Best Restaurants in Arlington

by The OpenTable Team

Updated 19 January 2022

Arlington may appear to be a typical conservative city since it serves as the headquarters for a slew of political and legislative entities, such as the Pentagon and the National Cemetery. However, the city is a melting pot for diverse cultures from every corner of the globe, evident in the city's dining scene. Arlington's global cuisine selections equal those of many considerably larger cities, and its nightlife alternatives combine the local flavor with a touch of international flair. The neighborhood boasts award-winning restaurateurs and world-renowned chefs that adequately reflect the city's culture through remarkable dining concepts. The dining scene in Arlington meets every dining need, from vegan-friendly options to chic, upscale restaurants committed to providing the city's rich flavors using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Restaurant506 at The Sanford House

4.9

4.9 (1914)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Arlington

About the restaurant

Since its debut in 1997, Restaurant506 has been serving inventive inspired American cuisine. Helmed by executive chef David Pacheco, the restaurant blends traditional cooking techniques with fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create seasonal brunch, lunch, and dinner menus, featuring hand-prepared specialties that are elegantly presented. The restaurant is nestled in Downtown Arlington and offers a chic yet welcoming ambiance, adorned with wall artworks, ideal for a memorable dining experience. Diners can savor the restaurant's best sellers and local favorites such as Butternut Squash Risotto with Tender Sugar Snap Peas, and Lemon Beurre Blanc, or Boursin Stuffed Chicken Breast. Also, Restaurant506 boasts attentive, friendly staff, ensuring a personalized and satisfactory experience. To complement the savory dishes at the restaurant is a full bar, which has a comprehensive selection of drinks, from beer to cocktails and wine.

Top review

Paula

Dined 4 days ago

WE always have a wonderful time there. Our server Brie is phenomenal and just love her. Everyone there is great!!!

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Popular dish

Scallop Risotto

Popular dish

Seasonal Bread Pudding

Mercury Chophouse - Arlington

4.3

4.3 (1712)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Arlington

About the restaurant

Mercury Chophouse is Jim Ross' dining concept that has graced downtown Arlington since 2001. As its name suggests, Mercury Chophouse is a fine steakhouse serving chef-inspired surf and turf staples presented with finesse. The restaurant is perched on the ninth floor of the Brookhollow Two office tower, offering stunning views of the city's entertainment district combined with a warm, classic steakhouse atmosphere and high-quality service to create a remarkable dining experience. Also, the restaurant provides a comprehensive menu with signature entrees and local favorites, including sizzling steak, lamb shank, cedar plank salmon, chophouse calamari, and hill country shrimp. The restaurant offers a piano bar, serving curated cocktails, beer, scotch, and an extensive wine list including premiere bottles from eminent wine regions, including Italy, France, and Spain, complemented with live music.

Top review

Cullen

Dined on 25 Feb 2025

Great service and food! Would definitely return. Thank you.

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4.6

4.6 (883)

$31 to $50

Brazilian Steakhouse

Arlington

About the restaurant

VB Steakhouse is a classic Brazilian steakhouse nestled in the heart of Arlington’s entertainment district, serving sculpted tableside steaks and creative side dishes. The restaurant is Robert Sa's dining concept committed to showcasing Brazilian culture's charm and fresh flavors right at your dinner table. VB Steakhouse boasts a vast menu with over 12 cuts of the most succulent, sizzling, and tender meats, ranging from ribeye, pork, lamb, and chicken. Vegan diners can also check out the restaurant to sample vegan-friendly options at the salad buffet or savor the side dishes and creative desserts. In addition, the steakhouse features an award-winning wine list featuring over 100 brands from all over the world and a sommelier-curated wine selection by the glass. VB Steakhouse provides a chic, intimate atmosphere blended with world-class service to create a memorable dining experience.

Top review

Cindy

Dined on 23 Feb 2025

Wonderful. I applauded the service, we were very taken care of. The food was so good and they did a good job of coming around to check on the whole table. I highly recommend for special occasions or just to feel good.

