The United States commemorates 250 years in 2026, and there’s no better way to reflect on our country’s past and to manifest our collective hopes for the future than to visit our nation’s capital. Sure, Washington, D.C. is full of national landmarks, monuments, museums and memorials — many with expansions and new exhibitions marking the anniversary — but the capital city is also home to an incredibly diverse array of restaurants and small businesses in neighborhoods like Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights. Spring brings a vibrancy to the city by way of the celebrated cherry blossom season; the four-week festival adds a softer touch to a city full of power and possibility.
Photography by Erik Kvalsvik
Do
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
With 13 acres of verdant lawns and formal gardens, this beautifully preserved mansion offering special exhibitions and collections of Russian Imperial and 18th century French decorative art is a bucolic escape just a few miles from downtown D.C. Spring is an especially beautiful time of year to visit, with vibrant hellebores, delicate azaleas and a bright kaleidoscope of tulips welcoming guests.
Socialite and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post opened her estate to the public as a museum in 1977. Docent-led mansion and garden tours are great for history buffs, with anecdotes about her adventurous life and exclusive parties sprinkled in. Enriching programming is available year-round, from evening jazz concerts and gardening tours to birdwatching and forest bathing walks. There are even activities for young children (accompanied by adults, of course), to explore the estate through imaginative play and create art using nature’s palette.
Photography by Rey Lopez
Dine
Chef Ryan Ratino’s 16-seat chef’s counter is situated above sister restaurant Bresca, and diners feel like judges on a cooking show, with front-row seats to cooking and plating in the pristine open kitchen. A hip-hop and R&B soundtrack keeps the vibe feeling more playful than pretentious, and guests can choose their own chopsticks from a chic custom display drawer. Wine and sake selections are steep but superb.
Ratino draws inspiration from Japanese flavors and techniques in his cooking, sourcing many of his premium ingredients from the Land of the Rising Sun, including Amadai tilefish from Yamaguchi, crown melon from Shizuoka and Koshiibuki rice from Niigata for his signature donabe course that’s generously showered with freshly shaved truffles at the table. The take-home menu even features a gyotaku Japanese fish print. Dessert — including freshly baked bite-size madeleines — is served next door in a dimly lit lounge for a leisurely and romantic finale.
Photography provided by Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown
Stay
Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown
This elegant hotel’s stately exterior could easily be mistaken for an embassy, and the modern geometric interiors glow with warm golden and brushed bronze tones reflecting off the polished marble floors. The outdoor courtyard is a peaceful spot to enjoy a drink and catch up with friends under cherry trees or indulge in Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea — featuring seasonal specials like white chocolate sour cherry tarts and cherry choux — in the loggia. The signature “bee-tini” featuring honey from the hotel’s rooftop hives is not to be missed.
Service is remarkably attentive for a 413-room hotel, with bellmen addressing guests by name and canine ambassador Georgie greeting travelers in the lobby. Kids and pets are treated like VIPs, with personalized amenities and dedicated menus. The ninth floor Fairmont Gold Lounge serves breakfast, afternoon refreshments and evening hors d’oeuvres for the 48 gold-status rooms and three new specialty suites designed by New York City–based Pierre Josselin.
Photography by Kelsey Shoemaker
Dine
Lapis is a one-of-a-kind modern Afghan restaurant serving family recipes that have been passed down for generations. Matriarch Shamim Popal is the executive chef and culinary ambassador, translating traditional comfort food like bolani flatbread, hearty dumplings and grilled kabobs for an American audience. Her rendition of Afghanistan’s national dish, kabuli pulao (spiced lamb rice pilaf), is a sweet and savory feast of boneless braised lamb, raisins and carrots.
Black-and-white family photos grace the walls, complementing carved wooden dividers and intricately patterned rugs that create an authentic, welcoming atmosphere. “Our goal was for Lapis to feel like an extension of our home,” says cofounder Omar Popal. His family immigrated to the United States in 1987 and now owns four restaurants, including French wine bar Maison Bar à Vins. Of them, Lapis feels the most deeply personal. A secret door guides guests to the restaurant’s speakeasy, Lapop, for experimental Afghani-inspired cocktails and vinyl records after dinner.
Photography by by Farrah Skeiky
Do
Rooted in a mission to support entrepreneurship and cultural heritage, this contemporary Latin American marketplace was built and designed in consultation with local embassies. Vendors include a chocolatier, florist, jeweler and fashion designer all under one roof, along with a wine shop, art gallery and plenty of Latin street-food offerings.
Venezuelan master chocolatier Anabella Arcay was a founding tenant when La Cosecha opened in 2019, and her glossy bonbons at Arcay Chocolates have done so well that she recently opened a standalone storefront in Georgetown. She has won 42 medals at the International Chocolate Awards for flavors like guava, passionfruit and rosemary sea salt. Her husband, Dario Berti, is fondly considered the mayor of La Cosecha for his steadfast leadership within the community. The market regularly hosts a wide array of public events, from yoga and salsa classes to pastry-making lessons and pressed floral plate workshops.
Photography by Rachel Paraoan
Dine
The playful modern Vietnamese menu at Moon Rabbit features a bold dose of Cajun flavor inspired by chef Kevin Tien’s childhood in Louisiana. There are ample vegetarian and pescatarian dishes, and Tien balances familiar and foreign flavors in fun ways, like mochi beignets with chili jam–glazed freshwater eel, cassava cornbread with coconut condensed milk butter, and creamy tofu stracciatella with stir-fried lemongrass chili scarlet runner beans, plus crispy shio koji focaccia for dipping.
Executive Pastry Chef and partner Susan Bae’s desserts are equally adventurous, built around ingredients not typically associated with sweet treats — think seaweed, tomato and curry. Green curry sponge cake with avocado sorbet, soursop mousse and fish sauce caramel is an ethereal delight that’s been on the menu since the eatery’s opening in 2024. The inventive fare and friendly service earned Moon Rabbit a spot on the inaugural North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list last year.
