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D.C. Dining Venues That Always Deliver on Holiday Decor

2024-12-17T17:56:44-05:00

The Willard hotel decks its halls with thousands of shimmering ornaments. | The Willard Intercontinental Washington D.C.

These decadently dressed standbys go the extra mile every Christmas

There’s something to be said about a timeless look, and a select few D.C. stalwarts deck the halls exceptionally well this time of year. These restaurants and hotels take days, if not weeks, to meticulously spruce up their spaces with gilded Christmas balls, festive garland, faux fruits, countless twinkling lights, real wreaths, and even life-sized gingerbread houses.

Amidst the annual surge of holiday pop-up bars, these longstanding D.C. destinations continue to drop the mic on decor every December.

D.C. Espresso Martini Brand Shakes Up New Flavor Amid Big Expansion Plans

2024-12-17T16:14:35-05:00

The cinnamon flavor can debuts an “aura-style design” instead of its original gradient. | Blossom Beverages

Blossom Beverages brings a new wintertime flavor to local liquor stores and Capital One Arena

Last Tuesday, Blossom Beverages founder David Jack braved an overnight journey to the canned espresso martini company’s production facility in Ohio from D.C., all in the pursuit of the perfect cinnamon-flavored release. After traveling over six hours, restaurantuer and investor finally tried the new mix — and was alarmed to find that something in the 900-gallon batch tasted off.

Blossom Beverages

David Jack holds up the original can, which was redesigned to prominently advertise the espresso martini inside.

“I just felt like it wasn’t what we envisioned it originally to be, what we taste tested for six months creating and spent so much time tinkering with in the lab and behind the bar. And I just said, I said, ‘guys, this isn’t right,’” Jack remembers. It turns out there was a significant numerical error in the recipe for the huge batch; instead of the 22 pounds of Dutch cocoa powder the mix called for, only 2.2 pounds were poured into the huge shaker. Instead of making a six-figured monetary mistake, Jack’s taste test allowed them to make a quick addition to the industrial shaker and make its deadline on December 16, when Blossom’s holiday-ready cinnamon espresso martinis in rebranded cans hit shelves at three hand-picked D.C. liquor stores and Capital One Arena.

“Now we have the product that we’re really proud, but the sacrifice was, you know, my sleep,” Jack joked. “I’m driving these small, winding roads from Ohio to D.C., and it was just another analogy of this journey ... you have no idea what’s in front of you.”

That commitment to excellent ingredients, months of taste testing over 40 variations, and careful production of a ready-to-shake-and-drink product developed by D.C. bartenders and hospitality veterans stand out in the competitive market for trendy canned cocktails. In two years, the original pink-and-blue boxes went from being sold in a handful of liquor stores to now being stocked in 20 spots in New York City and over 100 stores and venues in the District, adding Safeway, Whole Foods, Capitol One Arena, Audi Field, and Streets Market to the local vendor list in 2024.

Blossom’s original mix of Madagascar vanilla, Dutch cocoa powder, vodka, and Brazilian coffee produces what he calls a “very balanced flavor profile” that tastes like an espresso martini made by a talented mixologist. “That’s what we’re trying to do, taking these moments and these great cocktails from trendy cocktail bars, and hopefully able to scale that everywhere and anywhere,” he says. The cinnamon release uses a lighter Peruvian roast and adds cinnamon spice, creating a seasonal variation that warms up your stomach and gets your heart racing.

Nina Palazzolo

The new boxes advertise all the advantages of the dairy-free, gluten-free Blossom mix.

“So the cinnamon flavor we hope gets people who maybe aren’t die-hard coffee, like espresso lovers, but love cinnamon. We hope this really brings more people into the fold,” says Jack. The branding of the boxes and cans also look different these days, with “espresso martini” displayed in a larger font to attract more eyes in store aisles. Fresh new blurbs advertise the 9-percent alcohol level, real espresso, and natural ingredients inside.

Jack hopes the rebrand and three more martini flavors in the works will help drive Blossom’s expansion into Maryland and Virginia in 2025. The brand remains committed to the DMV, with the name itself referring to the iconic cherry blossom flowers that take over the Tidal Basin in the spring and its own cherry flavor that debuted earlier this year. New York stores can also expect to see more Blossom cans in 2025.

“And then in 2026 we’ll kind of roll out to the West Coast, which is really exciting,” Jack says. Starting in Los Angeles, that expansion out west will follow a concurrent expansion into New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Beyond that, he teases there are also “a few non-espresso martini cocktails in the hopper.”

