Astoria, 17th Street
21 people recommend, 1 warns against itvia r/washingtondc25 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Astoria draws strong recommendations for Sichuan-style food and cocktails. Diners specifically praise the mapo tofu, water-boiled beef and lamb dishes, and one describes the food as fresh, spicy and flavorful rather than traditional. Cost is the main split: a visitor found the portions small for the price, while another thinks the pricing makes more sense when treating it as a cocktail bar with good food. It appears in both date and solo-dining recommendations.
Address
Astoria DC, 1521 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036
At a glance
- Price
- Premium
- Signature dishes
- Mapo tofu, Water boiled beef, Lamb dishes
- Best for
- Dates, Solo
- Opinions divided
- Yes
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/Attention_Deficit in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026ambience
Favorite for overall vibe and food, though reservations are hard.
- Recommendsu/charzardthagod in r/washingtondc · May 2024
Names Astoria alongside Copycat as a sister restaurant.
- Recommendsu/Emotional_Bison1905 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026
Chengdu-raised commenter names Astoria among DC picks.
- Recommendsu/codex1962 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026
Lists Astoria as a good modern Sichuan-oriented option.
- Recommendsu/mediocre-spice in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Says most 17th Street streateries are still up, including Astoria's.
- Recommendsu/OhHowIMeantTo in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026wait time
Loves it; arriving at 5pm got a table without waiting.
- Mixedu/bigatrop in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026wait time
Likes it but not the wait.
- Recommendsu/jtnt in r/washingtondc · Feb 2025
Their pick for first meal back in DC
Show all 25 cited comments
- Mixedu/Informal_Persimmon7 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026value
Sees it as a bar that happens to serve good food, so the pricing feels fair in that light.
- Caveatu/sixlancio in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026value
Felt ripped off by high price and small portion.
- Recommendsu/Ok_Trade_1039 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026wait time
Suggests walk-in bar seating at Astoria.
- Mixedu/Gorp_Morley in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026price
Similar to Panda but more expensive due to the neighborhood.
- Recommendsu/notpennyssboat in r/washingtondc · Feb 2024
Lists it among district places for solo dining.
- Recommendsu/lalalaglitter in r/washingtondc · Dec 2023
Names Astoria as their favorite.
- Recommendsu/sapphirespectre12 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2025taste
All the food is delicious; lamb dishes and mapo tofu stand out
- Recommendsu/TeeTheConservative in r/washingtondc · Jul 2024
Lists Astoria among suggestions.
- Recommendsu/pawswolf88 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026taste
So good they dream about it since moving away.
- Recommendsu/90percentofacorns in r/washingtondc · Feb 2025
Enthusiastic agreement
- Recommendsu/OrdinaryAlteration in r/washingtondc · Sep 2024taste
Tiki bar and Sichuan spot; strong drinks complement numbing spicy dishes.
- Recommendsu/EternalMoonChild in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026
Calls it their go-to.
- Recommendsu/recordcollection64 in r/washingtondc · May 2025
Simply recommends Astoria.
- Recommendsu/motherfuckingpeter in r/washingtondc · Jul 2024taste
Describes it as a bar serving Sichuan snacks, and rates those snacks highly.
- Recommendsu/Impossible_Order_831 in r/washingtondc · Aug 2026taste
Says the food is not traditional but fresh, spicy and full of flavor, among the best Chinese they have had.
- Recommendsu/CaptainObvious110 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2026
Lists Astoria among DC Chinese options.
- Recommendsu/realistic__raccoon in r/washingtondc · Jul 2025
Replies that Astoria is great.
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Freshness
Details last checked 11 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.