Located inside the Salamander Hotel, Dōgon was one of the most hotly anticipated restaurant openings in DC in 2024. This Afro-Carribean concept by Chef Kwame Onwuachi has already won accolades and continues to be a difficult reservation to snag in town. Use Resy's notify feature for your best chance to snag a table.

Opened in mid-2024, this Ethiopian restaurant offers live music Mondays as well as Thursday through Sunday and brunch on the weekends. The walls are decorated with gorgeous art by Ethiopian artists, the decor is stunning, and the food hits. This is a perfect spot for a date night.

This Modern Caribbean restaurant on 14th Street has a great bar and consistent food that doesn't miss. Try the Crab Accras and the Duck & Dahl!

The sister restaurant to St. James, Cane is a more casual Caribbean spot on H Street. Always get the doubles, try a drink from their rum bar, and then you can even wander down H Street to end date night at Hill Prince, a casual Black-owned bar with tables in the back and games like Uno.

This casual neighborhood bar owned by Chef Rock Harper is a spot for when you want space and time to talk, get to know each other better, and play some games. Bring your own board game or they have a few games like Uno as well. There's a limited food menu but a fried chicken sandwich always hits.

St. Vincent Wine offers live music multiple days a week, has a heated outdoor seating area that's quite toasty in the winter, and a solid food menu for dinner or weekend brunch. One note: St. Vincent Wine only serves glasses of wine at the upstairs bar, otherwise it's bottle service only.

This plant shop, cafe, and wellness studio is incredible. The space is bright and open, and it's an ideal spot for a day date (chat, browse, get a lovely matcha) and they also have regular evening events with music, crafts, etc. Get on their email list to stay up to date on events.

Manifest is a barber shop and coffee shop by day, and cocktail lounge/speakeasy by night. Reserve spots at the cocktail bar in advance on their website.

This Black-owned bar in Adams Morgan hosts excellent live music, DJ nights, and so much more. Check out their Instagram for the schedule of events. Go early for a more chill, relaxed vibe and know that on later nights and weekends it can get a bit rowdy.

This highly anticpated upscale Ghanaian restaurant from Chef Eric Adjepong is slated to open mid-February 2025. Reservations for their tasting menu concept are open and I suggest making one ASAP as this spot is likely to be a hard-to-get reservation in town.