DineAmic Hospitality is making its way across the Mediterranean, bringing inspired concepts to Chicago that breathe fresh coastal air into the city. Last year saw the debuts of Mykonian LÝRA and VIOLÍ; this summer, DineAmic will open its coastal French concept La Serre on the coveted corner of Green and Fulton.
With its entrance off Green Street, the second-floor fine dining restaurant and supper club encompass 6,500 square feet plus a 2,000-square-foot terrace overlooking Fulton Market.
Around the corner on the ground floor, with its entrance off Fulton, Bar La Rue will have 3,000 interior square feet as well as an adjacent 2,500-square-foot, all-seasons outdoor pergola.
La Serre
Inspired by the international hotspot of St. Tropez, La Serre invites guests to enter off Green Street into a lush and colorful greenhouse—the name La Serre translates to “The Greenhouse,” after all—where they’ll find bohemian decor, thick wood beams, Venetian plaster, troughs of flowers, floral booths, and antique mosaic tiles reminiscent of the French Riviera.
The energy revolves around a central peninsula-shaped bar, with the main dining area raised a few steps to overlook it.
Adjacent to the dining room is a main focal point of the space: a bustling, traditional French-style open kitchen with a wood-burning hearth.
There, chefs will prepare Southern French coastal favorites such as grilled seafood, charcoal-roasted vegetables, and other simple, yet flavorful, Mediterranean fare.
In lieu of traditional French brasserie-style favorites, La Serre plans to opt for a lighter, more vibrant, Mediterranean approach.
Bar La Rue
With its own separate entrance on Fulton Market Street and marked by its large outdoor garden pergola—which has an outdoor-to-indoor bar just a few steps from the street—Bar La Rue (“The Street”) is an edgy urban escape that evokes a gritty Parisian cocktail bar and bistro.
Neon signs and windows filled with illuminated liquor bottles are juxtaposed with opulent crystal chandeliers and ornamental brass shelving.
The menu will be comprised of French plays on traditional bar fare and other everyday Parisian classics.
As Bar La Rue plans to be open for both lunch and dinner, items such as fresh salads and sandwiches will surely make their way onto the menu.
For the more indulgent, items such as a decadent grilled cheeseburger and a twice-fried poutine will pair perfectly with the carefully curated cocktail menu.
Culinary Team
The scene is set, but DineAmic doesn’t stop at the scene.
Rather, the cuisine is quite literally the group’s bread and butter.
And to make the new concepts’ cuisine top-notch, partners Luke Stoioff and David Rekhson have imported not just the aesthetic but the chefs as well, tapping French-trained heavy hitters and Mediterranean all-stars to bring the menu to life.
Helming the kitchen for both La Serre and Bar La Rue are Chef Angelos Kotsiris, hailing from Le Petit Maison in London; and Chef Nikitas Pyrgis of La Guerite in Cannes; plus, Chef Partner Athinagoras Kostakos, formerly of Alain Ducasse in Monaco and Partner in both LÝRA and VIOLÍ.