New Mexican restaurants in D.C.

Three exciting Mexican restaurants just opened in D.C. with creative dives into the cuisine.

Why it matters: The city’s Mexican restaurant scene keeps getting bigger, better, and more diverse in the types of places opening — everything from Tex-Mex breakfast tacos to “fine Mexican” spots and a recent Japanese-Mexican pop-up.

New hotspots:

🇱🇧 🇲🇽 Vera - Beirut meets Veracruz at this svelte Lebanese-Mexican newcomer in Ivy City. Owners Nayef Issa (Residents Café & Bar) and Nour Chabaan explore food, cocktails, and music through the lens of their grandparents — among a wave of 19th-century Lebanese immigrants in Mexico.

• We’re eager to try fattoush tostadas and harissa-spiced margaritas — and stick around for post-dinner DJs (Issa founded nightlife collective Nü Androids so the vibe should be fun).

☀️ Cinco Soles - The latest addition to Columbia Heights' vibrant Mexican dining scene is this sunny, sit-down restaurant with Puebla native chef Cristian Saucedo (ex-Maiz64) at the helm.

• The wide-ranging menu offers a lot of options, from casual tacos to spendier entrées like poached lobster in mezcal bisque, plus an enticing lineup of Mexican wines.

🌮 Mi Vida Penn Quarter - The largest Mi Vida of the trio (The Wharf and 14th Street) just opened near Capital One Arena for pre-game margarita happy hours and big, crowd-pleasing menus.

• Chef Roberto Santibañez’s menus play well with groups, whether you’re splitting Mexican snack platters, going in for family-style set dinners, or sipping bottomless cocktails ($30) at brunch.