It’s last call for bocce and bottomless brunch at Vinoteca. The U Street Corridor wine bar and restaurant will close on Sunday, November 24, after 12 years of service. The silver lining: owner Paul Carlson says he plans to transform the space—which includes a front patio and rear outdoor bar— into a new concept with his team from nearby all-day cafe and cocktail bar, the Royal.
“I’m more excited than I am sad but there’s definitely a nostalgic part of it,” says Carlson, who launched the business with his family when he was 26. “Looking back at how much the city has changed, the industry has changed, and thinking about everyone who was part of it, it’s nostalgic.”
Look for details on the new concept soon; an opening date is slated for January 2020. In the meantime, Vinoteca will host its final flamenco show on Wednesday and brunch on Sunday: “From 11 AM until the eggs are gone and Champagne bottles run dry,” says Carlson.
Vinoteca. 1940 11th St., NW
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.
