Unsure where Washington's in-the-know crowd is eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Washington businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are extra hot, right now.
Olivia
Open since January 10, this new restaurant from the owner of Rasika is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mediterranean" on Yelp.
Citywide, Mediterranean spots saw a median 3.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Olivia saw a 79.2 percent increase, maintaining a solid four-star rating throughout.
Located in Penn Quarter at 800 F St. NW (between North Eighth and North Ninth streets), where the same owner formerly operated NoPa Kitchen + Bar, Olivia offers innovative, fusion takes on the cuisines of Spain, Morocco, Italy and other countries throughout the region. Seafood, charcuterie, small plates and vegetarian options dominate the menu.
Cafe Georgetown
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Georgetown's Cafe Georgetown, it is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Cafe Georgetown bagged a 41.2 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating.
There's more that's trending on Washington's coffee and tea scene: District Doughnut and Coffee has seen a 23.6 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 3141 N St. NW (between North 31st Street and North Wisconsin Avenue) since October, Cafe Georgetown offers brews from La Colombe Coffee, a Philadelphia-based roaster. In addition, it's got pastries, made-to-order sandwiches and even wine.
The Smith
The U Street Corridor's The Smith is also making waves. Open since last June at 1314 U St. NW (between North 13th and North 14th streets), the cocktail bar and New American spot based out of New York has seen an 11.5 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7 percent for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
The Smith offers a brunch menu of egg dishes, pizza, salads and sandwiches, plus raw shellfish and steak-and-egg options. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid four-star rating among Yelpers.
Sushi Nakazawa
Downtown Washington's Sushi Nakazawa is the city's buzziest sushi bar by the numbers.
The Japanese spot, which opened in the Trump International Hotel at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. (between North 12th and North 11th streets) last summer, increased its new review count by 16.4 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.5 percent for the Yelp category "Sushi Bars."
Sushi Nakazawa offers a 20-course omakase dining option representing the sources both domestic and from international, from Californian sea urchin to hay-smoked sockeye salmon.
Nero
Finally, Dupont Circle's Nero is currently on the upswing in the pizza category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp saw a median 1.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this Italian restaurant and wine bar increased its by 20 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.
Open for business at 1323 Connecticut Ave. NW (between North North Street) since December, Nero offers a handful of signature pies, including a classic margherita and a vegetarian option with truffled mushrooms, toasted cauliflower and roasted garlic cream. It's also got dozens of wine options—mostly Italian—available on tap, plus a large selection of craft beers and cocktails.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
