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Start a Top 5 for IndianEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Washingtonian and The Infatuation. Updated August 2026.
Rasika · Penn Quarter
Washingtonian 2025 readers' #1 Indian. Chef Vikram Sunderam's Penn Quarter flagship with a West End sibling, DC's modern Indian benchmark.
Daru · H Street Corridor
Washingtonian 2025 readers' #2 Indian. The H Street corridor's regional Indian kitchen challenging Rasika for the lead.
INDIGO · NoMa
Washingtonian 2025 readers' #3 Indian. The NoMa neighborhood pick completing DC's Indian top three.
Jewel of India · Silver Spring
Tucked into an unassuming Silver Spring strip mall, the kind of place worth the drive outside the District. Crisp garlic naan, lamb chops, and a carefully balanced dal are the reasons people keep coming back.
Diya Indian Cuisine · Old Town Alexandria
A white-tablecloth room in Old Town Alexandria built around okra masala as the house specialty. Lamb korma rounds out the savory side, and a gajar halwa closes the meal properly.