DCGuide
DC's New Restaurant Openings
photo credit: Deb Lindsey
If you tried to keep track of every new restaurant and bar in DC, your head might spin. So just read this list instead. These are the openings that seem like they have the most potential. Although, keep in mind, we make no promises about the places we haven't visited yet. Go forth and be a pioneer—or just keep up with our Hit List to see which new restaurants we checked out and loved.
April
This casual spot from the team behind Bourbon Steak opened just in time for warm days. The Cathedral Heights rooftop restaurant has fire pits, giant patio furniture, and pizza and burgers to enjoy while watching the traffic fly by on Wisconsin Avenue.
This Jewish deli in Navy Yard serves classics like bagels, brisket, knishes, and pastrami. Plus, there's counter seating and a small patio right outside of the ballpark.
We visited Bereovsky’s Deli and added it to the Hit List.
March
Dupont Circle has a new pizza shop with a short and sweet menu. You'll find four pie options, all served on thin, sourdough crust. It’s right next to Sura, and open Tuesday through Sunday from 4-9pm during the week and 4-9:30pm on Friday and Saturday.
We visited Alfreda and added it to the Hit List.
This Italian restaurant opened in the old Nicoletta Pizza space in Mt. Vernon Triangle. They serve dinner Tuesday-Sunday from 5-10pm, and you’ll find dishes like pollo all diavola and spaghetti alla vongole.
We visited Cucina Morini and added it to the Hit List.
Get fancy drinks and dessert at this upscale bar at the Wharf. Zooz is open until midnight Sunday-Thursday and 2am on the weekends, and they have a dress code that stops just short of “wear a jacket and tie.”
Palette 22 opens up in the Union Market neighborhood, where you can get tapas like black bean hummus and tuna crudo. The restaurant doubles as an art gallery, so you can check out (and buy) paintings while you’re eating.
February
This modern Mexican restaurant in Capitol Hill comes from the team behind Lutèce and Lapis. You’ll find grilled vegetables, lamb neck barbacoa, and alaskan rock shrimp all cooked over a hearth. In the spring, they will also open a side window panaderia, Volcán, where you'll be able to get coffee and pastries in the morning.
Expect an assortment of specialty burgers and sandwiches at this French bistro in Georgetown, including a boeuf bourguignonne made with red wine braised short rib and smoked bacon.
Makers Union opens its fourth location in Cathedral Heights. The menu features baked brie, flatbreads, and oven-fried oysters, alongside handmade pastas and on-the-go sandwiches.
January
This casual sandwich shop/cocktail bar is open Wednesday-Sunday in Shaw. There are a range of sandwiches, from a spicy fried chicken joint to a vegan cauliflower situation, alongside a mix of alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails.
The NYC-based French cafe is opening another DC location, this one in Navy Yard. Expect the same bakery bites and sandwiches on the menu.
This Latin vegetarian spot has moved from pop-up to brick-and-mortar with its new Shaw location. They’re serving a $150 tasting menu where you’ll find lots of mushrooms and greens.
Moon Rabbit reopens, now in Penn Quarter, after the Vietnamese restaurant by Kevin Tien suddenly closed down last spring. Expect a new menu that includes barbecue spiced cod and duck fat brioche.
New York’s Pastis is open in Union Market. The French spot is known for its traditional dishes, like French onion soup and steak frites.
