This place is delicious. We only had a few days in DC, so we had to be selective where we ate. I don't think I've ever had straight Afgan food, but this place didn't disappoint. About 1/3 of their menu is vegan. They were very accommodating for vegan food, they made modifications even without asking.
If you are vegan, don't miss this gem if you are in DC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J G
We had a good time at this restaurant, the Afghan dumplings were amazing. The chicken and the lamb shank were also really good. The sampler platter with falafel was delicious. Maybe the flavor of the food could be a little bit better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Arik Duncan
We were really looking forward to coming here for valentine's day. Unfortunately it did not live up to our expectations. After trying to tell us we canceled our reservation, which we did not and we had proof, we proceeded to receive terrible service. Our orders were taken and we waited over nearly an hour and a half before finally getting some food. That food however, was our main course, so we never received the 3 appetizers which we ordered. Unfortunately this really spoiled our experience even though we were really looking forward to eating here. The entrees were good, our waitress was nice, and thankfully the bar manager kindly comped our drinks, but we were really looking forward to trying the other food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Nitya Sudhakar
I had heard great things about Lapis and walked in with high expectations, but unfortunately I left feeling disappointed. The service was slow, and despite having a reservation, the wait time was nearly 30 minutes.
The restaurant was also quite noisy, which made the overall experience feel less comfortable than expected.
For the prices listed on the menu, I would have expected more generous portions. Sadly, the serving sizes felt too small to justify the cost. It does make you question whether a small portion of flavoured rice is really worth the price.
The food itself was flavourful, but a calmer, more inviting ambience would have made a big difference.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Nikhil Swaminathan
I was quite disappointed with my experience at Lapis. Despite having a reservation, we waited about 25 minutes for a table. The space feels extremely cramped, with too many tables packed in, and it was so noisy that holding a conversation required real effort.
The food itself was very tasty, but the portions were surprisingly small. Overall, the environment and wait overshadowed the meal, and I didn’t enjoy my time there enough to return.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Carly P
Lapis was a very hip and cool place. They had some nice tasting food. I am sad to say that I was a bit underwhelmed by the food. A large part of your pride includes the ambiance. We were sat in the bottom floor and after a certain point the bar got so crowded with people it was hard to maintain my conversation with the person I was with.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Thenail Princess
Me and my bf came here. Nice atmosphere!! The food was soo delicious. We had the Baloni with beef & onion and potato. We shared the Kofta dish which was pretty good. For dessert we tried their Sheer Yakh and it was very, very delicious! I love vanilla ice cream so it was perfect for me, and there was a hint of rose flavor in it, which was so refreshing!! I wish It had more pistachios, but that’s just me personally bc I loved it so much. The service was pretty good and quick. I would come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Anthony Withum
Excellent food. Lots of options. The servers were very aware of the entire menu and gave some excellent recommendations. Would love to bring my parents back here as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shipra Keshri
We ordered a wide variety of dishes and truly enjoyed everything. The bolani was excellent - the onion-potato and leek were my favorites. We also had the chaplee kabob, shrimp and veggie dumplings, eggplant, dal, and qabuli palow, all of which were delicious. I was a bit disappointed that they were out of the lubya.
For dessert, we had sheer yakh and firnee. We were celebrating a birthday, and the staff kindly brought out a small portion of sheer berenj, which was a nice touch, though it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my taste.
Service was very good overall. I loved my experience and will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Juan Puerto
Calling this a “tasting menu” is generous. What’s being served here feels far closer to an overpriced buffet than a curated dining experience.
A so-called meatball and potato stew paired with a lamb patty is not high-end cuisine by default. There’s nothing refined or elevated about it! it’s basic, utilitarian food. Labeling it as Afghan doesn’t magically make it exotic or worthy of fine-dining prices. I come from a place where meals like this are served out of home kitchens to traveling salesmen at lunchtime… hearty, yes, but never pretentious or expensive.
The beans were particularly disappointing: clearly scraped from the bottom of the pot, undercooked, dry, and still hard in the center. That’s not rustic, that’s poorly executed.
