404 King Street, Alexandria, VA Twosome Place, South Korea’s leading premium dessert café brand has made its U.S. debut in Old Town Alexandria. The 2,604-square-foot café introduces the DC area to Twosome Place’s distinctive café experience, built around the pairing of specialty coffee and cake in a thoughtfully designed space meant for lingering, gathering and everyday occasions. They are  particularly known for their cakes, including its signature Strawberry Chocolate Cream Cake — the only trademark-registered cake in Korea – and bestselling Ice Box Cake. The Alexandria café also introduces a menu of Korean-inspired items including handcrafted beverages like the Dalgona Cream Top, Black Sesame Latte and Misugaru Frappe, alongside an all-day menu featuring K-Toast with Bulgogi and Egg, K-Chicken Panini and Bibimbowl.Photo Credit: @twosomeplace.us Instagram

3228 Wisconsin Avenue NW Augie’s Mussel House & Beer Garden has opened its first DC location in the Cathedral Heights neighborhood. The 150-seat space combines beer-garden tables with a wall of booths and is built for sporting events, with 15 TVs and an oversized 180-inch projector screen. A private event space seats up to 50, and live music and entertainment are coming to the venue. The menu features a dozen mussel and clam preparations, plus happy hour and weekend brunch. Favorites include Beer & Bacon in a creamy shallot broth; Tex-Mex with chorizo, grilled corn and Mexican lager; Creole with andouille; and Green Curry with coconut milk and green apple. Beer highlights include Augie’s Lager, Duvel, DC Brau and La Chouffe on tap. For more information, visit their Instagram @augiescathedralheights.Photo Credit: Amy Oechsler

1345 Yards Place SE Restauranteur Daniella Senior has opened her newest concept, Bar Nuestro, located at The Urby in Navy Yard. This new restaurant reimagines classic European dishes through the warmth and flavor of Latin America, offering a lively new gathering place for neighbors and diners from across the city. Working side by side with Daniella Senior, Culinary Director Claudio Foschi has created a collection of cherished family recipes and led the development of the full menu, including the Latin-inspired dishes that define the Bar Nuestro experience. Executive Chef Harper McClure leads the kitchen and helped tailor the menu’s more European-leaning dishes. Led by Beverage Director Josh Murski, the bar program centers on a Build Your Own Martini menu, where guests choose their spirit, vermouth, style, and garnish, with playful add-ons like a caviar bump or an oyster.Photo Credit: Rey Lopez

4000 Wisconsin Avenue NW Botiwalla by Chai Pani, the casual Indian eatery, has officially opened in Tenleytown. The Botiwalla menu includes sizzling kababs of chicken tikka, lamb, masala fish, and paneer cooked over charcoal and wrapped in hot buttered naan or atop a crunchy salad or rice bowl with fresh herbs and chutneys. Other highlights include smoky Lamb Burgers, the iconic Vada Pav, Chai Pani's greatest hit chaats like Masala Smashed Potatoes and Okra Fries, plus fizzy sodas, boozy slushies, hot chai, and cold lassis. When entering Botiwalla, guests are instantly transported to the Irani cafes of mid-century India with their layers of lush colors, faded patinas, Victorian details, and nostalgic memorabilia.Photo Credit: Rey Lopez

838 Rockville Pike, Unit C, Rockville, MD Teas’n You, a Happy Endings Hospitality concept from CEO Tuyet Nhi Le, has opened its second location and first in Maryland in Rockville. The Vietnamese café offers a variety of creative and trendy coffee, tea, and Vietnamese-style chicken alongside seasonal food and beverage specials. Teas’n You's menu focuses on Tuyet Nhi’s longstanding commitment to satisfying guests' differing dietary needs with inventive flavors, offering sugar-free, high protein, dairy-free, and halal chicken options. In addition to its extensive coffee and tea menu, guests can enjoy seasonal sips. Teas’n You also offers a selection of inventive Vietnamese café fare in partnership with The Organic Butcher in Mclean, VA, sourcing antibiotic-free, certified-humane, and halal chicken for its savory menu items. For more information, visit teasnyou.com.Photo Credit: Courtesy of Teas’n You

1010 New Hampshire Avenue NW Ten Ten West End, an elevated neighborhood kitchen within One Washington Circle DC, has opened as a contemporary and cozy dining destination from Executive Chef Nicholas Fulginiti. The restaurant offers handcrafted cocktails, a thoughtfully selected beverage program, and a welcoming menu rooted in seasonal American cuisine. The menu offers a sophisticated expression of contemporary American cuisine, guided by the seasons and the culinary character of the Mid-Atlantic. Complementing the menu is a beverage program rooted in craftsmanship and discovery. Guests can enjoy a curated wine list showcasing both celebrated estates and emerging producers, along with seasonal cocktails.Photo Credit: Sophie Macaluso

1003 Wisconsin Avenue NW Dutch Darlings Stroopwafels & Sweets, from father and daughter duo Hans and Maaike Ravesteijn, had opened its first brick-and-mortar shop in the heart of Georgetown. Dutch Darlings Stroopwafels & Sweets serves freshly baked, made-to-order stroopwafels, coffee and espresso drinks, and acurated selection of candy and sweets from the Netherlands and other European countries. The small store is a cozy, family-friendly space where customers can experience a moment of warmth and sweetness during their day. Dutch Darlings aims to blend the nostalgic aroma of stroopwafels with a modern, playful ambiance that is welcoming and memorable. 

1228 ½ 31st Street NW Chefs Alex McCoy and Justin Ahn have officially brought Alfie’s back to DC, after it initially opened as a pop-up a decade ago. Alfie’s is now a Nothern Thai restaurant in Georgetown. The menu at Alfie’s changes three to four times a week, and McCoy and Ahn cook up the dishes from the open kitchen (they sometimes even run the food out themselves)! While some of the dishes are strictly Thai, some just have the Thai sensibility. Unlike when it opened as a pop up, the new Alfie’s is a wine bar. Guests can also enjoy desserts to finish out their meals!Photo Credit: Courtesy of Alfie’s

3210 Grace Street NW Cafe Tulum has officially opened in Georgetown. This new restaurant brings the flavors of Southern Mexico to DC. Guests can get excited for seafood, tostadas, ceviches, and more. The bar program is inspired by the sea with a special focus on agave. Guests can end their meals with a sweet treat like tres leches mochi.

4828 MacArthur Boulevard NW N.H. 48 Indian Kitchen, a new neighborhood restaurant from Prady Rana and Bhakti More, has opened in the Palisades neighborhood, bringing the regional flavors of India to D.C. Named after National Highway 48, the iconic route connecting Delhi and Mumbai, the restaurant takes inspiration from the diverse cuisines, roadside favorites and home-cooked dishes found along the journey. Menu highlights include Pani Puri, Vada Pav, Prawn Koliwada, Mutton Ghee Roast, Dahi Ke Kebab, Dal Makhani and Halloumi Saag. The restaurant aims to be a welcoming neighborhood gathering place rooted in Indian food, culture and hospitality. For more information, visit their website here.Photo Credit: Courtesy of N. H. 48 Indian Kitchen