Early Details on Lucie Drink and Dine, Opening This Winter at the Colonnade

The neighborhood bar and restaurant is headed for the longtime home of Brasserie Jo.


Photo courtesy of Lucie Dine + Drink

The Back Bay and South End diners had to say au revoir to a neighborhood mainstay last fall when Brasserie Jo closed after 20 years, but soon there will be a new spot in town: Lucie Drink + Dine will open this winter at the Colonnade, bringing global flavors and a top-shelf bar program to the renovated hotel lobby.

From the new-to-Boston group Howard Wein Hospitality, Lucie aims to appeal as much to locals as it will to the hotel population. That means modern flavors and quality ingredients, as well as friendly service and affordable prices, per a press release. The restaurant shares a name with one of owner’s dogs; the line-drawn logo is original art by that owner’s wife.

Michael Chandler is chef de cuisine at Lucie. Most recently at the helm of nearby Oak Long Bar + Kitchen, Chandler was formerly executive chef at Grill 23 & Bar, and at Top of the Hub. He’s also an alum of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s New York City hotel hotspots, the Mercer and the Mark. Expect to taste a range of influence on Chandler’s menus at Lucie: Wagyu steak frites and spaghetti carbonara are among Lucie’s soon-to-be-signature dishes. See more early menu details at the bottom of this post. On the bar, guests will find an accessible wine list, plus craft beers, and a serious cocktail program spanning the classics and new creations.

Lucie will serve daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus late-night options for post-Symphony and Huntington Theatre crowds. It will also bring another weekend brunch option to the neighborhood surrounding Northeastern University and Berklee College of Music.

The restaurant is situated off the Colonnade lobby, which has been under renovation for the better part of 2019. When it opens this winter, Lucie’s look will contrast with the concrete architecture of the 1970s hotel building—think: lush fabrics and upholstery, and bold lines against walls of gray. Lucie will have a variety of seating set-ups, including cozy nooks, private dining rooms, two-tops, and large shared tables, plus a semi-enclosed lounge area around the bar.

The new project is the latest effort by Howard Wein Hospitality, which since 2011 has partnered with nationwide restaurant and hotel clients including Virgin Hotels, the Diplomat Beach Resort, a variety of colleges, and celebrity chefs like Jose Garces, Scott Conant, and Geoffrey Zakarian. Wein also owns and operates the unique Western Mass. restaurant the Alvah Stone, located in Montague at the Book Mill.

Stay tuned for more details on Lucie Drink + Dine as it chases a late-2019 or early-2020 opening. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at the menu, as well as some early renderings of the new restaurant.

Coming this winter to the Colonnade, 120 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-425-3400, colonnadehotel.com.

Lucie Drink + Dine Menu

STRACCIATELLA pistachio pesto, pickled beets, grilled bread

DIVER SCALLOPS sweet corn grits, bacon-cider glaze, apple

PIGS IN A BLANKET sweet pepper relish, house mustard

WARM BUTTERED KING CRAB lemon, breadcrumbs, brown butter

CRAB LOUIS WEDGE iceberg, jumbo lump crab meat, baby tomato, asparagus, hard boiled egg, louis dressing

WHOLE BOSTON BIBB crispy potato, watermelon radish, pistachio, avocado, green goddess

CHOPPED ORGANIC GREENS black kale, Napa cabbage, escarole, pecans, pickled apples, smoked gouda, ginger vinaigrette

RAGÙ BOLOGNESE tagliatelle, slow-cooked meat sauce, parmigiano reggiano

LUCIE BURGER house grind double-stack*, shrettuce, b&b pickles, kitchen sauce, potato bun *make it vegan with a plant-based meat patty

CHICKEN BREAST MILANESE breaded bone-in chicken breast “chop”, arugula-parmesan salad

SALMON “A LA PLANCHA” curried black rice, spicy cucumber slaw, yogurt raita

STEAK FRITES with the cut of your choice: grass fed filet mignon, wagyu skirt, prime NY strip

Lucie Drink + Dine rendering provided

Lucie Drink + Dine rendering provided