The Dabney Cellar

"While this wood-framed hideaway in Shaw isn’t technically new, the dearly missed drinking den reopened this year after a long hiatus. The sibling bar follows the Mid-Atlantic ethos of the Dabney, its Michelin-starred sibling up top, with a more-accessible menu of local oysters, snacks, cheese, charcuterie, and wines. Meanwhile, the team’s nearby French bistro Petite Cerise just debuted a new coffee bar." - Tierney Plumb

"Hidden down a flight of stairs in Shaw, this companion bar adjacent to Blagden Alley’s Mid-Atlantic standout is a cozy, dimly lit space to park, drink interesting wine, and snack on oysters, cheese, and charcuterie. It’s perfect for date night or a small group." - Aparna Krishnamoorthy

"The Dabney Cellar is the purposefully-inconspicuous underground wine bar with serious culinary cred. An extension of chef Jeremiah Langhorne’s award-winning restaurant in Blagden Alley, the Dabney Cellar features oysters and charcuterie, plus a small, thoughtful menu of frequently-changing dishes like foie gras parfait and scallop crudo." - Lisa Ruland

"The founder of the Michelin-starred Dabney and newly opened Dabney Cellar outshined repeat finalists...to claim the culinary honor." - Warren Rojas

"While chefs help steer the culinary conversation at his Michelin-starred restaurant up above, Dabney Cellar co-founder Jeremiah Langhorne deliberately stays out of the way of the trusted suppliers — including the regional oyster farmers and country ham producers featured nightly — he showcases down below. 'We like to leave things as natural as possible,' Langhorne says of the wine bar he and beverage director Alex Zink have stocked with cured meats, cheeses, and seafood from around the area. Some prepared dishes remain in the mix (think: freshly made biscuits, and foie gras parfait punctuated by sour cherries), but Langhorne’s determined to keep things simple. 'Having a good plate of oysters is always a wonderful thing,' he tells Eater. In 2015, Langhorne and Zink opened the Dabney, a homegrown restaurant focused on Mid-Atlantic cuisine prepared in a huge, wood-burning hearth. The co-owners planned to transform the downstairs storage area into an informal gathering place from day one; in late 2017, that vision became a reality. The hidden entrance coupled with the warm interior make for an unforgettable experience. And while both Langhorne and Zink both firmly assert the speakeasy nature is simply a byproduct of the Cellar’s surroundings, the place undoubtedly creates a vibe that is both cozy and, at times, pretty rowdy — fueled by the kind of excitement that comes from enjoying incredible food and drink in a place not yet on everyone’s radar." - Dayana Sarkisova