"Michael Rafidi's Michelin star and 2024 James Beard crown DC's best Palestinian table — book the $165 sofra for an anniversary."
About Albi
Michael Rafidi grew up outside Washington on his Palestinian grandmother's cooking, worked kitchens from California to Aspen, then opened Albi at 1346 4th Street SE in Navy Yard in February 2020. It won a Michelin star in 2022 and Rafidi took the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2024. We point first-time visitors to it in our Washington DC dining guide, and it anchors our list of the best fine-dining restaurants worldwide. For how we judge a kitchen like this, read the seven signs of a great restaurant.
The Kitchen
Albi means ‘my heart' in Arabic, and Rafidi cooks Palestinian food without softening it for the room. The wood-fired hearth does most of the work. Start with the hummus, which arrives in rotating versions, often smoked lamb with date molasses or charred fava beans. Crispy kibbeh with pine nuts and shish barak, tiny dumplings baked in the oven under yogurt and chili crisp, are the dishes regulars order on sight. From the fire come a smoked lamb belly mezze and a saffron-yogurt chicken kabob; dessert is brown butter knafeh, shredded phyllo over sweet cheese with yogurt ice cream. You can eat à la carte, but the kitchen is at its best through the $165 sofra, a five-course chef-guided menu plus snacks that shifts with the season and the market. Rafidi won Albi its Michelin star in 2022 and has held it every year since, then collected the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2024. A 2025 renovation reworked the Navy Yard dining room at 1346 4th Street SE around that open hearth. He also runs the bakery Yellow nearby, but Albi is where the live-fire cooking is most serious.
The Room
The room runs warm and a little loud once the hearth gets going and the tables fill; this is a convivial space, not a hushed one. Lighting is low and amber, with wood and stone surfaces throughout, seats at the counter facing the fire, and tables set at a comfortable, non-banquette distance. After the 2025 redesign it holds roughly sixty covers. Dress is smart-casual: most people arrive in shirts and dresses, and no jacket is required. The pace is steady rather than slow, and the open kitchen gives dinner a sense of motion. Couples tend to take the counter; groups take the back tables.
Best for an Anniversary
Book Albi for an anniversary for three reasons: the food is personal and memorable rather than generic luxury, the $165 sofra lets you hand the evening to the kitchen instead of negotiating a menu, and the hearth-warmed room is romantic without being stiff. A typical scene: a couple at the counter watching the fire, splitting the smoked-lamb hummus and the shish barak, then sharing the brown butter knafeh while Rafidi's team plates a few feet away. It also works for impressing clients who have eaten everywhere and want something they have not. Book the sofra and ask for the counter.
Not for
Skip Albi if you want a quiet, leisurely meal: the room runs loud near the hearth, the kitchen keeps a steady pace, and it is closed Sunday and Monday.
Frequently Asked
Is Albi worth it?
Yes, Albi is one of the most distinctive meals in Washington. Michael Rafidi holds a Michelin star, kept since 2022, and won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2024 for this Palestinian kitchen in Navy Yard. The $165 sofra tasting is the way to experience it. If you care about live-fire cooking and food with a point of view, it earns the trip. See our Washington DC dining guide.
How hard is it to book Albi?
Fairly hard on weekends, manageable midweek. Albi takes reservations through its website and Resy, and tables open about four weeks out, with Friday and Saturday going first. The dining room seats around sixty and serves Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. Book early for a weekend sofra, or aim for a Tuesday or Wednesday when the counter is easier to land.
What is the dress code at Albi?
Smart-casual, with no jacket required. Albi is a polished but unpretentious Navy Yard room, so a shirt and trousers or a dress are right; most diners make a small effort without dressing formally. The open hearth keeps the space warm, so heavy layers are unnecessary. There is no strict code, but this is a Michelin-starred dinner, not a quick bite, and people dress accordingly.
What is the average meal price at Albi?
The chef-guided sofra menu is $165 per person for five courses plus snacks, the heart of the bill. À la carte is possible, where hummus and mezze run lower and wood-fired mains higher. With wine or cocktails and service, expect roughly $230 to $300 a head for the full sofra experience. For a Michelin-starred tasting in Washington, that sits at the fair end of the range.
What should I order at Albi?
Order the hummus first, ideally the smoked-lamb-and-date-molasses version, then the crispy kibbeh and the shish barak dumplings. From the hearth, the smoked lamb belly and the saffron-yogurt chicken kabob are the dishes to get. Finish with the brown butter knafeh and its yogurt ice cream. If you want the full range, the $165 sofra makes those choices for you. More in our best fine-dining guide.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Albi
Book via the website or Resy. Closed Sunday and Monday. Weekend sofra tables go about four weeks ahead.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1346 4th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
NeighbourhoodNavy Yard
CuisineModern Palestinian
Price$165 sofra (5 courses + snacks)
Dress CodeSmart-casual
HoursTue–Sat, 5–9pm
ReservationResy · ~4 weeks ahead
Phone+1 202-921-9592
AccessibilityStep-free, ground floor
DietaryVegetarian & vegan on request
