"Last spring, Rafidi closed the restaurant for a few weeks, gave the dining room a darker, moodier makeover, and added a sleek lounge space. The coolest part of the reno: all barriers have been removed between the dining room and the open kitchen and its giant flame-spitting hearth, so it feels like one big, communal space. (Try to snag a "hearth table" to get closest to the action.)"
"Now, he's leaning more heavily and explicitly into his Palestinian roots, and creating wondrous plates inspired by the food he grew up eating. And his Sofra tasting menu is a bit different, too-a little more luxe and ever-changing with seasonal specialties. The meal starts very simply with olives and pickles before moving onto elevated snacks such as ember-roasted mussels with arak butter and caviar; puffs of pita with decadent dips; and a parade of dishes including tiny dumplings with urfa chili crisp."
Albi, Michael Rafidi's Navy Yard restaurant, holds the number-one spot in 2026 after consecutive recognition. The dining room was remodeled to be darker and moodier, with a new lounge and removed barriers between the dining area and the open kitchen centered on a flame-spitting hearth. Rafidi has shifted the menu to foreground his Palestinian roots and offers a Sofra tasting menu that is more luxe and seasonally changing. Meals progress from simple olives and pickles to elevated snacks like ember-roasted mussels with arak butter and caviar, puffs of pita with decadent dips, tiny dumplings with urfa chili crisp, and a culminating feast of lamb.
Read at Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.
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