WASHINGTON — Yelp released their list of the top 25 new restaurants of 2024.
Two restaurants in D.C. and one restaurant in Arlington made the cut.
At No. 18 on the list, Kappo DC serves Japanese cuisine. The intimate omakase restaurant only seats 21 people and serves an eight-course menu. The menu features Wagyu beef in almost every course, Yelp says. Because of its small setting, Kappo has a dinner party sort of feel, where guests talk with chefs at the restaurant’s counter.
Reservations are needed, as the restaurant only has two seatings a night Tuesday through Thursday and three seatings Friday through Sunday. It’s closed on Mondays. Kappo is located at 4822 MacArthur Boulevard NW.
In Arlington comes No. 21 on the list, Carbonara. Carbonara serves Italian cuisine. Yelp describes the restaurant as “dinner is theater,” referencing chicken parmigiana alla vodka being finished tableside and an espresso martini flight with six options. The restaurant's take on its namesake features bucatini being tossed on an 80-pound flambeéd Italian parmesan wheel.
Carbonara is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday. It’s located at 3865 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington.
And back in D.C. is Love, Makoto at No. 22. From chef and restaurateur Makoto Okuwa, Love, Makoto serves Japanese cuisine at multiple different smaller concepts under one roof. From a full-service sushi restaurant to a Japanese grill to an izakaya to a fast-casual food hall, it has many different options. There are the Michelin-recommended restaurants Dear Sushi and Beloved BBQ, which are sit-down meals, and also Love on the Run, a cafe. Chef Okuwa says Love, Makoto is meant to bridge Japanese and American cultures, according to Yelp.
Love, Makoto is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. It’s located at 200 Massachusetts Avenue NW.
Putting together the list, Yelp says it’s spotted three main trends: experiential dining, Japanese cuisine and more approachable restaurants.
Multiple of the top 25 restaurants entertained through either the setting, decor, music and even through the food itself.
Six of the restaurants also featured Japanese cuisine — including both D.C. locations on the list. Yelp said a variety of types of Japanese cuisine trended this year, from pub food to omakase to Japanese BBQ.
Last but not least, the company found that thriving gourmet restaurants have moved away from the stuffy fancy white tablecloth setting. Popular upscale restaurants are describing themselves as approachable, Yelp says.