Fairfax County foodies, rejoice! This year’s roundup of the 50 Best Restaurants spotlights 18 Fairfax County gems that deliver on flavor, ambiance, and creativity. Our critics did the taste-testing so you can enjoy the county’s finest without venturing far.
By Olga Boikess, Dawn Klavon, Alyssa Langer, Alice Levitt, and Renee Sklarew
Price Key: Entrées = $ 15 and under | $$ 16–25 | $$$ 26–40 | $$$$ 41 and over | * = prix fixe only
2941 Restaurant (No. 2)
Falls Church | Modern American | $$$$
Another restaurant in an office park? Don’t roll your eyes just yet. Yes, it’s a thoroughly NoVA phenomenon that some of us could do without, but 2941 is full of surprises.
Drive a tree-lined path to a series of waterfalls and a well-populated koi pond before entering a dining room filled with top-tier art. But it’s what’s on plates that really shines. On one recent menu, longtime executive chef Bertrand Chemel elevated and deconstructed classic dishes like salade Niçoise and steak au poivre within an inch of recognition, making them both fun and explosively delicious in the process.
Be sure to save room not just for dessert, but for tokens from the kitchen like hyper-concentrated mango cream puffs. After all, 2941 is here to exceed expectations at every turn.
Eat This:
Bluefin tuna crudo Niçoise, rabbit Bourguignon campanelle, peach mirliton
Agora
Tysons | Mediterranean | $$
Most of us have learned to expect exactly what’s in the name at small-plates restaurants. Agora is a refreshing anomaly where four or five of those dishes can be enough to feed two.
That’s not to say that guests shouldn’t ask for more — one can’t overestimate the pleasures of tasting their way through the Turkish and pan-Mediterranean selections on offer — but when it comes to satiety, this is one small-plates spot that doesn’t skimp.
A sampler of spreads, paired with hot, sandal-shaped flatbreads, includes six favorites. Whether it’s Greek htipiti or mint-speckled Turkish cacik, it’s all worth dipping in. Grilled rings of squid are garlicky and bright with citrus but also sizzle with heat thanks to Maras chiles. Finish with the cheese stretch of the sweet künefe. The plates are larger than you’d think, and the size of the satisfaction is even greater.
Aracosia McLean
McLean | Afghan | $$
Lamb and veal can be polarizing. Ethics aside, anyone on the fence about the meats that are less popular in the United States would be well-advised to experience their tenderness at this second-story Afghan restaurant.
A walk up from the parking garage transports diners to a romantic slice of Asia Minor with a large menu of dumplings, kebabs, and stews that, yes, feature lamb and veal. Eager young servers are more than happy to explain the relative advantages of each dish, but the best way to choose is to not decide at all: A sampler plate includes enough options for days of leftovers.
Veal moghuli capitalizes on the adipose melt of boneless shank in a tomato-based braise with eggplant and aromatic garam masala. The lamb chops? Seductively soft without a hint of gaminess. Here, lamb and veal will quickly become part of every diner’s desires.
Eat This:
Dumpling sampler, lamb shoulder chops, veal moghuli
Clarity
Vienna | Modern American | $$$$
Every neighborhood needs a reliable, go-to spot for any occasion, be it date-night drinks, family visiting, or an anniversary. In Vienna, Clarity has long been that place.
Servers are friendly, and the space feels upscale yet casual, the ideal middle ground for most evenings. The food follows suit, achieving a delicate balance between rustic and unpretentious, while also elevated and refined.
Take the Bolognese, a generous bowl of well-sauced pasta that’s dressed-up comfort food incarnate. Similarly, the caramelized scallop appetizer is elegant and nicely seared but dressed down thanks to a modest bed of corn-and-bacon chowder. And then there’s the pork schnitzel, pounded thin, coated in corn flakes, and crisped to perfection, alongside a rich jus and buttermilk spaetzle.
Familiar dishes can lead to disappointment if they’re not executed properly, but Clarity gets it just right. No matter the dining occasion or company, a meal here makes sense.
Eat This:
Caramelized U-8 Day Boat scallop, corn flake–crusted pork schnitzel, Seven Hills beef & Elysian Fields lamb Bolognese
Evelyn Rose
Vienna | Modern American | $$$
It’s hard to see the housemade ricotta cavatelli beneath a liberal ladle of tomato-braised brisket and pork shoulder, but your teeth will know they’re there as soon as they sink in. The likable chew of the pasta, however, is second in importance to the pile of yielding protein that includes chef Nick Palermo’s signature meatballs.
