With Maison, the Lutèce Team Brings Big French Energy to Adams Morgan

Spreading out was always part of the plan.

Maison’s stately Adams Morgan home was once the Habana Club, an old-school Cuban nightclub that held court across the street from Popal Group mainstay Lapis for more than 35 years. That was until the club’s longtime owner made the pandemic-driven decision to close its doors — and Popal Group’s Omar Popal saw an opportunity. Shortly after a pending deal happened to fall through, the team swooped in with a clear vision to translate Lutèce’s approach within the roomier venue.

“Omar saw the space go on the market,” recalls chef-partner Matt Conroy. “He reached out and said, ’Hey, if anything falls through, let me know,’ and it did.”

“With Lutèce being only 28 seats, it’s very tiny, so we were always talking about how we wished we could expand,” he continues. “The same ethos, but in a bigger space and with a more drink-forward focus, as opposed to just a restaurant.”

The design moves between Gilded Age eclectic and romantic.

Inside, the aesthetic draws on an Art Deco-accented kaleidoscope — green marble tabletops offset a tiger-striped carpet and elaborate wooden fireplaces, while chrome fixtures pop against dark floral wallpaper and warm leather banquettes. The shotgun-style layout rolls from a casual front bar area into the former tenant’s original 12-seat bar, an expanse of dark marble glowing beneath vintage pendant lights as an eye-catching silver paneled ceiling curves into an illuminated backbar. It all ends in an inviting rear dining room decked out in its own maximalist charm.

A far cry from the plan-ahead world of Lutèce, Maison is geared toward the spontaneous — and the wine-thirsty.

“The vibe is defined by having a walk-in space. Lutèce is reservation-only, but the entire front half of this new space, from the bar forward, is for walk-ins,” Conroy explains. “We’re really creating a space where if you’re in the neighborhood and just got off work, you can walk in, have a glass or two of wine, and some food without having to be tied down.”

The menu is French-ish, fancy-fun, and made for sharing.

As for the food, expect a menu of original takes on Francophile classics, each with its own locally driven story to tell.

“We’re inspired by French food, but here in D.C., cooking with what’s local and around us is very important,” says Conroy. “Everything has a nod or a wink to a French technique you might see in a classic cookbook, but making it a little bit more modern and putting our spin on it.”

Conroy describes the bulk of the menu as “good for sharing, stuff that’s fun to eat with wine,” with dishes facilitating a communal atmosphere while also allowing guests to sample a wider range of culinary creations.

“I tend to order more appetizers when I go to eat, and maybe one entree for the table — I find it’s more interesting and usually more creative,” Conroy notes. “So, [the menu] is heavy on app-sized portions up top, and then three or four entrees that we’ll rotate through.”

Of course, we’re not talking mozzarella sticks and Buffalo wings. Instead, think warm rustic bread slathered with cultured French butter; plump oysters topped with a delicate clarified coconut curry; juicy melon swimming in melt-in-your-mouth stracciatella and ham; and snails spiked with yellow Chartreuse. And then there’s the croquettes, stuffed with smoked eel shipped in from Maine.

“Right now, my favorite is probably the eel croquettes,” Conroy says. “We’re making a really classic croquette with the bechamel and everything inside, but instead of bacon, we’re using eel, chopped up and folded in. And then some of it is glazed and brûléed on top, served with a smoked paprika sauce.”

For something more substantial, you’re looking at protein-forward options like grilled tuna plated beside tangy tomato confit, creste di gallo pasta loaded with Jonah crab and late-summer corn, and Conroy’s pick: tender, brioche-stuffed chicken doused in rich jus and finished with a cluster of decadent chanterelle mushrooms.

“We only have probably four items of what people would consider entrees,” he continues. “The chicken features brioche stuffing under the skin with green garlic and Parmesan cheese. We’re roasting the chicken whole and then carving it to order — it’s already one of the favorite dishes on the menu.”

The bar program runs on wine — including the cocktails.

Of course, what’s a wine bar without the wine? Popal Group beverage program designer Suzy Critchlow’s by-the-glass list highlights thoughtful selections from France and its neighboring regions, including a sparkling chenin blanc from the Loire, grenache blends humming with dark fruits and spices, and zesty, easy-drinking skin-contact numbers. As for the bottles, that’s when things get serious.

“We do have a really heavy wine focus — we’re aiming to have a thousand bottles in our cellar downstairs,” Critchlow says. “There’s going to be a heavy French focus, but also stuff that we’re excited about that we want to pour for people.”

The cocktails are equally adventurous — and wine-centric.

“The cocktails all have some sort of wine ingredient,” she continues. “We have a daiquiri with fig leaf and muscat, there’s Sauternes instead of simple syrup in our old fashioned — the philosophy is to make sure that we’re including wine in everything we do.”

Dubbed “Put the Wine in the Coconut,” the daiquiri is a clear standout, an expertly balanced mix of rum, muscat, and lime juice dusted with powdered fig leaf for an earthy edge. The house martini also goes above and beyond, featuring gin layered with blanche Armagnac, dry vermouth, tarragon, and a hint of butter for texture, all served beside a blue cheese-stuffed olive, cornichon pickle, tart caperberry, and a sidecar on ice.

Maison is a welcome addition to D.C.’s wine bar offerings.

Of the converted brownstone’s three floors, only the first floor is currently open to guests, though a second-story dining room and a top-floor private event space are both in the works.

“The second floor will be a dining room and will eventually have a space for live music,” says Conroy. “The third floor is going to be a private dining room and event space.”

For now, walk-ins are rolling in, regulars are already staking their claim at the bar, and Conroy’s croquettes are finding their way onto Instagram feeds across the city.

And if the first few weeks are any indication, Maison just might be a long-awaited answer to the District’s desire for high-quality, low-fuss wine bars.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to is very excited about our opening,” added Conroy. “It’s a little more inviting and casual, which is something I think people are seeking now. We need more good wine bars in D.C.”