Arlington, Virginia is absolutely exploding with fresh new restaurants and bars this summer. The latest is American brasserie Noble Fox Bar & Terrace, which opened Monday, July 27, on the fourth floor of Rosslyn’s reinvented Le Méridien hotel (1121 19th
Street N., Arlington, Virginia).
Executive chef Francecil Ponte’s menu centers around steak frites, blackened shrimp tacos, flatbreads, club sandwiches, chopped salads, and a big burger she’s especially proud of. Noble Fox, complete with a tony terrace overlooking Georgetown, the National Cathedral, and planes flying by, is part of the top-to-bottom renovation of the 154-room hotel that opened in 2012.
A lot has changed in Arlington since — especially over the past few months. “There’s a lot of young people around us. We are centered in a spot where you can get to D.C. or Alexandria in no time,” Ponte tells Eater.
Newcomers to note include Latin supper club Cielo and polished American restaurant Boulevard with a rooftop bar in Clarendon. Then there’s D.C.-born bistro the Angie, now open in Ballston. Other familiar D.C. names like Duke’s and Pizzeria Paradiso recently added outdoor stalls at National Landing, joined by a new cafe, wine bar, and listening lounge across the street. Fast-growing chains like ice cream shop Van Leeuwen and bagel purveyor Call Your Mother also expanded here as of late. And Clarendon is about to net a big fish in August with the D.C. area’s debut location of Xi’an Famous Foods, the cult Chinese chain across NYC known for its hand-pulled noodles and one serendipitous visit from Anthony Bourdain.
Arlington’s newest addition, Noble Fox, sports a curved marble bar under a brass chandelier with velvet and floral-upholstered lounge seating. Cocktails come with foxy names like the Fuego del Zorro (a spicy mango margarita) and Le Renard Spritz.
Ponte’s professional culinary career started at age 15, working at restaurants, country clubs, and hotels in Southern California before relocating to the D.C. area in 2018, where she cooked at Marriott Wardman Park, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, and the Westin Arlington Gateway’s hotel restaurant, the Commentary.
Ponte’s Venezuelan grandmother inspired her love for cooking, which still rings true today: She’s 85 and still gives her spiels on the latest four-course meal she’s making for Ponte’s 95-year-old grandpa in their home in Caracas.
At Le Méridien, a hotel restaurant means all-day service – and in this case, deals. A weekday happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. features $6 beers and $8 wines. Meanwhile, entrees for dinner are mostly in the mid-$20s range.
Breakfast, featuring French toast made with croissants and overnight chia coconut oats, starts at 6:30 a.m. during the week and 7 a.m. on weekends, with dinner from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Brunch will start soon to capitalize on its views.
