Clementine Cocktail Bar, the tiny downtown Providence lounge owned by former Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline, has closed its doors after four years in business. The bar announced the closure through its Instagram account on Friday, thanking customers for their patronage and describing the run as better company than they could have asked for.
The 200 Washington Street spot had served as a go-to stop before dinner at neighboring businesses and a nightcap after shows at Trinity Rep, according to WJAR. A reason for the closure has not been disclosed. In its own statement, Clementine's management hinted that the storefront won't sit empty for long, telling customers to keep their eyes on 200 Washington Street over the following weeks to see what amazing things will happen next, according to GoLocalProv.
A Pre-Theater Fixture Since 2022
Clementine was slated to open in October 2022 and celebrated its grand opening in November 2022 directly across the street from the Trinity Repertory Company theater, according to InDowncity. The bar launched with an intimate 16-to-20-seat capacity and a rotating menu of seasonally inspired cocktails, mocktails and small tapas plates, per the same outlet. It was named after Cicilline's great-grandmother Clementine, and he co-launched the venture alongside General Manager Cristian Cantaragiu, an international bartender and mixologist who previously worked at 41 North in Newport and served as lead bartender for the 2017 MTV Movie Awards.
High-end design firm BAMO handled the interior, part of the company's launch of its first East Coast design studio in Providence in late 2022, according to BAMO. The 450-square-foot space has a long history as an incubator for notable Providence dining concepts: it previously housed chef Benjamin Sukle's acclaimed restaurant Birch, the Al Forno owners' Tini Bar, and historically the New Yorker lunch counter, per the Providence Daily Dose.
From City Hall and Congress to the Bar Business
Before opening Clementine, Cicilline worked in restaurants throughout college and law school to help fund his education and previously owned a restaurant in Narragansett, according to the Providence Daily Dose. That hospitality background sits alongside a long political résumé: Cicilline served as mayor of Providence from 2003 to 2011, becoming the first openly gay mayor of an American state capital, and represented Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023, per Brown University.
Cicilline resigned his congressional seat in May 2023 to become President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, the state's largest philanthropic foundation. IRS Form 990 filings showed his total compensation at the foundation reached $840,042 in 2024, according to GoLocalProv.
Part of a Wider Shift Downtown
Clementine's closure marks a change in downtown Providence's food and nightlife scene. For now, the future of 200 Washington Street remains open, with Clementine's own announcement suggesting a new chapter for the storefront is already in motion.
