Best Restaurants 2020: Clarity

Vienna is home to meals that truly impress.

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

(Photo by Rey Lopez)

Clarity

Vienna / Modern American / $$$

Clarity reopened before just about any other restaurant in NoVA, with chef-owner Jon Krinn’s parking lot concept, A Lot of Clarity, serving tasting menus tailgate-style. This is just one of Krinn’s big ideas.

Other recent upgrades to his upscale menu include meats cooked on an Argentine grill—ordered pre-pandemic, but a perfect accompaniment to patio dining. Yes, diners are heading to Clarity for tasting menus and a full range of private-label-rye Manhattans, but wouldn’t that cocktail go just beautifully with a carefully grilled steak?

See This: The open kitchen allows you to watch Krinn and co. at work, but if you can, sit outside and enjoy A Lot of Clarity.

Eat This: The menu changes daily, so be flexible. If all else fails, the burger is fantastic.

When to Visit: You’re hoping to impress a client over the best business lunch around.

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.