Charging $100 for a tasting menu like this borders on self-delusion. Atmosphere alone doesn’t justify pricing, and a cozy nook in Washington, DC does not grant a blank check to charge whatever you want for food that lacks care, technique, or balance.
This menu feels like it’s relying on novelty and location rather than quality. Strip away the narrative, and what’s left simply doesn’t support the price or the praise.
The dumplings are absolutely delicious. Definitely not to be missed. We also tried the Afghan salad & the national dish! The cacao dessert was also divine. I would go back again just for that. The service was good, but we ordered a dessert that never arrived and when we asked for our leftovers to be boxed, they never came back out. Overall though, a good experience & truly delicious food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Helene Miller
We ate brunch here for the first time and absolutely loved the food. The atmosphere on a Sunday morning was festive although quite loud, we could barely hear our waitress. But we got by and no one went hungry! We ordered the baloni one with leeks and the other with meat. The two sauces that accompanied the dish were delicious and had just the right amount of kick. We also ordered the shrimp dumplings which were amazing because everything about them was Fresh and incredibly unique flavors. Coffees were good as were the cocktails though could not believe they were out of/could not make their Bloody Mary even though they had vodka. Our only complaint would be that the service was not great but it was incredibly busy and we were allowed to sit with our friends for nearly 2hours.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Kylynn Fontaine
Really enjoyed the tasting menu, which was a great option since we were not familiar with Afghan food. Our waiter was helpful and attentive. Interior is nicely done and cozy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gabriella S
I have been a Lapis fan forever, but we recently ordered takeout, and it was not good at all. The lentil soup was very very salty (inedible, I unfortunately tossed it). The lamb and dumplings were both good. The fries (and this may also be the fault of takeout fries) were soggy and unappetizing. The lamb side was overcooked and tough. I have celebrated many amazing milestones at Lapis and it will always hold a special place in my heart, but I am unlikely to return in the near future due to the price point and lacking takeout experience.
Food: 2
Deborah Willig
So good! Warm and charming atmosphere. Stellar food. Excellent service. Pure delight. One vegetarian, one gluten free person, and we easily found a set of plates we were excited to share. The food exceeded hopes. Beautifully seasoned. What a delight!!! Well done, team Lapis.
This place is delicious. We only had a few days in DC, so we had to be selective where we ate. I don't think I've ever had straight Afgan food, but this place didn't disappoint. About 1/3 of their menu is vegan. They were very accommodating for vegan food, they made modifications even without asking.
If you are vegan, don't miss this gem if you are in DC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a good time at this restaurant, the Afghan dumplings were amazing. The chicken and the lamb shank were also really good. The sampler platter with falafel was delicious. Maybe the flavor of the food could be a little bit better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
We were really looking forward to coming here for valentine's day. Unfortunately it did not live up to our expectations. After trying to tell us we canceled our reservation, which we did not and we had proof, we proceeded to receive terrible service. Our orders were taken and we waited over nearly an hour and a half before finally getting some food. That food however, was our main course, so we never received the 3 appetizers which we ordered. Unfortunately this really spoiled our experience even though we were really looking forward to eating here. The entrees were good, our waitress was nice, and thankfully the bar manager kindly comped our drinks, but we were really looking forward to trying the other food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
I had heard great things about Lapis and walked in with high expectations, but unfortunately I left feeling disappointed. The service was slow, and despite having a reservation, the wait time was nearly 30 minutes.
The restaurant was also quite noisy, which made the overall experience feel less comfortable than expected.
For the prices listed on the menu, I would have expected more generous portions. Sadly, the serving sizes felt too small to justify the cost. It does make you question whether a small portion of flavoured rice is really worth the price.
The food itself was flavourful, but a calmer, more inviting ambience would have made a big difference.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
I was quite disappointed with my experience at Lapis. Despite having a reservation, we waited about 25 minutes for a table. The space feels extremely cramped, with too many tables packed in, and it was so noisy that holding a conversation required real effort.
