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Big news in the Bywater, as much anticipated Parisian-style bar and bistro Saint Germain is opening this Sunday, in the St Claude Avenue space that was formerly pizzeria Sugar Park.
It comes from an accomplished trio — chef-owner Blake Aguillard brings experience from three-Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Saison; he was also an opener at local staple MoPho. His partners on the project are also stepping over from MoPho — Trey Smith, was chef de cuisine, and Drew Delaughter was the restaurant’s GM.
According to an Instagram post, Saint Germain will open this Sunday (October 28) at 5 p.m. (The caption indicates that the venue quietly opened for a test run last week, although it seems to be closed again until the Sunday opening.)
As previously reported, Saint Germain is a two-in-one operation. First and foremost is the wine bar element — it should be open most (if not all) days and is expected to feature a solid selection of natural wines (but also cocktails and beer), and Frenchy small plates.
Then there’s a petite bistro of around a dozen seats — Aguillard and Smith will be at the burners cooking French fare, having noted that Parisian bistro Le Comptoir was an inspiration. The bistro will be an exclusive affair — back in spring, the Saint Germain team suggested it would only open three days a week.
Conveniently, the shotgun-style house with Saint Germain inside has two separate front doors — one for the bar and another for the bistro, and the two sides will operate fairly separately. The house was a key reason why Aguillard, Delaughter, and Smith chose the location — they wanted an intimate, farmhouse feel, where diners and drinkers are served by the owners themselves.
The house also comes with a sizable backyard, which has been made over into a positively charming and pastoral drinking area.
