Did you know that besides travel rewards and tailored cash back benefits, Capital One also offers some of the most unforgettable dining experiences? From exclusive reservations at hot tables to chef collaborations and dinners (you even get access to exclusive MICHELIN Guide events like the Star Crawl, where an industry expert leads a culinary tour through multiple MICHELIN-Starred restaurants), Capital One Dining is the perfect choice for anyone with an appreciation for gastronomy.
That’s why we took it upon ourselves to round up all of the restaurants that are partnered up with Capital One Dining and what to order when you're there. And what better place to kick things off than the nation’s capital?
And if you want the full comprehensive guide to enjoying Washington, D.C. like an expert, click here.
Bresca (One MICHELIN Star)
Cuisine: Contemporary
It's set on busy 14th Street, but beautiful Bresca far from blends in with the crowd. Instead, it mixes the warmth of a neighborhood treasure with the talent of a special occasion spot. The cooking is casual yet ambitious, thanks to Chef Ryan Ratino’s cutting-edge credentials.
Inspector notes: "Find a clear sense of artistry in the likes of a foie gras "negroni" topped with Campari gelée or the agreeably priced and perfect pappardelle with lamb ragù."
Jônt (Two MICHELIN Stars)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Ryan Ratino's ambitious counter is an experience like nothing else in the city. Sitting just above Bresca, the room is a constant hive of activity with sharp-suited servers gliding about and laser-focused chefs working in perfect tandem. Top-rate seafood and meat from Japan and beautiful sauces form the core of this menu.
Inspector notes: "Think delicate tarts with wagyu tartare, grilled sawara with beet and pomegranate sauce, and a particularly striking king crab rice cooked in a donabe."
The Red Hen (Bib Gourmand)
Cuisine: Italian
You’ll want to wake up with the rooster to score a reservation at this rustic Italian gem as it’s incredibly popular, and always packed. What’s so special, you ask? The food, of course, which is terrific.
Inspector notes: "Pastas are spot on and include cacio e pepe “arancini,” crowd-favorite mezzi rigatoni or even the mafalde verde—a sweet-and-savory combo of braised duck ragù,"
Cuisine: Contemporary
The team is passionate, skilled, and full of technical expertise, creating a menu that gets off to a stimulating start, perhaps a watermelon "margarita" which is in fact a wedge of compressed watermelon infused with mezcal, garnished with lime and salt. Whimsy is a driving force here, and it is delightfully rendered in items like the cauliflower and caviar.
Inspector notes: "The meal hits its crescendo with the likes of a perfectly cooked squab breast sauced with huckleberry gastrique. The fun is carried through to the very end, with the crowd-pleasing fried ice cream donut."
Oyamel (Bib Gourmand)
Cuisine: Mexican
This well-liked mainstay of DC Mexican cuisine comes courtesy of Spanish Chef Jose Andres, whose typical dedication to flavorful cooking and high-quality ingredients still draws brisk business. The kitchen's dedication to technique and ingredients is clear, with a particular penchant for regionally inflected Mexican cuisine like huevos enfrijoladas, crispy chilaquiles, and gorditas topped with Hudson Valley duck confit.
Inspector notes: "Don’t miss the tarasca estilo pátzcuaro though, an otherworldly black bean soup with avocado leaves, swirls of crema, and crumbled cotija."
The Dabney (One MICHELIN Star)
Cuisine: American
In operation for close to a decade, The Dabney has earned a recent refresh. Chef/owner Jeremiah Langhorne serves up the flavors of the Mid-Atlantic with a hint of a Southern accent and the tasting menu is a deeper, more committed expression of the team's talents.
Inspector notes: "Diners are welcomed by an array of stimulating snacks that may offer a bite-sized stack of apple cake and foie gras torchon; fried catfish tucked between a moist sweet potato bun and bouquet of bitter salad greens meant to be dipped in bacon fat."
Elcielo Washington (One MICHELIN Star)
Cuisine: Columbian
This concept from Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos can be found adjacent to Union Market's La Cosecha. Presentation is the cornerstone here, with an admirable level of showmanship, and dishes embody a love letter to the chef's native Colombia. This is deeply personal cooking, with the chef utilizing Colombian ingredients in dishes that share history and purpose.
Inspector notes: "From the snacks to the corn broth that makes you rethink this staple to the chocotherapy dessert, this dining experience is seamless. The ingredients are Colombian, many of the dishes have history, purpose and definition."
Jaleo
Cuisine: Spanish
Chef José Andrés has opened locations of this tapas hangout from Las Vegas to Chicago to Dubai, but it all started here inside the Beltway. Unafraid of color and pattern, the expansive interior is a riot of glass, tile, hardwood and art, and the vibe is never dull or low energy.
Inspector notes: "Start with marinated olives and aged Manchego cheese and work your way toward their fresh seafood, like their calamares and su tinta, or squid with rice and a squid ink sauce."
Masseria (One MICHELIN Star)
Cuisine: Italian
With its seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces, this is a shining beacon amid high-rises, restaurants, and stores galore. Chef/owner Nicholas Stefanelli's Puglian heritage comes through in the menu. His dishes hit all the right notes, balancing playful with serious elements, as in a cigar box filled with focaccia.
Inspector notes: "You’ll want to save room though for the maccheroni with goat ragù. Even dessert strays from the pack—beet ice cream anyone?"
Zaytinya (Bib Gourmand)
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Chef José Andrés' ocean-blue ode to the cuisine of Greece, Lebanon, and Turkey means an ample, wide-ranging carte. Mezze is the menu's focus and the quality of food is solid. Zero in on the mushroom kapnista with dates, walnuts, and labneh for richness.
Inspector notes: "There are a myriad of spreads to be paired with fresh pita, followed by salads and flatbreads (or pide), which are of the dive-right-in variety. Vegetarians will revel in the diversity of dishes, while braised lamb is the Sunday roast everyone deserves."
Lapis (Bib Gourmand)
Cuisine: Afghan
Husband-and-wife owners Zubair and Shamim Popal share the fragrant cuisine of their native Afghanistan. Light and fresh without the heavy-handed spicing of other regional cuisines, this food is a delicious discovery.
Inspector notes: "Split pea soup may sound basic but here it is layered with flavor. And chopawn is the real deal—this trio of grilled-to-perfection lamb chops is served with sensational cardamom-scented rice and draws you in forkful after fluffy forkful."
Maketto (Bib Gourmand)
Cuisine: Asian
Credit to chef-owner Erik Bruner-Yang and his team for keeping it fresh, as it were. On ever-changing H Street, this long-favored restaurant at first looks like a clothing store with its glittering display cases lined with chic merch. More impressive, though, is what’s on the menu: A diverse, ambitious, and consistently satisfying roster of dishes inspired by flavors from across Asia.
Inspector notes: "Everything here is designed to share, starting with Cantonese-style shrimp dumplings dressed in Cambodian fish sauce and garnished with dill. What’s next? A Thai-spicy riff on pork laab with bone marrow? An imposing boulder of crispy fried chicken laced in five-spice caramel?"
Hero image: The Jefferson
