Nearly two months after opening, the Shaw Bijou is cutting the price of its prix-fixe in half. Previously, a ticketed 13-course tasting went for $185 per person (no tax, tip, and alcohol). As of January 3, chef Kwame Onwuachi will offer a new seven-course lineup for $95, which includes a welcome cocktail.
“When people ask me ‘why DC?’ my immediate response is always ‘DC chose me.’ And it did,” says Onwuachi in a release from the restaurant. “I came to this city because of the energy. The Shaw Bijou’s vision was simply an extension of a 5-year dream of ours; and while achieving that goal, we fostered an environment and restaurant that was not reasonable for all…Humility creeps up on you when least expected, and the opening of this restaurant has taught us just that. This being our first restaurant, and for some a first business venture, we had a substantial amount of learning and adjusting to do. And we have, immensely.”
The Shaw Bijou received social media backlash over its prices from the start, and lukewarm reviews from critics at Washingtonian and the Washington Post. In response, the row-house restaurant co-owned by Kelly Gorsuch of Immortal Beloved salon has made a number of changes to its operations. The second-floor bar opened a few seats to the public this month, before converting the entire 40-seat lounge area into a walk-in watering hole called Let’s Be Enemies. Representatives from the restaurant say the ownership also canceled plans for its members-only club, expected to be a “social experiment” for industry leaders.
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.
