More than two decades after opening Bardeo in Cleveland Park, big-name D.C. restaurateur Ashok Bajaj returned the space to its wine bar roots with September’s opening of Little Blackbird. All sorts of global varietals by the glass and bottle are designed to pair well with dishes from executive chef Ryan Moore, including hearth-roasted halloumi, squash gnocchi, Icelandic cod, burrata and apple salad, single malt butterscotch pudding, and several variations of socca — a crispy flatbread found all around France and Italy. Bajaj’s cuisine-hopping Knightsbridge Restaurant Group also covers Indian (Rasika, Bombay Club), Italian (Modena), and French (La Bise), to name a few.

Adorned in tapestries and bathed in shimmering low light, D.C.’s new Medina is a feast for the senses. Tucked across the alley from co-owner Rose Previte’s Michelin-starred Middle Eastern hotspot Maydan, the dramatic new drinking den is meant to evoke a Bedouin tent. Unlike Maydan’s big, bold, and fire-fueled dishes, Medina’s menu lands on the small plates side of the spectrum (think shareable dips, wooden boards topped with tinned fish, street foods, and veggie salads). A Mediterranean wine list joins a transportive cocktail program that draws influences from faraway places like Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Local hospitality vets Juan and Manuel Olivera just brought Adams Morgan a candle-lit getaway that pays homage to the brothers’ native Uruguay and its surrounding countries. Two-level Ceibo captures the communal culture of asado, or preparing South American meats like beef, pork, and chorizo over open flame. On the seafood side, highlights include oysters adorned with caviar farmed in Uruguay and Patagonian shrimp caught off the icy Atlantic coast of Argentina. Sweet potatoes, one of Uruguay’s biggest exports, play a prevalent part across the menu as savory starters, dessert, and inside drinks. The chic cocktail bar below also spotlights South American wines, spirits, and other earthy ingredients. The name Ceibo refers to the flowering tree blooming at the bottom of the continent.

The team behind Georgetown’s French sanctuary Apero added a stylish, prix-fixe sibling upstairs in October. The 22-seat tasting room showcases modern American cuisine through a curious, child-like lens. The themed dinner party celebrates top artists of all time, starting with eccentric filmmaker Tim Burton as its inaugural muse. The Pee-wee’s egg salad sandwich, for instance, pays homage to late actor Paul Reubens’ starring role in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Burton’s directorial debut. Chef Christos Harbilas works with advanced sommelier-owner Elli Benchimol to pair 4- and 6-course seasonal menus with unique wines and cocktails like a frozen flight of ever-elusive Chartreuse that riffs on a sorbet palate cleanser.

The latest D.C. venture from East Coast hospitality magnate Stephen Starr (Le Diplomate, St. Anselm) made a flashy debut in the Union Market district in September. El Presidente draws its show-stopping aesthetic and culinary influences from the bustling intensity of Mexico City, aiming to bring a dash of the vibrant, high-energy metropolis to D.C. Menu highlights include Baja-style coastal oysters, giant tostadas, red chile-marinated al pastor tacos, and pescado a la talla (whole striped bass), plus guacamole variations that rely on rich Michoacán avocados. The bar program leans heavily into agave spirits, with over 200 types on hand out of the gate.

This huge new Filipino restaurant for H Street NE builds upon the success of Hiraya, chef Paolo Dungca’s polished weekend tasting room that got its start at the Block food hall downtown. The permanent, two-level location offers separate menus and atmospheres on each floor. Sun-drenched Hiraya Cafe opens first with Filipino pastries, breakfast sandwiches, duck adobo, chorizo burgers on bright ube buns, and vibrant drinks from Sun & Stars Filipina Coffee Roasters from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. For Hiraya 2.0, Dungca partners with Juan and Jeremy Canlas (Supreme Barbeque and Auntea Boba), Minibar alum Al Thompson, and former co-workers from Wharf’s Southeast Asian hotspot Kaliwa.

Bistro du Jour brings Capitol Hill an elegant spot to enjoy whipped yogurt parfait, quiche, and brioche French toast starting at 6:30 a.m. Knead Hospitality + Design’s second D.C. edition of the chic French restaurant activated the 271-room Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill in September with breakfast, brunch, lunch, happy hour, and dinner out of the gate. Debut dishes on Capitol Hill include soufflé au fromage (Gruyere cream and truffle) and dover sole with fresh green grapes, vermouth chervil sauce, and mushrooms.

Any Day Now, the new Navy Yard eatery from tenured D.C. chef Tim Ma, kicks off the day with scallion-pancake sandwiches and caffeinated drinks from Virginia roaster Red Rooster Coffee. Dinner entered the fold in late July with fancied-up diner dishes like caviar-studded omelets, plantain tots, and mozzarella-stuffed potato croquettes. Chef de cuisine and Salt Line alum Matt Sperber puts his butcher skills to work across the menu, which also features homemade merguez (lamb sausage), five-spice oxtail tagliatelle, and eggy handhelds packed with maple-sage sausage, cured bacon, or fermented kimchi. Round out the meal with a stellar slice of cake and refined Cosmo.

The three-level Mediterranean seafood showpiece out of NYC breathes life into a glassy standalone structure at the Wharf. Limani, which means “seaport” in Greek, makes use of multiple charbroil grills to prepare all sorts of sharable dishes for the table. Design touches include a bar made of marble flown in from Greece and the biggest full-service terrace at the Wharf with 270-degree waterfront views.

Alexandria-based Common Plate Hospitality (Mason Social, Urbano, Augie’s Mussel House) broke into the Virginia suburbs last month with a crustacean-cracking venture that brings the heat. Kreole Seafood in the Mosaic District showcases comforting Southern flavors alongside spicy Asian influences in dishes that jump from gumbo to garlic noodles. The nucleus of the menu is a seafood section stuffed with crab (king, snow, blue, Dungeness), lobster, crawfish, shrimp, clams, mussels, or oysters. Customize orders with a choice of sauces (garlic butter, spicy Korean, Cajun) and spice levels that tick up from mild to fire.

Peruvian Brothers’ biggest location yet debuted on the ground floor of Amazon HQ2’s campus at National Landing last month. Its Peruvian brothers-owners Giuseppe and Mario Lanzone birthed the brand as a food truck in 2012 and continue to specialize in sizable sandwiches, baked empanadas, ceviche, and other nostalgic flavors that harken back to their upbringing in Lima.

The indoor-outdoor setup provides more room to honor their heritage via live music, eye-popping murals, and a full bar slinging Peruvian beers, wines, and cocktails. That includes pisco sour slushies, a fan favorite invented at their inaugural brick-and-mortar spot in Union Market’s Latin food hall La Cosecha.

Chef Seng Luangrath expanded her famed Falls Church restaurant to Arlington with an ongoing focus on Lao and regional Thai food. Familiar imports include noodle dishes, curries, comforting noodle soups like khao piak senm and rice dishes like spicy khao paad ka pao. Padaek 2.0 has a new logo that prominently features marinating jars used to make its famous fermented fish sauce. Padaek slides into the old home of Delia’s, which got a complete renovation. The team behind Padaek, which also runs Columbia Heights’ critically acclaimed Thip Khao in Columbia Heights, embarked on a portfolio-wide makeover this year.