🌸 Four DC Restaurants Make World's Best List

Good morning, DC. December 1 means the holiday chaos is officially sanctioned—no more pretending you'll get organized "next week."

In today’s District Download:

Let’s get to it.

Winter Wonderfest opened Friday at Nationals Park, but it's far from your only option this month. If you want fire pits and ironic themed nights, Wunder Garten's Winterfest in NoMa runs through the week before Christmas—Krampusnacht and an ugly sweater "Swiftmas" party included. For sheer scale, Olney's Winter City Lights crams a million lights and snow tubing onto ten acres through the end of December. And if you've never stood in a 9-degree room surrounded by ice sculptures, National Harbor's Ice! experience—this year themed to "The Polar Express"—will either convert you or confirm your suspicions about indoor winter activities. For something free, the National Arboretum's winter festival on December 6 pairs local vendors with holiday train rides through the Capitol Columns.

KidFriendly DC's annual gift guide makes the case for experiences over stuff—and for keeping your holiday spending local. The Tony-winning "Guys and Dolls" at Shakespeare Theatre Company is the kind of night out that justifies getting a sitter. Ford's "1776" offers civics wrapped in live performance, useful for the relative who thinks history peaked in 1787. For the adventure-inclined, Activate in Sterling turns adults into real-life video game characters, while Bouldering Project in Eckington solves the "what do you get someone who doesn't want things" problem. The guide also spotlights indie bookstores worth your money over Amazon: Solid State on H Street, East City on the Hill, Kramerbooks in Dupont. And if your budget is tight, the Milken Center and the National Archives' new "American Story" exhibit cost nothing but deliver more than most wrapped presents.

French restaurant guide La Liste released its 2026 rankings, and four DC-area restaurants earned spots among the world's thousand best. The Inn at Little Washington landed the region's highest score—a near-perfect 95 out of 100 that puts it in rare company. Minibar and Jônt followed close behind in the low 90s, while Pineapple and Pearls rounded out DC's representation. The recognition arrives weeks after Michelin declined to add any new starred restaurants here—La Liste's nod a quiet rebuke to that snub.

Northern Virginia's walkable downtown districts have transformed into postcard-worthy holiday destinations worth a weekend trip. For a proper evening stroll with dinner reservations to match, Old Town Alexandria's King Street delivers shimmering trees and decorated storefronts along its "Mile of Lights." Del Ray leans artsy—hand-painted window murals from local artists, with thousands of luminarias lining Mount Vernon Avenue during next weekend's Holiday Kick-Off. And if you're willing to drive, Leesburg and Middleburg offer the postcard-village experience, especially in December.

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Here’s what’s going on around DC this week:

Various locations | DC Cocktail Week | Dozens of restaurants showcase specialty cocktails through Dec 7 | All week

Ford's Theatre | A Christmas Carol | Craig Wallace returns as Scrooge in the Victorian-style musical tradition | 7 PM

F Street NW (7th-9th) | DowntownDC Holiday Market | 21st year of open-air holiday shopping with 70+ vendors | 12 PM

Warner Theatre | The Washington Ballet's The Nutcracker | 20th anniversary of the DC-themed production with George Washington as the Nutcracker Prince | 7:30 PM

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Monday

43 🌡 31 | 🌧️ 10% | 💨 10 mph

Tuesday

40 🌡 29 | 🌧️ 70% | 💨 12 mph

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Capital One Hall | The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show | 7 PM

The Atlantis | Young Culture with wakelee | 6:30 PM

Tally Ho | Tab Benoit with Jesse Dayton | 7 PM

Birchmere Music Hall | Aimee Mann with Ted Leo | 7:30 PM

The Theater at MGM National Harbor | Motor City Live - A Motown Tribute | 7:30 PM

Black Cat | SKAI ISYOURGOD | 7:30 PM

The Fillmore Silver Spring | Highly Suspect with Flight Attendant | 8 PM

The Anthem | Gunna | 8:30 PM

The Capitals extended their winning streak to four games Sunday, beating the Islanders 4-1 behind Tom Wilson's two goals and an assist. Alex Ovechkin added his 909th career goal—31 away from Gretzky's record—while Logan Thompson stopped 30 shots. The Caps (14-9-2) head to LA Tuesday at 10:30 PM. Meanwhile, the Wizards (2-16) own the NBA's worst record after Friday's 119-86 loss to Indiana. They host Milwaukee Monday at 7 PM, where the main draw might be watching Giannis up close.

Till next time,