Blossom Beverages

The coffee-fueled martinis can enjoyed at home but are also sold at event spaces in D.C. and New York City.

Despite all these big plans for geographical and recipe expansions, Jack emphasizes its commitment to “thoughtful and steady” growth. For example, the new boxes and flavor can only be found in Uncorked, Potomac Wine and Spirits, Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, and Capitol One Arena right now, all leading up to a ski lodge-themed debut party at The Cove on January 18.

How the Inn at Little Washington Retains Its Top Michelin-Starred Status

2024-12-17T14:14:12-05:00

Chef Patrick O’Connell, who has cooked for Queen Elizabeth II, Barbra Streisand, and countless other celebrities, helms The Inn at Little Washington. | Gordon Beall

After its busiest year on record, chef Patrick O’Connell’s latest act is to just add water.

Maintaining three Michelin stars at the opulent Inn at Little Washington in rural Virginia is a never-ending feat for its chef and sole proprietor Patrick O’Connell. Always one to think outside the box, O’Connell just introduced an extravagant “water menu” that gives diners (and nondrinkers) an ultra-rare taste of underground glaciers from around the world. A bottled Canadian iceberg is the priciest pour ($95).

His 46-year-old, prix fixe sensation also revives regional recipes as of late, including one starring George Washington’s favorite fruit. And each $388-per-person tasting menu now showcases fresh produce plucked from the Inn’s recently expanded farm.

The Pope of American Cuisine opts to live on the Inn’s 24-building campus because its guests, many from all over the world, expect to chat with him at his refined restaurant modeled after a European country retreat. “It’s perfect,” the self-taught chef told Eater. “I eat well.”

Last week, O’Connell’s hands-on efforts paid off. Michelin announced that for the sixth consecutive year, the Inn kept its rarefied three stars (“exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”), cementing its elite status as the lone D.C.-area restaurant with the rating.

The Inn at Little Washington/Facebook

Chef Patrick O’Connell celebrates continuously being awarded three Michelin stars with the whole team at the Inn at Little Washington.

Days after the lavish ceremony, Eater checked in with O’Connell about life at the top.

Eater: What are your thoughts on The Inn retaining its three Michelin stars?

Patrick O’Connell: There’s always a sense of nervousness leading up to it. We like to say Michelin works in unusual ways and you never can absolutely be sure. You have to re-earn them every year and competition and the world change around you, so you have to be nimble. Whatever you did yesterday is not good enough for today, and you have to keep improving every little way that you can.

Any major menu changes to announce?

We’ve been perfecting a fabulous vegetarian option and the guests are loving that. Our farmer in residence is supplying us, even at this time of year, with fabulous little baby turnips and gorgeous little radishes, and kale and all our micro greens.

And as bizarre as it sounds on the surface, we’re going to have about 25 waters and a water menu. So many people are drinking less or, in our case, needing to make a drive back to the city that they may wish to limit their alcohol consumption.

We can now create a paired water menu with our menu. These waters are so unique. Some are from underground glaciers that are 3,000 years old. They’ve never been in contact with the air. The varieties, tastes, and textures of these waters are absolutely fascinating.

The Inn at Little Washington

The Inn at Little Washington’s new water menu pours H2O from multiple sources.

How have you tried to improve?

We’ve purchased 11 acres of farm property just outside the town. And in the spring there, we’re raising pawpaw, a fruit that was a favorite of George Washington’s. We’ve tried to resurrect old Virginia regional recipes and give them new life. So we do a little palate cleanser with pawpaw and we make it into a posset, which is naturally a little thickened, like a pana cotta, and we give a shot glass of that and a little card that explains how George Washington used it, with the idea that people should have a strong sense of place wherever they go and learn something.

Inn at Little Washington

Prior to opening the restaurant in 1978, chef Patrick O’Connell traveled to Michelin-starred properties in France for inspiration.

How rare is it to maintain three Michelin stars for six consecutive years?

It’s an all-consuming endeavor. When you go to a three-star restaurant in Europe, part of the excitement is knowing that the chef is in the house and saying hello or taking a picture.

The first challenge is to understand that that is the expectation — you can’t go to a movie. So we close our three-star restaurant on Monday and Tuesday nights. It gives me a day off usually, or half a day off during the week.

