In a city once awash in conservative navy pinstriped suits and white linen-tablecloth restaurants, a wave of international tastemakers has woken up everything from restaurants to nightlife, and even its hotels. In April, the blossoming cherry trees gifted by Japan paint the National Mall creamy pink and the spring sunshine means you can walk everywhere, from the monuments over to The Wharf, the city’s refurbished southwest waterfront. That’s where to find the fine-dining Spanish restaurant Del Mar, by James Beard Award–winning chef Fabio Trabocchi, and the casual Italian Officina, by Nicholas Stefanelli (stick around for a nightcap at its hidden Salotto). It’s also home to The Anthem, a David Rockwell–designed music venue from the same people behind D.C.’s legendary 9:30 club—if here for the Kenny Chesney show later this month, stop into edgy cocktail-maker Todd Thrasher’s raucous Tiki TNT around the corner for last call. In the funky U Street/Cardozo area is Maydan, a North African–meets–Middle Eastern restaurant that is always packed with a cool crowd (word is the Obamas like to pop in for date night).
And in more traditional pockets of Northwest D.C., new hotels lend a hipster edge to a space once dominated by chintz and brocade. Eaton DC opened in October, giving young travelers more than just stylish hotel rooms—it has a wellness center, recording studio, and social programming right on the lobbying hub of K Street. Herzog & de Meuron brought their signature spare-but-art-driven aesthetic to the newly opened Conrad Washington, DC in CityCenterDC, while Martin Brudnizki just redesigned the bar and restaurant at the Dupont Circle. Next month also brings back one of the city’s hottest attractions: The International Spy Museum reopens in a new location, at L’Enfant Plaza, with 140,000 square feet showcasing the world’s foremost collection of international espionage artifacts. It’s a few blocks from the Mall, and it reminds us that even alongside the traditional monuments there are more unexpected, on-the-pulse reasons to have D.C. on your radar.
