PROJECTED OPENING: February 2025 1023 31st Street NW Canal House of Georgetown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel will be opening this month, offering a lively new escape in the heart of historic Georgetown. Perfectly situated just steps from the iconic Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Canal House of Georgetown is designed to be a central hub of connection and inspiration for both guests and locals alike. The hotel features an array of unique accommodations, including two attached townhomes, specialty suites, and vibrant social spaces such as a library lounge and private courtyard. Canal House of Georgetown offers 92 guest rooms, 10 specialty suites, 3  terrace rooms, and 2 expansive townhouses. Each guest room offers a sense of intimacy, style, and charm, with sizes ranging from 326 square-feet for standard rooms to 846 square-feet for townhouses. Guests can dine in the C&O Lounge, which offers a menu inspired by local ingredients and flavors, further enhancing the guest experience. Additionally, Canal House of Georgetown offers a state-of-the-art fitness center, ensuring that both relaxation and well-being are a priority during their stay. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: March 2025 600 H Street NE Dolcezza, the iconic gelato and coffee shop, is kicking off its expansion plans with a new location on H Street opening this March. This will mark the sixth outpost for the award-winning local shop, known for its small batch gelato and craft coffee program. The new shop will have indoor seating for 18 guests plus additional seating in the lobby of the Apollo’s building. The new H Street location will debut a Dolcezza Soft Serve program that will launch with two flavors: Pistachio and Dulce de Leche.  Also making their way to the rotating soft serve menu will be flavors like Sambayon, Lemon Meringue, Nocciola, and Single Origin Chocolate. The soft serve flavors will be served alongside Dolcezza’s signature 20-flavor gelato menu, fresh roasted coffee from Unido, which roasts coffee inside Dolcezza’s Union Market factory, pastries from local favorite Pluma Bakery, and ceremonial grade matcha from Rocky’s Matcha. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: April 2025 610 Water Street SW Fish Shop, a new restaurant by the Artfarm team, will be opening on The Wharf this April. The restaurant is a celebration of the region’s history and seafaring culture. Fish Shop will source from local fishermen and will highlight local makers and artisans in both design and community-building programs. Sustainability is at the forefront of Fish Shop’s practices, with the table tops and lamps made of recycled plastic and glass, respectively, and whole-fish butchering happening onsite to reduce waste. Ria Montes will lead the culinary program. 

PROJECTED OPENING: May 2025 4916 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda, MD Silver Spring’s Ooh La La Bakery will be opening a new location in Downtown Bethesda this May. Guests can get excited for authentic French goods and coffee served daily. Menu highlights include Galette Des Rois, Pumpkin Pie, Spinach & Swiss Quiche, and more. For more information, visit their website here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 2025 949 Wharf Street SW Whitlow’s will be opening a second location at the Wharf in the space formerly home to Brighton this Spring. Jon Williams, whose family has owned Whitlow’s for decades, looks to carry on the tradition of a lively bar with live music and a menu of burgers, salads, sandwiches, shareable appetizers and brunch. This new 6,000 square-foot location will boast a similar vibe and decor to its predecessors. 

PROJECTED OPENING: Summer 2025 176 Maple Avenue West, Vienna, VA Chef Victor Albisu will be opening Electric Bull, a boutique steakhouse, in his hometown of Vienna, Virginia next Summer. Electric Bull will build on Albisu’s legacy as an award-winning steakhouse chef. The 2,500-square-foot steakhouse will feature 80 seats for dine-in service, including a full-service bar and a front patio. Electric Bull will showcase a full-service steakhouse experience, beginning with a raw bar featuring crudos, ceviches, carpaccios, and tartares. Oysters will be available dressed raw or grilled. Decadent fugazetta pizza, a double-crusted Argentine specialty piled high with caramelized onions and mozzarella, will stand out as an option for bread service. Eggs will be available throughout the day, in indulgent omelets, scrambles, fried egg platters, and steak and eggs, with elevated toppings like caviar and truffles. Red meat will be at the heart of the Electric Bull menu, with an array of both classic and non-traditional steakhouse cuts such as hanger steaks, teres major, picaña, flank and flat iron steaks, South American-style short ribs, and a family-recipe house-made chorizo. For more information, visit their website here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 2025 300 K Street NW The team behind Proper 21 will be opening a new elevated concept called, Proper Bar, in Mount Vernon Triangle next year. This 5,630 square-foot concept will be more elegant than its predecessor and will offer craft cocktails and savory entrees. The space will seat 150 guests inside and 25 guests outside. More information to come. For updates, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Early 2025 620 Maine Street SW Urban Roast, the beloved family-owned restaurant and cocktail bar known for its festive atmosphere, is opening its second location at The Wharf early next year. Urban Roast aims to elevate the dining experience with its renowned "Rose Room." The new venue will feature an expansive indoor/outdoor bar and boast the largest patio at the Wharf, spanning 1,600 square-feet. Nestled within “The Green,” one of the neighborhood's lush parklets, the outdoor space includes a charming marble fountain and stunning waterfront views. Guests can enjoy a communal fire pit for s’mores and cozy gatherings while the interior showcases Urban Roast's signature decorative greenery, hanging roses, and vibrant neon signs. For more information, click here. 

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 20251700 K Street NW Partners Nasr El Hage, Nellie Elana Gebrail, and Dany Abi-Najm will be opening a new concept, Barbouzard, next year. Inspired by the glamor of the Mediterranean seascape and Cote D’Azur, the new dining destination will blend sophisticated tastes with an alluring day-to-night ambiance. The 180-seat, 6,493 square-foot space will feature a bar and lounge, expansive main dining room, piano and DJ booth, champagne lounge, and lush outdoor veranda. Striking architectural and design plans include large-scale glass and steel structures complemented by luxurious, layered textiles. Barbouzard will draw culinary inspiration from the vibrant summer destinations along the Mediterranean Sea, with a focus on the buzzy scenes reminiscent of St. Tropez and Cannes. The menu will highlight highly seasonal ingredients, exquisite seafood and luxurious cuts of meat, plus charcuterie and cheeses, and an in-house bread and pastry program. An expansive beverage program with Old World wines, a deep champagne list, and a cutting-edge cocktail program will complement the dining experience. In addition to the culinary offerings are plans for  large-scale music programming, to include an in-house resident DJ as well as pianists, saxophonists, and violinists. 

PROJECTED OPENING: Winter 2025 600 H Street NE Industry Veterans Dante Datta and Chef Suresh Sundas will be opening their newest concept, Tapori, in DC’s H Street Corrdior this year. Tapori will celebrate Indian Street Food with the power to bridge communities through culinary prowess with regional dishes and cocktails from their native homeland. The restaurant is inspired by the street foods, taking inspiration from regions in India- the South: Kerala (coconut, spicy, seafood) Mughal-influenced Hydrabad, Center-west like Mumbai, and Eastern regions like Sundas' native Nepal(influenced by both India and China). Guests can get excited for dishes like innovative street food such as Pani Puri, Vada Pav and Dosas, as well as recipes inspired from Chef Suresh’s single mom where he grew up in the impoverished rural village of the Pathari village of the Morang district in Nepal. Cocktails include an “Indianish” take on the classic Pornstar Martini, and ingredients that include indigenous spices and fruits like chaat masala, jackfruit puree, kashmiri chili and hibiscus. Photo by Calvin Kim