Two new restaurants — Valenciana Wine Garden and Guavaberry Dominican Restaurant — will be opening in recently-vacated locations in downtown Silver Spring.
Valenciana Wine Garden will be opening in the former home of Mandalay Restaurant and Café at 930 Bonifant Street. Mandalay, which opened in Silver Spring in 2004, closed last October.
In December of 2019, the Myints announced their intention to move in August 2020 to a location in Washington D.C. near the former Walter Reed complex at 7302 Georgia Ave. N.W. The Bonifant Street location’s closure was then delayed to the middle of 2021. “That is still the plan,” Myint said of the move last year, noting that the family had purchased that building.
Myint noted that the future is uncertain. “At this time [we are] closing for good. [The] new location is not ready to open and may take about 8 to 10 month[s],” Myint said to the Source via email last year.
Bethesda Beat reported last year that a new tenant was coming in, and Myint said the rent had become too expensive.
According to signage posted at the location, the county’s Board of License Commissioners will hold Valenciana Wine Garden’s alcoholic beverage license hearing on March 3. There is a restaurant of the same name in Arlington, Va., though it is unclear if they are connected.
Meanwhile, Guavaberry Dominican Restaurant will be taking over the space vacated last December by The Greek Place at 8417 Georgia Ave.
Valenciana Wine Garden and Guavaberry Dominican Restaurant are the latest additions to a growing list of recent and upcoming restaurant openings in Silver Spring, including Flip’d by IHOP, The Breakfast Club, Firepan Korean BBQ, J. Hollinger’s, Dog Haus Biergarten, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Black Lion Café, Willie T’s Seafood Shack/Be Right Burger, Underground Pizza Company, Kusshi Ko, Miss Toya’s Creole House, and the Commas food hall at Ellsworth Place.
Thanks to reader Boyd R. for the tip!
