Kappo DC

Kappo DC

Damn Good
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My Take
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Kappo DC earns its name the honest way — the room delivers exactly what a proper kappo counter promises, and the strike rate rarely wavers. Recent visits describe a kitchen and floor staff working in sync, plates arriving with the kind of attention that makes a meal feel considered rather than assembled. That consistency is the real achievement: a Georgetown Japanese spot that draws steady loyalty from regulars who keep calling it their neighborhood find, not a one-time novelty.

What comes through most is the atmosphere doing its job alongside the food — the kind of place where the experience feels worth the effort of getting a seat, night after night. Service holds up under that expectation instead of coasting on it, which is where a lot of ambitious rooms fail.

Michelin selected Kappo DC in its 2025 guide, and the recognition tracks with what the room already delivers on a normal night. This isn't a place riding a moment. It's a kitchen doing steady, disciplined work and getting believed by everyone who walks in.

The Spot
Kappo DC occupies a Palisades address with a long history in Tokyo-style kappo dining, first as Sakedoro Makoto under Chef Yoshiaki Itoh and later run by his son, Gene Itoh. Chef Minoru Ogawa has revived and reimagined the space as Kappo DC, continuing the kappo tradition — literally "to cut and cook" — behind a 21-seat counter.

The format is an eight-course, wagyu-centric tasting menu, left entirely to the chef's direction in the kaiseki and izakaya tradition. Guests sit close to the counter where Ogawa works, in a room built around the intimacy and repeat clientele that kappo dining has traditionally relied on. Ari Wilder curates an extensive sake and wine program alongside the tasting menu.

Michelin selected Kappo DC in its 2025 Washington DC guide.
THE FACTS
Damn Good
AWARDMichelin Guide Selected2025
RATINGS4.6 stars across 192 reviews1 source
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Your Rating
City

Washington DC

Neighborhood

Georgetown

Price

$$$$

Cuisine

Japanese

Chef

Owner

Michelin Selected 2025
Recognition