Chamas do Brazil

4.3

4.3 (1985)

$31 to $50

Brazilian Steakhouse

Arlington

About the restaurant

Since its debut in 2014, Chamas do Brazil, which means 'Flames of Brazil,' has been serving inventive Gaucho-inspired cuts. The restaurant offers a unique meat roasting technique centered on a centuries-old Southern Brazil gaucho tradition, churrasco. The restaurant is nestled in South Arlington and is helmed by restauranteur Paulo Generoso, born and raised in Brazil. Diners can start with sampling the restaurant's hearty salad bar before savoring a wide selection of meat cuts served on skewers and sliced directly to the platter by the restaurant's gaucho staff. Also, Chamas do Brazil provides a comprehensive selection of wines and creative desserts, which people can choose from a detailed listing shown on an iPad right at the table. The restaurant boasts a fair share of accolades, including receiving Wine Spectator's coveted "Best of Award of Excellence" yearly since the restaurant's inception. Moreover, Chamas do Brazil features Brazilian music playing in the background over speakers throughout the restaurant to enhance the dining experience.

Top review

Evelyn

Dined on 26 Feb 2025

My friends and I had so much fun dining here! all the different cuts of meat were full of flavor and the drinks taste amazing and strong! we’ll definitely be coming back.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - Arlington

4.5

4.5 (3036)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Arlington

About the restaurant

Nestled in downtown Arlington, The Keg Steakhouse + Bar – Arlington serves inventive steak cuts, aged to tenderness and grilled to finesse. Diners can enjoy savoring the restaurant's signature specialty, Prime Rib, which is slowly grilled, hand-cut, and precisely seasoned with unique Keg seasonings. Also, the dinner-only restaurant features fresh seafood, creative appetizers, trademark salads, and rich desserts to spruce up diners’ plates. Moreover, the steakhouse boasts a casual yet inviting atmosphere, with wood panels and bespoke lighting, combined with friendly and knowledgeable staff, ideal for a memorable dining experience. Diners can try out the local favorites at the restaurant, including horseradish served with red wine herb jus or grilled sirloin served with garlic chive butter and garlic aioli. The Keg Steakhouse's relaxing and fulfilling dining experience is complemented by a dynamic and chic bar ambiance where diners can sample an impressive wine list, classic Keg martinis, and freshly pressed fruit drinks.

Top review

Ginette

Dined 7 days ago

Everything was so delicious. My bestie was so happy.

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Cane Rosso - Arlington

4.6

4.6 (144)

$30 and under

Italian

Arlington

About the restaurant

Cane Rosso - Arlington, a 2020 debutant, is Jay Jerrier's dining concept tucked in the heart of Arlington's Urban Union District. The pizzeria was inspired by the owner's honeymoon in Italy in 1995, where he got the insight after enjoying his first classic Italian pizza. Upon making his way back to Texas, Jerrier wanted to replicate his experience in Italy and came up with his mobile pizzeria concept in 2009. Cane Rosso – Arlington serves thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza with mozzarella topping and baked over a wooden fire, creating a somewhat charred edge. The menu features over 20 pizza options to savor, with habanero honey and spicy soppressata pizza with bacon marmalade being the clear local favorite. Also, the pizzeria boasts a full menu of pasta, a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, and desserts. To enhance the dining experience, the restaurant offers a curated wine list, local brews, and creative cocktails. The restaurant is nestled in an old building with a rustic finish and string lights, evoking a vintage feel, and a scenic outdoor patio, ideal for a memorable dining experience.

