Tokyo Pearl

"Tokyo Pearl, located nearby, has Fox5 playing on a muted, four-screen TV and is almost empty except for one diner. They offer happy hour deals through 10 p.m. on weekdays. The bar manager expects more business later in the evening and notes a high demand for espresso martinis at outdoor tables." - Emily Venezky

"You’re a complex person, so you need a restaurant that’ll transition with you throughout the night as you go from flower child to party animal. Tokyo Pearl, one of the Dupont spots with entrances on both Connecticut Avenue and 18th Street, uses its dual doors to create two separate worlds that come together over fun food like the Ol’ Bae sushi roll made with blue crab (get it?). The back patio at this Japanese restaurant is a playground full of flowers, butterflies, and swing chairs where you can have an intimate laugh with a friend or get silly with the whole squad. Inside, there’s a bar covered in glow-in-the-dark graffiti, which turns into a full-on nightclub after 10pm." - tristiana hinton

"Tokyo Pearl is one of those spots with entrances on both Connecticut Avenue and 18th Street and the restaurant uses those dual doors to create two separate worlds that come together over great sushi. The back patio is a playground full of flowers, butterflies, and swing chairs where you can have an intimate laugh with a friend or a chorus of funnies with a group. Inside, there’s a bar covered in glow-in-the-dark graffiti, which turns into a full-on nightclub after 10pm. You can get the glorious chicken bao buns and sushi (including good vegetarian options) in both spots." - Tristiana Hinton, Omnia Saed

"There are a few spots where you can get good sushi for both pescatarians and vegetarians—but Tokyo Pearl is the most fun. The Dupont Circle restaurant has two entrances, one on 18th St. that brings you into a garden wonderland with swing chairs and butterflies, and another on Connecticut Ave. that takes you into the graffiti-covered nightclub (which doesn’t really open until 10pm). Grab a space for your crew on the year-round patio and order the tempura sweet potato roll for the meat-free half and the Ol' Bae, a crab-based roll, for those craving raw fish." - Tristiana Hinton

"Tokyo Pearl is one of those spots with entrances on both Connecticut Avenue and 18th Street, and the restaurant uses those dual doors to create two separate worlds that come together over great sushi. The back patio is a playground full of flowers, butterflies, and swing chairs where you can have an intimate laugh with a friend or a chorus of funnies with a group. Inside, there’s a bar covered in glow-in-the-dark graffiti, which turns into a full-on nightclub after 10pm. You can get the glorious chicken bao buns and sushi (including good vegetarian options) in both spots." - Tristiaña Hinton