Washington DC • DC's Favorite Restaurant 🥇 The Dabney

📍 122 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001 💰 235/8-course or 185/6-course or $105/3-course No surprise—I was drawn in by its reputation as DC’s most beloved restaurant 🥇! Though it hasn’t held a Michelin star for long, the buzz is absolutely deserved. The style leans farm-to-table, and the menu proudly highlights where each ingredient comes from. I tried so many dishes I’d never even heard of before 😆 The space feels incredibly warm and inviting, with soft, cozy lighting—like having dinner at a neighbor’s house by the fireplace. The open kitchen centers around a stunning wood-fired hearth, where the chefs work calmly and skillfully. Today’s Menu Highlights: • Starter 1: Beetroot jelly wrapped around foie gras + crunchy pecan butter crackers—savory and sweet, a perfect match! • Starter 2: Radish + American Wagyu tartare—fresh and light. • Starter 3: Fried onion blossom + caviar. I usually avoid onions, but our server insisted…and wow! No sharpness, just sweetness. So good! • Starter 4: Purple cauliflower + cheese. • Celery root: My first time trying this veggie—a type of celery tuber, texture like radish, served with red cabbage. A true “welcome spring” dish! • Grilled lamb heart with rutabaga and goat cheese—new ingredients for me, totally intriguing! I love root veggies; these felt so clean and wholesome. • Charred squid + rice grits with a sweet-spicy red pepper sauce and squid ink. I’d call it…America’s answer to seafood porridge! Served in a big glass jar—I nearly licked it clean 🫢 • Grilled grouper topped with pumpernickel crumbs—crispy and fragrant! • Main: Duck trio! Tender duck breast with crispy skin, confit duck leg that melts in your mouth, and a grilled duck drumstick with BBQ sauce that tasted like gourmet buffalo wings 🦆🔥 🍧 Palate cleanser: “First rhubarb of spring”—such a lovely name! Rhubarb ice cream = refreshing genius. 🍧 Dessert: Popcorn-flavored foam + chocolate tart. INCREDIBLE! Sweet, salty, perfect balance 👌 Petit fours: Macaron, nut brittle, candy. Parting gift: A cornbread financier (not too sweet—delicious!!). This meal totally showed me why The Dabney has so many fans. If you’re visiting DC, don’t miss it—highly, highly recommended! Have you been? What’s your favorite course? Share below! 👇 #MichelinRestaurant #DateNightSpot #HiddenGemEats #GlobalFoodScout #WashingtonDC #DCFoodie #MichelinStar #FoodReview #MichelinDining #DMVEats #DMVFood #DCGuide