Top review

Alexandria

Dined on 12 Feb 2025

We had such a great time! The Nuggz appetizer was delicious! We had the Cane Rosso Pizza 10/10. Our server was amazing, Rachael! She was super kind and helpful, it was my friend and I first time trying this place, Rachael gave us so many helpful recommendations and was super patient/kind/helpful. She is the best!

a Modo Mio

4.7

4.7 (290)

$30 and under

Italian

Falls Church

About the restaurant

Since its debut in 1978, a Modo Mio has been offering rich Italian flavors right at Falls Church, Arlington. The restaurant, owned by the Farruggio family, is committed to serving inventive specialties inspired by their rich heritage as immigrants from Agrigento, Italy. Over the years, the restaurant has established itself as a pizzeria staple, bagging a fair share of accolades and awards, including featuring in various "best of" lists. The restaurant reopened as a Modo Mio, which means "my way" in 2020 to continue the family's legacy of creative Italian cuisine right in Arlington. a Modo Mio boasts a warm, inviting atmosphere and an outdoor patio for dining al fresco, offering scenic views, ideal for a remarkable dining experience. The family-owned pizzeria provides a vast menu made up of unique recipes directly from the family's recipe book, including Neapolitan pizza, pasta, salads, and creative entrees. Diners can try out the local favorites at the restaurant, such as house-made potato gnocchi with gorgonzola, pecorino, parmesan, and imported Buffalo mozzarella. Also, the restaurant provides a fine wine list, draft beer, and cocktails to complement the savory Italian cuisine.

Top review

Gary

Dined on 24 Feb 2025

Good food, excellent value. Friendly service. Mondays are half off bottles from their wine list. We had bottle of Amarone for the price I would have paid in some restaurants for a Chianti.

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Experience

Monday Wine Day

Experience

Thursday All Day Happy Hour!

Salt

4.8

4.8 (601)

$30 and under

Speakeasy

Arlington

About the restaurant

Opened in 2019, Salt is a cocktail bar and restaurant by the Metropolitan Hospitality Group nestled in the heart of Rosslyn. The restaurant is hidden away from the bustle of traffic amidst a sea of glass and steel. Diners can escape the crowds and unwind to the sounds of hypnotic music while sampling strong tastes and classic craft cocktails. Helmed by chef Mike Huff, Salt has managed to balance providing a sophisticated and refined menu that is still approachable, and which offers something for every diner. The restaurant's menu features inventive seafood staples, including oysters on the half shell and shrimp cocktail, prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Also, the restaurant provides a chic yet inviting atmosphere with sleek contemporary twists. Salt's chic ambiance is enhanced by ruby red booths, exposed brick walls, patterned wallpapers, wooden décor, and black polished concrete flooring.

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Hana

Dined 6 days ago

Consistently great service, food and cocktails! Menu is seasonal and short (my preference). Cocktails are fun, creative and delicious. Sitting at the bar gives you extra show, rest of the restaurant has great vibe.

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4.8

4.8 (879)

$31 to $50

French

Arlington

About the restaurant

Café Colline is a dining concept by restaurateurs Eric, and Ian Hilton tucked in the heart of downtown Arlington, which debuted in mid-2020. The cozy neighborhood restaurant features a creative French bistro menu helmed by chef Brendan L'Etoile, an ideal spot for relaxing lunches, romantic dates, or just a delightful night-out of exquisite food and beverages, thanks to the chef-inspired specialties. The restaurant blends the traditional French flavors with contemporary techniques and presentations to create unique specialties. Also, Café Colline provides opulent dining spaces, with a chic yet welcoming interior and scenic outdoor patio, integrated with the quality, friendly service, ideal for a memorable dining experience. Diners can dig into inventive French dishes, including pistachio pistou, served with butternut squash and pecorino, and the local favorite Croque Madame, featuring Parisian ham, with gruyère, mornay sauce, and a fried egg. Moreover, the restaurant has a comprehensive drink menu, including beers, wines, and cocktails to complement its French-inspired treats.

Top review

Michael

Dined 2 days ago

Always great food and attentive staff. Looking forward to seeing the menu updated for spring—bring back the pork with hen of the wood mushrooms!

