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With thick blankets and twinkling lights, a Crystal City oyster and cocktail bar is attempting to capture the charm of a cozy ski lodge this winter.

Water Bar is debuting après-ski themed decorations alongside its seasonal treats this month at Water Park (1601 Crystal Drive). The wintry decor accompanies the park’s ongoing cold-weather activities.


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A festive selection of cocktails and treats can be found at Clarendon’s Colada Shop through the end of the month.

The restaurant at 2811 Clarendon Blvd is spending its first winter at The Crossing Clarendon with twinkling decor and a Cuban-inspired seasonal menu.


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A fast-casual Italian restaurant serving customizable pasta bowls has a new timeline for its Ballston opening.

Scolapasta has been in development across from the Ballston Metro station since February. While initially hoping to open this past summer, owner Burak Temel said the restaurant now expects to open its doors this spring.


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A karaoke bar and restaurant in Crystal City plans to open its doors in the next few weeks.

After nearly a year of development, Lantern Restaurant & Bar is preparing to open toward the end of this month or in early January, co-owner Shen Zhao told ARLnow.


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A Crystal City eatery is about to start serving Michelin-starred tacos. But only for a short time.

Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) and lasting through Thursday, Dec. 26, Tacombi at 1550 Crystal Drive will offer some items from the menu of Mexico City-based El Califa de León — the first taqueria in the world to earn a Michelin star.


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A casual eatery with a “veggie-forward” menu is on track to open at some point next year at The Crossing Clarendon.

The location at 2800 Clarendon Blvd, in the former Jos. A. Bank space, will be the first location outside of New York City for Westville, which serves “casual American food.”


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Arlington’s last California Tortilla closed in Courthouse late last month, as another restaurant is reportedly lined up to replace it.

The fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant closed its doors Nov. 30, according to a storefront message at 2057 Wilson Blvd, next to Brooklyn Bagel Bakery. The Bethesda-based restaurant opened in Courthouse 20 years ago.


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A Vietnamese eatery in Clarendon featuring bubble tea has rebranded and added some new menu items.

After opening in July under the name Bobalicious, the cafe became Pho and Banh Mi Eatery Cafe later this summer — and has now updated its offerings to include soft tacos in addition to pho, poke, rolls and banh mi.


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An Italian restaurant in Virginia Square is one of the best new restaurants in the country, according to Yelp.

The website ranked Carbonara (3865 Wilson Blvd) at No. 21 on its list of the Best New Restaurants of 2024 earlier this week. The national list selected 25 restaurants based on the volume and ratings of their Yelp reviews, among other factors.


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A Vietnamese restaurant from D.C. will soon make its Arlington debut in Ballston, serving banh mi, pho and other family recipes at affordable prices.

Simply Banh Mi plans to open its second location at 801 N. Quincy Street in a few weeks, owner John Tran told ARLnow. It will replace a similar restaurant that closed at that location in February: Lee’s Sandwiches, which bills itself as the “World’s Largest Bánh Mì Chain.”


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A new halal Indian restaurant opened recently on Langston Blvd, adding some South Asian flavors to the corridor’s diverse lineup of local restaurants.

At 5645 Langston Blvd, Curry & Clay Oven offers mainstays like biryani, palak paneer and curry, as well as fusion dishes such as paneer cheesesteaks, butter chicken pizzas and masala fries, manager Khalid Oylid told ARLnow.


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