This is Eater’s guide to all the new restaurants, bars, and cafes that have opened in March. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at dc@eater.com.
Adams Morgan: Sorso Prosecco Bar opened on Tuesday, March 10, in the pretty space that most recently housed DLight Bakery (and Songbyrd before that). Sorso showcases plenty of chilled bubbles by the glass and bottle, Hugo spritzes, tartines, and small plates with Italian and Ukrainian influences. 2475 18th Street NW
The Commodore’s pub menu makes its way to Old Town. flipsh0t/The Commodore
Alexandria: Dupont’s beloved neighborhood bar, the Commodore, expanded across the Potomac on Thursday, March 12, with a second location. The Commodore introduces new menu items in Old Town like Chicago tavern-style pizza and pastas with spicy pork ragu and Cajun seafood. Popular bites making their way over include a big Bavarian pretzel, double-smash patty burger, and chicken wings. The new edition from owners Rob Van de Graaff and Steve Kim also sports a patio and a game room filled with darts and pool. 220 N. Lee Street, Old Town, Virginia
Bethesda, Maryland: Milan-loving, Miami-born cafe Rosetta Bakery debuted its first D.C.-area location in late March with fresh pastries, focaccia, and espresso drinks. The Maryland location helps benefit nonprofit partner Best Buddies. 4901-A Fairmont Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland
Capitol Hill: Rob Sonderman, the D.C. pitmaster of Federalist Pig, DCitySmokehouse, and Honeymoon Chicken fame, introduced Eastern Market to his latest meaty venture called Little Engine in early March. The poultry pad — which focuses on wings and rotisserie chickens jazzed up with dry rubs and sauces — is backed in part by Jeff Zients, who worked under the Biden administration and was also an early investor in bagel chain Call Your Mother. 250 7th Street SE
Columbia Heights: New Venezuelan restaurant DC Al Toque opened on Monday, March 9, with arepas, pastries, and braided cheese bread. 3910 14th Street NW
Dupont: Following a large-scale renovation, five-year-old Levantine restaurant Ala reopened its dining room on Friday, March 20, with a bigger (220-person) capacity and bright, Mediterranean architecture. The patio and upstairs space will follow. A $28 meze lunch deal joins $36 bottomless brunch featuring a parade of plates like braised lamb shoulder and manti (mini beef dumplings). 1320 19th Street NW
The marquee offering at Bazaar Meat. Liz Clayman
Downtown: The newest Bazaar Meat by José Andrés opened on Thursday, March 19, inside the tony Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, replacing the celebrity chef and global humanitarian’s Spanish-Japanese restaurant Bazaar (which opened in 2023) with this new fire-fed offshoot for carnivores that’s gaining steam across the country. At this fourth Bazaar Meat, a revised menu prepared with international techniques is split into sections like Our Big Guys, Cooked José’s Way, which features massive prime cuts such as bone-in New York strips from Oregon and rib-eye chuletons from Texas. 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Downtown: Just Salad, the fast-casual lunch chain with locations from Boston to Miami, opened its second D.C. location on Tuesday, March 31. An opening week promo through Thursday, April 2, includes $5 salads, wraps, warm bowls, and market plates. 1201 F Street NW
Downtown: Award-winning pizzeria Slice & Pie added a third D.C. location for its NY- and Detroit-style pies on Wednesday, March 4. Naples-born master pizzaiolo Giulio Adriani’s biggest space to date features a glass-enclosed dough production facility to fuel the 14th Street NW original and Union Market. A fourth at the Parks at Walter Reed is coming soon. 1750 H Street NW
Georgetown: Not one, but two restaurants opened side-by-side along Wisconsin Avenue last month. OBA Turkish Grill joins Otto Mediterranean (in the old Cafe Divan space) with meze and seafood dishes. 1834 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Southwest Waterfront: Coastal Italian-chic Capitano opened inside the Canopy by Hilton on Friday, March 6, for all-day service, marking the Wharf’s first big restaurant opening in a while. Located off the second-floor lobby, customers are greeted with chefs flipping dough to produce Neapolitan pies in the domed oven, and the bright blue menu also showcases Southern Italian staples like seafood, house-made pastas, crudo, and salads. A soaring bar dedicated to spritzes and Italian wines joins a dining room wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, ceramic tiles, and potted plants, plus a wraparound patio overlooking the scenic Southwest Waterfront. 975 7th Street SW
Dining and Cooking