A glam Riviera restaurant from one of D.C.'s top French chefs debuts on K Street
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A showstopper seafood tower. Photo: Courtesy Scott Suchman
DJs. Bouillabaisse. Blackout curtains. Glam new Riviera-style restaurant Barbouzard lands on K Street July 29 — bringing St. Tropez with it.
Why it matters: One of D.C.'s best French chefs is steering the party yacht.
Catch up quick: Chef Cedric Maupillier — a Michel Richard protégé (Central, Citronelle) — returns to upscale dining after shuttering Shaw's Convivial, which he ran for a decade.
- He's teamed up with nightlife aficionados Nasr El Hage and Nellie Elana Gebrai, plus Dany Abi-Najm of Lebanese Taverna Group.
Between the lines: This isn't some amateur DJ stop — the restaurant's entertainment director screens top talent, plus live jazz musicians.
- The space is decked out with a Champagne lounge, summer garden, VIP nooks and prime people-watching booths.
What to expect: Barbouzard (French slang for "secret agent") is more Bagatelle than La Boum — "classy, elegant, sexy," says El Hage of the target vibe.
- A DJ booth, piano stage and "dim party brunch" (hence the blackout curtains) are part of the plan.
- But don't call it a club. "The word 'club' is not allowed here," El Hage jokes.
Dig in: The French-Med menu goes glam. There's seafood plateaux, caviar service, whole dover sole and rib cap steak-frites ("the best part of the best steak," Maupillier says).
- Maupilier's panache is on display — voluminous salads, elegant crudos, homemade pastas and a showstopper bouillabaisse swimming with European fish and shellfish.
- Also, lesser-seen French dishes from Maupillier's roots like Marseillaise-style rabbit or pissaladiére flatbreads. And soufflé for dessert.
🍸 Cin cin: High-rollers can opt for caviar martinis or trendy bone marrow vieux carré ($68).
- Plus more accessible indulgences like $12 bubbles.
The intrigue: Dress codes have largely gone the way of loaner blazers, but Barbouzard has a "smart casual" policy (no shorts, flip-flops, etc).
- "Everyone's welcome," El Hage tells Axios. "But we want to keep the elegance, the classic prestige of Barbouzard, so people all feel the same experience."
What's next: Party brunch, lunch and late-night hours roll out through fall.
- Valet — also a rarity — is designed to lure suburbanites.
- On brand, Barbouzard may launch a car service — party-bus-style — to dial things up.
What they're saying: "We want to be the destination for celebrations," says El Hage.
If you go: Barbouzard. 1700 K St., NW