Georgetown's New Places to Eat Opened Off M Street, in Courtyards Built by Neighbors

You won't find 1228½ 31st Street NW on the M Street sidewalk. It sits in the alley section of Hamilton Collective, a block up from M, and this fall it became Georgetown's busiest new address for dinner. Alfie's, a northern Thai restaurant and natural-wine bar from chefs Alex McCoy and Justin Ahn, opened there on Sept. 2. Twelve days later Flora Pizzeria opened next door.

The fall's other big debut was on M Street itself. Uniqlo opened a 22,618-square-foot store at 3262 M St. NW on Aug. 28, with taiko drummers on opening weekend. National brands took Georgetown's main street this fall, and the independent kitchens went into side courtyards that neighbors redeveloped. Two compounds explain most of what's new to eat in Georgetown this season, and both are owned by people who live here.

What M Street got this fall

The main street's new arrivals came from national and international chains:

• Uniqlo, 3262 M St. NW, opened Aug. 28
• Pop Mart, 3221 M St. NW, open by Oct. 1
• Rag & Bone, which merged its two M Street shops into one at 3034 M St. NW
• Kith, the sneaker and streetwear label, which filed plans with the Old Georgetown Board for 3040 M St. NW, next to Barnes & Noble
• Edikted, planning a 3,890-square-foot store in the former Allbirds space at 3135 M St. NW
• 260 Sample Sale, a New York pop-up that has leased the newly vacated space at 3307 M St. NW and hopes to hold its first sale in mid-November

The fall's food news on M Street was small by comparison. Flavor Hive, a Northern Virginia food truck, opened at 3287½ M St. NW in the former Harmony Café space. The sit-down openings with chefs people already knew happened a block or two away.

The courtyard on 31st Street

Hamilton Collective used to be Hamilton Court. Jessica and Ezra Glass redeveloped it with David and Marc Duber and other investors, as The Georgetowner reported in June. The compound runs along 31st Street and Congress Court at 1232 31st St. NW. It covers about 55,000 square feet, and most of the buildings are infill from the 1980s. The owners all live in Georgetown and call the project "by locals for locals."

Jessica Glass explained the leasing approach to The Georgetowner:

"The best part of our retail here is it's necessary retail. No one here is selling tchotchkes, right? You come here to do things you have to do. Your kids have to go to school. You have to work out. You have to get a cup of coffee in the morning. We have all that here."

The tenant list matches that description. It includes Ultraviolet florist, Two Nine sushi, Flor. Coffee + Books, Georgetown Pilates, Georgetown Preschool, Georgetown Auto Spa, Hamilton Health Club and a few residential units. Flor., at 1220 31st St. NW, is a Buenos Aires-inspired café with Argentine and French pastries, empanadas and soft serve from Dolcezza. Its second floor sells books in English and Spanish. Two Nine comes from Amy Phan and Zach Ramos, both formerly of Sushi Taro, according to Washingtonian. On its own site, Two Nine lists omakase and kaiseki dining plus a daytime menu of chirashi, hand rolls, poke and matcha.

September's two openings filled the alley. Alfie's is McCoy and Ahn's restaurant back in DC after a decade, as Washingtonian put it. McCoy described the room to Washingtonian as having "a bit of that feel of a hole-in-the-wall wine bar in Europe, but it also has the feel of a shophouse in Thailand." The space had never been a restaurant before. Flora Pizzeria is the brand's second DC location. Its dough is naturally leavened, the restaurant told The Georgetowner. Eater DC noted cacio e pepe pies sold whole or by the slice.

Down Grace Street, the same owners' second compound

The Glasses also run Grace Street Collective, below M Street at 3210 Grace St. NW and in the alley along Cherry Hill Lane, which they developed with Thyme Holdings. This fall it added another restaurant.

Café Tulúm opened in early September from restaurateur Juan Dracoulis. Eater DC describes a seafood-forward Mexican menu with Japanese influences, mezcal cocktails, ceviche, oysters, tacos, tostadas and sashimi.

It joined two restaurants already in the alley. Ox & Olive, at 3201 Cherry Hill Lane NW, is Ryan Ratino's steakhouse, and Ratino also runs Jônt and Bresca. The Georgetown BID's guide describes rotating large-format cuts, a long martini list and a whipped potato topped with beef jam and Comté. My Little Chamomile is chef-owner Çağla Önal Urel's Turkish-Mediterranean dining room. Washingtonian lists grilled whole branzino, beef-stuffed grape leaves and weekend brunch. The BID highlights its vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options.

Grace Street follows the same leasing approach as 31st Street. RM Balance, a wellness studio at the same 3210 Grace St. address, keeps its yoga, mat Pilates and breathwork classes to six to 10 people and leaves 30 minutes after each one for refreshments and conversation.

The alley projects still under construction

The pattern continues off Potomac Street. Michael Rafidi owns Albi, La' Shukran and Yellow on Wisconsin Avenue, and he is bringing a pizza place called Bizzeria to the back of 3246 Prospect St. NW. Its entrance will be in the alley off Potomac Street. It has been billed as a fall 2026 opening, so watch for it as the season winds down.

Skillette, a cooking school from Kelly Singer, will share the building. Washingtonian described it as a 1,525-square-foot teaching kitchen. Skillette's site now says it opens in early 2027 and plans to release its class schedule in November.

Here is where the fall's sit-down openings and near-openings stand:

Wisconsin Avenue is adding food shops of its own

Up the hill, Wisconsin Avenue is filling in with independent and regional food shops. Spicewalla, the small-batch spice brand, opens its second store on Friday, Nov. 6, at 1317 Wisconsin Ave. NW, next door to East Fork. The Georgetowner reports it will also carry snacks, condiments and pantry goods from Washington-area makers. Olli, a frozen Greek yogurt shop, has just opened at 1624 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Delhi Belly opened in August at 1560 Wisconsin Ave. NW. It is owned by Vikas Kakkar and Raj Manroy and serves casual food inspired by India's urban food culture. That corner at Wisconsin and Q has history. It is where Dolcezza Gelato began in 2004, and Dolcezza is now coming back to Georgetown. Robb Duncan and Violeta Edelman's company plans to open in the former Pressed Juicery space at 1300 Wisconsin Ave. NW in late fall or early winter, which will be its seventh location. "We're coming home," the founders wrote on social media, as The Georgetowner reported. In the meantime, you can already get Dolcezza soft serve at Flor. on 31st Street.

The rest of the calendar through December

These are the dates and closures to plan around through December.

1. La Bonne Vache is closed for repairs. On Oct. 18, a fire that started in an electrical panel heavily damaged the Prospect Street restaurant at 3265 Prospect St. NW. No one was hurt, and the owners plan to reopen once repairs are done. A GoFundMe for employees passed its $100,000 goal, according to The Georgetowner.
2. Nov. 6: Spicewalla opens at 1317 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
3. Mid-November: 260 Sample Sale aims to hold its first sale at 3307 M St. NW.
4. Nov. 19: The ice rink at Washington Harbour opens for a season that runs through Feb. 28, 2027, weather permitting.
5. Dec. 5 and Dec. 12: Georgetown Main Street holds its Cookie Tour. Tickets and stops have not yet been announced.

Canal boat rides are on hold until spring. Georgetown Heritage has paused tours while the National Park Service repairs the locks and walls, and it expects them to return in spring 2027.

If you're keeping track of how 31st Street, Grace Street and Wisconsin Avenue are changing, whether for an evening out or because you're thinking about your own place nearby, the team at Paul Wesley Real Estate would be glad to compare notes. Contact Us any time to talk through what this season's openings mean for your corner of Georgetown.