We're Looking Forward To This: Fall 2026 Restaurant Openings We're Most Excited About
Okay, fall, we see you. A chandelier the size of a compact car, a beer hall rising from the dead, and DC's first-ever Haitian fine dining spot, all before Halloween. This town does not do a quiet season. Good thing, neither do we.
Here's what has us the most excited this fall, in alphabetical order (because ranking my favorites would start a fight).
and toum: Tariq Alaeddin, founder of NAJA Mediterranean, is launching and toum, a broasted chicken concept built around his lifelong love of toum, the whipped Lebanese garlic sauce. Operating out of NAJA Mediterranean as a takeout- and delivery-only concept, the menu is deliberately tiny: halal broasted chicken and four takes on toum (classic, extra-garlicky Ezbicy, a toum-Zhoug hybrid called Zoum, and a rotating limited-edition flavor). The sauce itself will also be sold for guests to take home.
2911 District Avenue, Fairfax, VA
Opening: Early Fall
Bajo: Husband-and-wife chefs Max Rivera and Sarah Montell of Hambre Hospitality are bringing a moody Spanish-Japanese restaurant and listening bar to Blagden Alley in Shaw, taking over the subterranean space left behind by Never Looked Better. Expect tapas, yakitori, and crudo built at the intersection of Iberian and Japanese technique, backed by a Spanish and Catalan wine program, a sake list, and vinyl spun by DJs. Rivera's resume spans six countries and Michelin-starred kitchens, including a stint as opening executive chef at Cana and, most recently, José Andrés's minibar.
130 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, DC
Opening: Late October
Bar Nuestro: Colada Shop founder Daniella Senior's newest venture is a Latin-rooted, European-inspired bistro landing in Navy Yard, reimagining classic European dishes through a Latin American lens inside a sleek, tiled, design-forward space. It's the first opening under her newly formed 5C Hospitality group, which also includes Union Market's cocktail bar Elegancia.
1331 Yards Place SE, Washington, DC
Opening: Targeting October 20
The Berliner: Popal Group (Lapis, Lapop, Maison Bar à Vins) revives its dearly missed German beer hall, which closed in Georgetown back in 2022, with a new home in Adams Morgan inside the former Mellow Mushroom space. Expect the same hearty sausages, soft pretzels, and long rotating tap list that made the original a neighborhood fixture.
2436 18th Street NW, Washington, DC
Opening: October
Bizzeria: Chef Michael Rafidi, the James Beard-nominated force behind Albi and La'Shukran, finally gives his wood-fired pizzas a permanent home. The pies — currently only a part-time offering at his Georgetown Levantine cafe Yellow — come from pastry chef Alicia Wang, whose dough gets a 48-hour fermentation, alongside a lineup of meze, charcuterie, and natural wine.
3246 Prospect Street NW, Washington, DC
Opening: Fall
Botiwalla by Chai Pani: The James Beard Award-winning team behind Union Market's Chai Pani DC brings its casual, fast-following sister concept to Tenleytown: charcoal-grilled kababs of chicken tikka, lamb, masala fish, and paneer, wrapped in buttered naan or piled onto rice bowls, plus the chaats that made Chai Pani famous (Masala Smashed Potatoes, Okra Fries) and the iconic Vada Pav. Chef-owner Meherwan Irani is having a big fall all around — his debut cookbook comes out September 22.
4000 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Opening: Fall
Brisa: Carlos Delgado, the in-demand Peruvian chef behind Michelin-starred Causa and hand-roll bar Maru San — brings a breezy coastal Latin showpiece to Buzzard Point near Audi Field, from Eaternity Hospitality (the Wharf's La Vie and Kinfolk). Expect ceviche, barbacoa ribs, and lomo saltado, with cocktails from Bolivian bar director Paola
Salinas.
2121 1st Street SW, Washington, DC
Opening: Late October
Capellini's: Chef Mike Cordero opens a sister restaurant to his beloved Arlington spot Carbonara in Ashburn's Brambleton Town Center, bringing Northern Italian cooking, thick cream sauces, house pastas, a serious wine list — out to Loudoun County.
Address: 22850 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn, VA
Opening: September
Chandelier: The long-dormant Del Frisco's space on Pennsylvania Avenue transforms into a super-luxe American steakhouse from Keystone Hospitality Group (Promod Sharma, Jyoti Mahajan, Kamal Azzouz, Joseph Azzouz, and Anthony Azzouz — the trio of brothers behind Urban Roast). The design leans hard into spectacle: a 30-foot custom chandelier over the dining room, a waterfall with fire elements, and seating for 40 at the bar, 180 inside, 77 on the patio, plus a 30-seat private room with its own entrance. Premium cuts, seafood, and a curated wine list round out the menu.
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Opening: October
Charcuteria: Eugene Beckley and Katie Catalano bring a Mediterranean market, wine bar, and gathering place to Shaw, inspired by their travels through Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, and Porto. Expect charcuterie and cheese boards, small plates, conservas, and schiacciata sandwiches, paired with a wine list built around natural, organic, and biodynamic bottles — heavy on women-owned and women-led wineries — plus a serious vermouth and aperitivo program, a wine club, tastings and classes, and an outdoor spritz garden.
Address: 2104 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Opening: October
Ebbitt House: Old Ebbitt Grill — the marquee moneymaker inside Clyde's Restaurant Group, sitting across from the White House for generations — gets its first-ever offshoot, out in Reston. Expect the same American classics and famous raw bar in a 260-seat dining room with two bars, plus a 125-seat patio with a bar of its own. GM Ajay Bhatia and executive chef Diego Ramirez both previously ran the former Clyde's of Reston, which closed in 2022 after a 30-year run.
