Occupying just 2.2 square miles, “The Little City”—a nickname that’s trademarked—is home to dozens of locally owned, globally focused restaurants with offerings ranging from authentic Neapolitan pizza (overseen by a French chef, no less) to Afghan stews and Vietnamese soups. Park once and you can walk to any of these 18 stops.
Café Kindred
Husband-and-wife owners Jen Demetrio and Gary O’Hanlon serve brunch daily from 7 a.m. to mid-afternoon. Both are trained pastry chefs, turning out croissants, scones and cheddar-chive biscuits that are baked fresh each morning. Fall favorite cinnamon apple and cream croissants return this October, along with house-made apple and pumpkin pie coffee flavors. Order online for pick-up, eat in, or sit on the sunny sidewalk patio, but leave your laptop home on the weekend when the café turns into a digital-free zone. Going Virginia leaf-peeping this fall? The Café Kindred team recently took over Leesburg Diner, which has operated in its namesake town for 150 years. //450 N. Washington St., Falls Church
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack
This casual, family-owned eatery focuses on tastes from southern climes—fish tacos, crab cakes, tropical drinks and Key lime pie—and is known for its extensive kids’ menu, which includes house-made corn dogs and a tofu taco that even tiny eaters will enjoy. Colder weather means the soup pot is on, with rotating menu options like chicken pozole and beef stew joining year-round bowls of seafood chowder and the kitchen’s riff on classic Creole gumbo. The restaurant is also offering new to-go meals for two, including crab cakes, tacos and pasta. You can add ceviche or a bottle of wine and still stay under $50 per couple. The large patio often features live music that starts early enough for the entire family to enjoy, with plenty of room to groove or just get the wiggles out. //130 N. Washington St., Falls Church
Dogwood Tavern
Now celebrating its 15th year in business, Dogwood is the Cheers of The Little City, but with better food. Big plates of shrimp-and-grits, fresh oysters, burgers and sandwiches (think blackened mahi or portobello mushroom with pesto, roasted red peppers and feta) are served alongside a cocktail menu that includes seasonal creations and classics, such as a Moscow Mule mixed with house-made ginger beer. Back this fall: Hot mulled cider, which is excellent with spiced rum, or as an all-ages warm-up sans spirits. Between the front patio along Broad Street, the covered back dining patio and the Skybar, there are 130 outside seats. //132 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Dominion Wine & Beer
Dominion is a two-in-one experience. The wine-and-beer retail shop opened an upstairs bar and restaurant in the fall of 2018, and extended service into its large, tented parklet in 2020. Find a wine you like from the by-the-glass selection and you can purchase a bottle downstairs to take home. Conversely, if you discover something you like while exploring the shop, you can bring it upstairs and pair it with dishes such as ribeye steak, the house Dominion Burger, a French dip sandwich or a plate of smoked mozzarella arancini with marinara sauce. Coming soon from the same team: Stratford Garden, a sister restaurant occupying the former Stratford Motor Lodge, serving “modern American Cuisine.” //107 Rowell Court, Falls Church
Ellie Bird
The second restaurant from Falls Church natives Carey and Yuan Tang—the husband and wife team behind Michelin-starred Rooster and Owl in D.C.—was designed as a family-friendly neighborhood dining spot. But tables have become hard to get (even mid-week) ever since this newcomer became the only Virginia restaurant to make the New York Times’ 2023 list of the 50 Best Restaurants in America, just a few months after it opened. Named for the culinary couple’s younger daughter, Ellie Bird offers a $55 three-course prix fixe menu, as well as ala carte options including a French onion soup by way of Vietnam, with a Gruyère cap on an oxtail pho broth. During brunch, try the halo halo smoothie bowl. Patio seating is available on a first come, first serve basis. // 125 Founders Avenue, Falls Church (Founder’s Row)
The Falls
The Liberty Tavern Restaurant Group has transformed Liberty Barbecue into The Falls, a new dining concept helmed by Chef Harper McClure, who most recently led the kitchen at D.C.’s Mintwood Place. Though some fan favorite dishes remain (fried chicken, brisket, ribs), the new menu centers on mid-Atlantic and Southern cuisine, with more seafood than its meat-focused predecessor, and a more robust beverage program. Once it’s in full swing, the restaurant (which opened Oct. 18) will serve lunch and dinner during the week and brunch on weekends, with plans for breakfast down the line. // 370 West Broad St., Falls Church
