Around Town

Alexandria’s Bastille Brasserie & Bar celebrates 20 years with exclusive anniversary dinner

Bon appétit! Bastille Brasserie & Bar (606 N. Fayette Street) is celebrating a milestone this Thursday, Sept. 17.

It’s the French restaurant’s 20th anniversary, and the evening features a one-night-only, $155 per-person four-course dinner with wine pairings. Chefs and owners Christophe and Michelle Poteaux opened the restaurant in 2006, and they’re calling the anniversary celebration “Icons at 20.”

“Twenty years gives you a lot to look back on,” Michelle said in a release. “There are dishes, guests, employees and moments that become part of a restaurant’s story. Icons at 20 is our opportunity to revisit some of those memories while celebrating where Bastille is today.”

Christophe thanked customers for their support.

“Restaurants only reach milestones like this because people continue to walk through the door,” he said. “We are extremely grateful to our guests, our employees and this community for allowing us to be part of it for so long.”

The party will start with champagne and gougères (cheese puffs), followed by:

  • Heirloom tomatoes with burrata
  • Tuna tartare with Espelette aioli
  • House-cured foie gras with buckwheat blinis and caramelized figs
  • Seared jumbo scallops with summer white truffle risotto
  • Petit cassoulet with duck confit
  • Pork belly and Toulouse sausage
  • Bouillabaisse with market fish
  • Prawns and clams
  • Apricot-pistachio bavaroise
  • Valrhona Manjari dark chocolate terrine

The dinner will be followed by a Cake + Bubbles birthday night celebration during regular dinner service on Saturday, Sept. 19. The regular menu will be served, and Christophe and Michelle will offer a small anniversary treat and bubbles to thank patrons for their support over 20 years. Tickets are not required.

Throughout the month, the restaurant will also feature wine selections priced at $20.06 per bottle.

On Sept. 18, Bastille will also say goodbye to Noemi Zelaya, one of the restaurant’s longest-serving employees.

“Noemi has given an extraordinary part of her working life to Bastille,” Michelle said. “Her dedication and loyalty have meant more to us than we can adequately put into words. We are incredibly grateful for everything she has done for us, our team and our guests. We are happy for her as she begins this next chapter, but we are going to miss her terribly.”

Bastille Brasserie & Bar serves dinner from 4-9 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.