Bar Japonais

"Bar Japonais’s newly named executive chef and Sushi Nakazawa alum Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino unleashes a 15-course omakase menu on Thursday, March 6. Along with adding more sushi into the fold, his inaugural omakase menu pays homage to the season with spring sea bream, cherry blossom-steamed sushi, firefly squid, and cherry salmon. The offerings will also be available a la carte." - Vinciane Ngomsi, Tierney Plumb

"The party-starting group behind Bar Chinois doubled down in D.C. this June with a Japanese-meets-French izakaya. On July 19, it added happy hour (Tuesday to Sunday) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pull up to the polished bar for $5-$9 food deals on skewers, sashimi, and salads, plus $5-$6 wines and cocktails like a Japanese melon highball or Anjin margarita." - Tierney Plumb

"The D.C. hospitality hitmakers behind Bar Chinois, Mt. Vernon Triangle’s high-energy hangout for Frenchified cocktails and dumplings since 2021, dip into Japanese cuisine with the debut of a stylish izakaya at the foot of Logan Circle. Bar Japonais breathes new life into the old Estadio — the Spanish stalwart that closed last year after a long 14th Street NW run — following a full-scale renovation and modern makeover. For the team’s swanky sophomore project in the same Northwest quadrant, executive chef Lucas Irwin flexes his Japanese cooking skills with a menu full of yakitori, sushi rolls, fried katsu, okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), and more. Complex cocktails at the bar join a list of all-French wines and Champagnes." - Tierney Plumb

"Vibey Bar Chinois’ hotly anticipated D.C. sibling is nearly ready to roll at the foot of Logan Circle. Meet the menu at Bar Japonais, a new self-styled izakaya injecting fresh neo-fusion flair into the former Estadio space." - Evan Caplan

"The D.C. hospitality hitmakers behind Bar Chinois, Mt. Vernon Triangle’s high-energy hangout for Frenchified cocktails and dumplings since 2021, dip into Japanese cuisine with the debut of a stylish izakaya at the foot of Logan Circle." - Tierney Plumb