The Best Dim Sum Restaurants in Washington, DC

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This guide is part of our review of the Best Dim Sum Restaurants in America. Sign up for our newsletter to get recipes, dining tips and restaurant reviews throughout the year!

As its east coast neighbors in New York and Boston continue to thrive, the Chinatown in Washington, DC has shrunk to the size of a single city block near downtown. As the Chinese American community has decamped for the suburbs over the years, the local dim sum scene has followed to nearby commuter cities in Virginia and Maryland.

Established in 1851 on Pennsylvania Avenue, the original Washington, DC Chinatown was relocated by the government in 1929 to an area between 5th and 7th Street, Northwest, to make way for the Federal Triangle Project. Chinatown residents remained in this new area until beginning to move to the DC suburbs following the city’s race riots in 1968. Today, the Chinese American community is most concentrated in cities like Falls Church in northern Virginia and Rockville and Silver Spring in Maryland.

» Read more: Our Ultimate Dim Sum Menu Guide with Pictures and Translations

Without a stable, longstanding urban Chinatown, the local dim sum scene exists almost exclusively in the suburbs, similar to what you have in a city like Atlanta. In fact, you’ll really only find dim sum in DC proper at two places, Tony Cheng’s and the Ping Pong chain. The dim sum restaurants around Washington, DC are generally solid, though they’re defined as much by their flexibility and mobility in service of the local Chinese American community, as they are by their culinary excellence.

Formerly located just across the Potomac River from DC, China Garden used to be your closet, most Metro-accessible dim sum option. Its proximity to the city, however, could mean long lines on weekends for a meal that was notable primarily for its convenience. China Garden has since closed.

If you’re up for a 30 minute drive, you’ll be rewarded with the Hollywood East Cafe and Gourmet Inspirations, which serve more modern dim sum dishes in bright, contemporary environments. You’ll find all the staples here, as well as fun homestyle preparations incorporating ingredients like sweet Chinese sausage. If you push a bit further north to Gaithersburg, you’ll find New Fortune, home to some of the best dim sum in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area.

» Read more: The Best Teas for Dim Sum

Turning back south of the Potomac to Falls Church in northern Virginia, there are two good options within a stone’s throw of one another. Helpfully, Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant and Mark’s Duck House, specialize in seafood and duck dim sum dishes, respectively.

Read on! Here are the five best dim sum restaurants to try in Washington, listed in alphabetical order and shown on a map to help you find them.



Where To Find The Best Dim Sum in DC

Restaurant Key: Classic — big and boisterous, the full dim sum hall experience. Elevated — exceptional views or ambiance create a more refined dining experience. Modern — fusion or innovative takes on dim sum classics. Hole in the Wall — the food’s the only reason to go, and that’s a good thing.


A. Gourmet Inspirations — Classic
2646 University Blvd W
Wheaton, MD 20902

“Traditional Cantonese dim sum is a daily event at the year-old Gourmet Inspirations, which inherited the head kitchen staff of Good Fortune after its 30-year run. It’s worth saving a visit for weekends, when food carts laden with steamed buns, black-bean-sauced chicken feet, and savory domes of Eight Treasure sticky rice circle the banquet-hall-like room.” – Washingtonian

Hollywood East Cafe

B. Hollywood East Cafe — Modern
11160 Veirs Mill Rd
Wheaton, MD 20902

“Hidden away in Wheaton Mall this dim sum favorite serves bacon rolls with minced shrimp and scallop and watercress dumplings.” – Eater

Hong Kong Pearl Seafood

C. Hong Kong Pearl Seafood — Classic
6286 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, VA 22044

“The selection wasn’t as great as China Garden or Fortune, so I was disappointed in that, but it had my normal go-to items, including my favorite sesame seed balls and pineapple buns.” – Fall Church Times

Mark's Duck House

D. Mark’s Duck House — Classic
6184 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, VA 22044

“There are a few things to look for in great dim sum and I quickly went through my checklist. Hot and fresh? Check. Large selection? Check. Good ratio of ingredients (i.e., lots of filling)? Check? Quick and efficient service? Check.” – Two DC

E. New Fortune — Classic
16515 S Frederick Ave
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

“Along with the usual dumplings found at dim sum, New Fortune digs a little deeper with additional entree-like items. Look for stir-fried crabs with ginger and scallion, deep-fried curry dumplings, or creamy and sweet walnut shrimp every day.” – Eater



Let us know what you think! Do you have a better restaurant to recommend? Comment below!

10 Responses

  1. Busk

    I’d scratch Hollywood East or bump to the bottom of the list.

    The DC metro area is still underperforming in dim sum….

  2. Brent

    Growing up in Hawaii and San Francisco I am a huge dim sum fan. While Gourmet Inspiration is my standby place on Sundays because it’s easy to get into if you go early and has pretty solid standards, three other places that you should add to your list are the following.

    Wong Gee is solid and also less crowded than most places on Sundays. Silver Fountain competes for me as my other “go to” place as its quality and variety is maybe a bit better than Gourmet Inspiration.

    I haven’t been to dim sum at Fortune Seafood in a while but prior to discovering Gourmet Inspiration and Silver Fountain this was my standard dim sum weekend place. I went here for dinner recently and had a great meal.

    Wong Gee Asian Restaurant
    2417 University Blvd West,
    Silver Spring, MD 20902
    Phone: 301-933-3277

    Silver Fountain
    13533 Connecticut Ave
    Silver Spring, MD 20906
    Phone: 301-460-1200

    Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant
    6249 Sevens Corners Ctr
    Falls Church, VA 22044
    Phone: 703-538-3333

  3. Jessica

    Tony Cheng’s all day … I’ve been going there since I was 4 … I’m 34 now! It is the most authentic if you want that good good … these new restaurants probably don’t even know what the cuisine comes from.

  4. GitMeSomeDimSumAndDimSumMore

    The Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant that Brent offered above is now closed. No great loss though, since they were only about average for the area, and it was located right down the street from Hong Kong Pearl and Marks Duck House which are both still open.

    In my opinion, Hong Kong Pearl is only slightly better than Marks Duck House for Dim Sum. Word to the wise: The shopping center parking lot where Hong Kong Pearl is located is always packed and filled with people who can’t drive or park. So if you have a nice car, maybe leave it at home when you visit.

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