Lapis is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. You generally will want a reservation,…read moreespecially for dinner time. Every bite of food from this restaurant is bursting with flavor and clearly made with so much intentionality and love. My personal most favorite is perhaps the underrated appetizer menu item- shore nakhot. The flavoring of the vinegar and spice blend on the potato and chickpea is indescribable and pairs perfectly with the naan bread there, which is so fresh, hearty and satisfying. Be sure to dip in for maximal flavor. I haven't tried any meal or appetizer here I didn't love. The pumpkin dish, buranee kadoo, is a brilliant savory twist that brings pumpkin to life. Qaboli palow has the most plump, tender and moist raisins you'll have seen in your life teaming with carrots to bring immense flavor to the rice. The meat in this dish is actually the more subtle part. The dumplings of all sorts are delicious- the leek ones are actually a surprise favorite. As far as dessert, we tried some rose water ice cream. Floral desserts are not my preference, but my friend was in heaven with this one. It was everything she hoped for. The only thing we got we weren't wild about was our second dessert- the firnee. The texture was more like polenta, which was unexpected. The flavor was nice, though. This is the number one restaurant that lives on and on in my dreams and memories of DC when all others fade. I try and come every time I'm in town. The restaurant is small and charming. It gets loud during meal times, so eating outside can be a nice option to reduce volume if you're sensitive. This is a must visit in my opinion! My friend and her family are local to the area is this is their standout favorite too!

A Michelin restaurant in Adams Morgan featuring Afghan "Bistro-style" food. Compared with other…read moreMiddle Eastern cuisine like Persian and Lebanese, Afghan cusine also features rice, but the food is generally more heavily-seasoned. I went there with my friend for a Sunday dinner. At ~7:30pm the restaurant was almost fully seated. We tried the following dishes: 1. Bolani: You can choose two fillings among four. Came with 2pc per filling. We tried leeks and pumpkin fillings. The pumpkin was mashed and mixed with some green onions. Served with cilantro sauce and yogurt sauce. 2. Shrimp Dumplings: 4 or 6 (depends on your choice) small "Shumai shaped" dumplings stuffed with diced shrimp and herbs, and topped with saffron cream sauce and chili powder. There was only little filling for the dumplings, and I could barely taste the flavor of saffron in the sauce. 3. Lamb Tikka: My friend ordered it as his entree. Came with 8 bite-size pc of lean-cut lamb meat, spicy-sweet chili sauce and some torshi. While the lamb was tender, the serving size was much smaller than what we expected. 4. Palow: My friend sub the white rice for Palow. The side dish Palow was only seasoned with salt, pepper and cinnamon, and did not have raisins or carrots like their entree Qabuli Palow. Moreover, it was quite salty. Not recommended. 5. Morgh Qorma: Chicken stewed in a tomato-onion based sauce with split peas. The chicken was fork-tender and the sauce was rich in flavor. The split peas added some texture to the meat and thickened the sauce. However, I could not find the pitted plums. I asked my server and was told that they were "mixed in the sauce", but I really could not taste it. Since I ordered this dish mainly to see how plums could go with chicken this made my disappointed. Overall the food was good but definitely not amazing. Also note that they charge $5 for naan. Service was disappointing considering they charge 20% mandatory service charge. We were seated at a narrow corner of the basement of the restaurant even if there were several (2-seat) tables available on the first floor. Moreover, our server never asked us about the food throughout the meal.

