Vox Vera

How to Dress for Dinner and Dancing in D.C. | Eater

"A Lebanese–Mexican restaurant in Ivy City that opened May 5 last year, it blends bold, cross-cultural flavors with a high-energy nightlife program. Menu highlights include a “Papi” ghanoush updated with Veracruz’s nutty salsa macha, multiple carajillos, a roasted half-chicken topped with velvety mole negro and honey harissa, and sweet-savory desserts such as Mary’s Calabaza (roasted acorn squash with labneh-pistachio Dolcezza gelato); a signature Vamos Habibi tequila cocktail is even supersized for brunch and served in a disco ball alongside shakshuka and a falafel torta. The industrial-chic interior—laser-cut cement blocks, cool cacti, and a communal hand-washing station run on exposed copper pipework with floor-to-ceiling mirrors—seamlessly shifts from a stylish dinner room into a late-night destination featuring Arabic- and Latin-inflected Afro-house/tech, DJs on high-tech decks, bottle service next to the DJ, and long lines of revelers. Celebrated for its vibe (Eater’s 2023 Vibe of the Year), it also houses a private dining room called Ouda Comida with its own sound system; co-founder Nayef Issa and his NuAndroids collective help lock down big-name bookings, and chef Matt Baker and staff are known to cross the street after prix-fixe shifts to dance and decompress, reflecting the spot’s party-forward, well-dressed crowd and scene-driven atmosphere." - Tierney Plumb