50 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Bethesda

“There are steakhouses that sell beef, and there are steakhouses that sell ritual. Medium Rare in Bethesda understands this distinction with the calm certainty of a Parisian waiter who has seen three revolutions and still refuses to split the check.

You arrive thinking you’re getting dinner. What you’re really getting is doctrine: bread warm enough to make diplomacy possible, a salad dressed with enough mustard to wake the dead, and then the famous procession — steak sliced thin beneath that green peppercorn sauce that lands on the table like artillery support. The fries arrive in impossible abundance, followed shortly by the second helping, because Medium Rare subscribes to the old French principle that restraint is for Calvinists and people with no appetite.

The room hums with Bethesda ambition: lobbyists, exhausted consultants, first dates, silver-haired couples who’ve been arguing since the Carter administration. Everyone united beneath the banner of red meat and clarified butter. Glasses of wine appear and disappear with military efficiency. Somewhere a server announces “second round of fries” with the moral gravity of a cathedral bell.

But the restaurant’s greatest flourish may be hidden in the bathroom, where French lessons adorn the walls like graffiti from a civilized empire. You stand there memorizing useful phrases while washing peppercorn sauce from your hands. “Où est la bibliothèque?” “Je voudrais un café.” It is perhaps the only restaurant in Maryland where you can leave knowing both how to order steak frites and how to ask directions in Lyon.

And somehow it works. The whole enterprise feels faintly absurd, deeply confident, and unmistakably charming — like an American trying very hard to become French and accidentally succeeding for two hours at a time.

Medium Rare does not pretend to be subtle cuisine. It is abundance, repetition, butter, noise, and confidence. In Bethesda, that may be the closest thing to authenticity there is.“

“My daughter recently moved to the area. After a long day of cleaning and unpacking boxes we ordered pizza for dinner. This is the BEST pizza! The crust was perfect. It was not greasy. It was sliced perfectly-easy to pick up. Location was easy to find and service was SUPER friendly! I am looking forward to eating here again when I’m in town!“

“Everything was perfect, the service, food and cocktails! Look forward to returning.“

“Really loved the okra, eggplant and chicken (the first one under the chef special). It’s hard to find “dry” bhindi like this. Cant wait to come back and try more. Also they were very knowledgeable about gluten free- plenty of options!“

“Came here on the day after July 4, the wait-list seemed long but they went by fast! Service was quick and professional. Food is good as usual (I've been to other locations before).

I remember hearing about the lines to eat here so get take out“

“We hadn't been to Persimmon since they renovated the space. It was definitely different -- more casual than before. That being said, we had the sunset dinner ($49 for 3 courses) and the food was outstanding. It was just the right amount of food since the portions are a little smaller than the regular menu but this way we had appetizers and dessert and weren't too stuffed by the time we left. We would definitely go back.“

“GREAT food, and some of the friendliest people in Bethesda! We’ll be frequent fliers...for sure.“

“Food was excellent, service was great!“

“Amazing food and service!“

“Yep:P it was very good the food the ppl and the reset urs for“

“Great,have everything to eat,i like it.“

“This place is awesome ! Good food, great staff, beautiful atmosphere. You can tell that they put time , love, and care into their dishes and cocktails. 10/10 would recommend!“

“I had the local strawberry and watermelon salad and it was the most original and delicious thing I've eaten all summer. Combines sweet and juicy with crunchy and savory, with a great house-made dressing. I wish I'd tried this place sooner.“

“Thank you,Great food with very nice and friendly staff. Love this Lilit cafe“

“Mother’s Day celebration with family was especially great because of the amazing atmosphere and awesome service at Barrel and Crow. It was our first time visiting this establishment and certainly will not be our last. Shout out to the owner and her staff.“

“The waiter was very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable about their gluten free items. I have celiac disease so I had so many questions IYKYK. We got there right before dinner rush. We the Paella Con Pollo Y Chorizo and Ensalada Guardados with chicken. The Paella was ok, the rice wasn't done so it was quite crunchy. The salad was amazing, the chicken had the best flavor and was so moist. The balsamic vinaigrette dressing was delicious. I definitely will go back and try their other GF items.“

