Had a fantastic evening. The waiter was very good at explaining all the different menu options and placed emphasis on the gluten free options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amanda Cobb
Phenomenal food and ambiance. I can’t wait to return to try more items on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lamb Chop
Amanda Y.
Really a 4.5 star experience due to service. Abs no complaints about the food and vibes, as I would 100% come back to try more dishes. Only my second time trying Afghan food, and once again it was delicious. We got a couple dishes to share including the qabuli palow (pilaf rice with lamb and the national dish of Afghanistan), buranee bademjan (egg plant dish), and the shrimp dumplings. All of these dishes were good and would definitely want to come back to try more of the menu! We were in the downstairs area, which was cute and still felt well lit. Didn't feel like a basement haha. The service was fine, but it was not five star service. Our server was clearly really busy and running around a lot, so every moment with her felt rushed. There were several times where I was going to ask a follow up question or ask for water or something, and she would run off before I could get my question out haha. Unfortunately that is dropping this down to closer to a 4.5 star experience. Would love to come back though and try the menu again!
M M.
We recently had a family dinner here and highly recommend it. The food is amazing, the service is friendly and the atmosphere is unique and fun. We tried several vegetarian and meat based items and everything was excellent. The dumplings are amazing!
Tom G.
A local restaurant on Valentine's Day. What could go wrong? Well actually we got ahead of the rush here (11am) before the locals poured in (noon). The dumpling appetizer stole the show.
Mohammed Oukheira
One of my family members was hired as a photographer to take photos of this Afghan restaurant. We are Afghan also But one thing about this restaurant is they are way ahead of themselves they are sitting in a very extremely high horse it does not matter where they came from and what they have been through as we also came to America in the 80s when the Russians invaded Afghanistan It does not give anyone a right to become an Afghan Karen. By the way the food has no flavor at all. Extremely overpriced precisely because they are in a bougie location. But not worth the money at all.Parking: Good luck finding parking
Food is delicious, service friendly, wine was yummy and dessert too. We showed up without a reservation and were seated within 10 minutes. Nice walk to and from our hotel.
Yonah Meiselman
Amazing food, and absolutely no complaints about the service. I personally appreciate that they leave the bottle of water at the table so we can refill at our leisure. However, the place was pretty crowded and cramped and loud.Food highlights: dal was delicious without being overly rich, dumplings were a really great bouncy texture, mushrooms were perfectly savory and tart.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emma Rose W.
I've been here a couple of times, and it's definitely become a good go-to spot for a nice yet relatively affordable dinner. The inside decor is gorgeous.
Shebba Southall
I will always make it a point to visit Lapis when I am in DC. Their food is always fresh, and the atmosphere is relaxed. But do keep in mind the 20% service fee, which wasn't an issue, just a heads up.
Northern Virginia has the second biggest Afgan diaspora in the United States, thus there is little surprise that spots like Lapis would be so well on point. Shamim Popal, the executive chef of Lapis, fled Afganistan during the seemingly endless cycle of wars and now runs this remarkable throwback to traditional cooking, with great attention and quality. Some of the dishes here are probably very surprising to someone who isn't accustomed to Afgan kitchens. Dumplings for example, are absolutely not something that most would picture to be an Afgan delicacy. Scallions and ground meats, with plentiful yogurt, create some sort of a mental merger between Persian and Asian kitchen. Aushak means "tear" in Afgan, as the dumplings are molded in that shape. A time consuming and delicate dish. Then, there are things that are more familiar. Chicken kebobs are very well cooked, juicy and flavorful. Lapis even has a wine list, so despite adhering to regional traditions in food, there is that dose of Western enjoyment readily available. Thus, Lapis is a place that probably should be on everyone's itinerary to try, yet it isn't. And that's absolutely the best part. Despite always being busy, it's a quaint and beautiful place known mostly to locals, with kind people and a cultural food adventure that is enticing in every way.
Maiwand Momand
No reservation required, but waited 20 minutes to be seated. We were told that we had the table for 1 hour and 15 minutes, while it took them 40 minutes to bring our food.Guests shouldn't be rushed when the service is slow.The food was ok, portions were small and overpriced.Won't recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Farzan Hussainzada
I went to this restaurant with three other friends and we were told we only have 1 hour and 15 minutes to eat because it was super crowded inside. We were seated in a cold space which did not have enough heating and we had to keep our jackets on while waiting for them to take our order. We waited 20-30 minutes to give our order and it took them another 20 minutes to prepare our order. The food was okay but not as good as I was expecting given the high price. The portions were smaller than other restaurants I have been in the area. Overall the restaurant is overrated and overpriced for the food and services they provide.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Mona Jawi
The food was unexpectedly amazing. I would love to come again and again.
Lapis always delivers! The first time I went here, I tried all the appetizers and fell in love with the dumplings and bolani. This time, I had the aush, which is the perfect winter stew: flavorful, filling, packed with kidney beans and carrots and noodles, richly spiced. My table tried most of the dessert menu as well. The citrus cake (sharbat) and the firnee (cardamom custard) were my favorites, but there were no misses. The portions are on the smaller side. This is a more expensive restaurant for the amount you get, but I keep coming back because I love the food and the cozy feeling of the place! I think it's best enjoyed with a group so that you can sample a variety of small dishes. Service is consistently slow here, so be prepared to wait quite a bit/not be checked on by your server. They're always busy, so try to get your reservations at least a few weeks out if you can.
