The Most Special Pop-Ups and Dinners Celebrating Cherry Blossom Season

With cherry blossom fever in full swing, restaurants all over town are highlighting the buzz over the bright pink bud with themed offerings.

While many restaurants dish a special or two with a cherry blossom theme, the best of the crop, included here, have full-blown festive menus and pop-ups on tap with options ranging from Moon Rabbit’s menu celebrating the pink cherry blossom trout to a cherry blossom brunch set on a patio decked out like a Japanese cherry blossom forest at Casta’s.

Peak bloom is predicted for Tuesday, March 22 through Friday, March 25.

This running guide features cherry blossom-themed meals all over town. Stay tuned for updates.

Dolce Vita’s Cherry Blossom Brunch

Starting March 22 and lasting throughout cherry blossom season, Dolce Vita is serving a Cherry Blossom brunch — four courses and a dessert for $159. The menu doubles as Dolce Vita’s brunch debut and includes hamachi crudo, Spanish foie gras with strawberry caviar, salmon with corn foam, A5 wagyu steak with quail egg confit, and cherry blossom tiramisu. (1610 14th NW)

Rosé Soirée

On Sunday, April 3, the Willard InterContinental and Chateau d’Esclans host an inaugural afternoon rosé party on the hotel’s floral-filled courtyard. Taste pink wines from Whispering Angel, Rock Angel, and Garrus Rosé, plus bubbles from Moët and Chandon. Food stations from executive chef Luca De Marchis will be joined by live music. Tickets ($150 or $350 for VIP) are available for two time slots: noon to 3 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW)

The Cherry Blossom Festival’s Pink Tie Dinner Party

Debuting a new dinner party format for the popular yearly event, the D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival’s Pink Tie Party will be a seated affair for 400 attendees. Following dinner, the dance floor opens with live entertainment. The dress code for the April 28 event (6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)is fancy pink attire. Tickets, available here, are $250 per person. (Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW)

A Katana Kitten x Silver Lyan One Weekend-Only Collab at Silver Lyan

Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan) of Silver Lyan, the subterranean cocktail bar inside Riggs, teams up for the first time with Masa Urushido of NYC’s cheeky Japanese-American bar Katana Kitten for a one-weekend-only pop-up, Thursday, March 31 through Saturday, April 2. The menu includes highballs like the Ume Rickey (Haku vodka, sour jasmine soda, double ume), special cocktails like Milk and Cookies (Roku gin, buddha’s hand, matcha whey, senbei), and snacks like nori fries and a mortadella katsu sando on milk bread with tonkatsu sauce and dijon. All pricing is a la carte. Reservations available here. (900 F Street, NW)

Silver Lyan

Cherry Night at Dirty Habit D.C.

Hotel Monaco’s edgy Dirty Habit hosts a Sakura Season Cherry Night celebration on March 31 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The menu includes yakatori and special cocktails enjoyed to beats of DJ Eddo. View the menu and RSVP here. (555 8th Street NW)

Cherry Blossom Pop-Up at Casta’s

Casta’s Rum Bar, the lively, plant-filled West End rum bar known for transporting imbibers to Cuba, will instead transport them to Japan’s cherry blossom forests this spring. From March 20 through April 17, Casta’s will decorate its enclosed patio with cherry blossom decor. A special cherry blossom menu will also be on offer. On April 3, Casta’s Petal Palooza brunch party will feature a DJ and lots of special mojitos and food items. Tickets for Petal Palooza are complimentary, but will be available on Eventbrite. A portion of every frozen cocktail purchased for both events will be donated to the Cherry Blossom Foundation. (1121 New Hampshire Avenue NW)

Japanese Whisky Dinner at VUE

The Hotel Washington’s popular rooftop stunner, VUE, hosts a Japanese Whisky Dinner on Tuesday, April 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring a three-course meal and pairings from High Road Spirits. Each step of the menu takes cues from traditional Japanese ingredients and dishes, like the green tea rickey and the shiitake-crusted cod. Dinner is $150 per person. Reservations and the full menu is available on Tock. (515 15th Street NW)

A Cherry Blossom Prix Fixe at the Pembroke

The revamped Pembroke has a special prix fixe dinner ($75) with watercress and arugula salad (recon dried cherries, toasted slivered almonds, goat cheese and herb vinaigrette); duck breast (couscous, black cherry duck jus, and tarragon); and panna cotta with brandied cherry sauce. Special cocktails include the Fleur de Geisha Green Tea Sakura Bloom cocktail ($18) as well as a mocktail version of the same cocktail ($14). A Sakura Bloom Japanese whisky flight includes three one-ounce pours of Hibiki Suntory 12-year, Nikka Taketsuru 12-year, and Yamazaki 12-year ($40). Reservations available here. (1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW)

Moon Rabbit’s Cherry Blossom Menu with Pink Cherry Blossom Trout

In D.C.’s Wharf neighborhood, Kevin Tien is dishing a special cherry blossom menu at Moon Rabbit that showcases Sakura masu, also known as cherry blossom trout, which is pink just like the blossoms. Dates and prices are forthcoming. (801 Wharf Street SW)