Lutèce team opens chic French wine bar in Adams Morgan with live music
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Maison Bar à Vins serves little treats (lamb tartare, homemade brioche) in Adams Morgan. Photo: Courtesy Deb Lindsey
One of the year's most anticipated openings is near: Maison Bar à Vins, a dreamy French wine bar and restaurant, opens in Adams Morgan on Sept. 13.
Why it matters: It can be tough to get into Georgetown's buzzy Lutèce — now chef Matt Conroy and the Popal Group are giving guests more space (and fireplaces) for sipping and lingering.
The vibe: Homey — if your home is a chic Parisian pad. The team transformed a three-story historic rowhouse into a living room-esque bar and dining space, complete with three wood-burning fireplaces.
- Levels include: A cozy first-floor bar and dining room. Second-floor lounge for live music (coming soon). And private dining up top.
Plus, late-night eats: The kitchen stays open until 2am on weekends — serving playful, belly-padding plates like bone marrow and crispy chicken cordon bleu sandwiches.
What they're saying: "It's designed to be like walking into someone's home with an elaborate dinner party on multiple floors," partner Omar Popal tells Axios.
Dig in: Conroy says his menu is all about "things that are fun to eat while you're drinking" — if you're eating and drinking like a Francophile chef.
- Think homemade terrines, dressed oysters, fresh pastas and brioche-stuffed chicken with jus gras and chanterelles.
- Guests can drop by for a drink and nibbles like lamb tartare or eel croquettes, or reserve dinner tables.
In your glass: Sommelier Chris Ray curates around 1,000 bottles, heavy on France and Champagne ($15–$20 by the glass).
- Suzy Critchlow (ex-Columbia Room) adds cocktails with wine-based ingredients, French liqueurs, single malts and gins.
Zoom out: The Popal family has run D.C. restaurants for two decades — including Lapis and Lapop across the street, plus a new project next door at the old Cashion's space.
What's next: Popal envisions Maison as an anchor of a revived Columbia Road dining row, echoing its heyday with Clinton-approved Cashion's and the original Café Atlantico helmed by then-little known chef José Andrés.
- "I would love to reintroduce some of that, and turn [Maison] into a neighborhood institution."
If you go: Maison Bar à Vins. 1834 Columbia Road NW