Image: Peas
Last Updated: August 2021
Current Status: The grand space formally known as Gordon Biersch has the dining room, bar, and streatery open for sit-down dining. They also do take-out if you ever felt like ordering room service to your house.
Overview: New owners of the hotel renovated the building to something nicer. They gussied it up into a fancy hotel with a fine-dining restaurant and a cocktail lounge with a mixologist of some note. After a good opening, the pandemic hit and they had to improvise, including using hotel rooms as individual dining rooms. Chef Patrick Curran has some pedigree as a chef around town to include a long stint at Momofuku. He was retained through the last year providing consistency. The cocktail bar even reopened. Don’t let the gimmicks distract you, the food here is very good. The menu is in the French tradition by way of some New American touches. You can get a burger, streak frites, or duck confit. Artic Char is served in lieu of salmon, and variations on pasta dishes seem to be a staple.
Wine by-the-glass prices are consistent with a nice place, around $15 give or take a few dollars, and the bottle list has several under $70 and not too steep a mark-up on some nicer bottles. The space is indeed grand. There is a long bar – but no sports on the television screens. The ceilings rise a couple stories and the décor hints at opulence. For brunch, business, or a treat Riggs is a safe choice that doesn’t feel pat.
Summary:
Cuisine: French
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Address: 900 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004
Website: https://www.riggsdc.com/bars-restaurants/cafe-riggs
Reservations: Seven Rooms on Website
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Tom went and gushed when it opened, then Knock, Knock it’s Tom dining in empty rooms.
Washingtonian: Preview
Restaurant Guru: Not sure what this site is, but they seem to think the Spy Museum is still nearby.
Michelin (just slightly more reliable): Plate Rating