Rooftop Middle Eastern restaurant Yalla opens on U Street
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Middle Eastern eats and drinks at Yalla. Photo: courtesy of The Kota Agency
Yalla, a vibey Middle Eastern restaurant and bar, just opened on U Street.
Why it matters: After years of working in some of the city's best kitchens, including Maydan and Annabelle, chef Marcel Chehaieb is channeling his native Lebanon for a breakout project.
The vibe: The lush rooftop is designed to be more than just a restaurant, with weekend entertainment — DJs, belly dancers — and elaborate hookahs.
Dig in: Chehaieb riffs on Lebanese dishes like hummus topped with duck confit or crispy cheese rolls with harissa-apricot sauce.
- Other shared plates — dips, salads, grilled skewers— draw from the Eastern Mediterranean.
Drink up: Diners can sip traditional Moroccan tea service, or for something stronger, cocktails mixed with Middle Eastern spirits, herbs and oils.
- You'll also find beers and wines from Palestine, Turkey and beyond.
What's next: Yalla is part of an emerging international complex at Space (formerly Republic Gardens).
- The four-level building houses Casa Kantuta, D.C.'s first Bolivian pop-up bar, which just opened on the basement level. Latin sports bar Offside also recently debuted above for soccer and other sports fans.
- Sand Bar, a Moroccan shisha lounge, will open in the coming months.
If you go: Yalla, 1355 U Street NW. Open for dinner and late night.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Casa Kantuta and Offside are now open.