Istanbul Grill

4.6

4.6 (115)

$30 and under

Turkish

Arlington

About the restaurant

Tucked in the heart of downtown Arlington is Istanbul Grill, a chic Turkish restaurant owned by restaurateur Sam Serdar Sensel and his wife, Dido. The restaurant opened in 2009 and has been offering a gateway to Turkish culture and hospitality through its creative classic Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. Sensel is an immigrant from Mersin, Turkey, and his background and upbringing inspire the flavors at Istanbul Grill. To offer a touch of Turkey to Arlington, the restaurant offers a diverse mosaic of heritage and customs from Sensel's birthplace, taking delight in presenting Turkey's culture via unique, budget-friendly dishes prepared with fresh, quality ingredients. Istanbul Grill features a warm, inviting atmosphere with a red theme, wall hangings, creative artwork, and wooden flooring, combined with personalized, friendly service to create a memorable dining experience. The restaurant offers a vast menu with staples such as sizzling grilled beef, chicken, and seafood and unique specialties, including moussaka - a lasagna-like dish layered with sliced eggplant minced beef topped served with béchamel sauce in the Greek style.

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MARIANNEVIP

Dined on 13 Feb 2025

A nice local restaurant for a casual date night with my spouse. The service was very good and attentive. Food was tasty. My doner kabob had too much cooking oil on it but was still tasty.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ - Arlington, VA | Clarendon

4.8

4.8 (703)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Arlington

About the restaurant

Gyu-Kaku- a Japanese name meaning "Horn of the Bull" is a Japanese restaurant nestled in downtown Arlington. The restaurant is co-owned by nightlife entrepreneurs David Chung and Kijun Sung and debuted in Arlington in 2018. Gyu-Kaku offers a premium Japanese yakiniku grilled barbeque dining experience, where diners can enjoy inventive meat cuts cooked over a flaming charcoal grill. The restaurant boasts a wide selection of meat cuts, from the local favorite Harami Skirt to the Certified Angus Kalbi Short. Also, the restaurant welcomes vegan diners with an ample selection of vegetable and seafood options and a diverse, vast menu featuring vegan-friendly appetizers, bibimbap, ramen, and salads. Gyu-Kaku provides a cozy, ambient atmosphere, featuring a stylized cow mural with its several cuts designated in hand-lettering, which symbolizes the primary highlight of the restaurant—beef. To complement the savory Japanese flavors at the restaurant is a comprehensive drink menu, including sake, beer, wine, and cocktails.

Top review

Anny

Dined on 21 Feb 2025

When staff serves in the Japanese way it makes the dining experience so much better. Manager and our server Sharon really took good care of us.

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Experience

Prix-Fixe BBQ Courses for Everyone: Starting at...

Maya Bistro

4.5

4.5 (289)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Arlington

About the restaurant

Maya Bistro is a family-owned restaurant nestled in the Leeway-Overlee neighborhood. Since opening in 2019, the restaurant has been serving inventive specialties, ranging from simple snacks to a multi-course meal that celebrates Turkey's delightful food and heritage. The restaurant offers an upscale yet welcoming atmosphere, which provides a memorable casual dining experience. Maya Bistro embraces the immense diversity of Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine and culture through a unique combination of traditional and contemporary dishes, complemented with outstanding hospitality and service. Helmed by Murat G., the restaurant relies on the family's extensive understanding of classic and modern Turkish and Mediterranean culinary and the different regional inspirations on Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, thanks to their 35 years of expertise in various cuisines. Diners can try out the best sellers at the restaurant, including moussaka, falafel, and Adana sandwiches, sizzling grilled meat cuts on skewers, and a range of pide flatbreads. Also, Maya Bistro offers vegan options and a kids' menu, ideal for a family night out.

Top review

nahghedVIP

Dined 5 days ago

A great restaurant. Fantastic food, top notch service, clean and nice dining area. We ordered a couple of appetizers and 4 different entrees. Everything was fantastic.

