A forthcoming restaurant and nightclub in Clarendon is seeking to bring a more refined approach to cocktails and diner food.
Industry veteran Michael Sina is the man behind Cielo Restaurant, which is expected to open later this year as an upscale diner in the daytime and a nightlife destination after dark.
“We are going to kind of try and bring back a little elevated experience to Arlington at the same time,” Sina told ARLnow. “We will be a nightclub at nighttime, so we will have that lounge effect, but we are trying to cater to a little bit more elevated crowd.”
Look no further than the food menu to get a glimpse of the approach. A French-style omelet, for example, will include caviar, crème fraîche and homemade chips. Tomahawk steaks will also be available.
For drinks, Cielo will focus on options that strike a balance of several flavors — which Sina says are increasingly hard to find in the neighborhood.
“My personal special drink is a spicy mezcal margarita,” Sina said. “I want to be able to get that drink at 12:30 at night and have a nice environment where I can take my wife and we can spend a nice night out.”
“I’m 39, and if I want to go to [Don] Tito’s or Clarendon Ballroom or some of those places I feel a little old,” Sina added, “and I want to be able to go somewhere where I can not be hit by four people in the face when I’m trying to walk through.”
Cielo is expected to open within the next three months on the second floor of 1137 N. Highland Street, across from the Clarendon Metro station. The space was formerly part of The G.O.A.T. sports bar and, before that, Hard Times Cafe. The first floor now houses a bank.
Sina is still waiting to secure permits that will allow for a facelift to the space, which he says will not need much more than that due to its previous use.
“Everything’s already been ordered, all my materials are sitting in a warehouse,” Sina said. “We’re just waiting for the go ahead from the [county].”
Hat tip to Chris Slatt
