Resy Names the Top Restaurants in Washington DC Right Now
Resy has named its top restaurants in Washington DC right now. See which spots the booking platform is spotlighting across the capital.
In brief
Resy, one of the country's leading restaurant reservation platforms, has released its current roundup of the top restaurants in Washington DC. The list reflects where the platform's dining editors believe DC diners should be eating right now, offering a curated snapshot of the District's most compelling tables.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Resy has published a current "top restaurants" list specifically for Washington DC.
The list is curated by Resy's editorial team and reflects the platform's best-of picks for the city right now.
DC's dining scene continues to earn national recognition from major reservation and dining platforms.
What Resy's DC List Signals About the Capital's Dining Scene
When Resy publishes a "right now" list for a specific city, it carries weight. The platform, which powers reservations for some of the most sought-after tables in the country, uses its editorial arm — branded "Right This Way" — to surface restaurants that are generating genuine momentum, not just legacy prestige. A placement on a Resy city list can drive reservation demand the same way a Washington Post dining review once did.
For Washington DC, that recognition matters. The District's restaurant industry has long punched above its weight for a city of its size, with neighborhoods from Shaw to Navy Yard to 14th Street NW consistently producing chefs and concepts that attract national attention. Resy's decision to spotlight DC's top tables reflects that ongoing energy.
Why DC Diners Should Pay Attention to Resy's Picks
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Resy's editorial lists differ from static "best of" rankings because they are designed to reflect what's happening right now — a living document updated to account for new openings, shifting buzz, and the natural turnover of a competitive dining market. For DC diners, that means the list functions as a practical guide to where reservations are worth chasing at this moment, not just which institutions have held prestige for decades.
DC's culinary landscape has grown increasingly sophisticated, with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington regularly reporting growth in independent restaurant concepts across the metro area. National platforms taking notice — from Resy to the Michelin Guide, which has covered DC for years — underscores how seriously the city's dining scene is taken beyond the Beltway.
Why This Matters in Washington
In a city where power lunches at Georgetown institutions and late-night bites in U Street corridors carry equal cultural weight, a Resy spotlight list does more than help diners decide where to eat. It shapes perception. Restaurants that land on lists like this see real reservation surges, which translates directly into revenue for small, independently owned businesses that form the backbone of DC's food economy. For a city still navigating the long recovery arc of the pandemic's impact on hospitality, national visibility from platforms like Resy is a meaningful economic signal — not just a culinary one. Follow WDCM's DC Restaurant Power Rankings for ongoing coverage of where the capital is eating.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Resy's "Right This Way" list for Washington DC?
It is Resy's editorially curated roundup of the top restaurants in Washington DC right now, published by the reservation platform's dining editorial team to highlight where diners should be eating at this moment.
How often does Resy update its DC restaurant list?
Resy's city lists are designed to be living documents that reflect current dining momentum, though the specific update schedule is determined by Resy's editorial team.
Why does a Resy list matter for DC restaurants?
A placement on Resy's top restaurant list can drive significant reservation demand and national visibility for DC dining establishments, making it a meaningful endorsement in a competitive market.
Where can I make reservations at the top DC restaurants on Resy's list?
Reservations for restaurants featured on Resy's DC list can be made directly through the Resy platform.
What neighborhoods in DC tend to produce top-ranked restaurants?
DC neighborhoods including Shaw, Navy Yard, 14th Street NW, Georgetown, and U Street have historically produced highly regarded restaurant concepts that attract national attention.
The bottom line: Resy's current top restaurants list for Washington DC offers diners a platform-curated guide to the city's most compelling tables right now. For a capital city with a dining scene that consistently earns national recognition — from the Michelin Guide to major reservation platforms — a Resy spotlight is a reliable signal of where the city's culinary energy is concentrated. Check WDCM's Best of DC guide for more on where the District is eating, drinking, and gathering.
What to watch next: As DC's fall dining season approaches, watch for new openings across Shaw and the Capitol Riverfront that could reshape Resy's DC rankings in the months ahead.
Reporting drawn from: Resy. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