Talk about a hidden gem!…read more Saying that we enjoyed our time at Afghania would be the biggest understatement of 2026. It's a little higher up than some of the more commonly known restaurants but we are so glad we made the trek. Everything we had was a hit, there were no misses and that's rare- especially since our group totaled 6 people. That's a lot of people to impress. We were only a couple bites into our dinner when my mom said "we have to come back here again, and soon" For starters we had the assortment of dumplings. All delicious but my favorite was definitely the pumpkin. Sweet, and flavorful. If you're not a huge fan of spice, like myself, skip the spicy beef dumplings. I mean, it's in the name. Our table bought a variety of things and sampled all of it as dinner. We got the beef tenderloin and chicken, the chicken and ground beef, the Kandahari vegetarian flights, and the Moguhli (the one thing I hadn't sampled (hint, it was also spicy). The beef? Tender. The chicken? Juicy. The difference varieties of prepared rice? Flavorful. The drinks were also a hit. I had a mocktail that was mild in taste, with a hint of sweetness yet refreshing (the name is slipping me at the moment). Dessert? To die for. The cardamom tres leches was the best dessert I'd had at a restaurant in a while. I would make a trip back to Afghania just for it. The service was also amazing. Our server was very patient (we were a table of six, ¼ bilingual, ¼ just French speakers and the rest English speakers), and also very knowledgeable as everything we ate came at her recommendation. The décor is tasteful and in no way overbearing : white table clothes, artwork that depicts the culture, and it was overall a very cozy and intimate vibe. Hands down, a wonderful experience.

The food here is great. We thoroughly enjoyed our appetizer and both entrees. Lots of flavor in…read moreeach dish and the chicken was cooked perfectly. The portion sizes are large as well so we got to take home some leftovers. However, the service is not up to par unfortunately. The staff all seemed new and there were only three servers for all the tables and they were also serving the downstairs bar. When we arrived for our reservation we had to wait at least 10 minutes for them to acknowledge us. There is no waiting area because of the size and layout of the restaurant so it's probably best to just wait outside. Once seated it then took quite a while to receive water and place our order for drinks and the appetizer. When we were eating the appetizer one of the servers came over and asked if we had the bread yet. We said no and then he went and got us the complimentary bread basket that the other tables already had. I will also note I saw a few cobwebs in the ceiling corners upstairs. If the service improves I think I could give this another chance.

I've been here several times, though not recently. Street parking only, though I've never been…read moreunable to find a spot within a couple of minutes' walk. I came with a friend for lunch at noon on a Thursday right after the restaurant opened. The female greeter and waitress (a Guatemalan) were both friendly and informative. By the time we left an hour or so later, the dining room was just half full, so not noisy. We both ordered the amazing SMOKED lamb shanks with pulau rice (only available at lunchtime), shared an appetizer dumpling sampler, and had a couple of pilsners. All the servings were generous and fresh, well seasoned, and eye-appealing. The decor remains eye-catching with lots of colorful lighting and wall decorations. NO DISTRACTING WALL TV SCREENS OR INTRUSIVELY LOUD MUSIC. This is a good place for conversation. Lamb cooked in many forms is the main attraction, but they also make a delicious hamburger for the faint of palate. Check it out! They need new customers.

Hands down, the best Afghan food I've had! (And it's safe to say, I've had more than most)…read more Since we only dropped in for a light meal, not much to review BUT the food was so good we're trying to drive the long distance back just to make our way through more of the menu! We ordered only vegan options- the kadoo (pumpkin) turnover and the Nakhoud & Mushroom Lawaan I believe (it might've been the Nakhoud & Mushroom Sabzi Lawaan, I can't remember and both are very similar). Everything was cooked to perfection and each bit was incredibly yummy. Textures were on point and mixed with the assorted of chutneys they offer, it was heaven! Easy to (happily) overeat here Décor was pleasant, the restaurant is spacious and every staff member was gracious. We felt very welcomed and, again, looking forward to going back! Can see why this place is a neighborhood favorite! You will NOT be disappointed here.

Best food ever in an unassuming spot with the nicest guys ever working behind the counter.read more

If you're considering eating here I say do it! This place is amazing, the food is delicious, and…read morethe inside of the restaurant itself is cute. I had the manto and the qabili pallow and they both blew me away especially the pallow. Friendly staff and the service was really quick. I also really love the location of the restaurant its a really cute area.