Smokecraft Modern Barbecue

4.5

4.5 (422)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Arlington

About the restaurant

Since its opening in mid-2020, Smokecraft Modern Barbecue restaurant, nestled in the Clarendon neighborhood, has been serving inventive dishes for dine-in, takeout, and weekend brunch. The restaurant offers a vast, diverse menu featuring classic entrees, desserts, and a wide array of beverages. Smokecraft Modern Barbecue is helmed by the award-winning chef and restaurateur Andrew Darneille, a dining concept conceived to offer a contemporary touch and passion to the typical traditional smoky barbecue. The restaurant features a chic yet welcoming ambiance with rustic wooden furnish, blended with quality and hospitality to spruce up diners’ dining experiences. Diners can try out the local favorites at the restaurant, including St. Louis ribs, Pork belly burnt ends, and chocolate cherry bread pudding. Moreover, a comprehensive drink menu that features signature cocktails, blends rye whiskey, wines, and beers complement the restaurant's creative specialties. Also, the restaurant offers a scenic outdoor seating area, ideal for a memorable dining experience.

Top review

Deborah

Dined on 18 Feb 2025

Great food, nice menu options, appreciated the nice service

Ruthie's All-Day

4.8

4.8 (3262)

$30 and under

American

Arlington

About the restaurant

Opened in late 2020, Ruthie's All-Day Restaurant is an American Barbecue restaurant nestled in a single-story, historic Mid-Century building in downtown Arlington, formerly occupied by a chocolate factory. The restaurant features a chic yet welcoming ambiance with large windows and a rustic finish that induces a vintage vibe. Arlington's award-winning chef, Matt Hill, teamed up with restaurateur Todd Salvadore to open the family-friendly all-day restaurant, serving creative specialties. Matt Hill's grandmother inspires Ruthie's All-Day inventive dishes, featuring her recipes blended with his expertise and professional experience. The restaurant specializes in serving barbeque and classic Southern food prepared and presented with a contemporary twist. Diners can try out dishes from the restaurant's vast menu, including the main entrée, plucked from an Argentine-style wood-burning hearth, or sample its long list of sides, from charred kimchi dirty rice to a casserole-style mac and cheese. Also, Ruthie's All-Day boasts an outstanding beverage program steered by Todd Salvadore. The award-winning sommelier offers curated cocktails to accompany its savory dishes, twists on classic favorites, and a rotating eight draft beer program from local breweries.

Top review

MichelleVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Excelleny lunch on the patio. Service very good - salmon salads divine. Keep up the good work, Ruthie’s! Michelle Lore

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4.8

4.8 (897)

$30 and under

Sushi

Arlington

About the restaurant

Yume Sushi restaurant, which debuted in mid-2018, is conveniently nestled in the North Arlington neighborhood. The restaurant is steered by award-winning chef Saran 'Peter' Kannasute, a Bangkok, Thailand, native, whose childhood and upbringing with a passion for cooking inspired his culinary journey. The chef's parents owned a restaurant in Bangkok which drove his ambition to open his restaurant upon immigrating to the United States at 19. The Japanese restaurant provides a variety of exceptional dining alternatives, complemented with a comprehensive selection of rare sake and handcrafted cocktails. Yume Sushi's cuisine features a contemporary take on Japanese classics and the Omakase dining experience, in which diners allow chefs absolute creative freedom over their meals. The dishes include unique tastings and starters, signature rolls, sushi, sashimi entrée, sushi a la carte, and a sake list. There are also vegetarian options available at the restaurant, accommodating every dining need. The restaurant's dining room welcomes diners into an intimate setting, adorned with stunning murals, moody lighting, and blond wood furnishing, where Omakase is practiced with great art, immersing diners into the world of Japanese cuisine.

Top review

MelanieVIP

Dined on 14 Feb 2025

We had a beautiful Valentine’s Day dinner with the BEST sushi in the area and top-notch service! Thank you.

