Bastille Owners Open Maison Breizh, a New French Lunch Concept in Old Town
The new dining space offers made-to-order galettes, crepes, wraps and salads for a quicker lunch or carryout
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Chefs Michelle and Christophe Poteaux formally celebrated the opening of Maison Breizh, a new casual French lunch concept connected to Bastille Brasserie & Bar, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 15.
Located next to Bastille and accessible through its own entrance at 1205 Pendleton St., the 26-seat dining space offers a quicker, lighter, and less expensive alternative to the full-service restaurant, which now focuses primarily on dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Maison Breizh opened in early June. Its name loosely translates to “House of Brittany.” “Breizh”—pronounced roughly “brayss,” rhyming with “place”—is the Breton-language name for Brittany, the culinary region in northwestern France.
Michelle affectionately calls the new concept simply “Breizh.”
“We designed the menu for shorter dining time and for carryout orders,” she said. “It’s a simpler approach.”
A French Lunch Designed for Busy Diners
Maison Breizh specializes in freshly prepared crepes, buckwheat galettes, French wraps and salads, with menu prices ranging from $9 to $19. Savory fillings include cheese, meat, shrimp and vegetables, while approximately a half-dozen sweet crepes round out the menu.
One of the classics is the $9 Beurre Sucre, made with butter and raw sugar. The buckwheat used in the galettes is milled in Brittany and shipped to Alexandria.
“It’s something I have been wanting to do for years,” Michelle said.
Michelle, Christophe and her mother, Lynn White, renovated the space and planned its details themselves. Maison Breizh is marked by a small French blue-and-white sign, bistro-style tables and freshly painted white walls with wood wainscoting.
The new lunch concept is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. In addition to its food menu, Maison Breizh serves illy coffee and espresso, hot tea and other beverages. Champagne, wine, beer and a nonalcoholic lager are also available.
For carryout, Michelle particularly recommends the croustillants—crunchy buckwheat crisps—as well as the French wraps and salads.
Bastille Regulars Discover Something Different
Bud and Amelia Amos of Kingstowne have become frequent lunch customers at Maison Breizh. They have also been regulars at Bastille for nearly 18 years, first visiting its original Royal Street location and continuing after the restaurant moved to North Fayette Street.
“Most every Friday for the last 18 years,” Bud Amos said of the couple’s Bastille tradition. “It is not unusual to see us here multiple times a week.”
Over the years, the Amoses have come to know Michelle and Christophe as friends and have watched the couple’s children grow into young adults.
Although Maison Breizh shares its culinary roots with Bastille, Amos said the new dining space has its own identity. “It’s different from the regular Bastille restaurant,” he said. “Michelle has captured the food, the feel.”
Amos added that Maison Breizh reflects the informal dining culture of Brittany. The couple has not yet sampled everything offered at Maison Breizh—but intends to. “We haven’t gotten through the luncheon menu, but plan to soon,” Amos said with a laugh.
At the ribbon cutting, bartender and server Andres Henao circulated on the patio near the Maison Breizh entrance, offering guests glasses of champagne. He said word of the new lunch option has been spreading steadily.
“The clientele has been increasing,” Henao said. “We see it because people come here and say that other people who have dined here have told them to come.”
General Manager Juan Ramirez, who recently won Manager of the Year at the 2026 RAMMY Awards, said Maison Breizh has brought new energy to the entire team.
“This is a project that Chef Michelle has had going for the past two years, and it’s something we have been excited about,” Ramirez said. “Maison Breizh is definitely more casual, lighter and quick—but it is not fast food. It is exciting for the whole team.”
The RAMMY Awards, presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, recognize outstanding talent throughout the District, Maryland and Virginia restaurant industry. Ramirez’s honor came during a standout year for Alexandria establishments at the 2026 RAMMY Awards.
A New Chapter as Bastille Approaches 20 Years
The opening comes as Michelle and Christophe prepare to mark another milestone: the 20th anniversary of Bastille, which they founded on Royal Street before moving the restaurant to North Fayette Street. Bastille was also voted Alexandria’s top French restaurant in The Zebra’s 2025 Best of Alexandria readers’ poll.
The couple recently joined other French chefs in cooking at the French Embassy’s annual Bastille Day benefit. With that event and the Maison Breizh ribbon cutting behind them, Christophe said he can begin focusing on plans for Bastille’s anniversary celebration.
“Sometimes, it’s like, really, 20 years?” he said, shaking his head and laughing. “It’s like what they say: Where did the time go?”
Maison Breizh is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 1205 Pendleton St. For the menu and additional information, visit maisonbreizhva.com.