Went here with my husband for our anniversary, and had a gift card. We chose outdoor seating…read morewithout seeing it, I had previously seen pictures of the inside and assumed the outdoor vibes would be just as fun and vibey. I was very wrong. It was literally in the alley, and was giving Covid setup. Definitely would not recommend the outdoor area to anyone. There was no music, the decor was fine but again, looked very subpar and you could tell everyone else that arrived and sat outside after us had the same thoughts. Now to the food. I will say all of it was good, but for the price? I could find another Middle Eastern adjacent restaurant in DC for less money. It was a little outrageous in my opinion. We did choose the tawle experience. The dips with good, and came with endless flatbread. But it was interesting how some of the portions were huge and then others felt like they were skimping. We got huge portions of pickled vegetables and a giant salad, but then when it came to the shrimp kabobs we ordered, we got 5 pieces of shrimp. I will say the steak portion we chose we large, but then again for dessert, it was just a half mason jar size of a chocolate mousse to split...It was just interesting. Several of the staff knew it was our anniversary and they could've given maybe an additional dessert or a glass of champagne but nothing. Again for a restaurant of this caliber, you would just expect more. I say all of this to say, we did have a gift card that covered most of our $300+ meal. But if I were going without that, I would've been even more disappointed. I know people have raved about this place for years, but the original chefs have changed, and I'm understanding more why they've lost their Michelin star. It was good/fine but was far from exceptional.

There's still technically 2 months left before 2026 ends, but I think this may be the best meal…read moreI've had this year. What an incredible spontaneous hangout and surprise by my friend that lead to this memorable meal! Thank you, again Not only was the beet borani beautiful, the sweetness of the beet mixed with the garlic and rosemary paired very well with the warm and fluffy bread. The fire kissed asparagus are the best asparagus I've ever had in my life. The char was perfect and allowed the asparagus to be the best version of itself. The bed of both cream and herb sauce it laid on top of gave it other dimensions of flavored when paired. It was good on its own or eaten with the other protein dishes we ordered. The chicken shish taouk was juicy, well seasoned and very good with the toum! The seared scallops were the biggest, sweetest and my favorite dish of the night (though I 100% would say everything we got was so so good). The natural sweetness of the scallops paired with the various sauces were delightful. The serpent drink had a sour but creamy foam texture that was fun to sip on throughout the meal. Shout out to Nari, our server sharing her love of garlic and giving us a sample of the carrot havuc which did not taste like carrots at all but more of this light almost sweet potato-like dip with a fun crunch from the crispy onions & for compting our turkish coffee gelato, which was strong and creamy and best way to end the meal.

Absolutely the best Persian spot in DC. I've been coming here for over 3 years and was just able to…read morevisit again - everything is a 10/10. Not only is the food delicious, the service is wonderful, ambiance is cute and lively, and it's somewhere you can go to for a fun group dinner or romantic date night. Definitely try the ghormeh sabzi, labneh, rumis yogurt, soltani and zeresht polo. Cant wait to come back!!

I usually don't gravitate towards middle eastern cuisine, but I was already thinking about wanting…read moreto come back while in the middle of my meal! The mushroom hummus was so good I wanted to drink it, the shirazi salad was surprisingly addicting despite just looking like a cucumber tomato salad, the koobideh kebab was so tasty even though I don't like kebabs, and the roasted salmon was immaculately tender. There were so many dishes I wanted to try instead but I had just gotten braces so I had to order differently than I usually would, and I'm so glad I did. It was my first time trying shirin as well, interesting and tasty! I would skip the chicken wings, they were very mid. For dessert we got the rice pudding and ice cream sandwich, I didn't really like them but would want to try their other desserts. The vibes were very busy but had lots of seating.