Getting back to the Michelin ceremony, it looked like you and fellow three-starred chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernadin were having a blast onstage.

Sometimes it takes an event like a Michelin thing to connect with our friends and colleagues. It’s a big, big family reunion feeling. Eric and I were sharing that great sense of relief that we had; I think his words were, “survived another year with the third star.”

Looking back at the pandemic when the Inn made headlines for installing mannequins in empty seats, how has demand changed?

We are enjoying the busiest year in our history and the singularity of being the only Michelin three-star restaurant south of New York has contributed to that. It also has attracted an Asian clientele traveling specifically for three-star destination restaurants.

It has helped Washington as a culinary destination also, because if you’re coming from the West Coast or Asia on a culinary tour, you’re also going to the one and two-star restaurants in Washington.

What keeps you going?

We’re still having fun, and every day is exciting. I sign every memo to the team with “Onward and Upward.” They understand that we have not arrived yet. In fact, we will never arrive. We’re continually trying to inch forward and upward.

Many people would say that with three Michelin stars and other prestigious accolades that you have arrived.

It can all come crashing down if one guest fails to have a life-changing experience here. And sustaining that takes an incredible commitment from every member of the team. You have to be on, regardless of how you feel or what’s happening in your life. You have to rise above your humanness and become superhuman.

How do you keep going?

It’s an addiction. It’s a high, it’s like a runner’s high. You rise to the occasion. You have moments and weeks of doubt, and then the curtain opens and you go on like your life depends on it. Because it does.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Where to Dine and Drink on New Year’s Eve in D.C.

2024-12-16T12:49:45-05:00

Silver Lyan throws a “house party” with free-flowing champagne for New Year’s Eve. | Silver Lyan

Whether you’re looking for a posh tasting menu, an open bar full of bubbly, or a splurge-worthy meal at home.

As 2024 draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the year gone by and look forward to the new beginnings that 2025 promises. Restaurants in our nation’s capital go all out, throwing everything from a glamorous party to a more low-key celebration. Certain festivities run all day, while other spots are opting to make a splash during dinner service and a following party. Regardless of what you decide, the following options promise a cheerful adieu to this year and a hopeful welcome to the next 365 days that lie ahead.

The Best New Bars to Check Out Right Now in D.C.

2024-12-13T17:23:55-05:00

The Ugly Duckling saunters into Shaw on Friday, December 13. | The Ugly Duckling

Fresh destinations for alfresco wine, billowing cocktails, and more

New bars continue to open and invigorate the District’s drinking scene with snazzy views, solid happy hours, and delicious bites.

This map includes a dozen bars that have popped so far this fall. For a list of essential bars, go here.

For all the latest Washington D.C. dining intel, subscribe to Eater DC’s newsletter.

D.C. Holiday Pop-Up Flops, Compared to Willy Wonka Experience

2024-12-13T15:43:43-05:00

A decorated tree. | Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Christmas bar in Penn Quarter temporarily closes after attendees said they felt “scammed.”

A D.C. Christmas pop-up bar is temporarily closed following posts online from attendees claiming they felt “scammed” over misleading marketing and underwhelming results.

TikToker Yasmin Hajj shared a video about her experience at The Jingle Bar earlier this week, showing photos included in a media preview invitation she received, which promised over-the-top Christmas decor: “whimsical wonderland, featuring holiday cocktails, delicious bites, and Instagram-worthy holiday decor to make your content sparkle.”

Yasmin Hajj

A still of Jingle Bar from @yashajj’s video on TikTok.

But when early attendees actually showed up to Jingle Bar, stationed inside the National Union Building in Penn Quarter, it ended up looking more like the Grinch stole Christmas.

“Last night, my friends and I got scammed in a holiday bar,” Hajj began the video, which has since racked up nearly a quarter of a million views. “Everyone who walked into that room walked out so damn quickly, and people were pissed off.”

She likened the pop-up to the ill-fated Willy Wonka experience held in Glasgow earlier this year, where families signed up for an event inspired by the movie and marketed with over-the-top AI images but ended up being in a sparsely decorated warehouse with confused actors. Others in the comments mentioned the disappointing Bridgerton Ball event, complete with a random pole dancing performance and bad decorations, in Detroit a few months back.

Kylie Forrest, 25, learned about Jingle Bar via social media, where she says she was made to believe she was buying tickets — which cost $17 and include a welcome drink — for a “well-decorated holiday pop-up.”

