Tapori Brings the Bold Flavors of the Subcontinent to D.C.’s H Street Corridor
Take one step into Tapori, and it feels almost like you’ve been whisked away to the sights, sounds and flavors of one of the great bustling markets on the Indian subcontinent.
That’s by design, says H Street restaurateur Dante Datta and chef Suresh Sundas, who recently opened their second restaurant along the H Street, NE corridor of D.C. after receiving acclaim for their “Indian-ish” riffs at Daru — from spicy chicken tikka tacos to super savory black daal burrata.
Tapori is their second act, located nearby on the bustling H Street corridor, and it expands the creative offering of riffs on street food from India and beyond. There are of course dosas and pani puri, but now there are Himalayan favorites, like momos and thukpa, a Tibetan noodle soup.
And there is clearly a vibe shift from the minimalist, cozy decor at Daru. “Tapori has this warm and colorful energy. It has a bigger bar and a communal table that make it a bit more of a convivial space [with] an open kitchen, where diners can get a glimpse into how the food is prepared.”
With recipes also inspired by family and friends, this restaurant also includes beautiful colors by design. In many ways, Tapori adds new layers of energy and bold flavors to H Street that many have eagerly awaited.
We sat down with Datta and Sundas to learn more about their delicious dishes, drinks and details that will have you visiting very, very soon.
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Tapori is a literal vagabond in style.
Tapori in Hindi translates to “vagabond” or “rowdy,” and it describes the vibrant street culture of India, plus an entire genre of Bollywood film.
“We wanted to add in elements of the mischievous nature of the Tapori culture,” Datta says. He notes that before guests are seated, he wants them to notice the design details that the team used to create an atmosphere of energy and theatrics.
“We aimed to blend the chaotic energy of an Indian street market with an inviting atmosphere for our guests,” he says. To achieve this, they worked with longtime friend Brian Miller and the team at Edit at Streetsense.
“We created a space that is rich in texture, featuring hand-painted architectural elements. The design draws inspiration from the patchwork clothing seen in 1990s Bollywood films while also incorporating retro touches, like diner-style booths.”
You might spot the carefully selected vintage tiles at the bar and communal table, where mingling with neighboring parties is encouraged. Or look up, and you’ll spot two seven-foot-long hanging fish pendants.
“Overall, we wanted Tapori to be a place where guests feel at home and connected to the vibrant essence of Indian culture,” Datta says.
The cocktails here are works of art.
Meanwhile, local bartender turned artist Patrick Owens created the beautiful murals adorning the walls, including a scene from the Bollywood film Rangeela, a cult favorite, as well as Indian truck art, adding layers of cultural richness to the restaurant.
The joyfulness of the décor inevitably spills over and into the drinks menu with cocktails that are equally colorful and filled with the duo’s “Indian-ish” style. The cocktail program was inspired by classic Western drinks mixed with Indian spices and fruits, like jackfruit puree, Kashmiri chile, and bright and juicy hibiscus.
Datta says that the most popular drink at the moment is the Achar Martini.
“Achar is an Indian-style pickle — a bold, tangy, spicy condiment made by preserving fruits or vegetables in oil, salt, and spices. Common versions include mango achar, lime achar, chili achar, and mixed vegetable achar, each with regional variations across India,” he explains. “We use the spices in achar and create a brine that gets mixed into our version of a dirty martini. It is served with pickled cauliflower and lotus root on the side.”
Beyond the cocktail program, Tapori features an exciting selection of co-fermented wines. “These are beverages that are fermented with other fruits such as berries and yuzu alongside grapes,” Datta says. Some of these will be on special with a happy hour menu coming soon.
The menu spans several Indian regions, and soon, Nepal.
Chef Sundas is combining his life’s story into dishes at Tapori, but there’s another talented chef in the kitchen with roots in the subcontinent.
“We also are working with chef Baburam Sharma who just joined us from Nepal,” Sundas says. They have been friends for more than two decades and started with menu planning long-distance via Zoom before Sharma took up residency in D.C. “The concept is inspired by the street market foods we love, [and] there will be some fun Himalayan foods being added to the menu as well.”
Right now, go-to dishes from the opening section of short eats include the lotus root chaat, prepared deep fried and served with tamarind, sweet yogurt, mint chutney, and kachumber salad, as well as the kitchen’s take on vada pav (a crisp spiced patty of mashed potato and chutneys ensconced by a soft white roll).
South Indian dishes include the podi masala dosa, a crisp, paper-thin crepe filled with spiced potato and served with tomato chutney, coconut chutney and sambar — a flavorful stew of lentils and vegetables layered with spices that’s ubiquitous in the region.
Datta’s sleeper hit is the achari macchi kebab, from a section of the menu dedicated to dishes cooked tandoor-style. He loves this dish because it features an unlikely kebab protein — wild North Atlantic halibut, marinated with mustard oil, ginger and gram flour, made from ground chickpea.
Tapori is emblematic of H Street’s exciting F&B energy.
It’s no coincidence that this vagabond-style restaurant took over the space where Fancy Radish was before. Like its predecessor, it’s filled with plenty of vegan and vegetarian-friendly dishes, plus enticing collaborations. And Tapori will soon be joined by other exciting new food and beverage neighbors like Henceforth and Dolcezza.
Datta hopes to partner up with these businesses in the future, and prior to opening, they teamed up on a cooking session at La’ Shukran to test out dishes and drinks. The goal was to create buzz for the opening but also highlight the greater H Street community and adjacent Union Market neighborhood.
“We love the vibrant energy and the deep history and roots here,” Datta says. “For us to open another place within this neighborhood was easy. We love it here, and we love all the business owners here. The people in the neighborhood have really supported us, and they’ve been a huge factor in our success. So, we want to stay with them.”
