1764 was the chance to reinvigorate a long-vacant space on a prominent corner in the bustling Central West End. Formerly a deli located in the historic Forest Park Hotel building, the owners of 1764 wanted to create a space that honored the history of St. Louis (1764 is the date of St. Louis’ founding) while paying culinary heritage to New Orleans, our sister city down the Mississippi.

Riddled with an irregular column grid, substantial changes in slab height, and a dilapidated addition, providing adequate kitchen space, seating, and a large bar was a tall order to fill. The solution was a mezzanine above the centrally-located bar. Not only did the mezzanine create a visually beautiful way to store wine and a disguised walk-in to keep beer kegs cold for the bar below, but it was a subtle nod to traditional French Quarter homes that feature a second floor balcony, typically made of wrought iron. The bar and mezzanine were strategically placed to contain two of the large columns in the grid. A large area on the far west side of the restaurant was 30 inches higher than grade, and the concrete was removed to bring the slab to the same elevation throughout the space. This area is now home to a cozy private dining room. The kitchen was tucked into the south corner of the space, and it features a large pass so guests can see the movement in the kitchen.

Outside, the old addition was removed and replaced with a neat, modern box that didn’t stylistically compete with the historic architecture of the Forest Park Hotel building. The addition’s windows were outfitted with a hydraulic mechanism that raise the windows to create an open-air bistro when the weather is pleasant. The west side features a small bar to serve outdoor guests and to provide another seating option. Meanwhile, the east façade of the Forest Park Hotel next to the original addition had suffered from an unfortunate EIFS renovation. Our team stripped the EIFS to reveal the original arched windows, and we created new templates to match the original egg-and-dart molding to continue it to the new addition. New limestone was cut to match the original, and the new addition was designed to visually coexist with the lines of the limestone wainscot.