By Nicole Gill Council, CouncilMag.com

Bronze, the new restaurant on H Street Northeast in Washington, D.C., offers a cozy and appealing dining space that was perfect to celebrate my recent birthday. The restaurant is the brainchild of Keem Hughley, who is no stranger to D.C.’s restaurant scene, having worked at Maketto.

Bronze, on H Street Northeast in Washington, D.C., occupies the space of the former Smith Commons.

Bronze is an Afrofuturism restaurant that centers the Black experience with a nod to fantasy and the tastes of the African diaspora. According to the University of California, Los Angeles, Afrofuturism is a movement wherein writers, artists, musicians and filmmakers, among others, celebrate the African diaspora and believe in a better future for Black people.

I was happily surprised to receive a cream filled puff pastry as a birthday treat to end the night.

– Nicole Gill Council

At Bronze, Afrofuturism plays out in the story of Alonzo Bronze. As told on the restaurant’s website, Alonzo Bronze has traveled the world learning from new cultures, before making his home in the Caribbean. The menu from Chef Toya Henry is rooted in the tastes of the Caribbean and Africa with global flavors.

Grilled poulet features a spicy cashew bird’s eye glaze and potatoes.

For example, a starter dish of oysters with flying fish roe has a crunch and a kick. To me, oysters can be bland. These were far from it. Oxtail, a fixture of Jamaican cuisine, is also on the menu. This braised oxtail served with pappardelle pasta is unlike any oxtail I’ve seen at family dinners that are braised in a stew. The meat was tender and flavorful.

Torched oysters are accompanied by flying fish roe.

Braised oxtail sits on a bed of pappardelle pasta.

The menu is not limited to the African diaspora. Take the charred yuzu squid with herb pesto and satsuma currant glaze. Yuzu is a citrus fruit grown in Japan. The squid is nothing like typical fried calamari. The grilled poulet features a chili used in Thai cuisine. The food takes you on an exploration along with Alonzo Bronze. The cuisine’s global nature is inspiring.

The three-story restaurant occupies the space that was once home to Smith Commons. Upon entering, there are tables behind the host stand and a bar at the back of the restaurant. It’s an intimate area. The second floor features the main dining room. The third grants access to the patio and another bar.