After Four Years, La Bete Is Closing on Capitol Hill

[Photo: La Bete/Facebook]

What a sad day for beautiful food. La Bête chef/owner Aleks Dimitrijevic announced on Facebook today that his restaurant will be closing next month. The creative, delicious restaurant has been open just shy of four years and its absence will certainly leave a lot of food lovers (Eater included) hungry for more.

But rest assured, Dimitrijevic wrote, as he plans to come back with another concept in the same space this fall.

Most of you that know me know that I work really really hard, and that I love that space a lot (much more so than the landlords that just raised my rent %33 after 4 years), and rest assured I will make sure that it gets a wonderful new lease on life, since I cant do anything about the bullshit that's on paper.

Don't expect the same animalistic concept, though. He writes, "I just want to give it a fixed identity ... something more light hearted not "the beast" that this place is, always changing, always needing constant attention."

While the restaurant will close August 16, just shy of its fourth birthday, Dimitrijevic says they will be open for private events so long as construction allows. Gift certificates will be honored in the new restaurant. In the meantime the chef is already underway figuring out the next incarnation. He writes:

Believe me, I feel better already just knowing that this little story is coming to an end, and I am really excited about doing something new, turning over a new leaf, and starting the first chapter in a totally new book, with new characters and a fresh ass script.

Again, I would like to thank everyone, staff and patrons alike, for making these last four years possible, its bittersweet, believe me, letting go of something that you've watched grow every day, like a baby in many many ways. Time to let it go and let it grow.