Love this place! I've been here before, and coincidentally, my sister asked to go to this place on her trip down, not knowing I'd already been, and I was not disappointed. I got the Chicken Sabzi Lawaan. My guests did the sampler dinner for two. The complementary bread and different dipping sauces are fantastic. For dessert, my sister got the Saffron Sheer Birinj and enjoyed it. Everything was delicious!
This is definitely one of my top restaurants in the D.C.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dustin Turner
Wonderful food and the servers were very nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Lucas
Service and atmosphere could not be bette, server, runner, manager, everyone and everything in the front was great. I went with the special for both appetizer and entree. I know that can be a risk, but I usually like it when the chef mixes it up. They weren't my cup of tea. Which also was great, I got two kettles of the cardoman. Will go go back and order from the regular menu next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Madina Teshaboeva
The food was so good 🥰 We ordered a set of different dishes, and each of them was great. Definitely try the pumpkin manti, my favorite so far.
Been here twice and both times enjoyed my experience. The lamb rack is AMAZING and melts in your mouth. The saffron chicken is good too! Service is always great and the atmosphere is cozy and comforting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lois
Always delicious food and drink. The server was excellent. A cozy and welcoming restaurant, a great place to spend a cold late afternoon.
Donald
Great food. We shared the dumplings and lamb shank. Restaurant is quiet enough to actually talk and have a conversation. Wonderful service.
Stacie
the Food was delicious and the service was outstanding! It was our 1st time dinning and everyone was so kind & thorough on the food options. Great spot - will definitely be back!
Vusala Safarova
If I could give zero stars or take some stars away, I would. Do your wallet and your stomach a service and don't come to this place. Disappointing and Inauthentic!
We came expecting an authentic Afghan dining experience and left disappointed.
The restaurant relies heavily on visual cues to signal “authenticity,” but the result feels forced and superficial rather than genuine. The décor is overly kitschy, and the overall atmosphere does not reflect real Afghan hospitality.
For a place known for kebabs, the food was the biggest letdown. The beef kebab was not properly skewered, appeared to be made from stew meat, and was somehow both tough and watery — suggesting it had been prepared in advance and reheated. There was also a noticeable gas/fuel taste. When I asked whether the kebabs were cooked over charcoal or gas, the question was initially dodged; only after pressing did a server admit they use a gas grill.
More concerning, we were never asked how we wanted our meats cooked. The lamb chops were served extremely underdone — raw in texture rather than properly grilled and charred. Doneness is a basic question, especially for lamb, and its absence reflects poor attention to both service and execution.
The appetizer menu was also confusing and disconnected from Afghan cuisine, featuring items that felt more like Spanish or Mexican tapas (mango chutney, chorizo, avocado-based dips), with little representation of Afghan flavors.
Even the tea menu felt off: there was no option for a simple, well-brewed black tea, which is a staple of Afghan hospitality. Everything was flavored, heavily leaning on cardamom.
Overall, this felt like style over substance. Those familiar with authentic Afghan food and proper kebab preparation will likely find this place disappointing.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Deborah
Our party of 6 hadn't seen each other in awhile, so we asked our server Isaac, to take his time with our dishes. Everything was so delicious- the dumplings were our starter, then came the entrees. Beef, lamb, veggies - we were all satisfied. Unfortunately not everyone had room to partake in dessert but the cardamom treats won our hearts. We will be back!!
Though I've been to Bistro Aracosia a half dozen times, this birthday lunch for my friend was her first. Everything was exquisitely prepared! We sampled many treats, including pumpkin, leek, and spicy beef dumplings. The pumpkin are always the highlight as they're like eating little pillows! Each was uniquely sauced. Our main dish was enough for three people and included every type of meat—chicken with greens, veal, lamp chops and beef filets. Vegetables included dal and chickpeas. This meal was fit for a queen and it lasted me through dinner! The service was attentive and helpful and the ambiance is charming and relaxing. I'll be back soon!
T
Went here years ago when I was not as familiar with Afghan food but now it was pretty good thinking about it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Richard Rothblum
Authentic Afghan food prepared by the grandmother of immigrants from Afghanistan. They have three places now that I know of so the grandmother can't be everywhere but she seems to have trained enough understudies that the food tastes pretty much the same in any of the branches.
Food is delicious DONT ORDER TAKEOUT have been here many times, was very disappointed by the size of the portions after ordering take out relative to the size dining in. There was barely any chicken in the chicken lawaan and were given such a small serving of bread.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
K M
Took my mom here for her birthday. The server was attentive and very kind. We received free dumplings, and desert for the occasion. The food is incredible…my whole family really loved their meals and I got lots of compliments for picking this place. Will be coming back REGULARLY!