Late night eating doesn't get better than this!…read more Kabob Palace is downscale. Kabob Palace is legendary. You get more than your money's worth at Kabob Palace, and we are not talking a lot of money. This is a 24-7 Afghan kebab place that serves life giving food at any hour of the day. * * * Kabob Palace has gotten awards from nearly every newspaper and community magazine that writes about food in the Beltway. Washington has a lot of columnists who write about food in the Beltway. These are knowledgeable columnists who know their international food. They rave about Kabob Palace. These are knowledgeable raves. I rave about Kabob Palace. There are huge lines to get in the door. Presumably the customers rave about Kabob Palace. That is a whole lot of people doing a whole lot of raving. * * * I am sure the food critics and the Northern Virginia night eaters are not there to rave about the scenery. I certainly do not rave about the scenery. Kabob Palace is fluorescent lights. Kabob Palace is cheap tables, close to nearly everyone else eating in the restaurant. There is a TV where you can watch Central Asian sporting events. It is set up so the staff can see it rather than the customers. You will crane your neck to follow the game. * * * The food makes the lines and the fluorescent lights totally worthwhile. The menu is medium sized but fairly predictable. You have seen everything here in other Kabob places you have eaten in. They have a few cafeteria serving dishes of pilau. There are also mixed vegetables, and some curried items. Almost everything else comes off the grill or out of their Afghan bread baking oven. What comes off the grill is absolutely sensational. What comes out of the oven is pretty darn good. What comes out of the cafeteria serving dishes is less wonderful. BUT The serving dish stuff is made very interesting by super outstanding house sauces. * * * I did a bone-in chicken kebab that was marinated in an absolutely outstanding spice mix. I sat and marveled at the spices with every single bite. A grim looking spinach and potatoes had a coriander yogurt sauce that was the Taylor Swift of all yogurt sauces. Okay - we are going Afghan here. So it was the Ahmad Zahir of all yogurt sauces. The chicken was too good for me to want to mix it with anything. The spinach and the Afghan bread offered plenty of opportunity for the coriander yogurt sauce to do its thing. People who have read my other reviews know that in general I despise coriander. When I tell you that a coriander sauce is food for the gods, that is like Alexandra Ocasio Cortez telling you about a Wonderful Republican. This yogurt sauce really really is that good. * * * The fun does not stop at the end of the main course. They do a rice pudding for dessert. Afghans, like Iranians, are known for exceptional rice cooking. Afghan rice pudding is better than rice pudding rice pudding. Rice pudding in the hands of the British or in the hands of mid-century Yankee cooks is grim stuff. It is the only dessert I have ever heard James Beard complain about. I share James Beard's assessment entirely. This Afghan rice pudding is nothing like the flavorless grainy custards of my youth. The pudding is mild, but it is quintessential comfort food. Even though I had had that amazing chicken and that amazing coriander sauce, As I walked home, the only flavor on my mind was the rice pudding. I was like a small child who had just been taken care of by Mommy and was now getting in my jammies for bed. Desserts that make you feel happy are a good thing. * * * There are not very many places where you can sit at 2:30 in the morning under fluorescent lights and have an experience that makes you completely happy. Fluorescent lights at 2:30 in the morning usually means going to Walgreens or CVS in the middle of the night. I am currently writing this review at 2:08 in the morning. I am in Austin, Texas. If Kabob Palace was anywhere within driving distance of my house, I would not be in my house right now. I would have gotten in my car about 1:30 and would have driven to Kabob Palace. I would have had to drive and I would have had to wait 20 minutes in line. After eating, I would still have to drive home. This is midnight food that is so good That a 72 year old man would take two hours out of his sleep time just to get his plateful. Kabob Palace is something else.

Huge portions. Delicious food. And its so busy you know the food is always fresh. I was staying at…read moreone of the hotels near by and it was absolutely worth the 10 min walk. Expect to spend 20 bucks plus but you'll get atleast a meal and a half lol. Its no frills, there seating for 30 or so but most people takeaway.

Loved my lamb dish! Surprisingly reasonable pricing when you at opening/lunch too!…read more Nice cozy but elegant vibes. Great to take out your family or significant other. Interesting art on the wall and nice bathroom. Park on the parking garage below or on the side street/lot nearby. Make sure if you don't finish your lamb and ask to put it in a takeaway box go specify that you want your lamb scraps. Learn from me because my waiter tossed all my lamb and just boxed up the rice likely thinking I was done with them. Big bummer since I was looking forward to my leftovers but oh well.

