Bastille
Press & Reviews
Wine Spectator Magazine
August 2008
Bastille wine list gets the "Award of Excellence"
Alexandria Times
July 2008
Invasion of the D.C. Chefs
"Leaving DC behind (Michelle and Christophe) opened a portal in Old Town to modern French cuisine. From Duck and lamb to savory beignets and foie-gras, a classy, uncluttered approach to French unfolded as the two chefs, each recognized for their talent and skill, insinuated themselves into the fabric of Old Town. Garbee is nominated for a 2008 Rammy award as the Washington area’s best pastry chef...
Old Town Crier
February 2008
"February is the month for love – so it must be time for a French restaurant..."
Washingtonian magazine
January 2008
Washington Top 100 restaurant: Bastille is ranked 58th with 2 ½ stars
"Modern French bistro with international influences. Very Left Bank with edgy paintings, oxblood-red walls, dark-wood floors..."
Washington Post
October 25, 2007
Bastille: Hearty and Elegant French Country Cooking
"Tucked along the northern edge of Old Town, Bastille offers hearty French food with elegant touches, a cozy atmosphere, plenty of parking and prices low enough for it to be a regular splurge. In the hands of husband-and-wife chefs and owners Christophe Poteaux and Michelle Garbee..."
Washington Diplomat
November 2007
French Evolution:
Like Its Namesake, Bastille Succeeds In Bringing Change, Innovation
"Chefs Christophe Poteaux and Michelle Garbee have been on the leading edge of a trend to shift away from the high-end destination dining model, creating an atmosphere that is welcoming and casual—and a menu that is as accessible to the casual diner as it is to the foodophile...."
DC Examiner
April 24, 2007
"We can call it a trend: Accomplished chefs trading in the stuffiness and high-concept menus of starched-tablecloth restaurants for the more casual charms of a traditional bistro. Add Christophe Poteaux and Michelle Garbee to the list of pros who have successfully made the shift...."
Washingtonian
March 6, 2007
"The Alexandria restaurant, now in its sixth month, is a charmer, a cozy, softly-lit wine bar of a place, and its chef, Christophe Poteaux, is cooking with heart...has fashioned a menu that looks to the future but is unapologetically rooted in the past."
"The hot and cold foie gras plate [is] as good as you can hope to find in a foie gras dish...The list of wines is modest but interesting and full of range, and offers the option of half-pours..."
"The level of attention -- from start to finish, and from the smallest detail to the biggest statements -- is impressive, and speaks well of this young, ambitious operation."
The Washington Post
February 21, 2007
"Worth the trip: Calamari beignets"
2007 Zagat Guide
Rated Excellent
"Charming rusticity transports diners to provincial France at this wine bar and bistro tucked away in Alexandria's Old Town; the menu , however, reflects the recent Parisian revolution in Gallic fare, as chef-owners Christophe Poteaux and Michelle Garbee (both from the late Aquarelle at the Watergate) reinvigorate the classics with Mediterranean flavors such as cardamom, fennel, harissa and lemon confit;
N.B. its secluded outdoor patio is a delight."
Northern Virginia Living Magazine
Best new restaurant of 2007
March 2007
Washington Times
November 6, 2006
"Newest Bastille a French symbol of culinary liberty...
...Bastille is off to a good start, with the best to come."
Alexandria Gazette
September 7, 2006
"French Revolution in Old Town North:
New restaurant, wine bar opens in familiar location."
Daily Candy
September 5, 2006
"...you’ll be up in arms over Bastille, a new French restaurant and wine bar with a truly innovative twist. The menu focuses on traditional French dishes but incorporates Mediterranean spices such as star anise, fennel, and cloves — a nod to the changing Parisian population."
Wall Street Journal
September 2, 2006
"Chef Poteaux calls his food Franco-Mediterranean, not fusion - but a blend of similar regional tastes. One example: steak with pommes frittes and a long pepper sauce with a touch of chocolate ."
