This is Eater’s guide to all the new restaurants, bars, and cafes that have opened in May. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at dc@eater.com.
Spotlight
U Street: Named for the capital of Nepal, the anticipated D.C. cocktail bar and tapas spot Kathmandu opened on Wednesday, May 6, augmenting the city’s growing collection of Himalayan-influenced culinary options. At the copper bar, Barmini alum José Cox stirs cocktails like a clarified mango lassi, the Lychee Phool martini, and the spiced Himalayan Old Fashioned to go along with a tapas menu of masala crabcakes, duck choila tacos, and momos from chef Shiva Nepal (the Willard, Art & Soul). The 35-seat setup lined with bamboo stools, exposed brick, and Nepali artifacts
comes from the owner of Tempo Shack on H Street. A new happy hour (Tuesday to Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.; and 9 to 11 p.m. on Sundays, too) features a free second cocktail and $1 bites. 1342 U Street NW
And the rest…
Alexandria, Virginia: Capitol Hill wine shop DCanter expanded into Old Town on Wednesday, May 20, with a new cellar-style store featuring soaring wood ceilings resembling wine racks and a communal tasting table. The wine boutique has plenty of approachable, small-producer vinos to choose from, alongside classes ($47, includes wine tasting) exploring wines from different regions and weekend wine tastings ($5 per person) on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. 1101 King Street, Suite 112, Alexandria, Virginia
Arlington, Virginia. Constellation, an all-day cafe with pastries, single-origin roasts from D.C.’s Small Planes Coffee, craft beers, and a market selling local goods and snacks for the home or office, debuted on Wednesday, May 20, near Amazon’s National Landing headquarters. Constellation starts the day with French toast, egg scrambles, smoked salmon on a locally made bagel, and a breakfast burrito with house-made chorizo. Altitude, a wine bar, Italian-leaning restaurant, and vinyl listening lounge — agenre having a moment around D.C. — is set to follow in June. Leading the kitchens are two alums from Michelin-starred Pineapple & Pearls. They both come from the fast-growing Episcope Hospitality group. 2011 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia
Bethesda, Maryland: Marathon Deli & Grill opened in Kensington’s Crossroads on Friday, May 8, with a lineup of Greek dishes like moussaka, grilled octopus, spanakopita, and gyros. Other favorites making their way over from the College Park original include chicken Parm and meatball subs. The new locale also features a full-service bar slinging Greek wine and beers. 10619 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, Maryland
Downtown: Rosa’s Diner, an all-day ode to Americana classics with Latin twists, debuted on Friday, May 22. The glamorous Victorian row house attached to the Moxy hotel, which formerly housed Atlas Restaurant Group’s short-lived oyster bar Parlor Victoria, makes a comeback under the watch of executive chef Francisco Pomalaza. Dishes include eggs “Benedict” — which is actually a pupusa topped with beef birria and aji amarillo hollandaise — a breakfast burrito stuffed with Salvadorian chorizo, churro French toast, and a Pop Tart pastry featuring guava, brie, and a candied pecan dust. Salads and bowls join “blue plate specials” like mushroom Bolognese and roasted chicken in a citrus marinade paired with Peruvian yellow potatoes. 1011 K Street NW
Downtown: The long-awaited D.C. outpost of Uchi, an Austin, Texas-based chain centered around sushi and Japanese-influenced fare, opened on Tuesday, May 12. Global flavors get mashed up with Japanese techniques at the fast-expanding Hai Hospitality empire from James Beard award-winning chef Tyson Cole. Uchi serves dishes from all over Japan, but is known for sushi topped with yakumi, Japanese garnishes meant to complement the flavors of the raw fish, and sashimi like the hama chili with slices of yellowtail layered with orange supremes and flavored with ponzu and Thai chiles. The sprawling dining room includes over 100 seats, plus a 14-seat sushi counter and a stunning 18-seat entryway bar surrounded by cozy booth seating. The mottled green marble bar hosts happy hour daily from 4 to 6 p.m. with $10 cocktails, nigiri sets for under $10, and a nine-course tasting menu for two for $120. Classics like an Old Fashioned or a margarita are riffed on, with plenty of Japanese sake and flavors like lychee and yuzu making their way into cocktails. 1700 M Street NW