Open Road Grill - Rosslyn

4.6

4.6 (260)

$30 and under

American

Arlington

About the restaurant

Set up at a dynamic Rosslyn neighborhood, Open Road Grill - Rosslyn debuted in Arlington's dining scene in late 2019. The restaurant's decor is inspired by American culture, passion for music, love of outdoor patio, and open road spirit. The restaurant is owned by Metropolitan Hospitality Group (MHG) and was opened by Mary-Claire Burick, President of Rosslyn BID, and Mathew Carlin, MHG. MHG's culinary director, chef Mike Huff, helms the restaurant and has managed to strike a balance in creating a vast and polished menu at a budget-friendly price. The restaurant's diverse menu features brunch, lunch, and dinner seasonal specialties prepared with fresh ingredients, a vegetarian menu, and desserts to welcome all types of diners. People can try out the restaurant's popular dishes and local favorites, such as hot fudge ice cream, Cobb lettuce wraps, and French dip. Also, the restaurant offers a selection of seafood classics, like Oyster on the half shell and a classic Jumbo Shrimp cocktail. Open Road Grill – Rosslyn boasts a decent number of accolades and recognition, including bagging the prestigious Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY) Award for Favorite Gathering Place of the Year in 2019.

Top review

ElaineVIP

Dined on 30 Jan 2025

Great customer service. Staff was very accommodating. Food was very good.

Ambar - Arlington

4.6

4.6 (4108)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Arlington

About the restaurant

Nestled at the heart of the Arlington neighborhood, Ambar – Arlington, a 2016 debutant, is an award-winning restaurant serving inventive international Eastern Europe cuisine. Serbian natives Ivan Iricanin and Mihailo Subotic collaborated to design Ambar – Arlington's menu with the help of chef Chris Hawkins, inspired by his travel experience in the Balkans. The restaurant serves the inventive classic dishes from 13 different regions of the Balkan Peninsula prepared with a contemporary twist. Diners can enjoy The Balkan Experience at Ambar – Arlington, allowing them to choose from over 50 small plate options, including charcuterie, fresh seafood, spreads, salads, and savory pies. Aside from small plates, the restaurant's menu includes rotisserie pork and lamb entrées served with creative horseradish and pot-roasted potatoes. To complement its vast menu, the restaurant provides comprehensive wine lists that showcase the best of the Balkan region and a selection of draft beers and Rakia. Equally appealing is the restaurant's ambient atmosphere with a Balkan feel, designed by Iricanin's wife, Nya Gill. Gill took advantage of the restaurant's corner location with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering enough lighting. Ambar's interior décor includes a spectacular Carrera marble bar, a vintage white-tin ceiling, and a room partition wall adorned with black-and-white Ancient Belgrade wall hangings. Moreover, the restaurant has a scenic outdoor dining area, ideal for a family gathering, creating a remarkable dining experience. Amber – Arlington has received a number of awards and honors, including bagging the coveted RAMMY for Best Service in 2019 and the Washingtonian Readers' Favorite Restaurants in 2018.

Top review

Anne

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious food and great value! Highly recommend!

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Cava Mezze - Clarendon

$30 and under

Greek

Arlington

About the restaurant

Tucked in the heart of the Clarendon neighborhood is a Greek restaurant, Cava Mezze, which debuted in 2011. The restaurant offers inventive specialties that blend traditional Greek cooking with a contemporary American spin in a neighborhood setting. This dining concept was conceived in 2006 by three long-time friends - chef Dimitri Moshovitis, Ted Xenohristos, and Ike Grigoropoloulos, who are sons of Greek immigrants. Cava Mezze – Clarendon features a vast, diverse menu with salads, vegan alternatives, fresh seafood, and sizzling meat cuts. The restaurant's menu is inspired by mezze-style dining from the co-owners’ Greek roots, featuring classic Mediterranean and contemporary European cuisines, with a wide array of options to pick from. Some of the best-sellers at the restaurant that diners can savor include Brussels sprouts, chicken souvlaki, dips and spreads, and grilled meatballs. The restaurant provides a wide bar menu to complement its innovative meals, featuring cocktails, wines, and Draught beers. Also, diners can have an exclusive scenic ambiance at the restaurant's back patio, ensuring an outstanding dining experience. The restaurant has drawn recognition and a number of accolades, including featuring in various "best of" lists such as the Washingtonian's "Top 100 Restaurants" only a year after its debut in Arlington.

Top review

AparnaSVIP

Dined on 23 Sept 2023

Dave was exceptional! Will definitely go back soon...