Drinks From One of the World’s Best Bartenders and French Bistro Fare Warmed D.C. As Winter Wound Down
by Kelly Magyarics
One of my last outings before the world shut down in 2020 was to Silver Lyan, where owner Ryan Chetiyawardana and I chatted about his first outpost outside of Europe. On the heels of rebranding the London-based Dandelyan and launching White Lion in Amsterdam, Chetiyawardana, better known as Mr. Lyan, was bringing his whimsical brand of mixology to Washington, D.C.; unfortunately, the bar was open for barely a month before it had to shutter as COVID-19 gripped the world.
Fast-forward two years, and I was finally able to return to the subterranean lounge, which reopened last summer. Housed in the basement of the Riggs hotel, the space blends midcentury design with dark wood-paneled walls, a lit display case, charcoal-colored velvet wingback chairs and black marble tables, and a bar with Japanese-style panels and swivel stools. The drink menu, meanwhile, cleverly comes with a striped transparent overlay; set it atop and move it across the book’s illustrated elements to watch them animate. But the drinks are the real parlor trick, inspired by local history and American traditions more generally.
Project Apollo is this #spacenerd’s dream tipple, where Hendrick’s and “moonrock” gin infused with salts and minerals are fizzed with ironwort and sour pineapple, then sprinkled with raspberry dust; like several other sips, it’s also available boozeless thanks to worthy understudy Seedlip. Four versions of the Mad Men–worthy Martini come with a tray of accoutrements—a half-shell oyster, olives, house-pickled onions, and lemon peel. Elevated Jell-O shots are paired with shots of Gosset Champagne. But the Ceres Joker is the showstopper. A coupe of The Macallan, Plymouth Sloe Gin, and ginger is served with a helium balloon that, when lit tableside, releases the fragrance of lemon zest and burnt nitrates to simulate the aromas of gunpowder, rubber, and lit match found in extra aged spirits. After one couple ordered it, half the bar followed suit. We did not, and instead sat with our FOMO. Next visit, I guess—which will be sooner than two years from now.
What we didn’t miss out on was French bistro comfort food that same chilly evening at Bistro du Jour at The Wharf, the latest concept from restaurant group KNEAD Hospitality + Design. The drinks program, overseen by beverage director Darlin Kulla (featured in Taking Inventory in our November/December 2021 issue), abounds in fun twists: There’s lemon verbena in the French 75, aged rum in the Air Mail, and a whole menu of French apéritifs, from pastis to Pineau des Charentes. The wine list includes five traditional-method sparklers by the glass and less-expected bottles like Melon de Bourgogne and Ploussard from Jura.
A play on one of my favorite French snacks, radishes come with a ramekin of nutty melted brown butter. A shareable crock of French onion soup is the best version I’ve slurped recently, and playful raspberry macarons are slathered with foie gras mousse and fig jam. While the coq au vin was decent, we were hard-pressed to locate many pearl onions, mushrooms, or pieces of bacon. Much better were the plump, tender mussels, traditionally steamed in a garlicky white wine–and–herb bath and served with hot, crisp, perfectly salted frites. Desserts come from the New York–based Mah-Ze-Dahr bakery, but a better strategy is to hit the bakery counter for flaky chocolate croissants, brioche cinnamon rolls, and cream scones that make for a sweet start the next morning.
