A new European-style play cafe and wine bar designed for families with young children is coming to Bethesda.
Chez Mamie is expected to open in early 2027 at 4841 Del Ray Ave, taking over the space that was home to Baruch Cafe from December 2024 until March 2026.
Founded by Bethesda resident Jenn Tartavull, Chez Mamie is being designed as a place where parents can enjoy coffee, food, beer or wine while children ages 0-6 play in dedicated developmental areas. The concept will be capacity-controlled, with full sightlines of the play areas from every café seat.
The children’s space will be divided into three skills-based zones rather than strictly by age. “Le Jardin Secret” will offer soft spaces for children from the newborn through sitting stage, “Les Premiers Pas” will be geared toward crawling and walking children, and “La Cour” will provide a larger play area for children who are running and more active.
The concept will also be screen-free and will not include ball pits. Natural materials will be used throughout the space. Chez Mamie plans to offer memberships as well as drop-in visits, session packages and private party buyouts. Adults will enter for free, as will children under 12 months when visiting with a paying sibling. A limited number of founding memberships are expected to be released in November.
The café has already lined up several local and regional partners. Coffee will come from DC-based Lost Sock Roasters, while pastries will be supplied by Boulangerie Christophe, which has locations in Georgetown and Potomac’s Cabin John Village, as well as DC’s Bien Cuit. Bethesda’s BabyCat Brewery will supply beer. A Virginia wine partner has not yet been announced, and the business’s beer and wine license is currently in the permitting process with Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services.
Tartavull spent more than a decade in consulting before developing the Chez Mamie concept after having two children. The name is a tribute to her grandmother in France, whose home Tartavull describes as a welcoming place where the door was always open and nobody was in a hurry to leave.
“I was tired of spaces that asked parents to choose between a good cup of coffee and a safe place for their children to explore,” Tartavull said. “Chez Mamie was born from the belief that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your adulthood to spend an afternoon with your kids.”
Current plans call for Chez Mamie to be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 9am-3pm, Thursday and Friday from 9am-7:30pm, and weekends from 8am-7:30pm. It will be closed Mondays.
