Your insider guide for both trendy and classic spots to eat, shop, and play in the DC area. Read More Here. The closest suburb to Downtown DC, Arlington County offers both urban and suburban appeal: terrific restaurants, an abundance of parks and tennis courts, attractive houses with yards, good sch ools, and the ability to walk almost anywhere, including to Metro stations. After a dip in population due to Covid, the county now boasts nearly a quarter million residents, a number surpassing the 2020 Census. All the recent development, especially in South Arlington around Amazon HQ2, could be one draw. But new restaurants, shops, and attractions seem to come at a good clip throughout this lively area. Here are some of the best of the new places to eat, shop, and play.   Eat and Drink Oasis the Listening Bar location_on 2940 Clarendon Blvd. language Website The bar at Oasis: The Listening Bar. Photograph by Momentumd Photography. The owners of Sisters Thai and Floré Cafe drew inspiration from Japan’s record bars for their newest Clarendon restaurant, Oasis the Listening Bar. Vinyl DJs and occasional live music performers provide a soundtrack for sushi and Instagram-ready cocktails. In addition to traditional nigiri and other izakaya classics, the menu features fanciful rolls with luxe ingredients like truffle oil, caviar, and foie gras.   Upside on Moore location_on 1700 N. Moore St., level M2 language Website Photograph courtesy of Upside on Moore. Rosslyn’s all-day 30,000-square-foot food hall, Upside on Moore, has a little something for everyone, from make-your-own bao buns to birria tacos to smash burgers from Shaw’s Ghostburger. Stop by in the morning for coffee and pastries or head over for happy hour from 3 to 7 weekdays for margaritas and local draft beers, served from a central bar overlooking Key Bridge.   NiHao location_on 1550 Crystal Dr. language Website Photograph by Stacey Windsor. Chef Peter Chang has brought his famous Sichuan-centric cooking to National Landing, but the jade-accented dining room of NiHao differs from his other area restaurants, with its focus on “Chinese tapas.” Sample smaller portions of crispy ginger-citrus fish or mala pork ribs, or stick to favorites like the Peking duck and dry-fried eggplant. On weekends, try the all-you-can-eat dim sum brunch.   Boe location_on 2854 Wilson Blvd. language Website Photograph courtesy of Boe. Ever wanted to try riding a mechanical bull? Boe, a country-western bar from the owners of Clarendon Ballroom, is your spot. The comfort-food menu includes “cowboy rolls” (steak-and-cheese-filled egg rolls) and Nashville hot-honey-butter popcorn chicken, while drinks range from Budweiser to a smoky, spicy take on a whiskey sour called the Bucking Bronco. Drop in for line dancing every Thursday.   Bar Colline location_on 269 19th Ct. language Website French restaurants Café Colline and Chez Billy Sud are two of our favorites for bistro fare, and now they have a sibling in National Landing, Bar Colline. The menu is full of classics, from an excellent onion soup and escargots to steak-frites and duck confit l’orange. This location also boasts a 50-foot wraparound bar serving eclectic French wines, cocktails, and local beers.   Yunnan by Potomac location_on 721 15th St. S. language Website Photograph courtesy of Yunnan by Potomac. Alexandria’s go-to for southwest Chinese food has relocated to a larger space in Pentagon City. The menu at Yunnan by Potomac still includes staples such as mixian rice-noodle bowls, small vegetable plates, and bao buns stuffed with soft-boiled tea eggs or a burger-inspired mix of beef and American cheese. Weekday lunch is worth a special visit for the six-plate bento, while weekends bring an all-you-can-eat deal for $49.   Flight Wine Shop location_on 269 19th Ct. S. language Website Photograph by Albert Ting. Chinatown’s Flight Wine Bar closed in late 2023, but it was reborn last year as Flight Wine Shop, selling bottles in National Landing. The store highlights limited-production vintages with an emphasis on sustainably farmed, minimal-intervention wines from around the world. The owners aim to bring wine-bar-style service to retail, and they host weekly tastings.   Westville location_on 2800 Clarendon Blvd. language Website The New York chain Westville was at the forefront of the casual, veggie-forward trend when it first opened in the West Village in 2003. Now it’s arrived in Clarendon with grilled-chicken-and-avocado Cobb salads, grilled-salmon plates, turkey burgers, and a wide selection of “market vegetables.” It’s also open for brunch, featuring breakfast burritos and pancakes with miso toffee sauce.   Gwenie’s Pastries x Lapu Lapu location_on 1417 S. Fern St. language Website Photograph by Hypefoodies/Lapa Lapu. Siblings Stella and Javier Fernandez offer Filipino breakfast sandwiches and baked goods at Gwenie’s Pastries x Lapu Lapu, their new dual-concept destination in Pentagon City that’s an offshoot of their mother’s longtime pastry shop in Rockville. Sweet rolls known as pan de sal come stuffed with soft scrambled eggs and sweet chorizo or Spam. Meanwhile, sweet treats include cassava cake and ube buns.   Nettie’s Tavern location_on 2854 Wilson Blvd. language Website It’s not easy to find West Virginia pepperoni rolls in our area. But the Clarendon restaurant Nettie’s Tavern, from the owner of Brass Rabbit and Quinn’s on the Corner, specializes in food from Appalachia’s Italian immigrant community. Other highlights include fried ravioli, “long bread” pizzas, and spicy vodka rigatoni. Moonshine stars in a signature cocktail with house-brewed iced tea and lemon juice.   