May 16, 2025 - Food and Drink
May's hottest D.C. bar and restaurant openings
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Caviar-topped nuggets at Lobby Bar. Photo: Courtesy of Nina Palazzolo
We're excited about all the new restaurants that debuted — and are opening soon — in May. Here's what's on the top of our must-try list.
Mélange Foods, Inc. | Shaw
- Michelin-trained chef Elias Taddesse won fans with his fanciful Mélange burgers, and Doro Soul Food's Ethiopian-spiced fried chicken. Now he's brought the two comforting concepts under one 60-seat roof – formerly Roy Boys — where diners can sip a berbere margarita or cool off with homemade ice creams.
- Up next: Moya, an Ethio-Mexican concept debuting in the same space later this spring.
Suzie Q's | Navy Yard
- Cheap drinks (many below $12) and a Hill Country alum's barbecue sandwiches are on tap at this waterfront newcomer by Nats Park. Late hours, beer-and-shot combos and fun snacks like pierogies may make Suzie a neighborhood regular.
Henceforth, | H Street Corridor
- Long-gone H Street Country Club is now a welcoming neighborhood brewery, wine bar, and restaurant helmed by a team of vets — military and hospitality. Guests can settle into one of three bars for a fresh-brewed Irish Red or Virginia-made orange wine, plus wallet-friendly tavern fare (brunch, lunch and dinner).
- Next up: A roof deck for warm-weather imbibing.
Lobby Bar | Eastern Market
- You may order "clothesline bacon" or caviar-topped chicken nuggets for the 'gram, but "dinner and a show has to taste good, too," owner Adam Shulman tells Axios (show comes naturally for the former MGM Resorts nightlife director).
- Cocktail maven Tory Pratt is behind the martini-heavy menu — fit for the throwback, former Boxcar Tavern space — with fun riffs like a caper brine or oyster martini "that drinks like a very cold ocean." Opens: May 16
Cafe Fiorello | Downtown
- NYC's Upper West Side institution expands for the first time in over 50 years with its signature antipasto bar, thin-crust pizzas, heaping pastas and veal chops — "A playground of Italian American classics," Fireman Hospitality head Ben Grossman tells Axios. New for us: A wood-burning oven and negroni bar.
- As for the look, "We're not trendy," he says. "Timeless and welcoming is our aesthetic." Think cozy booths where super-regulars may get their name on a plaque. Opens: May 21
Birdsong Thai* | Chevy Chase, D.C.
- Chef Kitima Boonmala, who ran popular Thai pop-ups around D.C. for years, finds a permanent home for her spicy boat noodle soup, fried chicken khao soi, and other vibrant dishes — many inspired by her family's noodle shop in central Thailand.
- Pastry chef Naomi Gallego, behind the pies at sister restaurant Little Beast, prepares sweets like Thai donuts and coconut rice pudding heaped with jellies, fruit and shaved ice. Opens: May 21
Sushi Gaku | Georgetown
- Hokkaido-born chef Yoshi Ota, a leading alum of Kushi Izakaya and Sushi Ko, returns to his roots with traditional Edo-style sushi — a minimalist style with seasonal fish and vinegar-seasoned rice — plus side dishes and an omakase option.
- Fun fact: Ota is one of the few local chefs to hold a fugu (pufferfish) license — required to safely prepare the poisonous fish — so look for the delicacy in season. Opens: May 21
Casamara + Reynold's Bar | Dupont Circle
- Dupont's long-awaited Sixty boutique hotel (LA, NYC) amps up the luxe vibes with coastal Mediterranean restaurant Casamara — we're eyeing the harissa-roast chicken and toro with melon — and chic Reynold's Bar, where you can snack on mini-lobster rolls or foie gras poutine with an icy martini. Opens: late May
- Up next: An expansive rooftop opens in June with bites, drinks and DJs.
*Birdsong Thai is owned by Anna Spiegel's brother-in-law, Aaron Gordon.