Arrival of the Berliner Means Another Big Beer Hall for Georgetown

The Berliner, a new beer hall from the owners of critically acclaimed Lapis Bistro in Adams Morgan, is scheduled to open in Georgetown this month.

With a cavernous, 4,200-square-foot events space and a kitchen stuffing sausages in-house, the Berliner will replace French-themed Malmaison cafe at 3401 Water Street NW. It’s expected to open for dinner service in mid-to-late November.

The Berliner is the latest in a string of new neighborhood arrivals (Dyllan’s Raw Bar, Reverie, America Eats Tavern) that have perked up Georgetown’s once-stagnant dining scene.

D.C.-based Popal Group, the family-run enterprise that’s also behind Cafe Bonaparte, recruited chef Mike O’Brien to craft the Berliner’s meat-heavy menu. O’Brien worked in kitchens throughout the D.C. area (Liberty Tavern, Blue Duck Tavern, Birch & Barley) before moving to the West Coast to gain executive chef experience at Mikkeller Bar (L.A. and San Francisco) and The Monk’s Kettle (San Francisco).

He returned to D.C. in 2017 as chef de cuisine to Kyle Bailey at the Salt Line and, according to his LinkedIn profile, most recently served as executive chef at Owen’s Ordinary in North Bethesda.

At the Berliner, O’Brien’s kitchen will produce six styles of sausages at any given time. The lineup, inspired by family ties and modern Berlin comfort food, calls for traditional hits like bratwurst, schnitzel, and homemade pretzels with beer cheese. Other offerings will include doner kebabs and falafel.

The Berliner’s 24 tap lines will be made up of domestic, international, and seasonal beers ranging from mass producers to to smaller German breweries rarely seen on U.S. menus. Georgetown has a hall already, Church Hall. Neighborhood bar and bistro Sovereign advertises a selection of more than 50 beers .

Top graffiti artists Rachel England, Michael Pacheco and Rodrigo Pradel were recruited to splash murals across the space, which is already well-suited to house a beer hall. The converted warehouse building features three bay garage doors, industrial chic decor, and Bauhaus-inspired design.

The Berliner is scheduled to operate Tuesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight.