Food

President Biden and First Lady Cozy Up With the Macrons at Fiola Mare

Joe and Jill dine out on the Georgetown waterfront with the French dignitaries.

Fiola Mare. Photograph by Andrew Propp.

President Biden and the First Lady pulled a DC dining power move on Wednesday night, snagging a see-and-be-seen booth at Georgetown’s waterfront Italian restaurant Fiola Mare for dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Macron. The latter dignitaries arrived in DC on Tuesday as part of the first state visit of Biden’s presidency, and attended the National Christmas Tree lighting on Wednesday evening before skipping out to dinner. 

If there’s any doubt of a friendly French and American alliance, you wouldn’t know it from POTUS’ social media. The newly minted octogenarian posted a pic on Instagram and Twitter that shows the the foursome cozied up in one of the nautical-chic booths with views of the Potomac River and Kennedy Center. The caption: “Welcoming some friends in town.” Biden, on brand, appears to be enjoying ice cream. 

Fiola Mare is a popular pick for A-listers, including President Obama—who was serenaded by diners there on his birthday—and Hollywood visitors like Meryl Streep. The Bidens also visited the luxe seafood restaurant, famous for its $65 lobster ravioli, in 2021, when they caught flack for going maskless during the city’s indoor dining mask mandate.  

The first state dinner of Biden’s presidency will be held tonight at the White House. On the menu: butter-poached Maine lobster, coulotte of beef, poached pears, and yes, more ice cream.

Food Editor

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.