Pêche Seafood Grill
Thoughtful modern design within a historic, exposed timber structure.
Category
Commercial
Hospitality
Interiors
Adaptive Reuse + Modernization
Size 5,000 SF
Location New Orleans, LA
Year 2013
Seated at a prominent corner in the Warehouse District, 800 Magazine began its life as a livery and funeral home in 1840. It was purchased by the American Coffee Company in the 1940s to serve as a roasting facility. The roasting facility moved to another location in 2008 and was later purchased for redevelopment. It is now home to the Link Restaurant Group’s Pêche Seafood Grill. The award-winning menu inspired by South America, Spain, and Gulf Coast cooking traditions.
The 5,000 SF restaurant calls attention to the historic nature of the building through exposed ceiling joists, beams, columns, and exterior brick walls. Salvaged materials from the building itself were used in the renovation including wood flooring, stair treads, and decorative wood and steel elements. The project was eligible for federal and state rehabilitation tax credits and preservation easements – an important storyline in the rebuilding of Post-Katrina New Orleans – and designed with historically compatible materials.
Outcome
The adaptive reuse of 800 Magazine revitalizes a historic Warehouse District corner, transforming the building into a vibrant culinary destination that honors its industrial heritage. Reclaimed materials, exposed beams, and original brickwork add authenticity, creating a unique atmosphere that aligns with the Link Restaurant Group’s identity and draws patrons into a memorable dining experience. By integrating custom furniture, an open-flame grill, and an oyster bar, the design connects patrons to local tradition while providing a modern, sensory-rich environment. This restoration also energizes the neighborhood, supporting economic activity and balancing growth with historical preservation. The addition of residential units above the restaurant contributes to the area’s evolving urban landscape, ensuring that 800 Magazine serves both the community and the city’s future.
Contributing to the excitement of the neighborhood, the building also features 9 apartment units with large terraces, and onsite parking.
View 800 Magazine Street
The dining room and finishes highlight the warehouse’s rough timber construction. The reclaimed heart pine ceiling is a complex suspended acoustic ceiling that isolates restaurant noise from the residential units above. Custom tables, chairs and banquets were manufactured from reclaimed staves of oak whiskey barrels and steel frames. Large expanses of glass set in restored warehouse exterior millwork open the restaurant up to the world outside. Towering Cypress doors open into Pêche’s bar under the intricately reconstructed Italianate Gallery.
The bar consists of a custom bead-board back bar, solid sinker cypress countertop, faced with blackened steel. Brick and heavy timber structural elements are left exposed to retain the ambiance of the historic warehouse.
The kitchen wall is finished with blackened steel panels. An opening in the wall gives customers a glimpse into the kitchen and the custom wood grill. A custom designed open-flamed wood-burning grill, designed in collaboration between the client and Trapolin-Peer, is constructed out of a volcanic ash material, known as Isokern, and is the kitchen’s premier tool. Wood supply for the grill is stored under the service counter and serves as an additional focal point in the texture rich environment.
As in other traditional New Orleans seafood restaurants, the oyster bar, made from a white Carrera marble top and a blackened steel face, is a popular area to watch the preparation and enjoy freshly shucked oysters.
Awards
AIA New Orleans, Design AwardsHonorable Mention, 2017
AIA Louisiana, Design AwardsAward of Merit, 2017
AIA Gulf States Region, Design AwardsHonor Award, 2017
Associated Builders & ContractorsExcellence in Construction Award, 2014
Louisiana Landmarks SocietyAward for Excellence, 2014