Victura Park reopens at the Kennedy Center. Photograph by Mykl Wu
A number of bars and restaurants around DC decided to temporarily close their doors or go into “hibernation” during the pandemic. But now, with warm weather, vaccinations, and the loosening of Covid capacity restrictions and regulations, many are reopening (though some are still limiting seating and/or keeping mask policies). Here’s a running list of newly opened spots, including some restaurants that are offering dine-in for the first time in months.
Know of a business that’s reopening? Email aspiegel@Washingtonian.com.
Recently Reopened
Last Call Bar – Veteran bartender Gina Chersevani’s dive-y hangout near Union Market, popular for its cheap beers, sandwiches, and frozen Irish coffees, reopens Thursday, June 10 at 5 PM.
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Tosca reopens in Downtown DC after a long pandemic closure with a new look and menu. Photography courtesy of Tosca
One of DC’s veteran Italian restaurants is ready for a comeback. Ristorante Tosca will reopen downtown on Tuesday, May 25 after being closed for much of the past pandemic year. Owner Paolo Sacco used the pause to redesign his 20 year-old restaurant and hire a new chef, Phil Marzelli, a second-generation Italian-American who previously served as the executive chef at Fabio Trabocchi’s Casa Luca and Sfoglina Downtown.
Dark chocolate and rum mousse with berries.
Tosca built a reputation as a classic DC power spot, especially at lunch, where lobbyists, lawyers, and politicos would meet over short-rib agnolotti at white-clothed tables. But the days when the Obamas would drop by for date night are long past, and Sacco observed that much of the nighttime energy and younger clientele were drawn to booming restaurant neighborhoods like 14th Street and Shaw. Sacco