New On Resy: D.C.’s Newest Restaurant Openings

At this aptly named spot housed at the McLean Project for the Arts, you can enjoy everything from savory braised fennel and filling penne pomodoro to a decadent chocolate torte.

What can’t Three Whistles do? It’s got espresso and workspace by day, with comfort food and cocktails by night. Plus, they have live music on Friday and Saturday, if you need yet another reason.

This Cajun and Creole dining experience is rooted in the Big Easy’s culinary traditions, and offers epic riverfront views of the Anacostia River. Revelers will want to gather around the “boil garden,” which hosts crawfish seafood boils alongside frozen cocktails, and offers a lively open-air atmosphere.

It’s an empire of (from scratch) kitchens serving up comforting fare from lobster rolls to Buffalo chicken pies. Don’t forget the buttermilk biscuit strawberry shortcake for dessert, if you know what’s good for you.

Take a walk on the wild side for a night at Techo Palma, where the cocktails flow and the vibes can only be described as tropical oasis. Sip your margarita and take a seat.

Take a Caribbean cruise without ever leaving the mainland — all you have to do is make the trip to Bammy’s. Order a Painkiller and some jerk wings and you’re golden.

Sushi Nakazawa alum Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino built his reputation on high end omakase, and now he’s channeling his skills into this handsome yet affordable 16-seat downtown sushi counter. Walk in at lunch for seven nigiri plus a hand roll (think: yuzu-garlic yellowtail, soy-braised black cod) and miso soup with unctuous house-made fish stock, all for a cool $40. Dinner ups the ante with 15 courses for $135, while an incoming sake program is gunning to be DC’s deepest with some 50 international pours by the glass.

Named after chef-owner Robert Maher’s late mother-in-law and steeped in French technique, this beloved breezy bistro pulls off the unexpected: upmarket cuisine served in the most approachable of spaces. A contemporary spin on classic duck à l’orange — skin scored, crispy-seared, and finished with a soulful blood orange gastrique — is the obvious headliner, but don’t overlook the bucatini with bright zucchini herb sauce and oozy fried burrata. Nightly happy hour keeps folks coming back — as do baked-to-order madeleines with orange-spiked crème chantilly.

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Dubai and Miami raised a nightlife love child on the D.C. waterfront, Zooz is your answer. The Azzouz brothers (Urban Roast) stepped it up a notch with this bottle service go-to, with its star-lit ceilings, beachy pink accents, abundant florals, and roaming bar carts delivering theatrical tableside cocktails. The tightly curated Asian-inspired menu is fit for a crowd, stocked with A5 wagyu nigiri and overstuffed signature rolls to keep the revelers raving.