What Did You Miss? Summer Restaurant Openings

While you were slipping off for long weekends, pool days, and maybe even a little summer travel, the restaurant world here in the DMV didn’t exactly take a vacation. In fact, the past few months have been buzzing with new openings — some long- anticipated, some total surprises — that now deserve a spot on your fall dining list. From Indian street snacks and no-phone bars to a glam Italian steakhouse and a Western-themed rooftop, here’s a roundup of what’s new:

Acqua Bistecca - Chef Michael Mina, the force behind Bourbon Steak, debuts his new Italian concept at City Ridge. Expect crudos, handmade pastas, butter-poached and chargrilled steaks, and a lively bar stacked with spirits. Chef Mina wanted to throw a dinner party and we are all invited.

Barbouzard - Chef Cedric Maupillier (of Mintwood Place fame) channels the South of France at this new 17th & K Street address. Seafood towers, grilled fish, caviar, and Riviera-style pastas share the menu with late-night live music and a DJ booth.

Chai Pani - The Asheville favorite that won Outstanding Restaurant at the 2022 James Beard Awards has landed in Union Market. Known for its chaat and bold Indian street flavors, Chai Pani’s first DC outpost is already drawing the crowds. Expect butter chicken, masala curries, and cocktails built on tamarind and lemongrass.

DAWA - Top Chef alum and Food Network star Eric Adjepong spins off a casual carryout/delivery concept from his fine-dining flagship Elmina. Expect bold West African flavors — suya short rib with jollof rice, tamarind duck leg, chofi (fried turkey tails), and even a DAWA Burger with Yassa onion jam.

Desert 5 Spot - Straight from LA and Brooklyn, this country Western bar has landed in Union Market with live music stages, a rooftop cactus garden, a mechanical bull, and cocktails with names like Ring of Fire and Jolene. Food leans hearty: Nashville hot chicken sliders, smoked ribs, brisket sandwiches, and cast-iron cornbread.

Dok Khao - Chevy Chase Lake gets a new Thai spot, complete with a leafy dining room and a fountain centerpiece. Menu highlights include lychee duck curry, drunken noodles, and lychee cheesecake.

El Mercat Bar de Tapas - Rockville’s beloved tapas spot has crossed the river to National Landing. The new space features paellas, tapas galore, and a Jamónero cart for tableside cured pork. A chef’s counter and open kitchen keep things lively. Stay tuned, lunch and brunch coming soon.

Hush Harbor - Rock Harper (Queen Mother) has flipped H Street’s Hill Prince into a Southern- leaning space that’s D.C.’s first official “no-phones bar.” Think shrimp with Creole remoulade, red beans and rice with smoked turkey, and buttermilk biscuits with prosciutto and candied pecans — all paired with classic cocktails given a twist.

Karravaan - From the chef behind Pappe, Karravaan explores the Silk Route with dishes that span Persian, Indian, Turkish, and Portuguese traditions. Expect jamón-wrapped dates, momos, tagines, and naan alongside a railway-themed dining room. 

Kayu - Paolo Dungca’s Filipino project has resurfaced in Dupont after closing on H Street. The vibe is more casual, with ube bao sliders, crab-fat cassava cake, pork belly with stewed chickpeas, and Filipino-inspired cocktails.

Lucky Danger - Tim Ma’s Chinese American concept has graduated from takeout to a full- fledged flagship. The new Penn Quarter space features four different dining/drinking areas, including a moody “Lucky Club” cocktail bar and a mahjong parlor. Food runs from blue crab lo mein to duck fried chaufa.

Maison Bar à Vin - From the Popal Group (Pascual, Lutèce, Lapis) comes a chic new Adams Morgan wine bar, housed in a three-story brownstone with chandeliers from France and Italy. Executive chef Matt Conroy and team serve French-leaning plates, while sommelier Chris Ray pours organic and biodynamic wines. 

Marcus DC - Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson has finally made his D.C. debut, opening Marcus DC inside NoMa’s Morrow Hotel. The menu blends Samuelsson’s Ethiopian and Swedish roots with local touches from Maryland native chef Anthony Jones. Look for blue cornbread with yassa butter and berbere honey, mambo-sauce roast chicken, crab rice, and fluke crudo in apple cucumber aguachile. The color-splashed dining room seats 80, plus a dozen at the bar. Upstairs, Samuelsson also runs the hotel’s new rooftop bar, Sly.

Selva - Central and South American flavors star at this July arrival — from Peruvian chicken to ceviches to Salvadoran-inspired yuca patatas bravas. The space is lush and green, with velvet accents, making it a cozy spot to start the night. 

The dog days of summer may be behind us, but the dining scene is just heating up. Which of these openings will you be checking out first?