Oribu

Oribu, which means olive in Japan, is a tribute to the Maritime Silk Road, a spice route that connected Japan with the Mediterranean coastline. Inside the restaurant, now open inside the Grand Hyatt Washington, DC, design elements bring that route to life, from a curving rattan chandelier that snakes through the space to the water-like color scheme and hints of Japanese minimalism throughout. The bar area spills out into the grand lobby of the hotel (look up to see the architectural wonder of the 12-story atrium) but the dining room feels more intimate; as you walk further into the space, warm, rich tones round out the room and at one end, a glassed-in omakase room and bar offers seating for 12. The restaurant’s main entrance is at the corner of H Street and 10th. 

The restaurant’s opening comes as part of a major, years-long renovation to the Grand Hyatt, which turns 40 in 2027. Upstairs, the rooms are smartly designed, while the events center beneath the lobby has seen its own refresh. The restaurant, which marks the first time the hotel has had its own lobby bar, adds a jolt of life to the main floor of this striking downtown space. 

On the menu, flavors follow the same path as the spice route, with a kaiseki-style menu—there’s Japanese sushi, crudo, and lighter flavors to start with a gradual progression to more assertive flavors on the main courses, which veer into Greek and Italian flavors and techniques. Start with hamachi crudo brightened with a lemon confit, or crisped sushi rice topped with wagyu tartare and Petrosian caviar. Midway through, you might nosh on charred asparagus over miso labneh, claypot prawn risotto, or olive-wood smoked burrata, as well as crisped dumplings filled with mushroom duxelle and mascarpone. The milk bread, shaped into a pull-apart flower petal, arrives with a silk saffron olive butter. For mains, there’s a binchotan-grilled Hokkaido salmon glazed in white miso and kalamata olive paste and octopus a la plancha. At the omakase counter, chefs craft a multicourse menu, serving small bites along the way, while the bar features its own small menu, including a wagyu burger. 

The beverage program leans into sake and artisanal wines, as well as a solid collection of cocktails. And don’t miss dessert—the flash-fried matcha ice cream steals the show, with its Middle Eastern and Mediterranean roots, drizzled with a black honey from Japan.