The Best Restaurant Openings in Washington, D.C. – July 2026

Opening July 31 on the rooftop of the Cambria Hotel in Navy Yard, Croix celebrates the food and cocktail culture of St. Croix and the broader Caribbean. The project is overseen by chef Keem Hughley of Bronze, Donohoe Hospitality’s corporate director of culinary and hospitality design, alongside chef de cuisine Malika King of RowHouse and Sonat Ozkaynak, corporate director of food and beverage operations. Dishes include callaloo with fungi and pimento-smoked coconut oil; saltfish mille-feuille with salt cod brandade, flaky johnny cake wafers, and pickled okra; and rum-soaked black cake. The Botanic Bar is anchored by a backlit infusion wall displaying 10 Caribbean botanicals, including tonka bean, sorrel, soursop leaf, and guavaberry, which are infused in-house for cocktails, nonalcoholic drinks, syrups, tinctures, and dishes.

The Proper Burger at Duke’s Grocery, topped with gouda, house pickles, charred red onion, sweet chili sauce, arugula, and aioli, has earned acclaim for years. On July 1, the team spun off the favorite into Duke’s Burgers, a fast-casual kiosk at Water Park in National Landing, Virginia. The menu includes the Proper Burger alongside Wagyu and Impossible burgers, fish and chips, hot wings, sandwiches, fries, and white truffle mac and cheese.

The longtime home of The Passenger in Shaw reopened July 1 as The Grace, a modern American saloon from chef-restaurateur Sanjay Mandhaiya, who is also behind Pappe and Karravaan. Executive chef Courtney Evans, a finalist on Netflix’s Next Gen Chef, brings African diasporic flavors and Southern influences to dishes including Maryland crab and roasted corn hush puppies, mango coconut shrimp, a sweet-and-spicy fried chicken sandwich, and grilled oysters with smoked collard greens butter. Cocktails include a tamarind and banana daiquiri, coconut ranch water spiked with tequila, and an espresso martini.

A June 16 opening that missed last month’s list, Altitude brings together a vinyl listening lounge, wine bar, and Italian restaurant in an Arlington space inspired by midcentury jet-set travel. Chefs de cuisine Mariela Pacheco and Andres Lopez, both veterans of Pineapple and Pearls, lead a menu that moves from focaccia with lemon and black pepper whipped ricotta, Wagyu-pork meatballs, crudos, and salads to house-made pastas such as spaghetti alla chitarra with pomodoro and ricotta gnocchi with brown butter and sage. Larger dishes include Calabrian-glazed roast chicken and lamb saddle with whipped polenta.