As temperatures drop and the holiday season approaches, the D.C.-area dining scene is heating up with a fresh crop of restaurant and bar openings that are already making waves — or about to.
From cozy neighborhood bistros to chic cocktail dens, this fall and winter is bound for an exciting mix of culinary debuts across the District and the surrounding suburbs.
Whether you’re seeking a new go-to spot for weeknight dinners or an inventive menu for your next foodie adventure, this roundup highlights the must-visit establishments that have opened recently or are set to launch in the coming months.
Soon-to-open DC-area restaurants and other establishments to look forward to
Little Hiraya
Opening fall 2024 • Inside Union Market at 1309 5th Street NE, D.C.
Since opening café and restaurant Hiraya on H Street NE, Chef Paolo Dungca has brought some of the region’s most exciting Filipino food to the District. Later this fall, the popular café is coming to Union Market with all-day dining, plus rice bowls, burgers as well as other lunch and takeout favorites.
CHIKO
Opening November • 46308 Cranston Street, Potomac Falls, Va.
Chinese-Korean concept CHIKO is expanding with a new location in Sterling’s Cascades Marketplace shopping center. The fast-casual restaurant already has locations in D.C., Maryland, California — and this will mark the second location in Northern Virginia. According to Eater DC, this new space will span 3,000 square feet with a full bar and patio space.
Press Club
Opening December • 1506 19th Street NW, D.C.
Described as having “the vibes of a 70s cocktail lounge and aesthetics of a 90s record shop,” this upcoming Dupont Circle establishment is planned to offer two congruent experiences: an à la carte “Track List” menu with up to 12 cocktails that rotate biannually and a “Play List” curated experience with a bimonthly, rotating four-cocktail flight with supplemental bites.
Minetta Tavern
Opening Dec. 10 • 1287 4th Street NE, D.C.
A new, upscale French bistro is heading to Union Market from restaurateur Keith McNally. As reported by Washingtonian, the menu is expected to include favorites from the restaurant’s menu at the New York location, such as dry-aged bone-in New York strip and the Grand Marnier or chocolate soufflé.
Oh, and while indulging in martinis and caviar at the bar, there is also a no-phone policy in the space, as McNally told Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman
Duke’s Grocery
Opening late 2024 • 10128 River Road, Potomac, Md.
Popular British-style gastropub Duke’s Grocery has another location up their sleeves, this time at the River Road shopping center in Potomac Village. Known for their ever-popular “Proper Burger,” the restaurant has several locations so far in Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom and beyond. This will be its first outside of D.C. proper.
Elmina
Opening January 2025 • 2208 14th Street NW, D.C.
Chef Eric Adjepong, who is known as a finalist on the “Top Chef” TV competition cooking series as well as appearances on several other Food Network shows, is opening his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the District.
The restaurant’s website is still pretty hush-hush on the specifics of the menu, though it is described as “contemporary Ghanaian,” but Eater DC was the first to confirm that dishes like fufu and kelewele and cocktails with flavors, such as hibiscus, soursop and passion fruit should be anticipated.
Tapori
Opening January 2025 • 600 H Street NE, D.C.
With a name that loosely translates to “rowdy” or “vagabond” in Hindi, Tapori is set to serve street food traditions from the Himalayas and South India once it opens in the coming year. The concept comes from the founders of Daru, which has won Bib Gourmand nods from Michelin.
The new space includes an open kitchen, bar and a 20-person communal table, plus a vibrant mural painted by local artist Patrick Owens. Expect dishes like dosas and chaats, paired with Indian-inspired tropical cocktails.
Lucille’s Vintage Chophouse
Opening January 2025 • 15 E Street NW, D.C.
This new concept is opening inside Capitol Hill’s Kimpton George Hotel, led by Chef Matt Baker of 101 Hospitality, which includes Michelin-starred Gravitas, among others.
Hoping to set itself apart from other steakhouses in the neighborhood, Baker told Eater DC that guests at Lucille’s can expect their cuts, which include Japanese and Texan wagyu, to undergo a dry-aging treatment, plus accompaniments like a raw bar section to the menu with oysters and lobster.
Alara
Opening January 2025 • 1303 Wisconsin Avenue NW, D.C.
A new Mediterranean restaurant concept from the Hakan Ilhan Restaurant Group is coming to Georgetown. This concept, whose name comes from Turkic mythology meaning a water fairy, is set to feature classic dishes celebrating the cuisine found in Turkey, Greece and Lebanon.
The restaurant group behind this concept is also known for Brasserie Liberté, Ottoman Taverna and several eateries at Dulles International Airport.
Urban Roast
Opening early 2025 • 620 Maine Avenue SW, D.C.
As one of the vibiest restaurants in the city, Urban Roast’s Penn Quarter location is known for switching up its themed decor, ‘Instagrammable’ neon signs and seasonal beverages every so often to stay absolutely fresh and unforgettable.
The family-owned café, cocktail bar and restaurant is upping its game in the coming months with a new space at The Wharf that features an indoor/outdoor bar and the largest patio in the neighborhood, spanning 1,600 square feet. The menu is still being finalized, but is expected to reflect the offerings at the original location.
