Ambar Clarendon
2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Start the New Year with a bountiful selection of all-you-can-eat small plates from this popular Balkan spot ($34 per person). Load up on egg dishes, sweet and savory pastries, grilled meats and seafood, soups, salads, and more. Brunch drinks are just 25 cents too. Details: Indoor and outdoor seating.
Bayou Bakery
1515 N. Courthouse Rd., Arlington
David Guas’ New Orleans cafe is toasting the new year with $5 brunch cocktails to wash down beignets and Hoppin’ John—a traditional New Year tradition in the South of slow-cooked black-eyed peas with ham-spiked collard greens (a vegetarian option is available). For those dining on the patio (weather permitting) free-flowing mimosas are available for $5. Details: Delivery, pick-up, and outdoor seating.
HalfSmoke
625 T St., NW
The Shaw restaurant recently debuted a “winter wonderland” patio with heated igloos ($75 per person) serving breakfast pop-up Morning After Next — think hashes and pancakes — and egg sandwich pop-up Butter Me Up. Brunch is served all day, including $35 bottomless mimosas with an entree and home fries. Details: Delivery, pick-up, and outdoor seating
I Egg You
423 Eighth St., SE
Chiko’s breakfast pop-up at the Capitol Hill location is offering hangover relief in the form of pillowy milk bread sandwiches. Pair them with locally-owned Rako coffee or go the boozy route with Bloody Marys, Irish coffee, and bellinis. Details: Delivery and pick-up.
Kitchen Cray
1301 H St., NE
Commemorate the first morning of the new year with a $200 to-go spread from the H Street spot, which includes two appetizers, two entrees, banana pudding, and a bottle of bubbly. Chef James “JR” Robinson is behind decadent plates like tater tots topped with Maryland crab and lobster mac and cheese. Details: Delivery and pick-up.
La Famosa
1300 4th St., SE
Navy Yard’s colorful new Puerto Rican spot evokes the islands with vibrant guava pastries and tropical fruit smoothies made with guanabana and tamarind. Warm up with espresso drinks and ham-stuffed breakfast sandwiches on the restaurant’s heated patio. Details: Delivery, pick-up, and outdoor seating.
Le Diplomate
1601 14th St., NW
Start the morning with a basket of freshly-baked pastries at the French brasserie. Brunch offerings also include luxe seafood towers, a classic croque madame, and the restaurant’s cheffed-up take on a Big Mac. Sister steakhouse St. Anselm is also offering dine-out and to-go brunch packages. Details: Delivery, pick-up, and outdoor seating.
Mercy Me
1143 New Hampshire Ave., NW
The Call Your Mother/Timber Pizza team is behind the all-day cafe slinging breakfast tacos and Roman-style pizzas. Creative pastries like the caramelized-pineapple empanadas are inspired by South America. Details: Delivery, pick-up, and outdoor seating.
Mintwood Place
1813 Columbia Rd., NW
Head to the French-American bistro in Adams Morgan for a $24 two-course brunch on the outdoor patio featuring your pick of an entree, appetizer, and coffee or juice. There’s also a long list of brunch cocktails that go beyond the typical mimosa, such as aperol spritzes and mulled apple cider. Details: Pick-up and outdoor seating.
Pennyroyal Station
3310 Rhode Island Ave., Mt. Ranier
The New American restaurant in Mt. Ranier is opening the patio for al fresco dining on New Year’s Day. Cozy up to plates of comforting sandwiches like pork banh mi or a French Toast monte cristo. Details: Delivery and pick-up, and outdoor seating.
The Roost
1401 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s Capitol Hill food hall is offering brunch specials from three eateries to celebrate the new year. Order a bratwurst from German/Eastern European spot Leni, dishes like bacon and smoked-pork black-eyed peas from charcuterie shop Red Apron, or a truffle pizza from New York-style Slice Joint. Details: Delivery and pick-up.
The Salt Line
79 Potomac Ave., SE
Get a swimming start to the New Year with plenty of seafood from the Navy Yard restaurant. Patio specials include caviar, vodka, and bubbles for those in a celebratory mood. If you want to take the show on the road, chef Kyle Bailey is assembling seafood towers to-go with shrimp cocktail, lobster, rockfish tartare, and more. Details: Pick-up and outdoor seating.
Yellow
1346 4th St., SE
Pita breakfast sandwiches, labne-filled croissants, and golden date coffee cake are all part of the Levantine menu at chef Michael Rafidi’s bakery adjoining his dining room, Albi. There are a few specials for the first day of the year, including shakshuka and baklava pancakes to eat in the cafe’s outdoor igloos. Details: Pick-up and outdoor seating.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
