Revamped St. Armands restaurant blends new, classic styles

A longtime staple restaurant that has been central to the St. Armands Circle dining scene for 52 years has a new look.

Café on St. Armands officially opened its doors Jan. 21, a relaunch that has been three years in the making.

Eleni Sokos, executive vice president and managing partner, said unveiling a project that has been her passion project for so long was always going to be nerve-wracking, but she was thrilled to see the community show up with such enthusiasm for the hard launch and two-week testing leading up to it.

“The surprising thing to me has been how positive it has all been,” she said, sharing her concern about legacy guests continuing to support the restaurant. “Their reassurance that they understand why we’ve made these changes has been so validating and gratifying.”

She and fellow opening attendees celebrated with Champagne, bites from the new menu and stories of gratitude for those who helped reach that point.

With its exposed brick, ornate white ceilings and marble-topped bar, the restaurant retains the classic charm of its predecessor, Café L'Europe. But Sokos said she sought to update the aesthetic to make it approachable to all eaters, hopefully contributing to the community’s ongoing efforts to make St. Armands Circle exciting and engaging for both visitors and long-time residents.

“The feedback has been phenomenal,” Sokos said. “People feel like the menu is more approachable, that they can really gather over these flavors. And the flavors of the menu are diverse enough that they’re going to keep people coming back.”

The restaurant offers different experiences depending on the time of day. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., patrons can enjoy pastries and coffee from Soleil, which she said has been appealing to families looking for a quick stop before heading out to explore the circle. She noted the coffee bar manager is a former Starbucks barista trainer and said adding the coffee service to the broader cafe concept.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the café serves breakfast tapas, featuring its “benedict flight.” Then, from the afternoon to close, the restaurant dishes up its seafood-centric dinner menu.

Acting General Manger Jason Simpson said the new menu does still feature some crowd favorites, like the crusted grouper that was a popular white-tablecloth service staple. But the menu also includes some new delicacies, like their beet-cured deviled eggs.

Simpson said he is particular eager for patrons to try the "pulpo a la grecia" charred octopus dish.

"There are a lot of fun things to try with our small plates," he said.

Celebrants sampled some tapas offerings before raising their glasses to the owners, Oysters Rock Hospitality, who persevered through floodwaters and all other challenges to get to opening day.