Exclusive: Daru team to open new Indian street food restaurant and bar
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Tapori team Dante Datta (left) and chef Suresh Sundas at Daru. Photo: Scott Suchman for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Indian hotspot Daru is spinning off a fiery new sister restaurant, Tapori, on H Street NE this fall.
Why it matters: Industry vets Dante Datta and chef Suresh Sundas cultivated a destination in Daru beloved by national critics and locals alike, so we're eager to see this next venture unfold.
Zoom in: Tapori will specialize in Indian street food and tropical cocktails. It takes over the former Fancy Radish space (600 H St NE), with more room to explore India's regional flavors, create a lively bar scene and shake up "Indian-ish" cocktails.
- "Everything we're doing at Daru, we're turning it up more," Datta tells Axios.
The vibe: Very "tapori," a Hindi word that loosely translates to "rowdy" or "vagabond." The new spot channels a Mumbai subculture popularized by Bollywood in the mid-90s.
- While Daru was hand-built on a tight budget, the team is splurging on one of the best design houses in the city, Edit at Streetsense, for Tapori.
- A large bar, open kitchen and 20-person communal table — mingling encouraged — are set for a party vibe. You'll also see more tucked-away booths and a mural by local artist Patrick Owens.
Dig in: Chef Sundas is known for playful dishes like Daru's black daal with creamy burrata and bison momo from his native Nepal. At Tapori, he'll dip into street food traditions from all over India, from dosas in Kerala to Mumbai-style chaats and Himalayan bites.
- Expect kebabs, biryanis and lesser-seen specialties like paddu, a fluffy dumpling from fermented rice batter.
Drink up: Daru (meaning alcoholic drinks in Hindi) was originally meant to be a cocktail bar, and then the pandemic altered plans. While Datta says they may still open a bar one day, Tapori will have a strong cocktail — and happy hour — component.
- Drinks take some tiki cues — tropical flavors, pebble ice — but with "Indian-ish" flavors like a riff on a passionfruit (aka pornstar) martini or sips with chaat masala, jackfruit and kashmiri chili.
What he's saying: Tapori is less than a mile from Daru on H Street, with the two bookending the bar and nightlife district.
- "We love it here, we love all the business owners here," Datta tells Axios. "The people in the neighborhood have really championed us as a restaurant, and they've been a huge factor in our success. So we want to stay with them."