One restaurant is a casual extension of a four-star dining destination. Another honors immigrants with fusion food and cocktails. A third draws one of the most diverse crowds around with its meatless menu and stylish digs.
The one thing all the establishments in this year’s spring collection of 25 new restaurants share is a sense of purpose, having opened during a pandemic. For that alone, they deserve a round of applause. Happily, though, they’re all making the Washington area a more diverting place to eat and drink. More beautiful, too. I can’t recall a spring with better-looking dining rooms, which seem full of life (and noise!) as more of us flock indoors to refuel.
LEFT: Pastry chef Marcel Anderson at the Henri in Washington. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post) RIGHT: Wild Icelandic cod at Melina in North Bethesda. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post)
After I wrote about the uneven state of service earlier this year, I thought it only fair to ask restaurant professionals how guests might work on their performance. Read on for suggestions on being a better diner. (Note to the expense account crowd: Remember to take the itemized receipt home if you need it. Asking for the list after the fact can be a serious chore for time-strapped staff.)
Each review is followed by the usual details — price ranges, sound checks, accessibility information — to help you decide whether to book or not. Given the changing situation with the pandemic, you’ll want to connect with the restaurant directly for current information on their safety protocols. The good news, recently delivered by Anthony S. Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, is that the United States is finally “out of the full-blown explosive pandemic phase.”
Here’s hoping you find some new favorite places from the latest crop, which starts with my Top Five picks. And that, fingers crossed, next year’s dining guide won’t even have to mention the “p” word.
1 Mariscos 1133
Read More: Review | 2022 Spring Dining Guide