Loft & Cellar targets a June opening for its three-level restaurant concept in Third Ward

The 7,500-square-foot restaurant, located in a hundred-year-old building at the corner of 4th and Poplar Streets, has been in the works for about a year and a half.

Owner and Executive Chef Nicolas Daniels says he wants to create a space where exquisite food can be enjoyed free of the formalities of traditional fine dining.

“Upscale restaurants can feel pretentious,” he said. “We just want people to have fun. We won’t stuff this place up.”

Each of the building’s three floors will have a distinct feel and purpose.

Daniels says it’s the kind of place you could come and stay all night — starting with dinner downstairs and then moving upstairs for drinks and live music later in the evening.

The Cellar — The basement houses the kitchen as well as a 20-person private dining room inside the wine and beer cellar. The reservation-only space will feature a special menu served by Daniels himself.

The Restaurant — The main floor is meant to be a dark, cozy restaurant with a long 27-foot poured cement bar and high-back booths around the perimeter.

The Loft — Upstairs is a lighter, airier lounge space with windows on all sides and a view of Romare Bearden Park. A small stage will host live music daily.

For now, Loft & Cellar’s menu is a closely guarded secret.

Daniels says to expect cuisines from 32 different countries served as shareable small plates ranging from $9 to $45 per plate.

“We want people to travel the world on our three floors,” he said.

That applies to the bar menu, too. Daniels says 18 of their 20 taps will be dedicated to the #1 beer from different countries around the world and the other two will be for local brews.

Cocktails will steer away from more predictable trends (like the mule wave currently sweeping the bar scene) towards lesser known international drinks like the Singapore Sling or the Chilean pisco sour.

Daniels, a native of Santiago, Chile, expects pisco sour to be a house specialty.

Stay tuned for more as Loft & Cellar approaches its grand opening.

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