The term “elevated comfort food” has become hackneyed, but refining what feels and tastes good is exactly what Palermo and co-owner Sam Schnoebelen do at the restaurant named for their grandmothers. Imagine a combination of crisp onion rings and beefy French onion soup, and you’ve got the French onion rings that consistently grace the ever-changing menu.
Pasta, such as the cavatelli and double egg-yolk pappardelle in short-rib ragout, are highlights that lift this new neighborhood restaurant to destination status.
Eat This:
French onion rings, whole-milk ricotta cavatelli, fried Amish half chicken
Honest Grill
Centreville | Korean | $$$$
Henry VIII’s vast kingdom never included Goryeo — now known as Korea — but he would have felt right at home with the excess of a Korean barbecue feast.
Honest Grill, with its aged meats and walls lined with wine bottles, is a kingly alternative to the all-you-can-eat menus and low-quality options that define many KBBQ restaurants. Still, you can expect to leave stuffed.
Here, set menus called “guides” include everything from funky dry-aged Angus rib-eye to blanket-soft, thin slices of Duroc pork galbi.
For the best variety, order the pork and beef guide with its roster of tender cuts, both fresh and marinated. And don’t miss the legend-worthy stretch of the corn cheese, which is flavored with crispy bacon. King Henry would have accepted nothing less. Neither should you.
Eat This:
Pan-fried veggie dumplings, pork and beef guide, corn cheese with bacon
Ingle Korean Steakhouse
Vienna | Korean | $$$$
Remember Clara Peller? She gained fame in the 1980s for demanding, “Where’s the beef?” in Wendy’s commercials. If only she’d lived to experience this temple of bovine goodness.
If you’re not craving wagyu cooked to its ideal, dine elsewhere. The immaculately trained staff here doesn’t fire up the grill for any old meat. In fact, diners can also order gift boxes of the coddled cattle. Beef even appears in starters and sides such as steak tartare and fried rice.
The prix fixe features four heavenly cuts, including a marinated zabuton (“little pillow,” from the chuck primal) that could be called nothing less than meat candy. Everything from the rugged tri-tip to the marbled galbi is a gustatory delight. Here’s the beef we’ve all been waiting for.
Eat This:
Corn cheese, hwe moo-chim, wagyu cuts of the day
Joon (No. 10)
Vienna | Persian | $$$
Saffron, pistachio, rose, sumac, pomegranate. The aromatic beauties of Persian cuisine could be described as the food’s life force, a concept summed up with a single Farsi word, “joon.”
In fact, this elegant restaurant, sandwiched between the Tysons locations of Rolex and Tiffany & Co., is full of that guiding frisson. From servers who feel like friends sharing a secret with you, to bursts of color on the walls and ceilings, Joon is vividly alive.
This owes more than anything to the flavors. The menu is primed for sharing, whether it’s whole roasted branzino or rotisserie duck, all served with crispy rice. Appetizers and desserts? Also worth splitting with your companions. It’s part of a life-affirming evening of flavors that awaken the senses and introduce Joon into your vocabulary — and dining rotation.
Eat This:
Lamb and pistachio meatballs, sabzi polow ba mahi, saffron and rose water ice cream
Kirby Club
Fairfax | Lebanese | $$
You didn’t know you wished you had a Lebanese grandmother. But after this dining destination in the Mosaic District feeds you, you’ll realize the appeal. It won’t take long before your table is covered with mezze, kebab platters, and colorful dips. The sparkling flavors of this spread live up to their appealing presentation, while obliging servers make diners feel like family.
It’s hard to stop swabbing the warm pita through dips like the havuç, a sprightly carrot purée with sweet, tangy red onion accents. Other pleasers include the fried Brussels sprouts with sweet and sour notes and falafel with a soufflé-like center and crispy exterior. Alternate swoops of the sauces with bites of the softly spiced chicken and a variety of kebabs. (These are served bedded on savory couscous — yet another treat.)
There are no bad seats in this crowd pleaser. Nestled at the central bar or at a window table overlooking the street-side patio, you’ll feel right at home. This is, after all, a family affair, worthy of your newfound Lebanese grandma.
