Fine dining, drinks, takeaway under one roof

San Antonio restaurateur Roger Herr hasn’t set an exact opening date, but the owner of Bar Loretta, which is in the former Madhatters Tea House & Cafe in the King William Historic District, said it will happen this month.

“Even if I have to set up an ice bucket selling beer myself, we’ll be open in June,” Herr said. “During the next global pandemic, I may not try to open another restaurant.”

Bar Loretta is multiple concepts tucked inside nearly 4,000 square feet of space. It will include fine dining, as well as a market offering to-go dinners, desserts and grab-and-go lunch options. And the bar program has the flexibility of serving the gamut from classy Manhattans to 7-ounce Miller High Life beers.

On the dinner menu, patrons will see creations from chef Paul Petersen such as herb-crusted

lamb chops with Chardonnayraisin risotto and grilled tomatillo shrimp with crispy corn, cheddar grit cake, and tomatillo butter. Petersen will rotate the menu to include seasonal ingredients.

“We are in a very diverse neighborhood and we want to offer something to everybody,” Herr said. “Paul is a great chef,

and I just told him to do what he wants to do. We’ll have elements of finer dining, but you can also come in and get a great $12 burger with a few beers if you want to. The goal is to offer a very laid-back experience.”

Operating hours are still being determined, but Herr said the main restaurant and bar will

open in the afternoon and serve until 2 a.m., while the market will open for lunch and close about 8 p.m. They are connected via the entrance way.

Photos courtesy Shanna Hickman Elegant dinners such as pan-roasted scallops with Texas Ruby Red citrus and fennel salad with herb pistou will be offered at Bar Loretta, as will grab-and-go lunches.

Bar Loretta will offer cocktails such as a Boulevardier, from left, a whiskey sour and a Fernet Branca aperitif. The new bar and restaurant concept is coming to the King William District.