Back in the 1970s and 1980s, dining in the nation’s capital usually meant French, said Todd Kliman, Cynthia Hacinli, Ann Limpert, and Dave McIntyre in The Washingtonian. Even as recently as 10 years ago, French restaurants ruled the scene. Today most of them “are gone or have been eclipsed,” as dining culture has transitioned from formal to casual. That said, Washington, D.C.’s No. 1 restaurant, Citronelle, offers food with so many influences “you might not recognize its Gallic underpinnings.” Here are the three best restaurants in the greater metropolitan area, according to our annual review.
Citronelle
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