“I just had my 2nd absolutely DELICIOUS Indian dinner at Virraaj on Cordell. My husband noticed what he thought was a new restaurant across from the public parking last week so we went there for our Wednesday date nite. We went earlyish and only a couple other tables were taken when we arrived but by the time we left at 6:30 ish it was just about full so best to make reservations. Even with many diners, it was still easy to talk to each other and be heard. I started w/ the AAM Palak Chaat appetizer which I had first tasted at Rasika and have ordered every time I have seen it on a menu. Definitely rivaled Rasika's and the portion was big enough to share w/ my husband as an appetizer. My main was the Murgh Bahak/ Kadai Chicken. So tender, so tasty with onion and green and red bell peppers, delicious brown sauce w/ terrific spices plus a little spicy kick. I ate as much as I could and still had left overs for 2 lunches at home. My husband ordered a lamb dish he enjoyed and finished every morsel including the rice. I saw some reviewers would have liked more rice. We had plenty with our meals so maybe they are giving more w/ each dinner. The waiter was attentive, professional, courteous and nice. The restaurant itself was classy & beautifully appointed - you could tell someone put a great deal of thought and money into designing it. This week we had friends visit who live in VA, within walking distance to Clarendon. We always go there for Indian food because there are so many good Indian restaurants to choose from but they were excited to try Virraaj from our comments about how much we enjoyed it. Before ordering takeout, I called and spoke to Jenni 3 times because I wanted to order what I had ordered last week but couldn't remember the name. She could not have been kinder or more patient in helping me figure out that it was the Kadhai Chicken. It may not seem like it from this review but I am a picky eater - happy to pay any price (just about ) for good food but am too often disappointed in Bethesda. Virraag got the highest marks on everything important to me: service, food, and ambiance - all of us enjoyed our meals and noone was disappointed. We ordered pickup for 4 main dishes including my fav Murgh Bahak/Kadai Chicken, Butter Chicken, Lamb Tawa Masala and Hariyal Murgh Tikka, naan and roti. All went on 2 big lazy susans on the dining room table and we kept on spinning, tasting and enjoying. The wife of the other couple always orders the Butter Chicken and kept on saying how moist and delicious the chicken was tonight. We all tried and liked everything - - not one complaint. So glad that we have a great Indian restaurant to go to and take friends to and not worry that anyone is not going to enjoy -- it is that good!“

“The service was excellent“

“😍Love Love Fish Taco Wildwood! Miss you! Hurry back!“

“We were at the original New Haven location several years ago, and we were delighted to find one closer to home. We tried customized pizzas . The crust was amazing with the classic coal-fired char, just the perfect amount of cheese and the crushed Italian tomatoes were divine. Great to try proper apizza again.“

“This was the worst service ever here and I have not been back since the last bad service..I took a friend here from Philly and took forever to get waited on. appetizer was not fully cooked.Pizza came out.... my pasta never made it out. never heard a word from the manager ..how sad. male employees were constantly occupying the men's room...the waitress is the only one what was apologetic..my friend from Philly was not impressed and I left mad and disappointed. my third time with this location. Gregorio kishketon“

“Great food! Fast and attentive service! Clean and pleasant environment!“

“Olazzo catered a recent birthday party for us. Everything about the experience was first rate. Scott Crivella was extremely helpful in finagling the menu. The food was delivered right on time and was ready to serve. Our guests were delighted with the chicken Marsala, mango salmon, penne marinara, antipasto platter and bruschetta. Everything was delicious and the servings were very generous. We were extremely pleased.“

“Delicious, serious, fast, tasty. And they donate their day-old bagels to food pantries & shelters!“

“Excellent food and service.“

“Cafe X is by far our favorite breakfast spot. The food is incredible and the staff are absolutely lovely. It used to be a weekly tradition until we moved a few states away. When visiting, we always make it a priority to stop by! Don’t skip out on this gem!“

“Great service. Best crabs I’ve had all year- big & full!“

“Great place for good eat .“

“On our way from Virginia to NJ, stopped off at this google recommended restaurant! In desperate need of revival from some hot soup of a rainy long drive! What a gem! The owner was so kind! Food was like halmeoni (grandma) made it! Flavors were on point! Loved the kimchi (cabbage) and kkakdugi (radish) so much we bought some to take home! …
Delicious comfort!“

“First try of cuisine from Lebanon - nice one!
We went there for dinner on Saturday evening, and find the atmosphere of the place really nice, with very professional service. The server was not checking on us every 5 second, which we particularly appreciated, and they offered us a free dessert at the end.
The food was good - we really liked pita bread with the oil, eggplant dip was a nice mix of flavors and falafel was good as expected.
My husband took a lamb and minced beef dish, served on the rice - it was good but the meat seemed boiled. To be fair, we have no idea though, if this is how this dish should be served.
I took chicken shouk, the meat was really juicy and tasty but not sure if a chicken breast, some rice, 2 mini tomatoes and a bit of garlic yogurt are worth 25$. One star less therefore for the mains.“

“Lived in Bethesda for 50 years, now in Bend, OR--where good Chinese food is non-existent. On numerous visits back home, I've patronized Foong Lin with high school buddies--and it always delivers the goods. Last night, we all had hot and sour soup, egg rolls, crispy beef, combination Kung Pao, combination lo mein...and everything was off the charts!“

“The grilled chicken sandwich with guacamole comes with french fries. It was delicious.“