“I just kept thinking that we must be in the wrong place,” Forrest says. “It looked absolutely nothing like the photos. … It was a small room with minimal decoration, a few tables, and a couch. It felt more like a corporate holiday party.”

Forrest says she and her friends stayed for a bit to finish their welcome drinks and “try to get some of our money’s worth,” but left immediately after.

“Most other people left at the same time as us, which was super awkward because the room was so small and the people working there were just watching us as we grabbed our coats and left,” she adds.

The Jingle Bar didn’t look anything like the photos used to advertise it, because none of them were from any of the organizer’s own past events.

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A post shared by Gavin Booth and Karen Reinsberg (@coupleinthekitchen)

Three of the four photos included in the media invite email and shared on social media to promote the event were pulled from various unaffiliated holiday pop-up bars in Austin. One of them seems to be taken directly from an Instagram post by Couple in the Kitchen, a food and travel duo who told Eater they didn’t give permission for the organization to use the photo they took at a hotel in Austin last year. Another image is an iStock photo of a Christmas market from 2015, which is still in the background of the pop-up bar’s website.

A representative for Showtime Presents, the popup’s organizers, told Eater that they have “already improved the decor in the space” since Hajj’s video was taken, and that “guests who have been upset have been offered refunds.” Hajj was among those guests — she later added a comment to her video that she was issued a refund after emailing the organizers.

“We were scammed, but we were not scammed out of our life savings,” Hajj said in her video. “I guess this is a sign to do your research.”

Jingle Bar is currently closed and will be moving to a “more suitable location” on the floor below, opening “in the coming days to deliver a great experience to all,” the representative added. After Eater reached out to the organization, the event’s website was updated to note that tickets are now “unavailable” until Wednesday, December 18.

The Jingle Bars hosts holiday popups in several cities across the U.S., including Minneapolis, San Diego, and Vancouver this year. The same company is also responsible for D.C.’s Halloween-themed The Night Before Bar popup a couple months back, which took place in the same building and garnered similarly disappointing reviews from attendees (“it was so bad we left after like 15 min,” one commenter wrote on Hajj’s video).

“The event organizers should have been more transparent about what the event would actually entail and what it would look like,” Forrest says. “I’m not sure anyone would have bought tickets if they were.”

Germantown Brothers Put a Paris Baguette in Their Hometown — Plus More Intel

2024-12-13T12:53:06-05:00

Paris Baguette does it all, from pre-order cakes to danishes, muffins, quiches, mochi doughnuts, and mini pizzas. | Paris Baguette

Plus wine-fueled ugly Christmas sweater parties, Perry’s turns 40, and tamale time at Karol G’s fave D.C. spot

A South Korean bakery chain spread across the DMV, with eight locations in Virginia and one in Rockville, opens its new outpost into Germantown on Saturday, December 14 (21040 Frederick Road Suite G, Germantown, Maryland). The owners of the Paris Baguette location, brothers Michael and John Canterino, tell Eater that this is just the beginning and they are already developing three to four more locations in the area. “Our expansion is targeted towards the D.C. metro area, some of it overlaps with the Baltimore area a little bit,” Michael explained.

Paris Baguette

The Canterino brothers hope the Germantown bakery will become a space where diners will feel comfortable enough to stay all day.

The quickly expanding brand differentiates itself from other bakery chains by baking its pastries onsite at every location and franchising out locations specifically to local owners that have insight into the community. The Canterino brothers saw the bakery as “a sustainable brand in its prime” that could fill a hole in Germantown’s bakery market. The 5,000-square-foot store is one of the largest in the world and has plenty of specific perks that the brothers hope will bring in the work-from-home crowd, including free Wi-Fi, plenty of outlets, and lots of free parking. They said that customers were already excited during the soft opening. “All of our guests have been saying, you know, ‘we’re really happy that you’re here. We’ve been waiting for you guys. We have nothing like this here,’” John recounted.

The grand opening will feature plenty of music (including Christmas caroling), a sketch artist, and free pastries for the first 50 guests. “Also, in addition to that,” says Michael, “I’ll probably just do random giveaways. Maybe every 100 or 200 customers we’ll give a cake out too.”