Had a fantastic evening. The waiter was very good at explaining all the different menu options and placed emphasis on the gluten free options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Phenomenal food and ambiance. I can’t wait to return to try more items on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lamb Chop
Really a 4.5 star experience due to service. Abs no complaints about the food and vibes, as I would 100% come back to try more dishes. Only my second time trying Afghan food, and once again it was delicious. We got a couple dishes to share including the qabuli palow (pilaf rice with lamb and the national dish of Afghanistan), buranee bademjan (egg plant dish), and the shrimp dumplings. All of these dishes were good and would definitely want to come back to try more of the menu! We were in the downstairs area, which was cute and still felt well lit. Didn't feel like a basement haha. The service was fine, but it was not five star service. Our server was clearly really busy and running around a lot, so every moment with her felt rushed. There were several times where I was going to ask a follow up question or ask for water or something, and she would run off before I could get my question out haha. Unfortunately that is dropping this down to closer to a 4.5 star experience. Would love to come back though and try the menu again!
We recently had a family dinner here and highly recommend it. The food is amazing, the service is friendly and the atmosphere is unique and fun. We tried several vegetarian and meat based items and everything was excellent. The dumplings are amazing!
A local restaurant on Valentine's Day. What could go wrong? Well actually we got ahead of the rush here (11am) before the locals poured in (noon). The dumpling appetizer stole the show.
One of my family members was hired as a photographer to take photos of this Afghan restaurant. We are Afghan also But one thing about this restaurant is they are way ahead of themselves they are sitting in a very extremely high horse it does not matter where they came from and what they have been through as we also came to America in the 80s when the Russians invaded Afghanistan It does not give anyone a right to become an Afghan Karen. By the way the food has no flavor at all. Extremely overpriced precisely because they are in a bougie location. But not worth the money at all.Parking: Good luck finding parking
Recommended dishes: Qabuli Palow, Lamb Chop, Afghan Dumplings, Buranee Bademjan
Food is delicious, service friendly, wine was yummy and dessert too. We showed up without a reservation and were seated within 10 minutes. Nice walk to and from our hotel.
Amazing food, and absolutely no complaints about the service. I personally appreciate that they leave the bottle of water at the table so we can refill at our leisure. However, the place was pretty crowded and cramped and loud.Food highlights: dal was delicious without being overly rich, dumplings were a really great bouncy texture, mushrooms were perfectly savory and tart.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I've been here a couple of times, and it's definitely become a good go-to spot for a nice yet relatively affordable dinner. The inside decor is gorgeous.
I will always make it a point to visit Lapis when I am in DC. Their food is always fresh, and the atmosphere is relaxed. But do keep in mind the 20% service fee, which wasn't an issue, just a heads up.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Chop, Beef, Potato
Restaurantji Recommends
Northern Virginia has the second biggest Afgan diaspora in the United States, thus there is little surprise that spots like Lapis would be so well on point. Shamim Popal, the executive chef of Lapis, fled Afganistan during the seemingly endless cycle of wars and now runs this remarkable throwback to traditional cooking, with great attention and quality. Some of the dishes here are probably very surprising to someone who isn't accustomed to Afgan kitchens. Dumplings for example, are absolutely not something that most would picture to be an Afgan delicacy. Scallions and ground meats, with plentiful yogurt, create some sort of a mental merger between Persian and Asian kitchen. Aushak means "tear" in Afgan, as the dumplings are molded in that shape. A time consuming and delicate dish. Then, there are things that are more familiar. Chicken kebobs are very well cooked, juicy and flavorful. Lapis even has a wine list, so despite adhering to regional traditions in food, there is that dose of Western enjoyment readily available. Thus, Lapis is a place that probably should be on everyone's itinerary to try, yet it isn't. And that's absolutely the best part. Despite always being busy, it's a quaint and beautiful place known mostly to locals, with kind people and a cultural food adventure that is enticing in every way.
No reservation required, but waited 20 minutes to be seated. We were told that we had the table for 1 hour and 15 minutes, while it took them 40 minutes to bring our food.Guests shouldn't be rushed when the service is slow.The food was ok, portions were small and overpriced.Won't recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
I went to this restaurant with three other friends and we were told we only have 1 hour and 15 minutes to eat because it was super crowded inside. We were seated in a cold space which did not have enough heating and we had to keep our jackets on while waiting for them to take our order. We waited 20-30 minutes to give our order and it took them another 20 minutes to prepare our order. The food was okay but not as good as I was expecting given the high price. The portions were smaller than other restaurants I have been in the area. Overall the restaurant is overrated and overpriced for the food and services they provide.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
The food was unexpectedly amazing. I would love to come again and again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Qabuli Palow, Afghan Dumplings
Lapis always delivers! The first time I went here, I tried all the appetizers and fell in love with the dumplings and bolani. This time, I had the aush, which is the perfect winter stew: flavorful, filling, packed with kidney beans and carrots and noodles, richly spiced. My table tried most of the dessert menu as well. The citrus cake (sharbat) and the firnee (cardamom custard) were my favorites, but there were no misses. The portions are on the smaller side. This is a more expensive restaurant for the amount you get, but I keep coming back because I love the food and the cozy feeling of the place! I think it's best enjoyed with a group so that you can sample a variety of small dishes. Service is consistently slow here, so be prepared to wait quite a bit/not be checked on by your server. They're always busy, so try to get your reservations at least a few weeks out if you can.