Le Grenier (502 H Street) will begin cooking French dishes for dinner and brunch (weekends only) this Sunday. We sat down with co-owner Marie Ziar to learn more about the restaurant and to take a tour of the beautifully renovated space.
Bar Area at Le Grenier
Le Grenier will be a sister restaurant to Le Chat Noir in Friendship Heights. Marie Ziar explained that she and her husband chose to open their second restaurant on H Street because H Street is an exciting and booming area that she feels also has a real sense of community. While Le Chat Noir has a more formal and traditional French feel, Marie Ziar explained that their goal for Le Grenier is to have a more modern atmosphere that will tailor to H Street’s younger crowd. Le Grenier will be a restaurant first and will make food the priority (as opposed to some places on H Street that focus on alcohol but also offer food) but will also have an extensive cocktail and French wine list.
Stairs Leading to the Second Floor of Le Grenier
All of their food will have a French focus and will be made from scratch. They will not have a incredibly long menu but will change it every three months to reflect the new season. They plan on serving food that is fresh and authentic but not terribly expensive.
Corner Table on the First Floor of Le Grenier
As for the interior, Ms. Ziar explained that Le Grenier translates to attic and that the restaurant’s interior is designed to resemble an attic that is full of happy memories. The design is partially inspired by the history of the building; when they were renovating the building they learned that one of the walls had a large Coca-Cola logo painted on it from when the building had previously housed what looks like a pharmacy. They kept the Coca-Cola logo on the wall and cleverly incorporated it into the design of the restaurant to give the French restaurant a uniquely American twist.
Coca-Cola Logo on the Wall of Le Grenier
Throughout the two story restaurant there are items that one might expect to find in an attic that would have special memories such as a drum set, a scooter, and many pictures and mirrors.
Drumset Perched above Stairs at Le Grenier
The restaurant has roughly equal seating on both levels with the kitchen on the second floor and the bar on the first floor. Even though Le Grenier is not an end-unit row house, it has windows on the right side wall as part of the building is designed so that there is a several foot space in between the wall of Le Grenier and the next building. These interior windows add additional natural light to the restaurant, especially on the second floor.
Interior Window with Scooter on it at Le Grenier
Overall the new interior looks great and the food sounds delicious, so we can’t wait to check it out sometime soon.
Second Floor View Overlooking H Street
Wine Rack at Le Grenier
First Floor at Le Grenier
District Cuisine 
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