Harvey’s
Chef-owner Thomas Harvey’s namesake restaurant has a dog-friendly (and soon to be covered) patio, weekday happy hour and a market featuring take-home meals, pastas and sauces, local beer and wine, meat from Virginia farms and charcuterie products from Maryland’s Epic Curing. After being open for less than two years in the heart of the Little City, the restaurant is already a staple on the charity scene, often hosting events to support local nonprofits. Next up: Harvey’s is adding an array of cocktails to its drink menu once its full liquor license is approved. The kitchen will also be offering Thanksgiving sides to-go, including butternut squash soup, apple-hazelnut streusel and cornbread with sage-sausage stuffing. //513 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Ireland’s Four Provinces
This classic Irish pub has been a neighborhood mainstay for 25 years, and its massive sidewalk patio on the corner of West Broad and North Washington streets has hosted many happy St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and nights of live music. In addition to serving fish and chips, Chicken Tullamore in a creamy whiskey sauce, sausage rolls wrapped in pastry and other Irish classics, the 4P’s has also upped its healthy eating game with a rotating seafood selection including scallops, haddock and rockfish, plus new vegetarian options. More than 100 whiskeys line the bar, including coveted labels such as Pappy Van Winkle and Heaven Hill. //105 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Luzmila’s Bolivian Restaurant
If you have only five minutes for lunch, stop by the take-out counter at Luzmila’s and grab one of the savory salteñas, which pack chicken or beef stew inside a buttery, baked crust. You might burn your mouth, as it’s nearly impossible to wait for them to cool down. Got a little more time? Try the silpancho—breaded steak with rice, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes and onion. On weekends, order the Sopa de Maní, a classic peanut soup topped with fries, before it sells out. You can dine in, order to-go via Luzmila’s website or have your salteñas and traditional mogonchinche (a colorful dried peach juice drink) brought to you via several delivery apps. //809 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Nue: Elegantly Vietnamese
In an area with many Vietnamese dining destinations, it’s not every day that one gets this sort of fanfare. Nue, the latest restaurant in the Happy Endings Restaurant Group’s local empire, opened in June 2023. Early hits include the Bo Kho pappardelle with Vietnamese short rib ragu, and pho pate, which marries the aromatics of the traditional noodle soup with caramelized chicken liver mousse studded with Thai chilies and peanuts, which diners can spread onto fresh crullers. Explore the new, weekend-only brunch menu on the restaurant’s porch, which is full of plants and heated for the cooler months. A note for diners: tips are not expected, as a 20% service fee is added to all checks to cover servers’ wages and benefits. // 944 W. Broad St., Falls Church (Founders Row)
Panjshir Restaurant
This Falls Church institution opened in 1985 and was on West Broad Street for 32 years before it moved to its current location in the Southgate Village Shoppes. Panjshir offers regional dishes from across Afghanistan, including a number of vegetarian winners—the most popular being kadu chalow, a dish of sauteed pumpkin topped with seasoned yogurt and tomato sauce. Try one of the many palaw (seasoned rice) dishes topped with beef, lamb or chicken and a variety of vegetables. End your meal with chocolate firnee, a rice pudding made with chocolate and almonds and topped with cardamom and pistachios. //114 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church (Southgate Village Shoppes)
Pizzeria Orso
The Neapolitan-style pizza here is the real deal, and they have the paperwork to prove it, having earned a certification from the Italian Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana. French chef-owner Bertrand Chemel’s team oversees a volcanic brick oven that yields beautiful crusts topped with the usual cheeses and meats, as well as cremini mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and even fried eggs—as well as other seasonal items from the Falls Church Farmers Market. Seasonal pies include a popular option topped with black mission figs, arugula, Prosciutto di Parma and blue cheese and finished with a balsamic reduction. Also popular during the colder months is the chef’s wild boar pappardelle. Orso offers a pizza kit ($8), including dough, tomato sauce and fresh cheeses so you can try your hand at making a pie at home. //400 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church
Preservation Biscuit Co.