1860 Reston Row Plaza, Reston, VA
Opening: Mid-October
Electric Bull: Chef Victor Albisu of fast-casual chain Taco Bamba, and formerly of BLT Steak and his own Del Campo returns to sit-down steakhouse roots with an Argentinian grill and butcher shop in his hometown of Vienna. Look for hanger, flank, and flat iron steaks, South American-style short ribs, sweetbreads, a family chorizo recipe, and the rolled skirt steak that beat Bobby Flay on his own show. Albisu tapped James Beard-nominated master butcher Justin Severino (Morcilla) as a partner and Adam Hoffa (formerly of Arlington's Pirouette) as executive chef.
176 Maple Avenue West, Vienna, VA
Opening: September
Itiyah: A 20-seat tasting room in Shaw claims the title of DC's first-ever Haitian fine dining restaurant. Chef Sebastien Salomon, who previously cooked at the White House and the Haitian Embassy, builds prix-fixe courses around dishes like coconut-milk brioche and grilled pigeon with caramelized leeks and breadfruit puree, leaning on epis, the herby paste at the heart of Haitian cooking.
1416 11th Street NW, Washington, DC
Opening: Fall
Kneads Bakeshop: The acclaimed Baltimore bakery and cafe takes over the high-profile space at the foot of the Thompson Hotel, previously home to Danny Meyer's Maialino Mare. The 5,500-square-foot buildout includes a pastry counter, full-service bar, a dedicated remote-work area, and a sprawling patio, with all-day service from breakfast through dinner. Expect the Baltimore favorites to make the trip south — creme brulee doughnuts, pistachio baklava croissants, Basque cheesecakes.
221 Tingey Street SE, Washington, DC
Opening: October
Major Yum: DC chef Scott Chung takes over the storied space that formerly housed Filipino standout Bad Saint with an Asian fast-casual concept built on his Chinese and Korean cooking, honed at Bun'd Up, Sparrow Room, and Rice Crook. The signature dish, "Chung's Chicken," mashes up General Tso's with Korean fried chicken, and every dish arrives with house-made banchan-style pickled vegetables. Preview pop-ups are already running this fall at Kuya Ja, Morena Cafe, Timber Pizza, and Little Engine.
3226 11th Street NW, Washington, DC
Opening: Fall
Maurizio’s: Ted Xenohristos, co-founder of fast-casual Mediterranean chain Cava, brings a modern Italian restaurant to Potomac Village, in the former home of Renato's. Executive chef Aris Tsekouras runs a menu of starters, pastas, and mains — rosemary focaccia, fritto misto, linguine and clams, grilled branzino — plus a dedicated Negroni bar menu. The design, from HapstakDemetriou+ and CedarHouse Creative, leans into greens, florals, terracotta floors, and reclaimed wood.
Address: 10120 River Road, Potomac, MD
Opening: September/October
Prato: One of Florida's most acclaimed restaurants makes its first expansion out of Winter Park, landing at Bethesda Row. Prato's 14-year run in Florida built a reputation on creative riffs on Italian tradition inside a vibrant, communal dining room, with a long bar, window-paned doors, and year-round patio seating.
Bethesda Row, Bethesda, MD
Opening: Fall
Skillette: Founder Kelly Singer opens her first permanent studio for Skillette, a DC-based cooking school and culinary lifestyle house, in a Georgetown space inspired by Parisian culinary culture — and sharing a building with Bizzeria, above. The 1,525-square-foot space houses a cooking school, an atelier, and a gathering room, offering a core technique curriculum, a five-day Mid-Atlantic Culinary Program, seasonal classes, chef residencies, kids' programs, and private events.
3246 Prospect Street NW, Washington, DC
Opening: September/October
Spicewalla: The Asheville-based spice brand known for its colorful tins opens its second retail outpost in Georgetown, right next to fellow Asheville transplant East Fork Pottery. Expect an immersive sensory experience stocking 250-plus individual spices and 60-plus exclusive blends, all roasted, ground, and packed by hand. A sibling opening to Botiwalla by Chai Pani, above, from the same team.
1317 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Opening: Fall
Taki Taki & Rumba Rumba: Restaurateur Rajiv Chopra debuts two concepts under one roof in Capitol Hill's former Crazy Aunt Helen's space: Taki Taki, a modern South Asian restaurant on the first floor, and Rumba Rumba, a global tapas and cocktail lounge upstairs. Taki Taki leans into vibrant spices and refined technique; Rumba Rumba is built for sharing and socializing with an eclectic, globally inspired menu.
713 8th Street SE, Washington, DC
Opening: Fall
Twosome Place: South Korea's leading premium dessert cafe brand makes its U.S. debut in Old Town Alexandria. The 2,600-square-foot cafe centers on Twosome Place's pairing of specialty coffee and cake — including its trademark-registered Strawberry Chocolate Cream Cake and bestselling Ice Box Cake — alongside Korean-inspired drinks (Dalgona Cream Top, Black Sesame Latte, Misugaru Frappe) and an all-day menu of K-Toast, K-Chicken Panini, and Bibimbowl.
404 King Street, Alexandria, VA
Opening: Mid-October
And That's Just What We Know So Far
Fall openings have a habit of sneaking up on us! A soft open here, a quiet ribbon-cutting there, so consider this a starting point, not the whole story. Keep checking TheListAreYouOnIt.com's Coming Soon page as dates firm up and new names get added to the list. See you at the bar.