The food itself was very tasty, but the portions were surprisingly small. Overall, the environment and wait overshadowed the meal, and I didn’t enjoy my time there enough to return.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Lapis was a very hip and cool place. They had some nice tasting food. I am sad to say that I was a bit underwhelmed by the food. A large part of your pride includes the ambiance. We were sat in the bottom floor and after a certain point the bar got so crowded with people it was hard to maintain my conversation with the person I was with.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Me and my bf came here. Nice atmosphere!! The food was soo delicious. We had the Baloni with beef & onion and potato. We shared the Kofta dish which was pretty good. For dessert we tried their Sheer Yakh and it was very, very delicious! I love vanilla ice cream so it was perfect for me, and there was a hint of rose flavor in it, which was so refreshing!! I wish It had more pistachios, but that’s just me personally bc I loved it so much. The service was pretty good and quick. I would come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Excellent food. Lots of options. The servers were very aware of the entire menu and gave some excellent recommendations. Would love to bring my parents back here as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We ordered a wide variety of dishes and truly enjoyed everything. The bolani was excellent - the onion-potato and leek were my favorites. We also had the chaplee kabob, shrimp and veggie dumplings, eggplant, dal, and qabuli palow, all of which were delicious. I was a bit disappointed that they were out of the lubya.
For dessert, we had sheer yakh and firnee. We were celebrating a birthday, and the staff kindly brought out a small portion of sheer berenj, which was a nice touch, though it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my taste.
Service was very good overall. I loved my experience and will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Calling this a “tasting menu” is generous. What’s being served here feels far closer to an overpriced buffet than a curated dining experience.
A so-called meatball and potato stew paired with a lamb patty is not high-end cuisine by default. There’s nothing refined or elevated about it! it’s basic, utilitarian food. Labeling it as Afghan doesn’t magically make it exotic or worthy of fine-dining prices. I come from a place where meals like this are served out of home kitchens to traveling salesmen at lunchtime… hearty, yes, but never pretentious or expensive.
The beans were particularly disappointing: clearly scraped from the bottom of the pot, undercooked, dry, and still hard in the center. That’s not rustic, that’s poorly executed.
Charging $100 for a tasting menu like this borders on self-delusion. Atmosphere alone doesn’t justify pricing, and a cozy nook in Washington, DC does not grant a blank check to charge whatever you want for food that lacks care, technique, or balance.
This menu feels like it’s relying on novelty and location rather than quality. Strip away the narrative, and what’s left simply doesn’t support the price or the praise.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
The dumplings are absolutely delicious. Definitely not to be missed. We also tried the Afghan salad & the national dish! The cacao dessert was also divine. I would go back again just for that. The service was good, but we ordered a dessert that never arrived and when we asked for our leftovers to be boxed, they never came back out. Overall though, a good experience & truly delicious food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
We ate brunch here for the first time and absolutely loved the food. The atmosphere on a Sunday morning was festive although quite loud, we could barely hear our waitress. But we got by and no one went hungry! We ordered the baloni one with leeks and the other with meat. The two sauces that accompanied the dish were delicious and had just the right amount of kick. We also ordered the shrimp dumplings which were amazing because everything about them was Fresh and incredibly unique flavors. Coffees were good as were the cocktails though could not believe they were out of/could not make their Bloody Mary even though they had vodka. Our only complaint would be that the service was not great but it was incredibly busy and we were allowed to sit with our friends for nearly 2hours.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Really enjoyed the tasting menu, which was a great option since we were not familiar with Afghan food. Our waiter was helpful and attentive. Interior is nicely done and cozy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have been a Lapis fan forever, but we recently ordered takeout, and it was not good at all. The lentil soup was very very salty (inedible, I unfortunately tossed it). The lamb and dumplings were both good. The fries (and this may also be the fault of takeout fries) were soggy and unappetizing. The lamb side was overcooked and tough. I have celebrated many amazing milestones at Lapis and it will always hold a special place in my heart, but I am unlikely to return in the near future due to the price point and lacking takeout experience.
Food: 2
So good! Warm and charming atmosphere. Stellar food. Excellent service. Pure delight. One vegetarian, one gluten free person, and we easily found a set of plates we were excited to share. The food exceeded hopes. Beautifully seasoned. What a delight!!! Well done, team Lapis.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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