New "La Plaza Bar & Tapas by Chicatana" signage went up at 3917 14th St. NW in Petworth the week of Aug. 10, formally tying the Spanish tapas and wine bar to the team behind one of the neighborhood's most acclaimed restaurants.
The signage was spotted Monday, Aug. 10, by a reader named Charles and reported by PoPville. It advertises the bar's hours and its "Bar de tapas & vinos" concept next door to MetroLeaf.
La Plaza itself is not brand new. The restaurant soft-opened in December 2024 in the former Chicatana space, and the Washington Post reviewed it in January 2025, writing that it delivers fine-dining quality without fine-dining prices. But the fresh exterior branding now makes the Chicatana connection explicit for passersby.
The bar is a project of the same ownership group that founded Chicatana, the upscale Mexican restaurant that operated at 3917 14th St. NW from 2021 until relocating to a larger corner space at 3901 14th St. NW in late August 2024. That five-person partnership, as identified in reporting at the time of Chicatana's 2021 launch, includes majority owner and general manager Emily Vasquez, a D.C.-area native; chef Marcelino Zamudio; beverage director Hector Flora; assistant manager Junior Poveda; and sous chef Jose Abrego.
When Chicatana moved down the block, the group converted the original storefront into a Spanish tapas concept. Hector Flora, who is from Guerrero, Mexico, and previously worked at Tico, oversees the bar program, which the Washingtonian reported in August 2024 would center on mezcals, tequilas and agave-forward cocktails.
The renewed branding push comes as the 14th Street NW corridor continues to see restaurant turnover in 2026, with both closures and new concepts reshaping the dining options between Columbia Heights and Petworth.
La Plaza is open Tuesday through Sunday, 4–10 p.m., with happy hour Tuesday through Friday, 4–7 p.m. The phone number is (202) 516-4924, and full tapas and bar menus are posted at laplaza14st.com.
