The 26 best new restaurants in the D.C. area

If you like Mexican food, it’s a good time to be eating in and around Washington. The choices have never been better or more varied. One restaurant mixes in Lebanese accents with delicious results.

If you live in the suburbs, lucky you. The slate of interesting new restaurants, especially in Northern Virginia — host to a vegetarian Vietnamese hot spot and a dining destination whose principals worked at the Inn at Little Washington, among other attractions — is apt to keep you close to home for meals.

Now is also an opportunity to sink your teeth into hamburgers of all stripes, explore youthful mom-and-pops and see what some prominent names are up to. No surprise, but serial restaurateurs Stephen Starr and Peter Chang have rolled out more of what they do best: scenes and Chinese.

Welcome to another collection of spring favorites, based on recent visits to area newcomers.

While I was eating around, I noticed some significant changes on the dining front. Restaurants aren’t always open when we expect them to be, aged fish is being celebrated, and some members of the industry are looking to please themselves as much as their customers. Read here to learn about how restaurants across the country are mixing things up.

Not every fresh face was invited to the party. Some places didn’t make the cut because they were so young I haven’t had a chance to try them, or because a visit left me unimpressed. My spring guide is a celebration of what’s new, but also what’s worth your time and money. The following 26 names all qualify for the distinction.