The Eater 38 is the ultimate guide to restaurants that define a city’s dining scene. Eater’s editors, who are constantly eating out and checking in with restaurant industry insiders, compile this list every quarter to update it with the essential restaurants you need to know about in th is moment. As always, we ensure the list includes a diverse range of cuisines, prices, and neighborhoods in the D.C. area. In this latest refresh, we’ve revamped our write-ups to include even more relevant info for diners, including a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10, to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.  New to the map in this winter 2026 update: Motorkat, for pristine seafood in Takoma Park, Karravaan, for Tibetan momos in the Union Market district, and Lucky Danger, for Chinese American eats in Penn Quarter. And for this round, we’ve trimmed Tabard Inn, Sura, and now-closed Shilling Canning Co. ...read more read less