Cana

Adams Morgan’s Vibey New Brazilian Bar Is the Hottest Seat in Town | Eater DC

"To secure a spot at Cana, I have to religiously stalk its Resy page each morning: online reservations for the same night go live at 10 a.m. and are typically all booked by 10:02. The ’70s‑chic cocktail and record bar opened in mid‑September along Adams Morgan’s nightlife strip as a tribute to Rio de Janeiro’s pint‑sized botecos, where caipirinhas reign, samba spills into the street, and steaks sizzle. With only 42 seats, Cana releases a limited number of nightly reservations starting at 5:30 p.m.; you can choose a dining‑room table or the hot kitchen counter for a front‑row view of the charcoal oven, while the bar and small patio accept walk‑ins first‑come, first‑served and a waitlist often forms outside. Co‑owned by Radovan Jankovic and Marko Bogdanovic and launched through their Unordinary Hospitality Group, Cana survived early setbacks—including the tragic death of founding executive chef Robert Curtis and a last‑minute lease swap—and landed Croatian‑Chilean chef Maximiliano Rivera Papic, who brings a one‑page menu of reimagined Brazilian classics with Spanish flair (see: salt cod croquetas). Papic’s fiery hamachi with passionfruit and crunchy coconut farofa is an early standout, as are crispy pork belly and the charcoal‑grilled steak. The slim space, redesigned by a Rio‑based designer, features Brazilian wooden wall panels, disco‑chic tile, custom blinds and bamboo‑green drapes that lead into a bustling bar and open kitchen; vinyls sourced from Rio flea markets spin boogie, funk and Brazilian tracks while a DJ, bartenders and cooks all sync up. Cachaça and caipirinhas are central—made mostly with Brazilian ingredients and even a coconut concoction that’s a team favorite—and demand for cane juice has already forced them to find a new supplier. After shipping back crates of vinyl and fine‑tuning the concept in Rio, I feel they’ve genuinely brought a piece of Brazil to D.C." - Tierney Plumb