Mediterranean-chic River Club opens on the Georgetown waterfront
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River Club's Med plates. Photo: Courtesy of Scott Suchman
The Georgetown waterfront has a chic new dining and drinking destination: River Club.
Why it matters: It's been years since a new restaurant opened at Washington Harbour, and the team behind Dupont Circle's popular Residents Café & Bar is angling for another splashy venue.
Dig in: Owners Farid Azouri and David Nammour channel Lebanon, Italy, and Spain in the former Bangkok Joe's space, which boasts 140 seats and an outdoor terrace.
- They wanted to create a spot that's somewhere in between the waterfront's casual bars (e.g. Nick's Riverside) and fine dining restaurants like Fiola Mare. "Fun, chic, and comfortable — we want to fill that niche," Nammour tells Axios.
Price-wise, that means cocktails around $18, small plates between $12 and $17, and big platters for 2-4 people that start at $90.
On your plate: Lots of shareable dishes. Residents chef Nathan Berry created a Mediterranean menu of mezze, skewers, and big platters that come with sides, sauces, and starches that groups can rip into.
- The place isn't a fusion spot. Instead, you'll find distinct drinks and dishes from Spain like pan con tomate or lobster paella, Italian specialties such as pasta limone, and flavors from Lebanon like fattoush salad or smoked lamb belly skewers with harissa honey.
Chef's rec: For groups, Berry says he'd send out the Spanish branzino bilbaína — a showstopper 3 lb. sea bass that's served with saffron rice, crispy potatoes, and a tangy salad.
In your glass: Bar vet Jon Arroyo, who's behind the tikis at nearby Founding Farmers Fishers & Bakers, designed the drinks here. There's a lot of tableside action, whether you're ordering Lebanese-style "arak service," where the anise-flavored spirit comes with water and ice, Italian "amaro service," given the shakerato treatment, or Spanish-style "vermut service" with various accompaniments.
- For fans of the buzzy Residents espresso martini (an early favorite in the now-crowded field, est. 2019), there's an affogato martini with gelato, espresso liqueur, vodka, and pistachio oil.
The intrigue: Nammour's father owned an Asian-fusion hotspot nearby, also called River Club, in the late '80s and '90s that was "mobbed with stylishly dressed couples," per the NYT. This iteration is less of a club-club — there's no neon-lit dance floor — but there is a super fancy sound system (Azouri's a DJ and "went big" on acoustics).
- Diners will nosh to soul, funk, old-school hip-hop, and international tunes. And also, hopefully, hear their tablemates thanks to a lot of padding on the high ceilings. "We don't want it to be loud. The idea is we stay groovy and happy," says Azouri.
If you go: River Club, 3000 K St NW. Open for dinner Tues-Sun, brunch coming this fall.