Café L'Europe becomes The Café on St. Armands with new dining theme


Cafe L'Europe renovated its private and semi-private dining areas ahead of the restaurant's 50th anniversary in 2023.
Cafe L'Europe renovated its private and semi-private dining areas ahead of the restaurant's 50th anniversary in 2023.
Photo by Petra Rivera
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When the restaurant reopens in January 2025, it will no longer be Café L'Europe. 

Oysters Rock Hospitality announced via press release that the St. Armands Circle restaurant will reopen as The Café on St. Armands, also changing its menu theme. 

Oysters Rock Hospitality purchased the 51-year-old restaurant in February 2022. Now, the hospitality group is ready to start a new era of the St. Armands staple. 

The Café on St. Armands will feature a Mediterranean-inspired menu with small plates and a seafood focus. The inspiration will draw from meals from places like Spain, Greece, Italy, North Africa and the Middle East. 

“The Café brings the flavors of the Mediterranean coast to life in the heart of St. Armands Circle,” the release said. 

Along with the new menu, The Café will feature The Wet Bar, which the release calls a “Gatsby-inspired lounge with creative cocktails.” Café Soleil, a coffee bar with morning cocktails, will be another addition. 

The new restaurant will include other “unique services.” 

“Our hospitality will extend to-go liquor sales, bespoke picnic baskets and third-party delivery services,” the release said. 

During Hurricane Helene, Café L'Europe sustained about 5 feet of water throughout the restaurant. The flooding also damaged sliding glass doors and ruined all of the restaurant's equipment. 

At the time, the restaurant needed to lay off staff for unemployment benefits and focus on recovering the restaurant. 

In a previous article by the Observer, Oysters Rock Hospitality Executive Vice President Eleni Sokos said the group was taking time to reimagine Café L'Europe. 

With the reopening as The Café, the restaurant’s appearance will match the new vision of a Mediterranean dining experience. 

According to the release, the restaurant group will start a grand re-opening campaign in January 2025. 

The Café on St. Armands will be located in the same spot: 431 St. Armands Circle.

Correction: The article has been updated to correct one of the geographical menu inspirations was North Africa.

 

author

Carter Weinhofer

Carter Weinhofer is the Longboat Key news reporter for the Observer. Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, he moved to St. Petersburg to attend Eckerd College until graduating in 2023. During his entire undergraduate career, he worked at the student newspaper, The Current, holding positions from science reporter to editor-in-chief.

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