I've visited bistro aracosia twice. The food is always amazing and the service is also great…read more Everyone is kind and friendly. The bread comes out with four different sauces in the beginning which is nice. We got the assorted dumplings which were very flavorful and delicious. The lamb rack is to die for and the saffron chicken is also very good. I preferred the other two entrees over the lamb moghuli but it might be because I'm not a huge fan of the smoky flavor. The restaurant has a cozy and comforting atmosphere and is pretty quiet. Will be going back again:)

Had a really wonderful lunch here before heading to the National Cathedral. Both of us had the Mini…read moreTaste of Aracosia and bread with 4 different chutneys for dipping. We weren't sure it was going to be enough food but it was plenty. Beef, lamb, chicken and veal dishes were served with a chickpea and lentil sides and two kinds of really tasty rice. One had shredded carrots and raisins. Service was super friendly and attentive. I'll definitely be back. Everything was really flavorful and tender.

Vegetable Samosas I love the light Philo dough texture to…read morethe Samosa. Potatoes and the peas inside were fresh perfectly seasoned. Perfectly golden fried outside. The thinner dough gives the perfect dough to potato ratio, with each bite allowing you to have a sample of everything has a whole. The dipping sauce has a nice spice level to it, kicking it up just a notch, not overpowering at all absolutely delicious. Lamb curry - Friday special I can't even begin to articulate the flavor explosion in this dish. I Cynivised it by adding seasoned basmati rice. #FeedsMySoulStatusConferred you'll have to go an try it out for yourself. I added the sides: salad and spinach. The salad fresh mixed greens. I think that the dressing was a light vinaigrette base with a strong dill presence. Spinach was cooked to the perfect texture, leaving it still having a little bit of bite and not being mushy at all. Good seasoning as well. Be sure to order a side of fresh bread, it comes out piping hot as it is made to order. Soft texture , with starting this, allowing you to scoop the sauce. Service For it to be a more of a carry out or dine and go quickly atmosphere, the service was top notch, royalty level. Extremely personable anticipating customers needs. Above and beyond service with every customer.

What great service. The place is clean and comfortable. The falafel wrap was real good, and my wife…read moreloved her chicken kabob salad. She's has plenty of leftovers. We'll be back.

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.

Great food always consists quality ans service. Definitely worth checking out if you haven'tread more

he food here is absolutely AMAZING Everything was fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The…read moreportions were generous and you can tell they use quality ingredients. The meat was tender and seasoned so well, and the sauces tied everything together perfectly. Service was friendly and fast, and the whole place had a welcoming vibe. Definitely one of the best spots around -- I'll 100% be coming back!

My husband and I are regulars: much to the chagrin of the employees, we order their wraps every…read moreweek. They are so good! Also a big fan of the mantu and chicken kabob. Always very clean inside, and the employees are so friendly!

Very good fresh food made to order. Place your order early…read morebecause it's cooked fresh for you

Craving lamb. Submitted my order via their website. Arrived at the restaurant and we were greeted…read moreas we walked in. The restaurant's decor is culturally appropriate. We arrived early evening and they had a candle and tablecloth on each table. I ordered Baadenjaan Bouranee, luscious eggplant dish; Frenched Rack Of Lamb, perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful; and Pumpkin Dumpling Entree, perfectly sweet, smooth interior and perfectly steamed dumpling wrapper. I will continue to support this establishment.

We were able to get reservations to this restaurant earlier in the day, but I would highly suggest…read moregetting reservations ahead of time because we saw people get denied when they just walked in. When we walked in, we were greeted very nicely and sat quickly. Our server was new and it was her first day so she couldn't really give any recommendations which wasn't the best, but the manager came out and was able to help with describing some of the dishes and giving great recommendations. Most of the people that we ate with ended up with some type of lamb dish and the lamb was phenomenal. The rice was delicious. The eggplant was delicious. We got a bunch of appetizers. Everything was on point. Everything tasted super fresh and overall we had a very nice experience. The food also came out very quickly. The overall ambience was very nice very home type vibe and it is a smaller restaurant for limited tables One of our friends that we went with since we haven't seen each other for a long time was really craving a beer and kebabs which sometimes a little bit harder than one would anticipate but they served alcohol as well as delicious food so win-win here. So overall, I would highly recommend this place if you want delicious Afghan food, but of course remember to book in advance .

This is a great place to go when you're "elevated". I think I would die happy if I ate this food on…read moremy death bed. For appetizers, we got Mantwo and Bowlawani- it was absolutely DEMOLISHED. Mantwo is basically afghan dumpling, and the filling was incredible savory and had a meaty texture. The was my favorite appetizer, stuffed with spiced potatoes, lentils, and chives/leeks from what I saw. The dipping sauce of yogurt and mint went amazing with it. For mains, we got the Lamb Lawand and Lamb loin chop. The lamb lawand was this savory rice dish- they served it with mushrooms and a side of beautifully seasoned spinach. It came as a stew that you were able to mix with your rice as you please. As for the lamb loin chop, it was incredibly tender- falling off the bone. Dessert was difficult, as I am deathly allergic to all nuts. My partner got the hazelnut chocolate cake, and from what I heard they rated it very highly. I got the afghan ice cream; the flavor were incredibly unique, with notes of cardamom, saffron and rose water. I usually have a problem with rose water in my desserts, as it ends up tasting overly flowery or soapy, but I think it was executed well. The toppings of dates, mangos, and figs went incredibly well with the flavors of the ice cream. My only complaint was the service being a bit slow, but at the time we went it was incredibly busy, and I don't blame the workers. Otherwise, this was a great place to go to for an elevated meal! Not TOO fancy, but not too casual either.

The wife and I finally made it to the Helmand. We got there right around 6 and got a spot right…read moreacross the street. When we walked in, we were sat in the very large dining area and our server came right over. The atmosphere definitely lends itself to a smart casual outfit vibe. Very cutesy!! We started off with the bowlani. It was a freshly gently fried samosa if I had to describe it. I enjoyed it very much. I wanted to try multiple items but for some reason wasn't very hungry so I went with the vegetarian aushuk and the mashawa soup. I also ordered the bread to dip in my soup. Everything was very tasty. The service was excellent and the overall vibe of the restaurant was pleasant. I'll be back for sure.

A Hidden Gem for Afghan Cuisine If you're looking for…read moresomething different from the usual Northern Virginia dining scene, Zamarod is a place worth discovering. This cozy restaurant quietly serves some of the most comforting and flavorful Afghan food in the area. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the portions are generous, and the flavors feel no authentic and thoughtfully prepared. Zamarod is a true neighborhood gem and one of the best places to experience Afghan cuisine in the area.

I enjoyed the salmon entree and the Bulanee Kachalu. I don't know much about Afghan cuisine, but…read morethe rich flavors are amazing. I look forward to trying more.