3 VA, DC Restaurants Among 50 Best In U.S., New York Times Says In Ranking

One of America’s best restaurants is located in Virginia and two are in Washington, D.C., according to a new list from The New York Times.

To develop The Restaurant List, 14 New York Times reporters and editors took 76 flights to 33 states, where they ate more than 200 meals, the publication said. The sleuths showed up unannounced and made reservations through a smartphone app.

“We pay for all of our food, and we don’t accept freebies. We eat like you do, with the same hope for a meal to remember, to be welcomed and delighted,” The Times wrote.

More than half of the restaurants have opened since the 2024 list was published, The Times said.

In Virginia, Maude and the Bear in Staunton stood out as remarkable, according to the report. Maude and the Bear was a 2025 nominee for the James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant award. Located in a 1926 Montgomery Ward kit house with an inn, the restaurant serves a tasting menu as well as multi-course breakfast to inn guests. Chef Ian Boden, who has been nominated for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef Mid-Atlantic twice, leads the kitchen.

In D.C., Dōgon and La’ Shukran caught editors' eyes. Dōgon at the Salamander Washington DC is led by Chef Kwame Onwuachi, who brings Afro-Caribbean cuisine. According to the restaurant, the concept draws inspiration from D.C. surveyor Benjamin Banneker and the chef's heritage with the West African Dogon tribe.

La’ Shukran comes from Chef Michael Rafidi, the 2024 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Chef. The New York Times describes the restaurant as a speakeasy with cocktails, a wine bar and mezze bistro bringing flavors from the Levantine region of the Middle East.