The northern end of the 14th Street corridor is gaining more restaurants and bars, including the newly opened Quarter + Glory, Mule Bone, and a forthcoming barbecue spot. Next up: Sakerum, an Asian-Latin restaurant and lounge from Barcode partner Stephanos Andreou. The bilevel space will inhabit the building at 2204 14th Street, Northwest, and is slated to open this spring.
Veteran bartender Gina Chersevani, also behind Buffalo & Bergen, will design the beverage program. No surprise—sake and rum take center stage, and the bar will mix drinks with fresh sugarcane grown onsite. The second floor, equipped for 90, has a retractable glass rooftop for sipping and eating year-round. Popular design firm Swatchroom is behind the interior, which will feature textiles and artwork from Latin America and Asia.
A long sushi bar is the focus of the first floor, helmed by former Fujimar and Maté chef, Khan Gayabazar. Expect rolls and nigiri with Latin twists, as well as cooked items from the kitchen. A late-night menu is slated to run until midnight on weekdays, and 1 am on weekends.
Though Andreou’s Barcode is better known as a club—and recently came under fire after a stabbing incident—the owner says Sakerum’s focus will be food and cocktails, with an upscale lounge vibe after dinner. The team plans for weekly specials, including a cigar night on the rooftop in warm weather, and sake tasting flights. Stay tuned for more details closer to opening.
Sakerum. 2204 14th St., NW. Opening spring 2016.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
