The Little Blackbird

The Little Blackbird is an artisan wine bar in Cleveland Park, Washington, DC, opened in September 2023 by veteran restaurateur Ashok Bajaj (Knightsbridge Restaurant Group) in the space that previously housed his Bindaas and, earlier, Bardeo. Designer Martin Vahtra gave the intimate, Paris-inspired room moody interiors brightened by floral wallpaper, blush-pink and pale-green seating, herringbone floors, and a white marble bar topped with a blackbird light fixture. The boutique wine list leans on family-owned, sustainable and organic producers from South America, France, Italy, the U.S., and the Mediterranean, while executive chef Ryan Moore (also of neighboring Sababa) runs a Mediterranean small-plates menu anchored by a stone oven. For non-drinkers, the bar maintains a dedicated "Dry Spell" non-alcoholic program: it makes its own zero-proof "wines" — a full-bodied red with juicy juniper-berry and black-pepper notes, and a stone-fruit white with almond syrup and apricot — alongside a popular non-alcoholic gin fizz built with egg white, lemon, and a non-alcoholic gin syrup. Resy's 2025 roundup of DC non-alcoholic cocktails singled the bar out for making "their own zero-proof wines and cocktails for anyone who might be sober-curious." The wine bar is also known for its whimsical "playful pairings," matching brand-name snacks and candies with wines by the glass.