Ethiopic celebrated its ninth year on H Street this year: that’s nine years of serving vegetarian platters and awaze tibs at this upscale Ethiopian restaurant.

It’s one of the newest additions to H Street and it comes from Trinidadian-born Peter Prime and his sister Jeanine who are channeling the vibes of rum shops back home. The menu ranges from rounds of fry-bread stuffed with curried chickpeas and spicy chutney to grilled oxtails, and smoked coconut soft serve. Fresh juices make up the base of rum-heavy cocktails and punches.

Bar Elena is popular with locals and industry vets for its happy hour specials. On weekdays there’s both an early-bird happy hour (4-7 p.m.) as well as a late night happy hour (11 p.m. to midnight). Bivalve lovers will want to visit on Wednesdays for oyster happy hour when a half-dozen halfshell go for $10 from 4 p.m. to midnight.

This diner offers a boozy bottomless brunch on weekends and a menu of farm-fresh dishes sourced locally, including a vegan eggplant BLT that’s a top seller.

This fast-casual eatery across from Whole Foods claims mastery of the perfectly cooked chicken breast. Order that or chicken thigh (or tofu) then choose sauces and sides like barbecue sauce with buttermilk ranch and crispy shallots with tarragon, or sliced avocado, basil, kale pesto, snap peas, and pickled vegetables.

Dio is founder Stacey Khoury-Diaz’s attempt at spreading the gospel of natural wine. Recently the bar teamed up with Odd Provisions, a small gourmet market in Columbia Heights, to serve a variety of snacks, like a spicy salami sandwich with herb pesto and fennel confit, seasonal salads, cheese, and charcuterie like chicken liver mousse ($6-$9).

Copycat Co. is a two-in-one deal: downstairs, find dumplings, bao buns, and pot stickers. Upstairs is a dimly lit drinking den with cocktail names scribbled on chalkboards—making it the best spot on H Street for a daiquiri.

Washingtonians have turned to Horace and Dickie’s for fried whiting and other fried seafood since 1990. It’s a venerable eatery that has attracted the attention of Travel Channel host Andrew Zimmern.

Buckets of tater tots, creative sushi, and a kids-eat-free menu are draws of this the long-running, party-ready Sticky Rice. To really make a night of it, book the restaurant’s new next-door private karaoke rooms for post-dinner revelry.

This classic H Street dive bar is a very laid-back place to bend the elbow. So order a Natty Boh tallboy and try to find the bar’s Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots game.

This is one of the restaurants that sparked a ramen craze in D.C. Toki still packs diners into its treehouse-like second floor space for Taipei curry chicken ramen. There’s also new vegan ramen options as well as new lunch service Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Pow Pow is often cited as the best fast-casual restaurant on H Street catering to vegetarian, vegan, and kosher diners. The menu features Asian-style plant-based salads, hearty grain bowls, and oversized egg rolls.

Thamee is a Burmese restaurant from the Toli Moli crew (in Union Market), and it’s one of the most exciting new additions to the D.C. restaurant scene this year. Go here for weekend brunch, when the menu features breakfast Burmese staples, like catfish hash and prawns and congee.

The equestrian-themed Hill Prince offers affordable cocktails and a very charming patio in the back of the bar’s 100-year-old carriage house.

Bullfrog Bagel took over the Star and Shamrock space completely this year, which means there’s more room for bagelwiches, including a stellar smoked salmon BLT.

This romantic brick-lined eatery’s menu evolves from morning house pastries to hummus, halloumi, Turkish lentil soup, and hearty carbonara and grilled lamb chop orders for dinner. Find $6 wines and $4 falafel and crispy potatoes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays.

Local Neapolitan pizza chain RedRocks recently reopened its roof deck after a fire caused a brief hiatus. It’s one of the largest restaurant venues on H Street with a Sunday drag brunch.

Biergarten Haus doesn’t mess around when it comes to Oktoberfest. The German beer hall and its outdoor beer garden is a go-to for liters of Spaten paired with pretzels and mustard. And it has a dog-friendly patio.

The Outsider has a pretty slim bar menu, but it’s a go-to spot for decently priced cocktail. $12 classic drinks include old-fashioneds, daiquiris, and negronis, meanwhile, there are $14 specialty cocktails that rotate frequently. And you can order up Japanese snacks, either grilled skewers or rice balls.