Restaurants come and go in our area all the time, and we are here to help you keep track. Check out recent openings that include international inspiration and plenty of caffeine, plus places to watch out for in the coming weeks.
Now Open
Roggenart European Bakery, Bistro and Café
This new addition to Ballston emphasizes European-style dishes such as buttery croissants and omelets for breakfast. Lunch and dinner options include cast iron-pressed sandwiches, made-to-order salads, and a soup du jour. The chef’s recommendation is the One-of-a-Kind Roast Beef sandwich with cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, mushrooms and peppers on the bakery’s signature sourdough bread. Also available: an extensive coffee menu that includes traditional drips and espresso plus caffeinated creations such as strawberry dark chocolate and marshmallow lattes. Opened: April 4. // 4401 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston)
Compass Coffee
A decade ago, two Marines founded this ethically sourced coffeehouse that now has about 17 locations throughout the DMV (including at 4710 Langston Blvd., 4100 Wilson Blvd. and 1200 Wilson Blvd.). This month, the second outpost to have a drive-thru opened in Falls Church, enabling fans to grab a seasonal beverage or classic espresso drink and specialty blend on the go. Opened: April 1. // 7393 Lee Highway, Falls Church
Upside on Moore
This new food hall at Rosslyn City Center houses eight DMV brands, including POTUS-approved Ghostburger, Stellina Pizzeria and award-winning chef Tim Ma’s Laoban Dumplings. “This collection of vendors are people I am close to professionally and personally, which [gives me] confidence that they’re going to be successful operators,” says Arlington native and restaurateur Nick Freshman. “I think we landed on a mix that offers really compelling variety—really craveable cuisine and craveable brands.” Opened: March 26. // 1700 N. Moore St., Arlington (Rosslyn)
Zazzy
Clarendon is now home to a new Lebanese restaurant with a menu full of baked and roasted items (nothing fried here). Offerings include Za’atar seasoning on the eatery’s signature flatbreads, a twist on tabbouleh that’s topped with roasted potatoes, and bowls full of lentils, chicken or chickpeas. Finish your meal with cinnamon spiced meghli, a rice flour pudding with coconut flakes, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, or caramel rice pudding with orange blossom syrup and caramelized nuts. Soft opening: March 24, with limited hours. // 1025 N. Fillmore St., Arlington (Clarendon)
Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar
Old-school Italian with a modern spin fills plates while sounds of Frank Sinatra fill the air at this new Ballston restaurant from Chef Mike Cordero. Find foods such as veal marsala, brisket-stuffed tortellini, Sicilian pizza and house-made pastas on the menu. Wash them down with a glass from one of the floating wine rack’s 1,000-plus bottles. “Our menu is all fresh. We make the bread, we make the mozzarella, we make also all the pastas, from lobster ravioli to linguini to spaghetti,” Cordero says. “Everything is made in-house. It’s a scratch kitchen.” Opened: March 18. // 3865 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (between Ballston and Virginia Square)
Colada Shop
The Crossing Clarendon outpost of this local chain known for its beachy vibes, tropical drinks and Caribbean flavors features the chain’s largest bar. “We love how vibrant that neighborhood is and so nighttime-focused, so we decided to basically frame the store in that way,” says founder and CEO Daniella Senior, an Arlington resident. In addition to fan favorites such as pina coladas and daiquiris, the menu will have some new options: the Guava Leaf Negroni with gin, sweet vermouth, red bitter and guava puree, and the Maduro Old Fashioned, made with bourbon, spiced maduro syrup and cascara bitters. Senior says she expects the batidos—Cuban-inspired smoothies—to be particularly popular in fitness-focused Clarendon, but guests can dig into meatier dishes, too, including the café’s signature Cuban sandwich and ropa vieja sliders. Opened: March 18. Note that a National Landing location is coming this summer. // 2811 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Coming Soon
Andy’s Pizza
Replacing the 20-year-old Ballston Place Gourmet, this pizzeria that started in Tysons Galleria and has since expanded to eight other locations, is coming soon to Virginia Square. In addition to specialty pies such as the Buffalo Crispy Chicken and plant-based Miller Time, guests will also be able to create their own pies by mixing and matching any eight standard slices. But don’t underestimate the power of a plain pie: Founder Andy Brown’s cheese pizza won gold at the 2021 World Pizza Championships. // 901 N. Pollard St., Arlington (Virginia Square)
Bar Colline
The restaurant group behind Arlington’s Café Colline, H2 Collective, plans to open a new French concept at National Landing’s The Grace and Reva mixed-use development. “Drawing inspiration from the energy and charm of Paris nightlife, Bar Colline invites guests to indulge in shareable plates paired with a selection of fun wines and inventive cocktails, according to a press release. // 1800 Crystal Square Way, Arlington (National Landing)
Bar Chinois
D.C.’s Asian-French fusion eatery will open a location National Landing’s The Grace and Reva. Expect menu items such as dumplings, hoisin ribs and slow-braised, five-spice pork belly on rice, plus signature cocktails including the Chinois Mule (vodka, Crème de Cassis, berry shrub, lime and ginger beer) and The DCL (spiced rum, Amaro di Angostura, sesame, chai and oat milk). // 1800 Crystal Square Way, Arlington (National Landing)
Immigrant Food
With three locations in D.C., this eatery focused on cultural cuisine is preparing to cross state lines with a spot in Ballston. Executive Chef and Culinary Director Ben Murray has been leading the culinary program for Immigrant Food, taking over from Enrique Limardo, who recently opened Surreal in National Landing but is still involved with Immigrant Food. When the restaurant opens—possibly in the next few months—look for a menu with street food such as El Salvadoran pupusas, Greek wings and Filipino fried chicken; bowls including the Madam VP Heritage, a nod to Veep Kamala Harris’s Indian and Jamaican roots; and sandwiches like falafel. // 4245 Fairfax Drive, Arlington (Ballston)
Kanji Izakaya
Keep an eye out for this Japanese restaurant in the space that Willow occupied before it closed in 2015. // 4301 Fairfax Drive, Arlington (Ballston)
Láylí
Coming soon to the former Bar Ivy space is a new Mediterranean restaurant that will feature Turkish and Lebanese cuisine. // 3033 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Mister Days Sports Rock Cafe
Reports indicate that the beloved bar will reopen in May, five years after it closed, in a new location across the street from its old one. Under the same ownership, the gastropub will offer much of what it had before, but with some updates. // 1101 N. Highland St., Arlington (Clarendon)
Neutral Ground Bar & Kitchen
Chef David Guas of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Courthouse is cooking up plans to open next month a 4,000-square-foot restaurant in the McLean Square Shopping Center. It will serve new-American dishes such as grilled skirt steak with chimichurri, double-patty smash cheeseburgers, and roasted sweet potatoes topped with Benton’s bacon, caramelized onions and Abita root beer syrup. // 6641 Old Dominion Drive, McLean
NiHao
Prolific Chef Peter Chang will open yet another restaurant. This one will bring classic Chinese cuisine when it opens in Crystal City this year. Chang already owns about a dozen eateries in the DMV, including Peter Chang Arlington and Peter Chang McLean, which opened in October 2023. He also owns a restaurant by the same name in Baltimore. // 1550 Crystal Drive, Arlington (Crystal City)
Shut
Rustico
A staple in Ballston for 14 years, this Italian restaurant closed last month. // 4075 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston)
The Union
A Google search for Virginia Square location of this McLean-based restaurant indicates that its Arlington outpost is “temporarily closed.” // 3811 Fairfax Drive, Arlington (Virginia Square)