Argentina's hit floral bar and fiery restaurant debut in Georgetown
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A cocktail at Floreria, a new Argentinian cocktail bar, flower shop and wine boutique in Georgetown. Photo: Courtesy LeadingDC
Flowers. Wine. Fire. Georgetown is now home to the first U.S. outpost of Buenos Aires' acclaimed Florería Atlántico — a cocktail bar that doubles as a flower shop and wine boutique — and its adjoining wood-fired restaurant, Brasero Atlántico.
Why it matters: Florería is a fixture on the "World's 50 Best Bars" list. Its D.C. debut brings Argentine hospitality and immigrant-rooted storytelling to a neighborhood whose trendiness continues to rise.
The big picture: Argentina's cuisine is shaped by waves of immigrants from Germany, France, Spain and beyond — all crossing the Atlantic (hence, Atlántico).
- D.C. menus weave those traditions into cocktails, wines and wood-grilled fare — with nods to the capital's own immigrant history.
State of play: Florería Atlántico debuted Saturday. Brasero is coming soon.
- The shop sells florals and natural wine from 10am until 2am. Cocktails flow from 4pm. Look for seafood-forward small plates through late-night.
- The bar hides behind an antique refrigerator door, but founder Renato "Tato" Giovannoni insists: "It isn't a speakeasy," and unrelated to American prohibition.
Flashback: Giovannoni opened Florería Atlántico in a residential neighborhood over a decade ago. He opened a first-floor flower-and-wine shop that neighbors could enjoy, and built a cocktail bar in the basement.
What they're saying: "We opened a bar for the neighbors to tell a story about Argentinity," says Giovannoni. "One side is through the eyes of immigrants, and how these people mix and blend with the local people."
Between the lines: D.C. is now the fourth Atlántico iteration, after Barcelona and Bahrain.
Zoom in: Giovannoni partnered with Buenos Aires native Alex Resnik — a 24-year veteran of Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, who ran the now–closed Source and Georgetown's CUT.
- D.C.'s "Legendary Cocktails" menu highlights immigration, like early Scottish settlers, and trade along the Potomac.
- The wine list showcases small producers and lesser-known Argentine grapes beyond Malbec.
What's next: Brasero will bring eclectic dishes: homemade pâtés, preserved vegetables, empanadas, wood-grilled game, and "Suprema Maryland" — schnitzel-style chicken topped with creamed corn, bacon, peppers and fried banana (it "just works," per Saveur).
The intrigue: Atlántico's narrative concept arrives as federal crackdowns on immigrant communities intensify — and just steps from the MAGA-aligned club, Executive Branch.
- Giovannoni says he's "not pushing to tell you a story. The story is there if you want to hear it."
- The message is simple: "We're influenced in a very good way by what people bring when they move from one place to another."
If you go: Atlántico DC. 1066 Wisconsin Avenue NW.