Sontag's First WaPo Top 40: D.C. Dominates, Arlington Absent, N. Va. Asian Cuisine Shines

Key points

• Elazar Sontag, who replaced Tom Sietsema in November 2025, compiled the 2026 list after dining at 189 restaurants over 10 months.
• Five Northern Virginia restaurants made the list: Truong Tien (No. 10, Falls Church), Lighthouse Tofu (No. 22, Annandale), Mama Chang (No. 27, Fairfax), Chef Tan (No. 35, Vienna), and Chaatwala (No. 36, Herndon).
• 31 of the 40 ranked restaurants are located within D.C. borders, while four are in Fairfax County/City and four in Maryland.
• No restaurants from Arlington or Alexandria made the 2026 list, a notable shift from previous years when Arlington spots like Ruthie’s All-Day and Padaek were included.
• Sontag praised Truong Tien for its banh beo and bun bo Hue, and Chaatwala for its affordable Indian street food, such as chole bhature, noting the owner’s aspirations to franchise.

Background

This is the first top 40 ranking compiled by Elazar Sontag, who took over the Washington Post food critic role in late 2025 after Tom Sietsema’s retirement. Previous years’ lists included Arlington restaurants, but the 2026 edition marks a significant shift in geographic distribution, with a heavy concentration in the District and a complete absence from Arlington and Alexandria. The Post also announced that the list will now be updated regularly rather than annually.

How outlets are covering it

FFXnow and Patch emphasize the success of Northern Virginia’s Asian and international cuisine, highlighting specific dishes and the diversity of price points, such as Chaatwala’s $9.99 meals. ARLnow focuses on the absence of Arlington and Alexandria restaurants, framing it as a potential oversight by Sontag, who favored D.C. and the other side of the Potomac. The Washington Post’s own coverage provides detailed reviews of the ranked spots, noting Sontag’s anonymous dining and the use of aliases to ensure unbiased evaluations.

Why it matters

The ranking influences local dining trends and business visibility, particularly for Northern Virginia restaurants that gained recognition. The absence of Arlington and Alexandria may prompt local chambers of commerce and restaurants to seek alternative promotional avenues, such as Arlington Restaurant Week, to maintain visibility. The shift to regular updates by the Post also signals a more dynamic approach to food criticism in the region.

What to watch

The Washington Post will update the top 40 list regularly rather than annually, reflecting changes in the region’s dining scene. Arlington Restaurant Week continues through Monday, with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce encouraging diners to explore local spots despite the ranking’s exclusions. Sontag may revisit previously excluded areas in future updates.