A $40 pre-fixe menu to celebrate 40 years at Perry’s

Dixie D. Vereen for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Mushroom fried rice with onsen egg at Perry’s

This beloved Japanese spot celebrates being open since 1984 by remembering some of its biggest accomplishments, like throwing the longest running drag brunch in the city and chef Masako Morishita’s big 2024 James Beard Award for emerging new chef. Diners can mark the anniversary with a three-course tasting menu that comes with a complimentary cocktail, glass of wine, house sake, or beer. Course options include a winter crab cake with warm dashi broth, wagyu steak donburi, a sushi omakase with a salmon avocado roll, and warm miso cookies with vanilla cream. Reservations are available on Resy. 1811 Columbia Rd NW

Where you can don an ugly Christmas sweater and sip wine this Sunday

The Eastern hosts an ugly sweater wine class ($65, tickets available here), with the theme “The Island of Misfit Wines,” this Sunday at 1 p.m. (360 7th Street SE). Come dressed in your ugliest, mismatched Christmas sweater to impress the wine bar’s staff and you could go home with a prize. And if you miss that one, Primrose also hosts an Ugly Sweater Jolly Hour with a wine tasting from owner Sebastian Mutant’s Virginia vineyard: Lightwell Survey. There is no cover or tickets for the tasting, and the attendee in the ugliest sweater gets to take home a bottle from Lightwell Survey’s fall lineup (3000 12th Street NE).

Gingerbread house building, hot chocolate, and more at Cork

This 14th Street NW wine bar brings back its annual gingerbread making classes this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon or 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with free-flowing hot chocolate, hot cider, and holiday sweets throughout the decorating party. Tickets are $60 per gingerbread house and at-home kits are also being sold for $50 each. Wine and more food will also be available to order. 1805 14 Street NW

To-go and prix fixe tamales at the Royal

D.C.’s Latin-leaning hot spot that just designed the food and drink menus for pop star Karol G’s Medellín restaurants throws a tamale navideños holiday luncheon on Tuesdays through Thursdays this month. Influenced by ownership’s Christmas tradition of building tamales, the first course includes a mango and citrus-filled kale salad and the third course a carrot cake layered with pumpkin seed granola, papilla caramel, and cream cheese frosting. Diners can book the three-course meal ($48) on Resy, order the tamales frozen ($48 for 4), or order 10 tamales hot and ready to eat ($110). 501 Florida Ave NW

The Royal

The tamale navideños come with chicken or vegetable fillings, plus grilledcabbage, cheese, and aji sauce.

The Wharf Nets a New Retro-Glam Restaurant Right Before 2025

2024-12-13T11:19:51-05:00

Pink Tiger’s Dirty Dashi martini is finished with a sesame nori rim. | Noh Leftovers

Pink Tiger makes a flashy debut on New Year’s Eve

That’s a wrap for Kaliwa, chef Cathal Armstrong’s homage to Southeast Asian cuisine since 2018. The pioneering Wharf restaurant will close for good after dinner service Monday, December 30, but the prime waterfront real estate won’t stay dark for long. Stylish neighborhood newcomer Pink Tiger pounces into its place on Tuesday, December 31, ringing in 2025 with a fresh new owner, look, name, menu, and vibe. The big opening blowout-slash-NYE party dubbed “Disco In’fur’no” sheds some light on what’s in store right out of the gate (751 Wharf Street SW).

The dolled-up replacement that calls for sake flights, sizzling wagyu with ponzu, and a groovy makeover is the inaugural project for D.C. restaurant group Be Our Guest. Pink Tiger’s director Brooke Demetriou has existing ties to Kaliwa as Armstrong’s longtime business partner. “Kaliwa was Cathal’s love child and his whole thing. I wanted to create my own idea,” she tells Eater. (The James Beard-nominated chef shifted his attention across the Potomac in recent years, going on to open Irish pub Mattie and Eddie’s and Corso Italian in Arlington.)

Whereas Kaliwa’s kitchen prepared Korean, Thai, and Filipino dishes by the book, Pink Tiger’s menu is going for “Southeast Asian fare with American flair,” says Demetriou.

Demetriou, who loves to throw a good dinner party, leans into her hostessing skills and on-site neighborhood knowledge to construct the kind of dining destination she says the Wharf is missing. “I took the time to figure out what it really was that would do well here,” she says.

Kaliwa was one of the first two tenants to sign on at the Wharf, so she’s seen it all. Eight years in, the $3.6 billion, multi-phase development is now home to an influx of restaurants and bars that compete for attention from concertgoers, boaters, tourists, and locals living and working on the same scenic, one-mile stretch. She calls Kaliwa’s closure “bittersweet” but “necessary” — it’s “run its course.”