“No matter what time of day, this is THE BEST Peruvian Chicken around!“

“Great dogs and beer selection. Cheese fries were also delicious. Would recommend to try this spot if in Bethesda, MD.“

“Great servers! This was a great surprise to find this place so far south from Maine.“

“always consistently good food“

“Back to the scene of Lan’s and my first date!“

“I had a lovely memorable experience at Chopt in Bethesda MD. Tracy’s customer service; beyond superb, her ability to pay attention to details and understand what the customer needs was almost telekinetic. Tracy was warm respectful and attentive. My wrap was perfect thanks to her recommendations. High five to your work ethics and good energy. When it comes down to recommending this Chopt Bethesda branch I say Heck yea!“

“I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and authenticity of some of the classic dimsum dishes such as the shrimp dumpling and charngfun. We ordered about 25 small plates between 3 people (including desert) and we were stuffed! Some items tasted a bit too experimental and did not satisfy the classic Cantonese flavor profile that I’m used to. Some were really good! I grew up eating authentic Cantonese dim sum in Los Angeles and have tried amazing eating dim sum in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. In the DMV area, we have limited dim sum options - so this place will do when I crave dim sum! The service and atmosphere were really nice. Total rating is 4.5 stars.“

“I really loved this gem of a restaurant. I loved the buffet. The buffet was priced at around $20 with tax. I got an order of Naan or the common Indian bread included.
The service was excellent. My waiter was helpful and friendly. I liked the dessert and he showed me where the cup and spoon were for it. It was like Halwa pudding. It was yummy, sweet!
I liked the tandoori chicken. The music was Indian drums which are charming. The look of Kadhai, the interior, was of Mughal windows or Arabesque, if you will. But distinctly Indian. It was really an attractive place
It is located in the beating heart of Downtown Bethesda. I believe it is the first Indian restaurant in Montgomery County. I thought I read that somewhere online recently. But I'm not sure, ask them.“

“This was the worst service ever here and I have not been back since the last bad service..I took a friend here from Philly and took forever to get waited on. appetizer was not fully cooked.Pizza came out.... my pasta never made it out. never heard a word from the manager ..how sad. male employees were constantly occupying the men's room...the waitress is the only one what was apologetic..my friend from Philly was not impressed and I left mad and disappointed. my third time with this location. Gregorio kishketon“

“Four of us stopped by Silver Diner in Bethesda just for milkshakes, and they were excellent. I ordered the Chunky Munky, and it was absolutely amazing—thick, creamy, and packed with banana and Oreo pieces in every sip. It was one of the best milkshakes I’ve had in a long time. Everyone in our group enjoyed their shakes, and the service was friendly and quick. If you’re in the area and craving a great milkshake, I definitely recommend giving the Chunky Munky a try!“

“Fantastic food, attentive service, and ambient setting. Such a fantastic spot“

“Everything is good.Almond croissants is my favorite one.“

“Hands down my favorite pizza in the DMV. The pizza is always delicious, the sandwiches are great, and everything hits the spot every time.

I love going there with my family because it’s quick, easy, and always delish. The food is consistently excellent, the service is friendly, and it’s become one of our go-to spots when we want something everyone will love. Highly recommend!“

“Tried Kusshi in Bethesda recently and overall had a really good experience. The restaurant has a modern atmosphere without feeling too loud or crowded, and the location in Woodmont Triangle makes it a nice spot for dinner before walking around downtown after. Sushi tasted fresh and presentation was really well done. You can tell they pay attention to quality instead of just rushing plates out.

We ordered a mix of rolls, appetizers, and drinks and honestly everything came out pretty quickly. The crispy rice and specialty rolls were probably my favorite part of the meal. Staff was friendly and checked in often without hovering too much which I appreciated.

Prices are definitely on the higher side compared to casual sushi spots, but that’s kind of expected for the area and quality level. Overall a really solid place for date night, dinner with friends, or just when you want sushi that feels a little more upscale than average.“

“The friendly staff and bartenders... shout out to Duffy and Juan!!“

“Best pizza ever! & I know pizza, I'm from New York!“

“Seoul Spice is absolutely amazing!
The food is incredibly delicious, fresh, and full of authentic flavor. The portions are generous, leaving you fully satisfied and impressed with the value.

The customer service is outstanding. The girl with glasses and a red shirt was attentive, and professional, which made the whole experience even better.

Seoul Spice never disappoints! 🔥🍜💯“

“The food here is sooooooo good. The best food on base in my opinion. (But the galley is pretty awesome and way cheaper). You pay a bit more here but the quality is great. They also do private event catering. (just don't get the cake, it's meh). The only downside and I wish I could give 4.5 stars is the fact that all of their iced tea is by default sweet tea. Pretty ableist for a restaurant that caters to wounded warriors.“