Noted chef Robert Wiedmaier, owner of restaurants Marcel’s and Brasserie Beck, crossed the Potomac River and on February 12 opened the fine dining Brabo by Robert Wiedmaier and the casual Brabo Tasting Room, which sit side-by-side in Alexandria. Both venues have contemporary decor by New York-based Vincente Wolf Associates, and, like the chef’s restaurants in Washington, both feature Belgian-inspired cuisine with a focus on ingredients and products from eco-friendly Virginia farms.
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, 105-seat Brabo features a custom-made, an eight-seat copper bar, with further copper accents extending throughout the space in seating fabrics and wall coverings. For groups, at the center of the dining room there’s a 10-seat chef’s table. The list of 150 wines has a strong focus on Rhone varietals, to complement such dishes as braised-pork shank with baby bok choy, sweet potatoes, and chili sauce.
A few steps away on the brick sidewalks of Old Town, Brabo Tasting Room (open for lunch and dinner) offers a more casual dining experience with 45 seats and an 11-seat, hand-crafted zinc bar, with some seats facing a wood-burning oven. The interior of the 150-year-old building blends the historical and modern elements of brick floors and exposed duct work. The menu focal points include mussels with frites and a wood-fired tart topped with smoked duck, Gorgonzola, and walnuts. For tasting events, there are 35 wines available by the glass as well as a menu of 15 bottled Belgian beers.
Located at the entrance of the new Lorien Hotel and Spa, both venues are available for full or partial buyout.