Dress codes have gone out of fashion over the years as dining has skewed more casual. But when chef Eric Ziebold's tasting menu-only restaurant Métier opens in Shaw in early February, it will require jackets for men. There's no stated dress code for women.
"It's not very often that I get more dressed up than my wife does," Ziebold explains. "I hate to stereotype, but women tend to dress better than men in general. So I think if a man is wearing a jacket, then a woman is going to be dressed appropriately."
If a guy shows up without a jacket, the restaurant will have a few options in different sizes to lend him. Métier joins the likes of The Prime Rib and Marcel's, which also have dress codes requiring jackets for men.
Ziebold says the sartorial rule is just one way that he's hoping to make Métier feel that much more special. He expects many of his guests will be coming for a celebratory experience, whether it's a birthday or anniversary.
Even though we live in an era where billionaire tech titans wear hoodies, "that doesn't mean that sometimes you don't want to have prince and princess night," Ziebold says. He adds that he wanted to create a restaurant with "a little air of magic to it and a little air of mystique to it. And in order to do that, you have to do something a little bit different than every other restaurant."
Aside from the dress code, there are other elements that Ziebold hopes will create that "air of magic." For example, diners will take a private elevator down to Métier, where they will begin their meal with hors d'oeuvres or an aperitif in a salon with a fireplace. From there, guests will head through antique French doors into the 36-seat dining room, where tables are spread out for a little bit more privacy. The restaurant will offer a seven-course tasting menu exclusively. Ziebold says he hasn't settled on the final price yet. "I'm still trying to work out the price on the Japanese beef and the caviar," he says. "It kind of goes without saying, it's going to be expensive."
If you don't want to wear a jacket, you can always have dinner at Kinship, which is located above Métier (and already open). Ziebold also considers Kinship fine dining (there's plenty of foie gras and truffles, after all) but with more flexibility and less formality. The a la carte menu at Kinship consists of mostly appetizer-to-entree-sized plates plus some larger platters "for the table" like a whole roast chicken.
"In many ways, there's an enormous amount of rigidity and rules to Métier that simply don't exist with Kinship," Ziebold says.
More on Métier (including an opening date) to come.
Métier, 1015 7th St. NW; metierdc.com