Inside Bar Ivy, Clarendon’s New West Coast-Styled Hangout

The team behind D.C. hotspots Tiger Fork, Hi-Lawn, and Calico brings chic West Coast vibes to Arlington with the anticipated arrival of Bar Ivy.

Two years in the making, Blagden Hospitality Group’s new modern American endeavor opens Friday, June 10, in the center of Clarendon (3033 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va.).

The heart of Bar Ivy’s menu is seafood and veggie-forward dishes with Mid-Atlantic flair, led by chef/owner Nathan Beauchamp and executive chef Jonathan Till. In lieu of a raw bar, Bar Ivy showcases underwater specialties like a crudo dish that changes daily.

“I grew up living next to fishermen, eating lots of fresh seafood and vegetables. A lot of inspiration comes from that,” Beauchamp says.

The coastal look, put together by Edit Lab at StreetSense, seamlessly brings the outdoors in with floor-to-ceiling glass accordion doors that swing open to expose an expansive 125-seat patio.

“What we loved about the space was the outside garden area that has these beautiful mature crepe myrtles. With the corner spot in the building, it’s spacious and open, and a great opportunity for us to spread our wings in Virginia,” says owner Greg Algie.

Diners can expect snacks like octopus carpaccio, oysters on the half shell alongside brandade and dandelion croquettes, and bread made with sweet potato that’s dried and turned into flour. A spin on California’s beloved “Crab Louie” salad stars sweet Peekytoe crab instead of traditional Dungeness crab, topped with hearts of palm, cucumber and a togarashi finish.

“It brings everything together into a sweet and pickled flavor that is extremely palatable and has already proven to be a hit with the staff and friends and family test runs,” says Beauchamp.

One umami-laden dish comes with homemade lamb bacon, Manila clams, and a slew of alliums such as yellow chives for a fatty flavor in each bite.

Till, who is known to be one of the region’s top foragers, will work with local farmers to source unique and hyper-seasonal produce and herbs. Over the last year, Till has pickled and foraged in preparation for Bar Ivy’s opening. The fruits of his labor appear in a toast with mushroom cream and tartufata, pea and nettle soup, and a buckwheat pappardelle with sugar peas, and foraged spring greens pesto.

A small section of entrees includes a lamb roast with fiddleheads and honey jus, rockfish with roasted fennel, and Amish chicken with sunchokes and foie jus. A handful of desserts include lemon tart and a chocolate pot de creme.

BHG beverage director Ian Fletcher whips up spins on classics across a “Proper Cocktails” section. Highlights include a violet-hued “Purpletini” with gin, creme de violette, rose vermouth, sour flower water; the tropical “Tiki Clandestino” made with mezcal, amaretto, mango, banana, coconut water, and chili; and a riffed Manhattan made with homemade amaro.

Lower-proof “Session Cocktails” include a “Sevilla Sprite” — a spin on Spain’s popular rebujito — that combines fino sherry and homemade lemon lime; a bitter “Can You Hear the Drums Fernando” (amaro, chinotto soda); and a “Bark and Bite” that pairs homemade root beer made with locally-foraged sassafras and Manzanilla sherry.

The wine list includes a diverse selection by the glass and bottle, with an emphasis on smaller producers and low-intervention wines. Diners can also expect to see wine dinners and tasting menus in the future.

“We want this to cater to a wide audience. You can come in for a glass of wine and light bites with friends, a casual dinner, or celebrate a special occasion,” Algie says.

Bar Ivy will also cater to the morning and daytime crowd with a casual, walk-up kiosk serving coffee drinks, pastries, and bread. Brunch and lunch will join the mix later this year.

To start, Bar Ivy is open for dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. The coffee kiosk is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with coffee and tea service only. Pastries and morning food will follow at the end of the month.

Bar Ivy will expand hours and days of operation following its grand opening on Wednesday, June 29. Reservations are available via Resy.