She categorizes Pink Tiger as “fun” fine dining, which sets itself apart from what “the Del Mars, Limanis, and more casual [places] at the Wharf are doing,” she says. “We are finding space somewhere between there.” Late-night options remain relatively scarce, even on weekends, and Pink Tiger plans to keep the party going until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with help from a live singer and newly expanded bar. The big music buff plans to play everything from disco to Elvis to indie in the dining room during the week.

Pink Tiger’s newly named Filipino chef Joe Castro, who’s classically trained in French and Italian cuisine, most recently worked at Mussel Bar and MGM’s Voltaggio Brothers Steak House before that.

Openers under his watch include miso deviled eggs topped with truffles, scallions, bacon, and Gochujang; hot crab Rangoon dip with Sriracha cream cheese, scallions, sweet Thai chili sauce, and wonton chips; and thinly sliced wagyu beef cooked tableside atop a “hot rock” (lava stone) with ponzu sauce.

Castro, who grew up in the Philippines to parents who were both chefs, stays true to his roots in some cases; he won’t mess with pad Thai, lumpia, and adobo at Pink Tiger. “He has beautiful recipes and there’s some things he didn’t want to fuse,” she says. He also plans to revive some Kaliwa favorites like its spicy crab curry entree.

Noh Leftovers

Pad Thai at Pink Tiger.

The bar will serve sake for the first time along with a strong list of Asian beers, hemp-based nonalcoholic spirits from Aplós, and what she calls a “very funky and cool” martini menu that toys with oceanic flavors like dashi-infused vodka. Aside from making more room for drinkers at an 18-seat bar, the bones of the two-story space framed with soaring windows and a patio remain largely unchanged.

Its new life as Pink Tiger naturally calls for pink touch-ups, as spotted in playful tiger prints and an LED-lit fireplace, as well as funky new art and ube-hued floral furniture that a bobbing captain could spot out front.

Noh Leftovers

Ping Tiger opens with a ’70s-chic look.

The redesign was executed in stages, so there’s already evidence of the retro-chic replacement opening in a little over two weeks. “We’re actually still running Kaliwa while we do this, which is a challenge,” she says. Kaliwa’s signage will come down after its final night of service before Pink Tiger’s immediately goes up just ahead of its opening NYE party.

Pink Tiger celebrates night one with live entertainment, an open bar, food stations, and passed appetizers. Tickets for its first-ever dinner service (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) are $125, and a late-night party until 2 a.m. costs $85. NYE guests are encouraged to christen Pink Tiger with “retro-glam” attire that leans into its look.

Regular service kicks off on January 2, with brunch to follow. Price points are $35-$45 per person for lunch, and $65-$75 per person for dinner, with cocktails ranging from $18–$24.

Noh Leftovers

Pink Tiger’s designer Yvette Irene took tips from Studio 54.

Noh Leftovers

Pink Tiger brings vintage tea pots to the Wharf.

Winter Cocktails in D.C. to Get Cozy With

2024-12-12T18:45:58-05:00

Cinderella’s Midnight Fuel will get you through the darker evenings. | ilili

Hardy, cold-weather produce, holiday-centric spices, and upgraded seasonal classics take center stage at bars around town

It’s the time of year when creamy and dark liquor-based drinks are everywhere, when refreshing beverages are out and strong cocktails designed to thaw your hands (and stomach), are in. This list has a little something for everyone, with holiday flavors like peppermint and cinnamon, but also seasonal ginger, dates, lemons, and even sweet potato flourishing in liquid form. Clear liquors, along with eggnog spiked with rum and whiskey, all get their due at the following 14 destinations for winter cocktails in D.C.

Check out our maps of holiday pop-ups and festive afternoon tea for more cold weather drinks across the DMV.

The D.C. Restaurant Closings to Know, December 2024

2024-12-12T17:58:44-05:00

Firehook Bakery, Crisfield Seafood, Convivial, and more local establishments permanently closing this month

This is a curated list of D.C. area’s most notable and permanent restaurant and bar closures, with new updates published once a week. See a closing we missed? Drop us a line.