Eat This:
Fried Brussels, falafel, kebab plate
L’Auberge Chez François (No. 3)
Great Falls | French | $$$$*
Generosity doesn’t even begin to describe the hospitality at this old-school French restaurant. Appetizers like the tomatoes grown in the restaurant’s garden plated with roasted corn, cabbage, carrots, and micro greens as well as a fragrant bouillabaisse, chock-full of seafood, could be a satisfying meal. But that won’t stop diners from devouring the classic sole with mushrooms, tomatoes, and new potatoes. Each fresh bite leads to another until the bountiful serving disappears.
Even if you’re not hungry when dessert time arrives, a camera-ready kugelhopf-shaped meringue drizzled with crunchy caramel and bathed in crème anglaise is too enticing to skip.
One meal here leads to fantasies of the next — perhaps featuring the Roquefort cheese tart or the mussels with garlic-herb butter, to be followed by an entrée of duck, veal, or beef tournedos. There will definitely be a traditional Alsatian plum tart, all served with a generous spirit and plenty of panache.
Mama Chang (No. 9)
Fairfax | Chinese | $$
Mom knows best, and chef and restaurateur Peter Chang recognizes this at his Fairfax restaurant, a celebration of the important women in his family.
Homestyle Chinese cooking, including dishes that have been passed down for generations, shine here, amid attentive service and a casual, spacious atmosphere. Traditional foods transport diners from the modern, upscale restaurant to the kitchen of Chang’s family.
Take, for instance, Mama’s hand-pulled noodles with beef brisket — the rich broth, never-ending noodles, and fall-apart meat result in a bowl of pure comfort. Peking duck, boasting shatteringly crisp skin, delicate flesh, and all the fixings, is great for sharing. From flaky and sweet BBQ pork pastry to pan-fried yuanbao pork dumplings, the more dim sum, the merrier.
Culinary talent runs deep in this family, and a meal here is just short of getting invited to a Chang family dinner — we’ll gladly take it.
Meokja Meokja
Fairfax | Korean | $$
You’re the type of diner who knows that the best things in life can come at the end of a lengthy line. The hustle and bustle at this energetic bulgogi slinger has your name on it. But you might not have to wait. Reservations for Meokja Meokja are available on OpenTable — they’re hard to get but worth it to avoid an hour or more walking around the parking lot.
Once at your table, festooned with banchan such as gingery salad, funky kimchi, and toothsome fish cakes, the best bet is Combo 2. It includes brisket, pork belly, bulgogi, and galbi, plus gooey corn cheese, a bubbling steamed egg, and tofu soup, all for $64 for two diners.
Yes, you’ll have to wait until the end of the meal for the sweet surrender of the marinated galbi. Think of it as your reward for skipping the line.
Eat This:
Sliced brisket, marinated beef short rib galbi, corn cheese
Nostos (No. 6)
Vienna | Mediterranean | $$$
You won’t even know what hit you; this charming Greek restaurant comes to Hellenic life from the moment you hear the strains of the bouzouki. Diners are ushered through the white-walled dining room, adorned with nostalgic black-and-white photos of Zorba the Greek himself, Anthony Quinn, and opera grande dame Maria Callas. Memories of a Mykonos adventure come to mind as parties converse over freshly prepared tzatziki and fava Santorinis.
Kefalograviera cheese is pan-flamed tableside for a saganaki that merits a shout of “Opa!” The simply prepared but supremely tasty grilled swordfish, steak, and chicken souvlakis are memorable for their quality and flavor.
Dessert takes the meal to the next level. Varieties of baklava abound, but our money is on the traditional version, brimming with coarsely chopped walnuts and a divine honey drizzle.
A meal at Nostos is an inspired event from the moment you step foot inside the door. Enjoy every outstanding morsel as if you’d paid for a flight to Greece to enjoy it.
Ometeo (No. 7)
Tysons | Tex-Mex | $$$
Tex-Mex north of Dallas has a deservedly bad reputation for plastic cheese and bottled sauces. But Long Shot Hospitality, the group behind The Salt Line, had the foresight to recruit Austin-based Top Chef winner Gabe Erales to collaborate on its latest restaurant. The result? A Tex-Mex palace that would wow even in Erales’ home state.
