These 4 MD, DC Restaurants 'Define Dining,' New Top 100 Ranking Says

Four Maryland and D.C. restaurants have been named to a ranking of 100 nationwide that “delight their communities and make them better.”

Resy, an online restaurant reservation service, said “The Resy 100” is a “curation of restaurants that thrill us, that serve exceptional food that alternately might be comforting or daring, traditional or completely new.”

“These are places that make us want to return again and again, and define the best of our dining culture today,” the company, which represents some 10,000 eateries nationwide, said with the release of the rankings.

“... They don’t have to be new,” the company said of the 100 restaurants on the list. “They don’t have to have a famous chef at the helm. They could be absolutely anywhere — as we’ve learned, a great meal can find you where you least expect it, whether you’ve traversed the country or just headed down the block. They are, simply, excellent and cherished. They delight their communities, and make them better.”

Restaurants from Maryland and Washington, D.C., included in the ranking are:

Charleston Restaurant, 1000 Lancaster St., Baltimore, ranked No. 13

Resy said: "Chef Cindy Wolf is one of Baltimore’s great cooking talents … she combines French training with coastal bounty … hence a Maryland lump crab gratin, or a wild halibut with local corn and tomato relish, or for that matter cornmeal fried oysters with a cayenne mayonnaise — all of which explain why Wolf has frequently been lauded by the James Beard Foundation. But wine is the real driving force at Charleston, namely a nearly 60-page list by wine director Lindsay Willey that earned Beard kudos in 2025. Indeed, each menu item lists a potential wine pairing right below. Charleston shows how fine dining can not just endure but thrive even in these casual times."

Lutèce, 1522 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., ranked No. 3

Resy said: "Matt Conroy and his wife Isabel Coss have created a postmodern chef dynasty in Washington, of the best sort. … Lutèce has become a destination for bold, boundless French cooking: dishes like skewered duck hearts with a jus and mandarinquat — Conroy’s latest twist on duck à l’orange — or Parisian gnocchi with snails and fermented butter, or a steak tartare spiked with harissa."

Tapori, 600 H St. NE, Washington, D.C., ranked No. 7

Resy said: "Tapori exudes colorful warmth and energy, plus a much bigger bar and an open kitchen, where diners can catch a glimpse of the fiery fanfare, including a “leg’o lamb” kebab seasoned with black garlic, and green cardamom."

St. James, 2017 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C., ranked No. 31

Resy said: "When psychologist Jeanine Prime opened St. James in 2022, her goal was to pay tribute to her Trinidadian roots — but also to acknowledge how D.C. is a city built on many diaspora traditions. So there’s calaloo soup and oxtails with pigeon peas, but also Trini-style bao stuffed with ground pork, a paratha and roti platter with a bevy of curries, and seafood black rice that’s a gorgeous reinterpretation of paella."

SEE ALSO:

• This MD Restaurant Is Among 50 Best In U.S., New York Times Says In Ranking
• 4 MD Eateries Named Among DC Region's Best New Restaurants By Food Critic
• 1 MD Restaurant Named 2025 James Beard Winner
• These MD Restaurants Have Outstanding Wine Programs, Magazine Says