upstairs bar is the value pick.
Le Diplomate in Washington DC is Stephen Starr's 14th Street brasserie at the P Street corner, the city's anchor French room since 2013 with a wraparound.
Signature: Steak frites, Onion soup gratinee
Order: The steak frites with bearnaise.
Tip: The walk-in bar takes the same menu and runs at a third the wait. Brunch is the busiest slot of the week.
Jaleo in Washington DC is Jose Andres's 7th Street Spanish tapas room, the kitchen that opened ThinkFoodGroup in 1993 and codified DC's modern small-plates.
Signature: Gambas al ajillo, Paella valenciana
Order: The paella valenciana with rabbit, snail and green bean; ordered table-wide and finished with a torch.
Tip: Lunch is the easier reservation; the sherry list runs deep into Manzanilla pasada that the bartenders will pour by the glass.
