A new French-inspired cocktail lounge has opened in downtown Iowa City’s Northside neighborhood, bringing craft cocktails and small plates to a restored 1870s building.
Claude, located at 215 N. Linn Street in the Northside Marketplace, opened earlier this month in a 28-seat space designed to evoke early 20th-century Parisian cafés. The lounge features curated small plates, craft cocktails, and an exceptional wine and champagne selection.
“We wanted to create a place where people can truly linger and connect,” said Adélaïde Subtil, owner of Claude. “In our increasingly fast-paced world, Claude offers something different, a space shaped around comfort, good company, and slow evenings. This reflects the French mentality I grew up with, sitting at the table for hours, enjoying conversation, and savoring the moment. I’m thrilled to bring this tradition to Iowa City.”
The establishment is named after Ms. Subtil’s great-grandfather, Claude Beauregard, a French World War I aviator and pioneering airline pilot who opened early international routes across Europe and Asia in the 1920s. The interior features custom furnishings from Paris, a vintage Italian chandelier, and antique pieces.
Ms. Subtil, a French native who studied fashion and art in Paris, co-owns the business with her husband, Thomas Heineman, who helped design and curate the restaurant’s menu. The small plates menu includes tapenade tartines, pissaladière Provençale (caramelized onion tart with anchovy and olive), salmon crème fraîche mousse, and charcuterie and cheese plates served with fresh local baguettes.
David Basinger, formerly of Rodina in Cedar Rapids, serves as beverage director. The cocktail menu features drinks such as “The Night Pilot,” a rum blend with velvet falernum and absinthe, and the “House Manhattan N°1,” made with Linie aquavit, rye, and rosé vermouth.
Wine sommelier and investor John Hart assisted with the wine selection, which includes champagne from the House of Doyard. Dating back to 1677, Doyard is situated in the Côte des Blancs, farming 10 hectares of Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in Ay, Avize, Cramant, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The vineyards are organically farmed, with many parcels tilled by horse, and all wines spend a minimum of four years on lees before disgorgement. The wine list also includes Guy Larmandier Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne and wines from France and beyond.
“Claude represents exactly the type of unique, entrepreneur-driven business that strengthens our downtown,” said Christopher Hunter, director of marketing at the Iowa City Downtown District. “This opening demonstrates the continued confidence investors and business owners have in Downtown Iowa City. Adélaïde’s vision and commitment to creating an authentic, high-quality experience add tremendous value to our Northside neighborhood and our entire downtown district.”
The lounge is open Tuesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to midnight. Claude accepts reservations for groups of six or more at claudeic.com and welcomes walk-ins for smaller parties.
The business plans to open a French antiques and home décor shop on the building’s lower level later this year.
“Downtown Iowa City continues to evolve as a destination for innovative businesses and creative entrepreneurs,” said Betsy Potter, executive director of the Downtown District. “We’re committed to supporting these businesses and fostering an environment where they can thrive.”
