A dreamy courtyard and standout happy hour await at Navy Yard's new Bar Nuestro
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Bar Nuestro opens in Navy Yard with a big, vibrant Latin-European menu and dreamy space. Photo: Courtesy Rey Lopez
Caviar-topped churros and $10 martinis arrive in Navy Yard on Wednesday with the opening of Bar Nuestro, an ambitious new neighborhood restaurant from Colada Shop founder Daniella Senior.
Why it matters: Senior wants to give the neighborhood more than another game-day hangout. Think date nights, family dinners, celebratory splurges and weeknight burgers — all under one stylish roof.
The inspiration: Senior grew up in the Dominican Republic, savoring restaurants that combined European cooking with Caribbean ingredients.
- Bar Nuestro is her take on that tradition, with a menu developed alongside culinary director Claudio Foschi and executive chef Harper McClure (ex Mintwood Place, Taco Bamba).
What to order: Senior's favorites include hiramasa crudo with soursop leche de tigre, truffled yuca beignets and crispy-skinned trout with saffron-orange beurre blanc.
- Don't overlook the tamarind-glazed chicken. "I never eat chicken in a restaurant," Senior says, but her chefs changed her mind.
- For a taste of home, try the prawn asopao (aka "soupy rice"), a brothy, sofrito-rich rice dish inspired by one she cooks for friends.
🍮 Save room: Former minibar pastry chef Jesús Serrano is behind desserts including a vegan mango frío frío, sweet plantain sundae and flan-like cheesecake. As Senior puts it, "Desserts are not an afterthought here."
Drink up: The bar serves customizable martinis, including a $10 olive oil-washed "Tiny Tini" designed to whet palates while guests peruse menus.
The deal: Happy hour runs Monday-Friday, 4-6pm, with $11 cocktails and a unique splurge: a seven-course, $120 dinner for two, or $60 a person — not cheap beer, but an early indulgence that's more wallet-friendly than a big dinner out.
- Deals apply throughout the restaurant, not just at the bar. "As a mom, I'll tell you this: I get very annoyed when I can't have happy hour when I'm with my kids," Senior says.
The vibe: Designer Shawn Hausman — behind the transportive look of Le Diplomate and others — created a retro-modern space with a transporting, Spanish-style interior courtyard and koi pond.
If you go: Bar Nuestro opens Oct. 28 at 1345 Yards Place SE, with dinner and weekend brunch on the way.