Fajitas get the star treatment, arriving in sizzling pans girded with queso asadero that melts and caramelizes as the vegetables beneath the meats soften. Those proteins might include a simple chicken breast or skirt steak, but they can be upgraded to shareable feasts that combine flesh such as bone-in short ribs and rib-eye. Diners fold them into corn and flour tortillas, both made before their eyes on a rotating comal in the open kitchen.
Think you don’t like Tex-Mex? Ometeo will prove you wrong.
Padaek
Arlington & Falls Church | Thai-Lao | $$
It wasn’t so long ago that dishes like khao soi and naem khao were considered exotic even to Southeast Asian food obsessives in our region. Since opening the original Padaek in 2010 in Falls Church, Laotian chef Seng Luangrath has raised the profile of her native dishes exponentially among NoVA’s diners.
With her new Arlington Ridge location, Luangrath, now Michelin-recognized for her DC restaurants, is upping her game even further. Order the naem khao thadaeu, crispy coconut rice salad with tangy pork sausage, to taste her origin story, then try the gaeng hang lay, a satiny Burmese-inflected curry, to experience the way she continues to break new ground.
Yes, a bowl of crispy noodles in the form of khao soi has probably become your comfort food in the past decade. Now it’s time to see what else Luangrath has up her sleeve.
Eat This:
Naem khao thadaeu, paa tawd, gaeng hang lay
Roberto’s Ristorante Italiano
Vienna | Italian | $$$$
When a chef and restaurateur has gained Roberto Donna’s level of fame, it would be easy to sit on one’s laurels. But while James Beard Foundation Award– and Iron Chef–winner Donna may have decamped to quieter Vienna from DC, he’s not shy about continuing to challenge himself.
The menu is approachable to suburban diners, but Donna adheres to seasonality with fervor, making additions and subtractions almost daily. The results can be lip-smackingly creative. Diners shouldn’t be afraid to try a dessert of fried ravioli stuffed with tomato jam and drizzled with creamy dots of pistachio sauce. After all, it’s an appealing way to prolong the lives of summer tomatoes.
Guests feel like valued friends as they dine beneath a candy-colored Chihuly chandelier. As comfortable as they are, their chef is never one to sit still, and the meal is all the better for it.
Eat This:
Culatello e fichi, pappardelle al cinghiale, tiramisu
Trattoria Villagio
Clifton | Italian | $$$
A festive vibe seasons the hearty pastas at this welcoming, celebratory spot. Whether you sit at a cozy indoor table or on the enchanting patio, there’s sure to be something on the wide-ranging menu to satisfy your party’s lust for Italian American fare.
Dunking the perfectly cooked crustaceans of the Shrimp Badda-Bing in tangy tomato sauce is a delightful, hands-on experience.
Pastas are a must-order, and there are lots of tempting choices. The supple noodles in the tagliatelle Bolognese are bathed in a fresh-tasting meat sauce. It’s a classic that never gets old in the hands of the expert chefs here. The towering, multilayered chocolate cake is the ideal end to your occasion; not too rich or too sweet, it’s bound to please your crowd.
Eat This:
Shrimp Bada-Bing, tagliatelle Bolognese, chocolate cake
Trummer’s
Clifton | Modern American | $$$
An atmosphere of ease rules in the airy, upstairs dining room and on the shaded terrace at this Clifton retreat. There’s no stuffy dress code. Shirtsleeves and shorts mingle with cocktail dresses — often at the same table.
The menu reflects this relaxed, as-you-please approach. Hearty steaks, meaty pork chops, and pasta with short ribs offer meat lovers their protein fix. Friday and Saturday are prime rib nights, when you’ll see that specialty ceremoniously presented at many tables. Whole, spit-roasted branzino and daily rotisserie specials like duck or porchetta are other appealing choices.
Scallops paired with maitake mushrooms offer deep, earthy, almost-meaty flavors. Crispy Brussels sprouts, accented with blue cheese, are an exceptional side dish.
Desserts, like the rest of the menu, offer easy-to-love indulgence. A blackberry crème brûlée — rich but not cloying — makes a lovely coda to an evening of fine dining with the comforts of home.
Eat This:
Porcini-crusted scallops, Boursin cavatelli, crème brûlée
Feature image of Meokja Meokja by Rey Lopez
This story originally ran in our November issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