Georgetown: Chef Ryan Ratino (Michelin-starred Jônt, Bresca) brings D.C. a modern version of the steak-worshipping institution that just might win over diners exhausted by the return of steakhouses. Ox & Oliveopened its doors on Thursday, May 7, in the old Reverie space, which was completely redesigned into a gothic, self-described “temple of beef.” Ratino is committed to keeping costs down by butchering and even dry aging every cut from his extensive beef program in the restaurant’s basement. The mainstays on the menu from Maryland’s Roseda Farms start at $44 for a wagyu flank steak, while a pound of the revolving specialty cuts on the menu is $74 to $115. Classic steakhouse starters get a glow-up, like mini hot dogs made with brisket and leftover beef ends and steak tartare bites built on mini eclairs. A chic conversation pit-like couch in front of the open kitchen will operate as a chef’s table ($95 to start), where up to eight diners are fed a curated menu covering dishes on and off the main menu. The cocktail menu is chock-full of martinis. Ox & Olive’s $16 martini hour runs weekdays from 5 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close at the bar and lounge. 3201 Cherry Hill Lane NW
Georgetown: Salty Donut, South Beach’s cult-favorite sweets shop since 2015, made its D.C. debut on Friday, May 8. Three more area locations are en route to the Wharf, Barracks Row, and Fairfax. 3299 M Street NW
McLean, Virginia: D.C.-based Knead Hospitality opened a European-style bistro on Wednesday, May 6, in the heart of the McLean Project for the Arts’ (MPA) new Berlage Arts & Education Center. Beneath a sunlight-drenched glass rotunda, Café Monet serves an all-day menu in an artsy space (see the screen-printed Claude Monet paintings hanging around the chandeliers) next to contemporary art galleries and a working ceramics studio. Chef Mario Pineda’s dishes start with lemon-ricotta pancakes and croissant sandwiches in the morning and transition to croquettes, tuna crudo, steak frites, and beef Bourguignon later in the day. There’s a large spritz menu, of course, and plenty of gin-based cocktails. Proceeds from the cafe will support the MPA’s nonprofit programs, helping to fund the upkeep of exhibitions and community art classes. 6910 Fleetwood Road, McLean, Virginia
Navy Yard: New Orleans-styled Catahoula opens on the scenic waterfront site that housed All-Purpose pizzeria on Thursday, May 14. Rustic Louisiana cooking married with French techniques takes shape in a reinvented dining room that resembles an old-school Parisian brasserie paired with multiple patios. Named for the state dog of Louisiana that’s known for its leopard-like spots, Catahoula has much more than crawfish boils in store. The menu also spotlights Creole Cajun cuisine with Vietnamese twists. Think: crispy okra flecked with lemongrass salt; pork neck skewers covered in a caramel fish sauce glaze; and double-bone Mangalitsa pork chop topped with the same pickled carrot and daikon salad in a banh mi. Executive chef Thomas Malz and beverage director Rachel Sergi both have deep roots in the Big Easy. 79 Potomac Ave SE
Petworth: A new deli, sandwich counter, and restaurant opened its doors in this Northwest neighborhood on Monday, May 4. Chef Matt Sperber, previously at Any Day Now, uses his renowned butcher skills to sell high-quality cuts of raw meat, aged salamis, pates, and deli meats at District Larder Co. Stacked sandwiches by day include a chicken salad sub with provolone and potato chips or a house-made half-smoke with cooked-down peppers and mustard. Past the deli counter is a small dining room with a few woodblock tables for locals to grab an easy dinner or brunch. Dinner combines the deli’s whole-animal butchery with seasonal vegetables, while brunch upgrades the classics, like bechamel-blanketed croque-madame or biscuits and gravy. 821 Upshur Street NW
Park View: Kuro, the latest listening bar to enter the fold in D.C., debuted in late May. The 100-seat setup with a wide-ranging vinyl playlist serves a menu of small Japanese plates, including free edamame to start, yakitori chicken skewers, and gyoza, with a bar slinging cocktails like a wasabi margarita and lychee martini. 3632 Georgia Avenue NW
Tenleytown: The owners behind Logan Circle’s beloved Cork Wine Bar, Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts, opened their long-awaited hot dog shop on Wednesday, May 13. Marv’s Dogs serves all kinds of condiment-covered hot dogs, from a classic Chicago-style with relish, onions, pickle, peppers, and celery salt on a poppyseed bun to a NY-inspired version with sauerkraut and spicy mustard. The summer-ready menu is rounded out with “skinny” French fries, honey vanilla and malted milk chocolate soft serve, and treats like dark chocolate ship cookies and espresso brownies. The 35-seat restaurant has additional patio seating and a downstairs den filled with nostalgic arcade games. 4936 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Union Market: A tropical soft-serve shop opened its doors in La Cosecha, the Latin American food hall, on Friday, May 15. Frío Frío serves frosty desserts inspired by Caribbean and Latin American flavors, such as guava cheesecake dulce de leche, and a nondairy mango soft serve topped with plenty of fruit and passionfruit jam. The new stall also offers fruit-centric slushies and refreshing coconut water-based drinks. Frío Frío is open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, extending hours till 9 p.m. on Thursday and till 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 1280 4th Street NE
