Middle EasternLevantineBakeryBrunchHalalVegan-friendlyModerateDinnerBrunchCasualCocktail Bar
Last updated: 4/23/2026, 5:59:58 AM
Key Information
Lapis is a modern, family-owned Afghan restaurant located in the heart of Adams Morgan, Washington D.C. It offers homestyle Afghan cuisine prepared with local, seasonal ingredients in a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The restaurant also features a cocktail bar with unique, spice-inspired drinks and serves a popular mimosa brunch on weekends.
Customers consistently praise Lapis for its delicious and authentic Afghan food, with many highlighting the Afghan dumplings (Aushak), Bolani, lamb shank, and Qabuli Pulow as standout dishes. The atmosphere is described as positive, authentic, cozy, and welcoming, with traditional decor. Service is generally regarded as good, quick, and hospitable, with staff like Ali agha offering helpful recommendations. While some find it a little pricey, most agree the quality is worth it, with one reviewer calling it the 'best Afghan restaurant in the DMV area'.
Additional Details
The restaurant emphasizes its commitment to using local and seasonal ingredients to create its homestyle Afghan dishes. It also boasts a cocktail bar that crafts unique drinks with house-made syrups inspired by traditional Afghan spices. The menu is 100% halal.
What do you do about a restaurant with amazing food and bad service? I recently visited with a party of 11 and despite the fact that there were four waiters walking around the floor downstairs in the basement, it seemed like nothing was really getting done. Water bottles and cups sat empty for most of the meal. It took me 15 minutes to get a cup of Sprite, and then another 15 minutes after I asked to get a refill. We were celebrating a birthday and they tried to charge us more than $4 per person in the party to eat a cake that we had brought despite making a reservation and mentioning it was a birthday and no such fee being announced previously. We talked to the manager and she wasn't willing to budge, despite the fact that we ended up spending over $500 in total without the cake. Not to mention her tone was dismissive and condescending.
Despite all this, the food is amazing, if pricey. It's spicy, it's tasty, it's very very good. I just don't know if it's worth the price and worth dealing with this level of service.
Great vibe. Great food. Great service. We were there for an Adams Morgan PorchFest pregame and breakfast. Mimosas! Everything was wonderful with one caveat. The steak was over cooked. Very flavorful but certainly well-done. Made it less good.
I’ve also included a photo of Henry because you’ll all want to see him.
Lamb Tikka 3/5: the lamb itself was not tender and the flavor was just okay. My girlfriend said it perfectly it tasted like something we could whip up at home. The portion size was good. But I had no left overs and was still a bit hungry. So the value for $30 was not there for me personally.
Loved the atmosphere and the candles. The space was tight a little more than I prefer upstairs. But overall good atmosphere.
Overall, I’d say the food at Lapis was just average. We started with the sambosa trio; while the shrimp was okayish, the beef sambosa was the absolute show-stopper of the night. The shrimp mantoo was also okay. For our entrees, the chicken kebab was succulent but needed more salt. Dessert was the biggest disappointment—we ordered the firni and halwa, but having had both before, these just didn't meet my expectations at all.
Also the place seemed claustrophobic, tables were placed very close to each other.
While Lapis is often visited à la carte, the chef’s menu (or tasting-style experience, when offered) is arguably the best way to understand the kitchen’s range and narrative. The chef’s menu typically unfolds in a progression of small plates to larger entrées, echoing Afghan home dining but refined into courses: Opening bites / spreads, Dumplings (signature moment), Vegetable-forward dishes, Rice + protein centerpiece, Dessert with floral notes. This sequencing is intentional and it builds from delicate to hearty, allowing spices to gradually intensify without overwhelming the palate.
This has become one of my favorite spots in DC. P.S our kids loved the food as well. An honorable mention goes to the cocktails that strike a delicate balance and unique flavor profiles.
