More than half of Northern Virginia’s top 10 restaurants can be found in Fairfax — either the county or the city, according to one regional magazine.
In its November issue, which hit newsstands last week, Northern Virginia Magazine released its annual ranking of the region’s 50 Best Restaurants, as determined by its four food critics. A few Fairfax establishments have become permanent fixtures, but the 2024 list also includes some first-timers and comebacks.
Coming in at No. 2, 2941 Restaurant continues to bounce between the top and runner-up spots. After nabbing first place last year and in 2021, the high-end restaurant in West Falls Church was bested this time by Lovettsville’s The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, which welcomed a new executive chef and ranked second on the 2023 list.
Boasting a koi pond and waterfalls, 2941 drew praise again from Northern Virginia Magazine for its atmosphere as well as its ever-evolving menu, even though it’s located on the ground floor of an office building (2941 Fairview Park Drive).
“On one recent menu, longtime executive chef Bertrand Chemel elevated and deconstructed classic dishes like salade Niçoise and steak au poivre within an inch of recognition, making them both fun and explosively delicious in the process,” the magazine said, advising diners to save room for dessert and other “tokens from the kitchen.”
Next on the ranked top 10 list in third place is L’Auberge Chez Francois, which climbed multiple spots after landing at No. 8 in 2023. Northern Virginia Magazine says “generosity doesn’t even begin to describe the hospitality at this old-school French restaurant,” which has stood at 332 Springvale Road in Great Falls since 1976.
There are also three ranked Tysons restaurants: Nostos (8100 Boone Blvd) with a repeat in the sixth spot and new additions Ometeo (1640 Capital One Drive) at No. 7 and Joon (8045 Leesburg Pike) rounding out the top 10.
According to Northern Virginia Magazine, the Tex-Mex cuisine at Ometeo, which opened at Capital One Center last December, would “wow” even in chef Gabe Erales’s home state of Texas. Joon, which serves Persian food, launched in June 2023 but expanded its offerings this spring with the addition of a bar and outdoor patio.
“From servers who feel like friends sharing a secret with you, to bursts of color on the walls and ceilings, Joon is vividly alive,” Northern Virginia Magazine wrote, praising the restaurant’s flavors and a menu “primed for sharing.”
Fairfax City was also represented in the top 10 with Mama Chang (3251 Blenheim Blvd, Suite 101) at No. 9. The restaurant got highlighted earlier this year by the New York Times, and it was named the region’s best Chinese restaurant by Northern Virginia Magazine readers — one of several eateries in the critics’ 50 Best Restaurants list to also win the outlet’s “Best of NoVA” polls.
Looking beyond the top 10, the “50 Best” roundup features another dozen Fairfax picks:
- Agora (Tysons)
- Aracosia McLean
- Clarity (Vienna)
- Evelyn Rose (Vienna), which opened on June 1 in place of Bazin’s on Church
- Honest Grill (Centreville)
- Ingle Korean Steakhouse (Tysons)
- Kirby Club (Merrifield)
- Meokja Meokja (Fairfax City)
- Robert’s Ristorante Italiano (Vienna)
- Trattoria Villagio (Clifton)
- Trio Grill (Merrifield)
- Trummer’s (Clifton)
