There has been some upheaval at the top of Northern Virginia Magazine’s annual ranking of the region’s best restaurants, but Fairfax County and Fairfax City remained dominant with five spots among the top 10.
After placing first or second for each of the past five years, including a no. 1 finish in 2025, Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel’s 2941 in the Fairview Park area of West Falls Church slipped to no. 7 in the 2026 Top 10 Best Restaurants list released today (Friday) by the magazine.
This year, the top two spots instead went to Loudoun County establishments, both of them located inside hotels. Harrimans Grill in Middleburg’s Salamander Resort led the way, followed by The Huntōn at Hotel Burg in downtown Leesburg.
Northern Virginia Magazine’s editorial team declined to comment on 2941’s drop in their ranking, but it appears to be more reflective of the quality of dining options in the region than any changes at the West Falls Church restaurant, whose “gallery-like” setting and ability to satisfy both black-tie and casual diners still earns praise.
“We are just lucky to have so many great restaurants in the region to make the Top 10 placements so competitive!” Reid Brown, the magazine’s marketing and events specialist, told FFXnow.
Northern Virginia Magazine Editor Amy Ayres noted that, while there was “a little bit of a shake-up” in the top 10, the list still features several perennial favorites, including 2941 (2941 Fairview Park Drive) and the third-place finisher, Ingle Korean Steakhouse (8369 Leesburg Pike).
Since opening at Pike 7 Plaza in October 2022, Ingle has steadily risen in Northern Virginia Magazine’s rankings, earning mentions in the top 50 in 2023 and 2024 before making the ranked top 10 for the first time last year at no. 7.
Building on its success in Tysons, where it offers both prix-fixe and a la carte menus, the upscale Korean barbecue destination expanded with a second location opening in D.C. last December.
“This is steak-night luxury at its best with all the sizzle and none of the work,” Northern Virginia Magazine’s editorial team said, praising Ingle’s elegant table service and “smoky, juicy” American wagyu meat.
Coming in at no. 4 for its first-ever top 10 appearance is Elyse (10822 Fairfax Blvd), the speakeasy-style venture that former Clarity chef Jonathan Krinn established in Fairfax City in 2024.
Hosting patrons in an intimate, 30-seat dining room, Elyse emphasizes curation with a seasonal, five-course tasting menu and wine pairings. The restaurant has also been lauded in the past by Washingtonian and the Washington Post, and this spring, it was named a finalist for the RAMMYS Awards, though the “Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year” win ultimately went to Michelin-starred Albi in D.C.
According to Northern Virginia Magazine, Elyse stands out for the mix of imagination and thoughtful intention that Krinn brings to the table:
Every element is there because Krinn is still asking what else flavor can do. Even dessert pushes the conversation forward, pairing malted chocolate meringue with Pink Cosmo blueberries and black-currant caramel to absurdly delicious effect. The one constant is the bread, made from a 50-year-old starter and his father’s recipe, then served warm with Maldon-salted butter.
The Fairfax area is also represented in Northern Virginia Magazine’s top 10 by Nostos (8100 Boone Blvd), which returned to the no. 6 spot after jumping to no. 2 in 2025, and Mama Chang (3251 Blenheim Blvd, Suite 101), which was among the top 50 restaurants last year and placed ninth in 2024.
Nostos has been dishing out Greek cuisine in Tysons to regular acclaim, including from Northern Virginia Magazine and area chefs, since its 2011 opening.
“Nostos takes excellent ingredients and resists the urge to fuss with them,” Northern Virginia Magazine says. “The result is a meal that feels both familiar and special — proof that consistency, done this well, is never predictable.”
Meanwhile, Fairfax City’s Mama Chang has often been dubbed the crown jewel of Chinese restaurateur Peter Chang’s portfolio. Intended as a tribute to the women in Chang’s family, the eatery was also named among the D.C. region’s top 40 restaurants this week by Washington Post food critic Elazar Sontag.
“The menu here leans into the soulful comfort of Hubei and Hunan cooking, with vivid flavors that are impossible to ignore and a festive vibe,” Northern Virginia Magazine’s food critics said, pointing to the sizzling pork belly with rice flour, sweet and sour pork ribs and lychee pepper chicken as culinary highlights.
In full, Northern Virginia’s top 10 restaurants for 2026 are:
- Harrimans Grill (Middleburg, Modern American)
- The Huntōn (Leesburg, Modern American)
- Ingle Korean Steakhouse (Vienna, Korean)
- Elyse (Fairfax, Modern American)
- The Ashby Inn & Restaurant (Paris, Modern American)
- Nostos (Vienna, Greek)
- 2941 Restaurant (Falls Church, Modern American)
- Yume Sushi (Arlington, Japanese)
- Mama Chang (Fairfax, Chinese)
- Celebration by Rupa Vira (Ashburn, Modern Indian)
“What stands out to me year after year is the diversity of Fairfax County restaurants,” Alice Levitt, a contributing food critic for the magazine, said in a statement to FFXnow. “From Korean to Greek, our Top 10 speaks to that amazing variety.”
Elyse is one of 12 restaurants that are new this year to the Top 50 Best Restaurants list, which will be unveiled in full next week. While the remaining restaurant names are being kept under tight wraps for now, Brown says the ranking features a total of 21 Fairfax County restaurants, including four first-timers.
The full 50 Best Restaurants list will become available online next Wednesday, Oct. 21, before appearing in print as part of the magazine’s November issue, which will hit newsstands on Oct. 23.