December 24

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS—It’s the end of an era for Firehook, the DMV-wide destination for freshly baked breads, pastries, cakes of all kinds, decorative cookies, and more since 1992. Firehook just announced “bittersweet” plans to close all three of its retail bakeries (Dupont, Alexandria, Chantilly) on Christmas Eve. Firehook will shift attention to national sales of its crispy Mediterranean crackers instead. There’s some good news for the D.C. store, which will reopen as Dupont Coffee Collective. Entirely owned by existing Firehook Dupont employees, the rebooted location promises to pour the same locally roasted coffee and produce sweet and savory goods.

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December 22

SILVER SPRING—Crisfield, one of the region’s most iconic seafood houses for nearly 80 years, will shut down right before Christmas. Named for the quaint Maryland seaside town of Crisfield located a three-hour drive east, the Georgia Avenue institution operated by the Landis family since 1945 continues to pull in throngs of crab enthusiasts for lunch and dinner. The casual fixture prepares seafood dishes in an old-school “Eastern Shore” style, and customers can order its best-selling crab cake as a sandwich or as an entree that’s either broiled or fried. Crisfield is also long known for its well-sourced selection of raw oysters, tangy shrimp salad, and other Norfolk-style selections baptized in butter. 8012 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland

SHAW—Convivial, one of D.C.’s best French bistros, calls it quits this month after nearly a decade of business. ⁠Chef/owner Cedric Maupillier’s Shaw staple has maintained a loyal following since 2015 for dishes reminiscent of the French towns where he was raised. Quiche lorraine, boeuf Bourguignon, steak frites, roasted half chicken, and steamed mussels are all popular here. “It’s difficult to let go, but the challenges of maintaining consistent sales to meet our financial obligations have led us to this decision,” wrote Maupillier.⁠ The vet chef — who previously worked under culinary pioneer Michel Richard at Citronelle and Central — already has a new job lined up: leading the kitchen at Barbouzard, a new Mediterranean restaurant opening in downtown’s old Kellari Taverna space next spring. 801 O Street NW

Convivial

A croque madame from Convivial.

December 17

GEORGETOWN—Wawa decided to pull the plug on its Georgetown location, a brightly-lit beacon for students and residents in search of a late-night sandwich and snack. “Our long-term plans for this store are no longer viable,” per a statement from the team. 1222 Wisconsin Avenue NW

December 15

Deb Lindsey/For the Washington Post via Getty Images

Braised oxtails are a hit dish at El Sapo.

SILVER SPRING—El Sapo Cuban Social Club, chef-owner Raynold Mendizábal’s critically acclaimed tribute to his native cuisine since 2018, reportedly closed on Sunday, December 15. The bright and shimmering space specialized in bold island fare and street snacks from Havana, including masitas (fried pork bites), cod croquetas, and Cuban sandwiches, with a seasonal mojito garden out front. The downtown Silver Spring chef made headlines for allegedly sexually harassing an underage teenage girl while she worked as a hostess at his now-closed steakhouse Urban Butcher in 2019; he was ultimately found “not guilty” in the case. 8455 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, Maryland

December 4

SHAW—Less than three months after opening, D.C.’s self-described “bipartisan” bar that strived to put “the ‘lit’ back in politics” suddenly closed. Couple Sydney Bradford and Andrew Benbow — a Democrat and moderate Republican, respectively — unveiled Political Pattie’s on September 20 in the three-story space that long housed LGBTQ+ bar Dirty Goose. Upon opening, immediate “anti-woke” backlash from the public and pubs like Daily Mail and The Spectator ensued. “We feel really strong and confident in the fact that bipartisanship should exist and there should be thought spaces like Political Pattie’s all over the country but this just isn’t the right time or place for that concept,” Bradford told FOX5. 913 U Street NW

December 1

H STREET—After just making its anticipated D.C. debut in July, Hakuna Matata is already closed. The short-lived East African restaurant, which served platters of Kenyan barbecued goat, whole fried tilapia with pilau rice and plantains, and Tusker beers, occupied a prime Northeast corner where South Asian standby Cusbah formerly sat. The original Hakuna in Maryland ended its 5-year run this fall. “Like many small businesses, we navigated the storm of the pandemic, but the economic challenges that hit the Wheaton area were more than we could recover from,” wrote its owners in October, directing diners to its stylish new D.C. location instead. 1128 H Street NE

DUPONT—Soho Tea & Coffee, a neighborhood favorite since 1994, is no more. The welcoming cafe with consistently good vanilla chai lattes and bagel sandwiches played host to countless book clubs, art shows, and wine events over its 30-year run. 2150 P Street NW