Vibe Restaurant and Lounge is set to officially open at 8081 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, taking over the former Sky Blue Lounge space and bringing an Afro fusion, Afro futuristic upscale dining concept to the Georgia Avenue corridor.
Behind the concept is Nicolette Orji, professionally known as Nikki The Jeanius, a DMV-based cultural creator, fashion designer, stylist, and creative director of Nigerian-American descent. Orji is the founder of All Things Ankara, a platform she launched in 2012 that has since grown into a leading voice in African fashion, media, and cultural storytelling. With Vibe, she serves as co-founder, CEO, and chief creative officer, leading the project from concept to execution.
Orji oversaw the restaurant’s creative vision, brand identity, interior design direction, marketing strategy, menu storytelling, experiential design, and launch strategy. Her work on Vibe spans visual branding, LED-driven design elements, content and guest experience curation, and overall cultural positioning, helping establish the restaurant as a destination rooted in African diaspora storytelling, innovation, and luxury.
Her work has earned regional and national recognition. She was featured in District Fray’s “The Next Gen of Style Setters Taking Over the District” in 2022, recognized as an innovator by Macy’s during its Washington, D.C. Metro Center Black History Month event in 2018, and previously served as a guest speaker and fashion show curator at Yale University’s Africa Salon in 2017. She has also worked with a wide range of celebrities and influencers across music, fashion, and entertainment.
The restaurant’s grand opening weekend runs from Friday, January 30 through Sunday, February 1, with a three-day celebration designed to introduce guests to the Vibe experience. Events include a ribbon cutting on Friday, a CEO-hosted experience on Saturday, and a chef-driven dining experience on Sunday. Reservations are required for all grand opening events.
Alongside the opening, Vibe is launching a chef-curated four-course prix fixe experience priced at $99 per person. The offering includes a choice of one appetizer, a palate cleanser, one entrée, and one dessert, along with a signature cocktail, mocktail, or wine pairing.
The menu blends Afro fusion flavors with global influences. Appetizers include suya tacos with a house-made plantain tortilla, char-grilled suya, mango chutney, and herb pico; Provençal lumpia filled with slow-braised goat and served with sweet chili sauce; harissa fritos calamari and shrimp; and guasacaca wings finished with a bright vinaigrette.
Larger plates include the Taste of Africa Sampler featuring char-grilled suya, dibi guasacaca wings, harissa calamari and shrimp, jollof rice, sweet plantains, and pepper sauce. Entrée options range from attiéké escovitch poisson braisé with braised branzino, to maafé lamb chops with peanut sauce and herbed couscous, and peri peri porotos chicken served with citrus jus, bambara bean hummus, and jollof rice.
Vibe Restaurant and Lounge will operate Tuesday through Sunday from 5:00pm to 1:00am and will be closed on Mondays.