For the ultimate comfort food, order one of the mammoth house-made biscuits with a side of seasonal jams (which are also made inhouse), or a sandwich with fillers like fried chicken, pulled pork, prime rib or eggs and guac. Preservation often collaborates with local chefs and food businesses. The Pamabazo (chorizo, potatoes, red onions and queso fresco combo on a guajillo pepper-soaked biscuit), a recent creation with La Tingeria chef David Peña, was so popular that it is now a permanent part of Preservation’s menu. Hosting a party at home? Biscuits are also sold by the dozen (call ahead to order), and the eatery has a catering menu with platters that are surefire crowd-pleasers. //102 E. Fairfax St. Falls Church
Rare Bird Coffee Roasters
Co-owners Lara Berenji and Bryan Becker operate this café at the corner of North Maple Ave. and West Broad St., roasting beans inhouse and offering free shipping for local orders placed online. Fall specials include an Espresso “Cold Fashion” with house-made bitters and orange simple syrup over ice. All baked goods are made on site, including gluten-free brownies, amaretti cookies and biscotti. Check out the compact list of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and savory pies, including the spinach saag and gobi hand pie, stuffed with spinach and cauliflower with a side of creamy mango raita. //230 W. Broad St., Falls Church City
Spacebar
Lary and Erica Hoffman, who also own Arlington beer haunt Galaxy Hut, homed in on their love of grilled cheese when they opened this funky, adults-only brewpub on West Broad Street more than a decade ago. The menu includes more than two dozen craft beers on tap with selections that change daily, plus more than a dozen signature sandwiches and a create-your-own option with a variety of vegan ingredients. Late-night diners tend to go for the “totchos”—tater tots covered in cheese and toppings ranging from bacon and dill pickles to house-made meatloaf. Curbside pick-up is available, but there’s no outside seating. // 709 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Takumi
Takumi only has space for 30 diners in its South Washington Street location, but it’s one of the mightiest restaurants in Falls Church. The acclaimed sushi bar opened in 2015 under the eye of owner-chef Jay Yu, who previously worked at D.C.’s famed Kaz Sushi Bistro. Reserve one of the limited spaces at the sushi counter to enjoy his team’s exquisite work with uni, fatty tuna, butterfish (or Hawaiian Walu) and seasonal fishes such as ankimo (monkfish liver), smoked saba (mackerel) and kinmedai (also known as Splendid Alfonsino) in the cooler months. If you’re ordering takeout, be sure to ask about specials when you call; Takumi has no online ordering or delivery options. //310-B South Washington Street, Falls Church
Thompson Italian
Gabe and Katherine Thompson’s eponymous trattoria is a go-to for house-made pastas with seasonal preparations such as roasted honeynut squash with whipped ricotta and currant-caper vinaigrette. (Gabe also turns out a phenomenal gluten-free garganelli that can be substituted for any non-filled pasta.) Don’t skip dessert. Katherine, an award-winning pastry chef, draws diners across the DMV with seasonal sweets like pumpkin tiramisu with espresso-rum-soaked pumpkin chocolate chip cake, as well as her signature olive oil cake with crème fraiche mousse and raisin marmaletta (which is also available as a whole 9-inch cake with a day’s notice). Thompson Italian offers a variety of meal kits to cook at home, as well as trays of bread and sauce, pork meatballs, salads and eggplant parm for large groups. The restaurant hosts a monthly wine dinner series, pairing a 5-course meal with bottles and conversation with visiting Italian winemakers. //124 N. Washington St., Falls Church
La Tingeria
This Mexican taqueria opened its first brick-and-mortar location on South Washington Street in late 2021 after eight years as an Arlington-based food truck operation. Favorites from the chalkboard menu include crispy chicken or brisket tinga tostadas, and goat and beef quesabirria tacos served with a consommé dipping sauce. Chef-owner David Pena started sourcing only halal meats in 2020. Now the tiny eatery—Tingeria has indoor and outdoor seating for just two dozen diners—will be getting a sister location in Spotsylvania in late 2023. And the food truck that started it all? It’s for sale. As other opportunities increase, Pena no longer has the bandwidth to keep it on the road. // 626 S. Washington St., Falls Church