Lutèce | Georgetown, D.C.
Located in the heart of historic Georgetown, Lutèce — a self-described neo-bistro serving French(ish)-style fare — hits every mark.
Last weekend, amongst sleepless, hungover seniors nostalgic already for their soon-to-be bygone college days on what seemed to be the rainiest, muddiest evening of the whole spring, I walked across Healy Lawn for my final time as a Georgetown student to receive my diploma. And just like that, that special life’s chapter called school was over.
With excitement, open arms, and a healthy dose of apprehension — perhaps, for some, even skepticism — my classmates and I welcomed the “real world,” somewhere we’d so often imagined yet that until then remained as elusive to us as outer space.
Truthfully, what I looked forward to most that day had little to do with what our commencement speakers so grandly spoke of — setting out into the world, forging our own paths, celebrating our first major life achievement — and instead what anyone who has had the opportunity to visit would surely look forward to more: a celebratory dinner at Lutèce.
Thirty days earlier, my 11 A.M. alarm — well, alarms plural — were diligently set so I could snag a six-seat reservation on Resy at the 33-cover restaurant on Georgetown’s Wisconsin Avenue. I’d visited one other time in December with my best friend Hannah and having not tasted anything better since — truthfully, not even close —I was eager to bring my family to celebrate my last Georgetown hoorah.
A French-ish Neo-Bistro
Since its opening in February 2020 — then re-opening that August — Lutèce has gained nationwide praise, including its listing in the New York Times 2022 50 Most Exciting Restaurants in America, the Michelin Guide, and Washingtonian’s 2024 100 Very Best Restaurants (listed at #2).
An ode to its French fare, the self-described neo-bistro takes its name from Lutetia, the Gallo-Roman predecessor of modern-day Paris.
The name also honors Chef André Soltner’s iconic NYC Lutèce, which operated for over 40 years, a lifetime in restaurant years. Many moons ago my parents dined at the NYC Lutèce, a factoid they were sure to share with our waiter who told us that only few days earlier, Chef André Soltner himself had attended the restaurant as a guest of honor for an evening that celebrated his culinary legacy.
What’s a neo-bistro, anyway? According to Lutèce, neo-bistros aim to make “authenticity and gastronomic style stand out, without ever falling into the trap of luxury and pedantry.” The neo-bistro movement reimagines dining as approachable, often set in pared-down dining spaces with relaxed service and a strong focus on freshness. In other words, they serve great food in well-designed spaces all while giving off the illusion of effortlessness and resisting stuffiness. My favorite kind of restaurant, indeed.
The Chefs
Lutèce is the brainchild of the Popal Group, the D.C.-based, family-run hospitality group behind Lapis, an Afghani restaurant I wrote about several months ago. A shameless self-promotion, you would be remiss not to read up on the family’s inspiring journey from Afghani refugees to top D.C. restaurateurs which I detail here.
To lead the kitchen, the Popal’s brought in husband-wife duo Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss.
Matt is a Michelin-starred chef trained in both French and Mexican cuisine. Before moving to D.C. to lead Lutèce, Conroy worked as chef de cuisine at Oxomoco in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant. He also spent time at NYC’s Empellón Cocina and Little Prince.
To Lutèce, Matt brings a French-inspired sensibility, creating flavorful yet unfussy, even fun, plates. He reimagines traditional French dishes such as gnocchi, one of Lutèce’s most popular dishes, using pastry dough (pâte à choux, to be precise) instead of potatoes. He adds a welcome kick to the dish with shishito peppers and mushrooms. So too does he reimagine a Caesar salad, using charred cabbage, tahini, sesame seeds, and Parmesan cheese. The dish is one of my favorites and happens to be quite a few others’: In fact, it’s one of only two dishes that have remained on the menu since the restaurant opened in 2020.
Isabel Coss, Conroy’s wife, was born and raised in Mexico City. She dropped out of college to work at Pujol, legendary chef Enrique Olvera’s restaurant, ranked #13 in the World’s 50 Best.
Upon entry, Isabel instantly fell in love with the pastry kitchen: “I needed something that required discipline, was visual, and allowed me to transform things,” she explained in an interview for Cultured Magazine, “I found all of those qualities in cooking — the pace of kitchens, the freedom of manipulating ingredients, and the beauty and happiness desserts can inspire.”
With time under her belt in Mexico City and then N.Y. — where she met Conroy at Empellón — she began at Lutèce working first as a jack-of-all-trades, from hosting to managing the restaurant’s social media. As the restaurant grew, she took the lead in launching the restaurant’s pastry program in 2022. Despite having no formal culinary education, Isabel was named Best New Chef in America by Food & Wine for her work at Lutèce.
One of her most distinctive desserts is the signature honeycomb semifreddo. The dish is made with 18-month-aged shaved comté cheese, clover honey from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania, and semifreddo — a “semi-frozen” Italian dessert close to ice cream. The dessert is an unusual, yet delicious combination of sweet and savory. Another must-try.
Alongside the Popal’s, Matt and Isabel have recently opened their newest restaurant, the highly anticipated Pascual, a modern wood-fired Mexican Bistro in D.C.’s Capitol Hill. Future visits to D.C. — as I pretend to still be in college — will surely include a stop. (To my chagrin, the last time I checked on Resy there were no reservations for the next two months!).
The Space
The 33-seat space is simple, yet certainly doesn’t feel like an afterthought. With exposed brick, hardwood floors, and a pressed-tin ceiling, Lutèce is a romantic and charming space. The marble tabletops are decorated simply with candles and fresh flowers and outside, Zafferano Poldina-esque white lamps. Food are served in elegant, stoneware which varies by dish.
The restaurant’s primary color, a royal blue, used everywhere from the exterior, the napkins, and the business cards, is incredibly effective in tying together the space and creating a strong brand all while avoiding feeling formulaic.
The bathroom is worth a visit too with French books, bottles of wine, and, in true French fashion, a ton of candles.
A few dishes not to miss
Many of these are Lutèce’s signature dishes, though a few may have only been available when I visited.
Sourdough focaccia & cultured butter (some of the best bread I’ve ever had!). I also loved the detailing on the butter which spelt out Lutèce.
Charred napa cabbage tahini, parmesan, roasted sesame
Parisian gnocchi oyster mushrooms, white miso, preserved lemons
Row 7 squash smoked burrata, quinoa, data vinaigrette
Honey semifreddo 18 mo. comté, honeycomb
The cocktail selection is also wonderful — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike. I’ve only tried one, but I’d highly recommend the Grapefruit Moon with mezcal, grapefruits, Capitoline Tiber (a DMV-crafted bitter), and warming spices.
Lutèce hits every mark for me: food, style, service. I’m almost sure a Michelin star is waiting in the wings for this one!
Thank you Lutèce for a wonderful graduation dinner.
Read more about Lutèce on their website.