Overall it was a good experience! We absolutely loved the bread and the difference sauces that…read morewent with it. The pumpkin dumplings and pan fried veggie filled dumplings were great as well. I thought my salmon wrap and the chickpea side was ok. Interesting flavors for sure. As for the service, there was always someone filling up our waters and our waiter was very nice checking in every now and then. The only downside of the experience is at the end when the waiter was boxing up all the food for us. Very sweet that they do this but when boxing up my partners food, they only boxed up the rice and they got rid of the lamb that he was looking forward to eating more of later. So that was kind of a disappointment for us. I think if we go again, we would request to box our food ourselves since I'm not sure why they decided to get rid of all of his lamb.

I was in Washington D.C. for the weekend and tried this amazing Mediterranean place for lunch. My…read morefriend who recommended this place has been obsessed with the food here and I can totally see why. We ordered mushroom kapnista, Halloumi pide, zaatar pide, htipiti and everything was so delicious. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the combination of dates and mushrooms together but really loved the smoky mushroom by itself. I was also very impressed with the Zaatar pide, it was cheesy and delicious. For desert we ordered greek yogurt with apricot and it was probably the best thing we tried here. The ambience is classy and they have ample of seating space. The overall meal didn't cost us as much as I thought it was, the prices were fairly reasonable!

Came here on a Friday early evening with a friend, got the:…read more- soujouk pide: tasty soujouk sausage and a good amount of it, chewy pide crust - scallops: 3 scallops on the plate with yogurt, quite tasty! Scallops were cooked just right. - kebab platter with lamb, kofte, chicken and adana kebabs served with tomato, onion and garlic toum: super tasty meats, really enjoyed every single one of them. Juicy and flavorful! So much food too, and the toums were delicious too. The ongoing free hot, fresh pita was amazing as well. Great service, sat outside under heat lamps which was awesome. Really enjoyed the experience here! Quite pricey though.

Came for the Sheeryakh, but had such delicious, authentic Afghan food! I'd give 4.5 stars for some…read moreconstructive modifications to make in the future related to service, but overall amazing food! I left with a full belly and a happy heart. Got a combo of chicken kabob and shami kabob along with a side of their borani banjan/eggplant dish. The eggplant was honestly one of my favorite things- it's a must get in my opinion. Homey dish with incredible flavors! Their naan is fresh and pairs well with it. The chicken was good, but I've had better honestly. The shami was a little disappointing as I expected more flavor and it was slightly dry, but good. Their rice was so tasty and I loved the sweetness coming from the carrots an raisins. Of course, the sheeryakh was great- quite a big portion for one person, but I loved the texture. It tastes very similar to the Indian/South Asian/Pakistani ice cream, "Kulfi." CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK: Service needs improvement. The whole time I was there I had to keep looking for waiters to make eye contact with to ask for menu, water, paying, etc. It took about 10 min or more for me to have to call a busy waiter over just to look at the menu- no one came over on their own. Things just took time for a Saturday night- plus they were hosting an event on top of this. Needless to say, I've never had service like this, but the vibe and food made me be not as harsh. Despite the service, this place is a must try for authentic Afghan cuisine. Can't wait to try more of their menu (and the borani banjan again) in the future!

Unfortunately, this restaurant didn't live up to my expectations…read more When we arrived the dining room felt very humid and sticky which made it uncomfortable to sit and eat. We were also a party of five but were only given one menu to share so not very convenient. I ordered the Chicken & Shami Kabob and it came with a choice of white or brown rice, one side, and naan. The meal looked nothing like the photo on the restaurant's website. The portion was overwhelmingly rice with very little meat. None of the garnishes shown in the picture were included on the rice. For $24 I expected a much better presentation and a more balanced portion. Oh and the meat was kind of dry. Parts of our order were missing, some dishes that came out were incorrect. The experience felt disorganized and the food didn't justify the price.