Shop Pop Mart location_on 1100 S. Hayes St. language Website The mischievous faces of Labubu dolls adorning countless purses and backpacks last year helped launch Pop Mart, the Chinese toymaker, into viral stardom. The November opening of its Fashion Centre at Pentagon City outpost marked the brand’s first DC-area brick-and-mortar. Collectors will find shelves of signature “blind boxes”—themed toy packages that leave the specific contents up to surprise. In addition to the über-popular monsters is a vast lineup of other cutesy vinyl characters, such as the melancholy Crybaby figurines and the sci-fi-inspired Space Molly dolls.   Wandering Shelf location_on Location changes weekly language Website Photograph courtesy of The Wandering Shelf. If you spot a lime-green van cruising around Arlington, it might be full of books for sale. After noticing what she felt was a lack of independent adult bookshops in the county, founder Tessa Cannon repurposed her old camper into the Wandering Shelf, a mobile bookshop with a selection of what she deems “cozy, fantastical, and impactful” reads. Since its grand opening in October, the van has hauled about 700 new and used titles to cafe parking lots and outdoor markets. Not sure what to pick up? Try a “Blind Date With a Used Book,” paper-wrapped mystery novels with brief descriptions from Cannon, such as “This one made me sob.” The mobile bookstore regularly parks at Courthouse Plaza on Saturday mornings and posts weekly schedules on social media.   Whole Foods Daily Shop location_on 1550 Crystal Dr. language Website The Whole Foods Daily Shop, a small-format version of the grocery chain, came to Amazon’s HQ2 in October, making it the first of the experimental mini-stores outside New York City. Designed to accommodate speedy lunch runs and last-minute produce needs, the bodega-style shop is less than half the size of an average Whole Foods Market. The popular “hot bar” is also slimmed down, but customers will still find a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and sushi—alongside a kiosk for in-person Amazon returns and pickups.   Things to Do Pinball Basement location_on 1700 N. Moore St. language Website After hosting a few pinball machines in Arlington’s Acme Pie Co., enthusiasts Fred Freimark and Jason Good expanded their collection to a standalone location in Rosslyn last spring. The Pinball Basement, on the lower level of the Upside on Moore food hall, is outfitted with almost 30 pinball machines as well as other arcade classics and old-school video-game consoles. A life-size “Mars Attacks!” animatronic welcomes players of all ages to the quirky gaming haven, where you can order food and drinks from a kiosk while playing Jaws and King Kong. No need for quarters: Guests buy daily or monthly passes for unlimited play. Pinball wizards can also join the newly established competitive league and throw their hat in the ring at regular tournaments.   Corobus Sports location_on 2800 Clarendon Blvd. language Website In late 2024, longtime youth-hockey and little-league coach Henry White started Corobus Sports, where six batting cages, a weightlifting room, and a synthetic ice rink fill the 22,000-square-foot underground gymnasium. Aiming to create an indoor space where young athletes can focus on skill development, the kid-centered training ground in Clarendon offers short-term rentals, memberships, and private lessons in hockey, baseball, and softball. While Ovechkins in training practice their shots, chaperones can relax in the parents’ lounge with multiple charging stations, vending machines, and televisions. White and cofounder Brad Danaceau plan to add more all-ages activities, including golf simulators, in the months ahead.   Sweathouz location_on 4121 Wilson Blvd. language Website At Sweathouz, a “contrast therapy” spa, visitors can take a journey through extreme temperatures. An hourlong introductory session offers the whole package: Start by sweating it out in the 140-degree infrared sauna, wash off in the vitamin-C-infused shower using complimentary toiletries, and finish with a dip in the 50-degree cold-plunge tub. The entire treatment takes place in a private room, so you can mellow out to your favorite music or stream on the en suite TVs. The wellness chain has been serving Ballston since 2024, with plans to open a National Landing location (1409 S. Fern St.) this year.   Metropolitan Park location_on 510 14th Street S.   Photograph by Sam Kittner. When Amazon unveiled phase one of its new headquarters in 2023, it also revealed Metropolitan Park, a 2.5-acre public green space in the middle of HQ2’s campus. Partly inspired by the United States Botanic Garden in DC, park walkways wind through public art displays, swaths of native plant life, and two off-leash dog runs. In 2024, a 250-square-foot “pollinator garden” around the perimeter of the toddler playground was added. Milkweed, echinacea, and other nectar-rich plants invite butterflies to stay a while—and nearby tables let human visitors do the same.   What’s Selling Arlington’s proximity to DC makes its mix of single-family homes, townhouses, and condos pricier than in farther-out suburbs. Here’s a sampling of what’s sold recently. Photograph courtesy of Compass. $219,500 An updated 1950s condo in Waverly Hills with one bed-room, one bathroom, assigned parking, and access to an outdoor pool. $479,000 A two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo off I-395 in South Arlington with high ceilings, a covered terrace, and access to a pool, fitness center, media room, and library. $755,000 A three-level end-unit townhouse in Barcroft with three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, two fireplaces, and a fenced backyard. $915,000 A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath end-unit townhouse in Cherrydale with a new kitchen and roof, two fireplaces, a recreation room, a wraparound porch, and a rear deck and patio. $1,475,000 A traditional-style house in Chain Bridge Forest with five bedrooms, three and a half baths, a sunroom, a workroom, and a fenced backyard.   This article appears in the March 2026 issue of Washingtonian. 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