2 Fairfax City Restaurants Rank Among Northern Virginia’s Top 10: Report

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Two Fairfax City restaurants earned places among Northern Virginia’s 10 best, with Elyse ranking fourth and Mama Chang ninth in Northern Virginia Magazine’s annual dining selections.

The magazine published its 2026 list Wednesday after five food critics spent months dining across the region. Only the top 10 restaurants receive numerical rankings; the remaining selections appear alphabetically.

The Fairfax City honorees offer distinctly different dining experiences:

• Elyse, No. 4: Chef Jonathan Krinn’s restaurant serves a modern American tasting menu. The magazine highlighted its inventive combinations and bread made using his father’s recipe.
• Mama Chang, No. 9: The Chinese restaurant pays tribute to the women in chef Peter Chang’s family, with dishes drawing on Hubei and Hunan cooking.

The selections appear in the magazine’s November issue. Read Northern Virginia Magazine’s complete list for the reviews and recommended dishes.