ABOUT CANA
Cana is a love letter to Brazil — and especially to the spirit of Rio de Janeiro — brought to life by UnOrdinary Hospitality.
At UnOrdinary, our mission is to create concepts that celebrate culture with authenticity, depth, and a sense of place. We believe the best hospitality tells a story — one rooted in lived experience, shared tables, and human connection.
Cana was born out of that vision.
Through years of travel, late-night conversations, and deep personal ties to Brazil, we felt something was missing in Washington, D.C. While the city offered every type of restaurant — from Italian trattorias and Spanish tapas bars to French bistros and Japanese izakayas — Brazil, a country overflowing with soul, creativity, and culinary richness, was either underrepresented or misunderstood. What did exist leaned toward fast-casual or dated formats that didn’t reflect the modern, expressive, and layered Brazil we knew firsthand.
We saw the opportunity to do something different — something unordinary.
So we created Cana.
Cana is more than just a bar and restaurant — it’s a gateway to Brazil, tucked into the heart of Adams Morgan. At its core is the boteco — Brazil’s version of a neighborhood bar. Think of it like a Spanish bodega or a classic NYC corner bar: relaxed, local, essential. A place you pop into on a slow Tuesday or where a Friday night begins and somehow becomes the main event.
In Brazil, botecos are the heartbeat of everyday life. They’re simple but soulful — places where people gather to eat, drink, talk, unwind, and feel seen. That energy is what we channel at Cana.
Our food menu reflects this spirit: dishes you’d find at a sidewalk table in Rio — charcoal-grilled picanha, golden coxinhas, moqueca, feijoada. Everything is made for sharing, meant to be eaten slowly and socially, with no rush and no rules.
Our cocktail program pays homage to Brazil’s most iconic ingredient: cachaça. The caipirinha is the star — reimagined with balance and restraint. Alongside it, our “Not Caipirinha” cocktails explore bold Brazilian flavors through more familiar fruits like passion fruit, mango, guava, and lime — crafted with modern technique and a playful spirit.
And then there’s the music.
Sourced from Rio’s flea markets, our vinyl collection spins the sounds of Tim Maia, Jorge Ben Jor, Marcos Valle, and Seu Jorge — a warm, cinematic backdrop that gives the space its pulse. It’s funky, timeless, and unmistakably Brazilian.
Cana’s design carries that same energy. Inspired by Brazil’s mid-century architects and modernists like Oscar Niemeyer, Lina Bo Bardi, and Jorge Zalszupin, the space blends rich Tauri oak, amber lighting, and hand-painted tiles from São Paulo. It feels like a postcard from Brazil’s golden era, reinterpreted through a D.C. lens.
At Cana, every detail is intentional. Every plate, every sip, and every song is part of a story — a celebration of Brazil’s rhythm, flavor, and spirit. This is where the beauty of the everyday meets the energy of the unforgettable.
Cana is Brazil — reimagined by UnOrdinary Hospitality — one night, one guest, one moment at a time.
MEET THE TEAM BEHIND CANA
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RADOVAN JANKOVIC
FOUNDER
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MARKO BOGDANOVIC
PARTNER
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Nicole Bauer
Sous Chef
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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MAXIMILIANO RIVER PAPIC
CHEF
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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BAR MANAGER
MARKO VISIC
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MIGUEL LUCANTONIO
SOUS CHEF
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.