One of D.C.‘s Best Chefs Channels the French Riviera on K Street
Downtown D.C.’s restaurant scene is still recovering from a mass exodus of office workers, but nearly year-old Barbouzard is rejuvenating the neighborhood as a glitzy destination for locals and tourists alike.
The high-end interior is filled with hand-blown glass chandeliers and gilded accents, but there’s also a playful energy with a large lounge and live classical music performances that turn into bouncing DJ sets after 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
What to order
- Start with French dishes with Maupillier’s flair, like tender escargots in garlic butter; a surprisingly rich vegetarian French onion soup made with miso broth; and panisse, pillowy chickpea fritters, with a light scallion foam.
- Try zesty seafood options, like a Tahitian-inspired yellowfin tuna crudo with a coconut-lime sauce and seared scallops swimming in a curry, lemongrass, and ginger emulsion.
- The lobster pasta sounds heavy, but the bisque hugging every bite of linguine is surprisingly light and spiced with espelette peppers that cut through the butter.
- Cassoulet is another hardy Southern France staple that Maupillier makes lighter, combining it with paella. A large pan of tomato and garlic-flavored, crispy bomba rice is topped with a confit duck leg, mushrooms, pork sausages, cured pork belly, and chicharrones.
What to drink
- Two tribute cocktails are always on the menu: Whiskey mixed with pomegranate in Sanaa’s Table pays homage to co-owner Nasr El Hage’s mother and the J. Harrington Martini combines mezcal, Chartreuse, and vermouth.
- The French and Italian wine list is beautifully displayed along a hallway to the bathroom.
Insider tip
Despite the drop in downtown office workers, this is one of the best happy hours in town, with plenty of great deals to build into an affordable meal at the bar from 2:30 to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Among them: $10-14 plates of raw seafood and a $12 wagyu cheeseburger with fries.