Get Your French On for Bastille Day
By • July 11, 2024 0 732
By Sophia Hall
Between the national French holiday, Bastille Day, falling on Sunday, July 14, and the 2024 Summer Olympics occuring in Paris later this month, the feeling in the air is very French. Perhaps your inner Francophile craves a croissant or longs to wear a signature beret (despite the steadily climbing temperatures!). Never fear: The Georgetowner has compiled a list of local restaurants where you can not only celebrate these significant moments but also get your French on.
Besides these wonderful eateries listed below, another event that you must attend is the French Embassy’s Bastille Day Gala, that opens a world of gastronomy and joie de vivre for all to share! Prepared by sixteen of the best French chefs of Washington DC, the food will transport you across the Atlantic––no Visa necessary. The evening, consisting of a multi-course dinner, live raffle, silent auction, plenty of dancing, and more, starts at 6:30pm and lasts until 11pm. Get your tickets here.
Apero’s Sunday brunch just became even more fantastique with their crepe specials just for Bastille Day! Owner, beverage director, and Advanced Sommelier Elli Benhimol highly recommends trying the traditional savory provençal crepe.
Join Bistrot Lepic on Sunday for a celebratory new menu to honor the French holiday! Traditional French fare offered one-day only includes courgettes facies aux crevettes (shrimp-stuffed zucchini), pigeon roti, grilled goat cheese artichoke hearts, and a mouth-watering homemade apple tart. The evening will also feature a live jazz performance with the Renee Tennenbaum Jazz Trio.
Apero will be featuring Bastille Day specials this Sunday. Photo courtesy of Apero.
It’s always cocktail hour at Brasserie Liberte! Try the La Fédération, offered only on Bastille Day. Grey Goose, Grand Marnier, Ginger Ale, and sparkling wine topped with a mint leaf––what’s not to like?
For the Olympics, the Les Champs-Elysées will be a must-have. A traditional French gin mixed with a St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Cointreau, and lemonade makes for the perfect concoction to celebrate with and root for your favorite teams!
It’s time to don your red, white and blue again, but for a different national holiday! Enjoy some delectable tricolor mille-feuille (Napoleon Pastry) and berry fruit tarts at this staple Georgetown bakery.
This Sunday, enjoy some bubbles at La Bonne Vache––for only $95, you can enjoy a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, 2 LBV classique burgers and pommes frites in limited edition Veuve packaging! Their by-the-glass price will have guests running through the door, with $12 Nicholas Feuillatte champagne and $7 Bouvet Cremant. If that’s not enough to entice you, maybe their red, white and blue decor and traditional French soft-serve ice cream will. The first 50 dining guests will receive free berets, and complementary French flags will be handed out to all customers.
In the Parisian spirit, this new neighborhood gem will also begin offering a new cocktail: the Fefi. Starting July 26th, you can channel your inner chic French spirit with this delicious drink consisting of Vermouth, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice, and foam topped with a flower.
Get your French on at L’Avante Garde! Star chef Sébastien Giannini debuts a new menu, aptly titled Le Tour de France, that runs from July until the end of the Olympics. This French fare takes guests on a culinary exploration of the many regions of France. Classic touches take on a new twist, such as a passion fruit creme anglaise added to the classic île flottante. This restaurant located right on M Street NW transports you to France with their authentic Nicoise salad, citrusy Moules-Frites a la Toulonnaise, and double-burned creme brulee. If you’re craving some seafood with all this hot weather, the Maryland crab tartare and the lobster salad garnished with grapefruit and Granny Smith apples are not to be missed. And the peak of French gastronomy, the bouillabaisse with an in-house saffron soup base, honors Giannini’s grandmother who first taught him how to make the acclaimed dish.
Head over to Lutèce for specials like Beef Tongue frites, Mille-Feuilles with anise hyssop and summer berries, and Courgette Tarts with vin jaune. Join Advanced Sommelier Chris Ray as he pours his favorite organic and biodynamic French wines for the holiday.
Plus, for the Olympics, they will be offering special “Bronze,” “Silver,” and “Gold” cocktails, so everyone feels like a winner. Each cocktail takes inspiration from French cocktail culture and a bronze, silver, or gold base spirit.
Venture onto 14th Street for weekend family fun on Bastille Day! Cabaret dancers on Saturday night will kick off the celebration, which continues on Sunday with face-painting for kids, an all-day glacé and ice cream cart, and an accordionist wandering around the restaurant and serenading guests. A mini Eiffel tower will be constructed upon the entrance as well––perfect for a photo op!
At both the Georgetown and Union Market locations, this French cafe will be offering a giant croissant big enough for the family! This extra-large, flaky, buttery and rich pastry makes sure that everybody is clamoring for the last bite. It’s available in person only for $25, limit 2 per customer.
Head to this French patisserie this Sunday for some off-the-menu bites. This Georgetown classic will be offering not one, but two new pastries: a delicious orange cream brioche bun and the choux pastry religieuses, which are decorated with a frilly white whipped crème collar to make them resemble miniature nuns.