Love this place! I've been here before, and coincidentally, my sister asked to go to this place on her trip down, not knowing I'd already been, and I was not disappointed. I got the Chicken Sabzi Lawaan. My guests did the sampler dinner for two. The complementary bread and different dipping sauces are fantastic. For dessert, my sister got the Saffron Sheer Birinj
and enjoyed it. Everything was delicious!
This is definitely one of my top restaurants in the D.C.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful food and the servers were very nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service and atmosphere could not be bette, server, runner, manager, everyone and everything in the front was great. I went with the special for both appetizer and entree. I know that can be a risk, but I usually like it when the chef mixes it up. They weren't my cup of tea. Which also was great, I got two kettles of the cardoman. Will go go back and order from the regular menu next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The food was so good 🥰 We ordered a set of different dishes, and each of them was great. Definitely try the pumpkin manti, my favorite so far.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pumpkin Dumplings Entree Vegetarian, Pumpkin Dumplings, Qabuli Combination Platter
Been here twice and both times enjoyed my experience. The lamb rack is AMAZING and melts in your mouth. The saffron chicken is good too! Service is always great and the atmosphere is cozy and comforting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always delicious food and drink. The server was excellent. A cozy and welcoming restaurant, a great place to spend a cold late afternoon.
Great food. We shared the dumplings and lamb shank. Restaurant is quiet enough to actually talk and have a conversation. Wonderful service.
the Food was delicious and the service was outstanding! It was our 1st time dinning and everyone was so kind & thorough on the food options. Great spot - will definitely be back!
If I could give zero stars or take some stars away, I would. Do your wallet and your stomach a service and don't come to this place. Disappointing and Inauthentic!
We came expecting an authentic Afghan dining experience and left disappointed.
The restaurant relies heavily on visual cues to signal “authenticity,” but the result feels forced and superficial rather than genuine. The décor is overly kitschy, and the overall atmosphere does not reflect real Afghan hospitality.
For a place known for kebabs, the food was the biggest letdown. The beef kebab was not properly skewered, appeared to be made from stew meat, and was somehow both tough and watery — suggesting it had been prepared in advance and reheated. There was also a noticeable gas/fuel taste. When I asked whether the kebabs were cooked over charcoal or gas, the question was initially dodged; only after pressing did a server admit they use a gas grill.
More concerning, we were never asked how we wanted our meats cooked. The lamb chops were served extremely underdone — raw in texture rather than properly grilled and charred. Doneness is a basic question, especially for lamb, and its absence reflects poor attention to both service and execution.
The appetizer menu was also confusing and disconnected from Afghan cuisine, featuring items that felt more like Spanish or Mexican tapas (mango chutney, chorizo, avocado-based dips), with little representation of Afghan flavors.
Even the tea menu felt off: there was no option for a simple, well-brewed black tea, which is a staple of Afghan hospitality. Everything was flavored, heavily leaning on cardamom.
Overall, this felt like style over substance. Those familiar with authentic Afghan food and proper kebab preparation will likely find this place disappointing.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Our party of 6 hadn't seen each other in awhile, so we asked our server Isaac, to take his time with our dishes. Everything was so delicious- the dumplings were our starter, then came the entrees. Beef, lamb, veggies - we were all satisfied. Unfortunately not everyone had room to partake in dessert but the cardamom treats won our hearts. We will be back!!
Restaurantji Recommends
Though I've been to Bistro Aracosia a half dozen times, this birthday lunch for my friend was her first. Everything was exquisitely prepared! We sampled many treats, including pumpkin, leek, and spicy beef dumplings. The pumpkin are always the highlight as they're like eating little pillows! Each was uniquely sauced. Our main dish was enough for three people and included every type of meat—chicken with greens, veal, lamp chops and beef filets. Vegetables included dal and chickpeas. This meal was fit for a queen and it lasted me through dinner! The service was attentive and helpful and the ambiance is charming and relaxing. I'll be back soon!
Went here years ago when I was not as familiar with Afghan food but now it was pretty good thinking about it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Authentic Afghan food prepared by the grandmother of immigrants from Afghanistan. They have three places now that I know of so the grandmother can't be everywhere but she seems to have trained enough understudies that the food tastes pretty much the same in any of the branches.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank Moghuli, Qabuli Combination Platter, Veal Sabzi Lawaan, Frenched Rack of Lamb Chopaan, Appetizer Sampler Platter
Food is delicious DONT ORDER TAKEOUT have been here many times, was very disappointed by the size of the portions after ordering take out relative to the size dining in. There was barely any chicken in the chicken lawaan and were given such a small serving of bread.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Took my mom here for her birthday. The server was attentive and very kind. We received free dumplings, and desert for the occasion. The food is incredible…my whole family really loved their meals and I got lots of compliments for picking this place. Will be coming back REGULARLY!
Bravo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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