D.C.’s Newest Restaurant Openings, Now on Resy

Here’s something special: Chef Michael Rafidi, whose Middle Eastern-focused Albi earned a Michelin star in 2022, started YELLOW as a pandemic-era, pop-up café. It’s now grown into a full-service restaurant, where the wood-fired sourdough “(not) pizzas” are topped with the season’s best, alongside Levantine plates, natural wines, and a whole lot of fun.

Want to travel to Mexico City by way of the District? You can trust Stephen Starr to do just the trick. The acclaimed restaurateur draws flavors, ingredients, and techniques from all across Mexico for this show-stopping space, where the “Gran Torre de Mariscos” (the seafood tower) is a must, the à la carte tacos rely on an in-house masa program, and the bar boasts more than 200 producers of mezcal and Tequilas.

You know that a wine bar with a joyously international menu and a border-crossing wine list under the direction of Ashok Bajaj’s celebrated Knightsbridge Restaurant Group (Rasika, Modena, Sababa, etc.) is going to be something special, and this Cleveland Park gem doesn’t disappoint.

From the tilework to the peacock blues and aquamarine accents (all the better to match Tiffany next door), this Tysons Corner spot is a beaut. Next-level Persian dishes are equally inspired, like duck fesenjoon, crispy tadig, and kebabs. Go with many — you’ll need to share.

As sleek and shiny as the New York original, including lots of gold accents, this sexy outpost at the Wharf has all the markings of Philippe Chow. Elaborate lighting, white tablecloths, honey-glazed ribs, bright orange chicken satay, and glistening Peking duck are the norm.

This Petworth charmer is kryptonite for pasta-loving locals. The mezzaluna with zucchini, pappardelle with mushrooms, lasagna — try them all. A mixed greens salad, a slice of tiramisu, and you have the makings of a perfectly laid-back dinner any night of the week.

Plush green leather booths, black-and-white terrazzo floors, dark floral-patterned wallpaper, and the Gaithersburg lakefront just outside are the setting for the American-international menu (with housemade pastas and many steaks front and center) from the group behind Bar Charley and Little Coco’s.

You won’t be able to resist the seductive New Orleans- and Lowcountry-inspired Southern fare at this outpost of the ever-growing D.C.-area Milk & Honey chain, from the group behind Hen Quarter and Makers Union. Among the essentials: the signature honey Old Bay wings and chef Sammy’s award-winning shrimp and grits.

This take-it-easy bar and restaurant from the Tin Shop restaurant group (Franklin Hall, TallBoy) is creating a buzz on U Street by concentrating on two of the essentials: perfect cocktails and great Neapolitan-style pizza — with oysters, pasta, and other basics added, just in case.

Look for all things Japanese at this 20,000-square-foot Capitol Crossing culinary emporium from the owners behind L’Ardente and master chef/restaurateur Makoto Okuwa (famed for his Makoto in Miami Beach) — an omakase sushi bar, a yakiniku restaurant with DIY tabletop grilling, an izakaya-style bar, plus a food hall featuring ramen, udon, a bakery, and so much more.

Book the yakiniku restaurant here and the sushi restaurant here.

Leave it to chef David Lee to reengineer plant-based cuisine for a high-energy, well-heeled crowd. From Coconut Grove to New York City, Planta Queen has unleashed its meatless brilliance in the shape of a wild pan-Asian menu, where the sushi rolls and wok-fried noodles are as craveable as “the real thing.” Don’t sleep on the cocktails — we like the kyu-kiki.

From the Michelin starred chefs behind Rooster & Owl, this neighborhood spot will make a regular out of you whether you live in Falls Church or not. Sit in one of the birdcage-inspired booths, order Vietnamese French onion soup and vegetarian dan dan noodles, and you’ll be nesting here in no time.

This trattoria is the kind of place you hope to stumble across in Adams Morgan, a spot with a welcoming vibe, great food, cocktails, and a bubble bar. That’s right — sparkling wines and spritzes and all the good things that set your day right. Some ‘nduja and bread; handmade pasta like paccheri with mussels, eggplant, and burrata; and an affogato are a good place to start.

While it’s first come, first serve to watch The Commanders, Wizards, and Caps on oversized stadium screens at either the Chinatown and National Harbor locations, you need to reserve the Topgolf Swing Suites, which is the way to go. Interactive games (Zombie DodgeBall, anyone?) keep the party going, with lounge seating, HDTVs, food, D.C. craft brews, and so much more.

Another great location for one the best burgers in D.C., plus excellent fish and chips, fantastic beers, and plenty of cocktails. While the bar is lined with TVs to watch all the sports — this location is only a block away from Nationals Park — you can try to figure out all the British celebrities along the muraled wall during commercial breaks.

This Dupont Circle sibling of the esteemed original Brine on H Street stands out brilliantly in its early-20th-century townhouse home for its extensive raw bar menu (featuring six or eight varieties of East and West Coast oysters), its breezy nautical decor, and its devotion to the best fresh seasonal seafood in myriad forms.

It may be a sibling to the smash-hit family-owned Falls Church original, but this Thompson location goes its own way, with chef Lucy Dakwar deliciously melding Italian classics with Middle Eastern influences (think pomegranate salsa and tahini with the crispy brussels sprouts). Don’t miss co-owner Katherine Thompson’s signature olive oil cake for dessert.

You’ll find yourself returning again and again to this appropriately easy-going, light-flooded, blue-and-white-hued wine bar at The Wharf — the latest from the group behind Boardwalk Bar & Arcade and the Takoda restaurants. Look for a world’s worth of wine by the glass and bottle, and a menu of flatbreads, sandwiches, dips, and much more.

Did somebody say currywurst, schnitzel, sauerbraten, and a dozen German beers on tap? That’s the ticket at this Mount Vernon Square beer hall from restaurateur Eric Heidenberger (of Shaw’s Tavern and The Madhatter). Pro tip: If you’re serious about the beer, don’t miss “Ein Meter bitte!” — a meter-long tray with small samples of 10 different brews.

You’ll want to become a regular at this beachy two-level place on Dupont Circle, where the menu evokes a casual European/Hawaiian/Mexican vibe and the downstairs speakeasy is dedicated to the memory of Patrick Swayze — a favorite of proprietor Eric Heidenberger (of Shaw’s Tavern and 801).

Don’t miss this wine bar hidden away inside Mae’s Market and Café in Alexandria, chef Nicole Jones’ popular specialty food shop and eatery. The follow-the-seasons food here is delicious, the staff makes you feel like you’re hanging with friends, and the excellent wines come mostly from female winemakers.

One look at the menu and you might think you’re in New Orleans. This easygoing Silver Spring destination from the Miskiri Hospitality Group (Po Boy Jim, Creole on 14th) has all of the essentials, after all — barbecue shrimp, gumbo, jambalaya, po’ boys, and more — and the NOLA-inspired cocktails definitely get the good times rolling.