Washington D.C. Eatery Named Among 'Best New Restaurants' In USA

WASHINGTON, DC — Yet another rave review has come in for a Washington, D.C., eatery recently named in an annual list of the 40 best new restaurants in the United States.

Bar Spero, located at 250 Massachusetts Ave. NW between Union Station and Chinatown in D.C.’s East End, earned a spot on Esquire's "Best New Restaurants in America, 2022."

Bar Spero serves a seafood-forward spread focused on Mid-Atlantic fare, and is led by Reverie chef Johnny Spero.

"Complemented by such specialties as imported Spanish turbot and Autumn Olive pork from the Shenandoah Valley, the menu is shaped by the careful sourcing of world-class ingredients. In turn, the cocktail program takes cues from the kitchen, with a focus on high-quality spirits that elevate classic recipes. Guests can also choose from a tightly curated wine list, as well as regional beers on tap," the restaurant writes on its website.

Spero has worked with renowned chefs before leading his own restaurants. His biography says the Phoenix, Maryland, native began his culinary career at age 16, and early on, worked alongside James Beard award-winning Chef Johnny Monis. Two years later, Spero was staging at Noma in Copenhagen.

Back in the U.S., Spero worked at Chef John Shields’ fine-dining restaurant, Town House, before becomeing the executive chef at José Andrés’ Minibar in D.C. During his tenure, Minibar received a four-star review from Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema and Spero was celebrated as the Eater “Chef of the Year.”

He also represented D.C. as one of ten contestants on the Netflix competition "The Final Table." Spero returned to Europe to stage at Mugaritz, a top-ten contender for the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants,” whose creativity inspired Spero to begin planning his first restaurant, Reverie, an intimate, seafood-focused tasting room in Georgetown that opened in 2018 and earned its first Michelin star in 2022.

Here's what Esquire had to say about Bar Spero:

"Bar Spero does not take itself too seriously, but the cooking is pretty damn serious — and fun. Sunchokes are served with Virginia peanut praline. There is a beef tartare made of cornichons, capers, and a smokey beef fat lending it a lovely ‘Nduja like consistency–it’s artfully crowned with thin strands of potatoes dusted in green allium powder; and there are dishes that are expressions of Spero’s time in Basque country, where he learned, sometimes you just have to let quality ingredients sing: baby squid is gently cooked over the flame and served in an inky sauce. They were the night's most perfect bites. Turns out Bar Spero’s understatements can be pretty loud, too."

Check out Esquire's full list of its 40 best new restaurants in the United States.