L'Avant-Garde
French Brasserie · Washington D.C. · Michelin One Star · Chef Sébastien Giannini
Contemporary French brasserie in Georgetown offering a la carte and prix fixe menus. Partner Chef Sébastien Giannini serves seasonal French cuisine with classic cocktails. Originally opened by Chef Gilles Epié in 2022. Washingtonian 100 Very Best Restaurants.
1726 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009, Washington D.C.
- Michelin 2025
Menu
Dishes
- Duck Confit Terrine (22) — Duck thighs confit eight-hours, micro herbs salad, truffle juice vinaigrette
- Le Filet Mignon Bellini (48) — Lavender honey roasted peach, table-side shaved 'Belper Knolle' cheese, and lardo green beans (add fries, béarnaise $11)
- Veal Tongue (29) — Slow cooked for six hours, clarified butter chips, Gribiche sauce
- Baby Octopus — Eggplant caviar, red pepper coulis, caponata, and chickpea tuile
- Poulet Rôti — With herbes de Provence and confit, served with frites, poulet jus and our béarnaise sauce
- Branzino — French Riviera style, turned potatoes, candied lemon and capers, lemon beurre blanc
- Chilean Seabass — Taggiasche olives, creamy polenta, aged parmesan emulsion, fennel confit
- Goat Cheese Salad (26) — Fresh figs, arugula, hazelnuts, orange confit, thyme honey vinaigrette
- Hamachi Ceviche — Poached pears, confit lemon, fresh dill, chives, extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea Scallops — Pan seared with thyme and bay leaves, Nori beignets, slow-steamed leeks, beurre blanc, add caviar $21
Wines
- Champagne Drappier Brut Nature (35) — Pinot Noir, strikingly dry, exceptionally elegant and sophisticated
- Red Sancerre (22) — Recommended pairing for fish/meat combinations
- Château Laribotte Sauternes 2019 (24) — Preignac dessert wine with tropical fruits, honey, caramel
- Champagne by Glass (22) — French champagne selections at Georgetown's historic row house. Partner Chef Sébastien Giannini, a French Riviera native, presents a menu of generous, precise French cuisine.
- Champagne Hubert Et Fils Brut (25) — Hints of citrus and minerals, fine train of bubbles
- Michel Turgy Grand Cru Brut Reserve (28) — Blanc de Blancs, Champagne
- Sancerre Domaine Raimbault-Pineau 2023 (21) — Sauvignon Blanc. Citrus, white flower, blackcurrant bud. Dry mineral finish
- Bourgogne Blanc Joseph Drouhin 2022 (24) — Chardonnay. Citrus, honey, vanilla. Funky, spontaneous, charming
- Bordeaux Chateau Peyfaures Merlot 2015 (30) — Full rich wine, concentrated black fruits, structural tannins
- Bourgogne Rouge Famille Masse (23) — Cote Chalonnaise, Vieilles Vignes 2023. Plum and cherry, soft tannins
Cocktails
- Old Fashioned au Canard (for 2) (42) — Duck fat washed bourbon and cognac, orange marmalade, bitters, applewood smoke
- Rive Gauche (18) — Vodka, gin, Elderflower Saint-Germain, basil, mint, lime, champagne
- Tequila Bouquet (19) — Tequila blanco, Grand Marnier, hibiscus flower and syrup, lime juice, tajin salt
- Old Fashioned au Canard (42) — Duck fat washed bourbon and cognac, orange marmalade, bitters, applewood smoke. For 2.
- The Gin-Yal (19) — Chamomile tea infused gin, pear liqueur, white vermouth, blue agave, suze, lemon juice
- Espressini (20) — Vodka, Italian espresso, amaro nonino, coffee liqueur, chocolate bitters
- Duck Fat-Washed Whiskey (22) — Martell Blue Swift, orange marmalade, walnut bitters, smoke
- Caper Berry Martini (19) — Vodka, gin, caperberry brine, Lillet rose, lemon bitters
- Kintsugi Manhattan (19) — Toki Japanese whisky, Mancino Sakura vermouth, Peychaud bitters, Luxardo cherry, gold leaf
- La Saison Pumpkin (19) — Tequila, orange liqueur, allspice dram, pumpkin syrup, and lime
Tasting Menu
- L'Asperge Asparagus Prix Fixe (69) — Four course asparagus menu: marinated tuna, burratina salad, seared branzino, ultimate chocolate
- Le Homard Lobster Prix Fixe (89) — Four course all-lobster menu: bouillabaisse en croute, lobster salad, lobster thermidor, creme brulee
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Related restaurants
- Award-winning restaurants in Washington, D.C.
- More from chef Sébastien Giannini
- Mélisse — Los Angeles (2 Michelin stars)
- Trente-Trois — Paris (1 Michelin stars)
- Jeune et Jolie — San Diego (1 Michelin stars)
- Mémoire — Bruges (1 Michelin stars)
- Knife Pleat — Costa Mesa (1 Michelin stars)