JINYA Ramen Bar
Opening early 2025 • 1525 Wisconsin Avenue NW, D.C.
Tomo Takahashi founded JINYA Ramen Bar in 2010, and it has since taken off with over 60 locations across the nation. The DMV’s most recent JINYA opening is by Union Market, and soon its newest iteration is expected in the heart of Georgetown. As usual, guests should expect the restaurant’s classic handmade noodles and slow-simmered broths once this location opens.
SAGRADA
Opening 2025 • 1901 14th Street NW, D.C.
Go on an immersive adventure at SAGRADA, an upcoming restaurant that’s described to WTOP as having a multicourse menu that takes cues from Mexico’s rich psychedelic mushroom history. Of course, the cuisine here will be non-hallucinogenic (don’t expect any psilocybin here!), but it is expected to certainly be one of a kind.
Behind this venture is the restaurant group KNEAD Hospitality + Design, which has locations such as Succotash, Mi Vida and Mah-Ze-Dahr.
Unknown project by Chef Kevin Tien
Unknown opening date • Somewhere in Chinatown, D.C.
As first reported by Axios, Chinatown is expected to have more Asian and Asian American businesses, thanks to a brand-new, yet-to-be-named market planned by Chef Kevin Tien. The mysterious project is still well under wraps and could possibly include an Asian grocery, a food stall that doubles as a mentorship space and or an Asian bakery and café.
In an exclusive interview with Tien, Axios reporter Anna Spiegel reported that a location is already chosen, but more details have yet to emerge on where it is exactly.
Recently opened restaurants in the DC area that are worth the trek
Dōgon
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, D.C.
Chef Kwame Onwuachi is back in the District once again. The celebrity chef has previously headed local concepts like Kith/Kin, Shaw Bijou and the Philly Wing Fry stall in Union Market.
Now, the “Top Chef” alum and James Beard Award winner has returned with Afro-Caribbean restaurant Dōgon. Located inside the The Wharf’s Salamander hotel, the recently-opened restaurant boasts big flavors in dishes like hoe crab, lobster escovitch, curry branzino as well as chicken and rice.
Osteria Mozza
3276 M Street NW, D.C.
Earlier this month, Chef Nancy Silverton and restaurateur Stephen Starr opened this massive, upscale Italian restaurant in the same space that was formerly inhabited by Dean & DeLuca. The Georgetown location includes a market, mozzarella bar, solarium patio space and private dining spaces.
Olio e Più
699 14th Street NW, D.C.
Experience Italy in this contemporary trattoria, which opened in the historic National Bank Building this October, joining La Grande Boucherie, which opened this spring. Olio e Più offers an intimate, 120-seat dining room with handmade pastas and other menu highlights like focaccia bread and Milanese chicken.
Rosedale
4465 Connecticut Avenue NW, D.C.
A new farm-to-table concept from restaurateur Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group opened in the Forest Hills neighborhood in late October.
Rosedale is offering daily specials from the rotisserie, plus natural and vegan wine options and artisanal pizzas. The restaurant group is also known for local establishments like Rasika, Bombay Club, Bindaas and Sababa, among others.
Arrels
333 G Street NW, D.C.
The name of this new Spanish concept translates to “roots,” which is meant to pay tribute to Chef Pepe Moncayo’s Spanish heritage. This tribute can also be seen in dishes like “Conejo y Alcachofa,” which borrows a recipe from Moncayo’s mother. Other highlights from the menu include seafood paella, croquetas and churros.
This restaurant is located inside the Arlo hotel in Downtown.
Fogo de Chão
698 Maine Avenue SW, D.C.
Now open at The Wharf is the second D.C. location of Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão. Located along the Recreation Pier, the warm space features an open churrasco grill, a lively indoor bar, high-quality cuts of protein and expansive wine offerings.
The restaurant has several nearby locations, including Maryland’s National Harbor, plus Tysons and Reston in Virginia.
Cordelia Fishbar
550 Morse Street NE, D.C.
While the most recently opened restaurant, having launched in late November, this restaurant from Clyde’s Restaurant Group is making waves already with its global seafood-centric menu and a focus on cooking with charcoal. The 250-seat space spans nearly 7,000 square feet, located at the base of the Morse apartment building.
Shia
1252 4th Street NE, D.C.
Chef Edward Lee opened the doors to Shia in late October with the intention for the restaurant to be “rooted in Korean flavors and techniques.” According to a Facebook post from Lee, the restaurant is nonprofit and is “dedicated to researching how restaurants can be more sustainable.”
Lee is known for his cookbooks and appearances on shows like “Top Chef,” “Iron Chef America” and Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars.”
El Taller del Xiquet
2404 Wisconsin Avenue NW, D.C.
In Glover Park, this new restaurant from Chef Danny Lledó is located in the ground-level space of Lledó’s Michelin-starred destination Xiquet. The menu is à la carte and highlights the flavors of coastal Spain.
Bar Americano
On the National Mall’s lawn, between the National Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art, D.C.
The team behind Sonny’s Pizza is serving its square-shaped, focaccia-like pizza slices and natural wines sold by the glass or bottle at a kiosk on the National Mall. During the morning hours, the kiosk also offers coffee, pastries and breakfast sandwiches.
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