Best Restaurants 2020: Rus Uz

Wanderlust will take you to Arlington and Alexandria for Russian and Uzbek fare.

By Alice Levitt • Posted October 30, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.

Rus Uz

Arlington and Alexandria / Russian and Uzbek / $$

It’s not too tough to find a Russian market in NoVA. But when you’re looking for a native to cook for you, matters get more complex. This pair of homey restaurants treats you to the cuisine your babushka might have prepared for you, had you grown up in the former Soviet Union.

Whether it’s plov, a lamb-covered rice dish from Uzbekistan, or chicken Kiev, intended for a Russian banquet, Rus Uz offers a taste of a cuisine you might not even realize you’ve been craving.

See This: Murals and tchotchkes depict life on the steppes of Uzbekistan, transporting you even before your first cup of tea arrives.

Eat This: Meat pirozhki, plov, honey cake

When to Visit: Anytime wanderlust strikes

This post originally appeared in our November 2020 issue’s Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Alice Levitt

Contributing Food Critic/Editor

Alice Levitt has been writing for Northern Virginia Magazine since 2020. She began her restaurant critic journey at Seven Days in Vermont in 2007 before moving on to Houstonia Magazine in Texas. Her food, travel, and health innovation stories have appeared in Vox, EatingWell, Simply Recipes, Allrecipes, and many other national publications.