Pascual

Pascual is a wood-fired modern Mexican restaurant on Capitol Hill, just off Barracks Row, opened in February 2024 by chefs Isabel Coss and Matt Conroy. The kitchen centers on fire, masa and heritage ingredients, with housemade tortillas and a seasonal, locally sourced menu that quickly earned national attention. In 2024 it was named one of Eater's Best New Restaurants in America and topped Best New Restaurant lists from The Washington Post and Eater DC, and it is included in the MICHELIN Guide; Coss and Conroy were 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. The non-alcoholic program is genuine and creative rather than an afterthought, built around rotating aguas frescas and zero-proof cocktails. Washingtonian highlighted two named NA drinks during Dry January: the "Temperate Margarita," made with NA tequila and orange liqueur, and the "Nada Colada," a pina colada riff with a hint of mango. The dining room is intimate and reservation-driven, with an adjoining panaderia-style window, Volcan, serving Mexican pastries, café de olla and aguas frescas. The setting is warm and design-forward, pairing the wood-fired open kitchen with a small, mezcal-leaning bar that extends equal care to its alcohol-free offerings.