(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Four Arlington eateries were included in Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants list this year.
Cafe Colline, CHIKO, Ruthie’s All-Day, and SER all received a coveted spot on the list, which was published by the regional magazine for the first time since February 2020. That year, only two Arlington restaurants made the list.
SER in Ballston made the list this year as well as in 2020. The Spanish tapas restaurant on N. Glebe Road first opened in 2015 and has since faced a number of obstacles including flooding and pandemic-related challenges.
“My wife, Christiana, and I are extremely grateful to the entire SER family – both our amazing team and our incredible guests who have supported us along the way. They have truly made our vision of making SER a warm and inviting neighborhood spot a reality,” co-owner Javier Candon told ARLnow in a statement. “We’ve lived in Arlington for more than 20 years and know that Arlington has always had exceptional restaurants. However, seeing the restaurant scene grow and evolve has been truly extraordinary. Arlington is a vibrant, fun foodie community that embraces different cuisines and experiences.”
The other three restaurants are all newer additions to the Arlington dining scene.
Cafe Colline on Langston Blvd in the Lee Heights Shopping Center opened in June 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. The “neighborhood French bistro” is owned by local sibling restaurateurs Eric and Ian Hilton. The brothers also run El Rey taqueria in Ballston as well as several well-regarded D.C. eateries.
“It means a lot that our little neighborhood bistro in Arlington is on this list! It is wonderful to see the hard work of our amazing staff and Chef Brendan L’Etoile recognized among Washingtonian’s very best restaurants,” a restaurant spokesperson said about the honor. “We hope that this brings more guests to venture across the bridge to experience the many lovely restaurants Arlington has to offer. We can’t wait to bring more great food and warm service to Arlington for years to come.”
Ruthie’s All-Day has been racking up recognition ever since it first opened just over two years ago in Arlington Heights. Run by chef Matt Hill, it was named one of the area’s best barbecue joints in 2020 as well as an Arlies award winner last year. This past year, the restaurant won a RAMMY for”Casual Restaurant of the Year” and Hill himself was a James Beard semi-finalist in 2022.
“We are so honored to be included in this year’s Washingtonian List of Top 100 restaurants. Our team at Ruthie’s works hard every day to provide great food and hospitality, and the recognition goes a long way to show support for us,” Hill told ARLnow. “The restaurant scene in Arlington is vibrant and growing, with many talented restaurants and chefs, and we’re proud to be part of the community.”
CHIKO in Shirlington is another eatery that’s been on top of a number of lists in recent years. The popular D.C.-based Chinese-Korean restaurant opened its fifth location on Campbell Avenue in late 2021, expanding out to Virginia for the first time. Its owners Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, known as “The Fried Rice Collective,” were named the D.C. region’s restaurateurs of the year at the RAMMY awards in July.
“We are thrilled to be listed as one of Washingtonian’s top 100 restaurants this year, especially as we now have a location in Northern Virginia,” a CHIKO spokesperson told ARLnow via email. “We are happy to be listed amongst such great restaurants, many of which are in Arlington County.”
A number of other nearby restaurants were on the top 100 list as well, including La Tingeria. The former Arlington-based food truck known for its birria tacos moved to Falls Church in late 2021 and was nearly forced to shut down by the city due to a parking situation.