Opal
Restaurant · Chevy Chase
5534 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015
Highlights
Coastal American cuisine, wood-fired oven, seafood, meats, and breads
Coastal American cuisine, wood-fired oven, seafood, meats, and breads
"In a neighborhood where the sidewalks are constantly at risk of stroller gridlock, Opal in Chevy Chase offers an escape. Unlike many restaurants in the neighborhood, the soundtrack is less slurping from sippy cups and more slurping of wood-fired oysters. It seems like everyone here has left the kids at home for the night with the singular mission of gorging themselves on swordfish and getting twisted off cucumber and rose water G&Ts. The five-course tasting menu lets you pick a main—the menu changes, but some of the current offerings are scallops, rainbow trout, and that bbq swordfish—paired with dishes like a lemony English pea ricotta agnolotti. It’s hard to go wrong with Opal’s cocktail program, but we love the PP+T with pisco, pineapple juice, and a touch of turmeric." - tristiana hinton, madeline weinfield, liz tracy
"In a neighborhood where the sidewalks are constantly at risk of stroller gridlock, Opal in Chevy Chase offers an escape. Unlike many restaurants in the neighborhood, the soundtrack is less slurping from sippy cups and more slurping of wood-fired oysters. It seems like everyone here has left the kids at home for the night with the singular mission of gorging themselves on swordfish and getting twisted off cucumber and rose water G&Ts. The “Simple Supper” is simple in name only. The five-course tasting menu lets you pick a main—the menu changes, but some of the current offerings are a turnip schnitzel, rainbow trout, and that bbq swordfish—paired with dishes like a lemony English pea ricotta agnolotti and a chive blini with yuzu labneh and roasted shrimp. If you’re ordering a la carte, get the clams and saffron spaghetti. The broth adds a welcome richness to the housemade pasta, and is ideal for mopping up with a slab of focaccia from the wood-fired hearth. It’s hard to go wrong with Opal’s cocktail program, but we love the PP+T with pisco, pineapple juice, and a touch of turmeric, and the espresso martini, blessedly rendered non-basic thanks to the addition of orange essence." - Liz Tracy
"The hyperlocal eatery in Chevy Chase currently pairs Maryland soft shell crab with braised leeks, trout roe, and a fennel celery salad. Its new family-friendly sibling Elena James also does a softies dish with avocado tartar cream, frisee lettuce, and mushroom vinaigrette. Both entrees are $31 each." - Tierney Plumb
"A budding neighborhood essential in Chevy Chase, offering familiar American flavors with occasional surprises." - MICHELIN Guide
"The essential Chevy Chase destination for fish, vegetables, and meats from the American coastline got a surprise brunch visit from mega rapper and business mogul Jay-Z in summer 2023, the same day his equally famous wife Beyoncé wrapped up a two-night concert at Landover, Maryland’s FedExField. After brunch, next-door neighborhood pizza spot Little Beast Cafe & Bistro offered Jay-Z’s entourage a gift box of cupcakes from its Red Velvet confectionary shop." - Vinciane Ngomsi
