First Look: Lester’s Splashes Down in Savannah

A beautifully moody and cozy new seafood bar and restaurant is coming to Savannah’s historic district: The hotly anticipated Lester’s will open on Tuesday, June 23, as part of the Douglas boutique hotel on Oglethorpe Avenue.

Helmed by chef Jacques Larson, Lester’s is the latest spot from Obstinate Hospitality Group, which also runs the lauded—and large—restaurants Wild Olive and the Obstinate Daughter in Charleston, South Carolina. “Lester’s is such a small and intimate space,” Larson says of the dining room anchored by an eight-seat oyster bar. “I’m really excited to make something that’s a bit more personal and offers us the opportunity to slow down a bit.”

Reggie Gibson Architects designed the space to include just forty-two indoor seats with another fifty-five on the patio. From the low wood ceilings to the antique terra-cotta flooring and soft leather-wrapped chairs, the whole place feels like a weathered, story-filled European tavern.

The food, too, draws on influences from across the pond. “I’ve been known as an Italian-leaning chef for so long,” Larson says, “but I began cooking under a Parisian chef in 1991, my mom’s side of the family came over from the Alsace region of France, and I just really started liking the idea of going more French with this menu.” His plates will include tinned fish, light salads, and a few larger seasonal mains, plus plenty of Lowcountry seafood. “A lot of French cuisine is not overworked, but rather focuses on quality ingredients and simple, well-executed dishes.”

Larson also runs the adjacent Douglas hotel’s breakfast program, and over the years that he’s been traveling to Savannah and building out Lester’s, he’s spent many mornings visiting the area’s farmers markets, meeting fish vendors, and tracking down local ingredients. Expect the menu to include seafood from Anchor Shrimp and Tybee Oyster Company; produce from Sapelo Farms, Billy’s Botanicals, and Southern Brothers; and baked goods from Sixby.

Here, an exclusive photo preview of what’s to come at Lester’s: