When veteran chef Cedric Maupillier opened his French restaurant Convivial in 2015, it was an instant hit. Just three months after it debuted, it landed at No. 4 on Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants list. In the nine years since, it’s remained a reliable standout amid an increasingly crowded French dining scene for elevated classics like quiche lorraine or boeuf bourguignon. Now, though, the Shaw restaurant is slated to close after Dec. 22.
“It’s difficult to let go, but the challenges of maintaining consistent sales to meet our financial obligations have led us to this decision,” Maupillier wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. He declined to comment beyond the statement, which you can read in full here.
Although Maupillier does not mention crime in the farewell message, he was featured in a Washington Post story last year about the impacts of neighborhood violence on an industry already struggling with rising costs and thin margins. Convivial had been within earshot of multiple shootings, including at least one that sent customers hiding under tables and plates and glasses crashing to the floor.
“I’m just losing my business slowly,” Maupillier told the Post at the time. “The more people are aware of that location being associated with crime, the less energy the restaurant has to survive for the long-term.”
Through the ups and downs, Maupillier, a protégé of Michel Richard and an alum of (now-closed) Mintwood Place, has maintained an unflashy mastery in the kitchen. The restaurant originally started out with a French-American bent, featuring hit dishes like fried chicken coq au vin. In more recent years, Maupillier has transitioned to more traditional bistro classics—still artfully and skillfully elevated.
“In our short but meaningful life, we’ve had the privilege of witnessing life’s highs and lows—proposals, breakups, tears, and laughter,” Maupillier wrote in his statement. “We’ve seen first dates and new faces, met newborns who later celebrated birthdays with us, and even hosted a few weddings and baptisms. It has been an honor to share in these milestones and to be a small part of your lives.”
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
