The Libertine will close for good this weekend

The Libertine has announced doors will close this weekend. In a Facebook post, owners Nick and Audra Luedde said the Clayton eatery’s last night of service will be Saturday, Jan. 6:

“We will be ending operations as The Libertine so as to focus our collective efforts on a brand new restaurant concept that we will be announcing the details of later this month ... so stay tuned!”

The Lueddes went on to say in the post that while they looked forward to the new project, closing The Libertine would be “truly bittersweet.”

“The Luedde family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you for the past five years of unforgettable moments that only a night at The Libertine could provide.

“Audra and I will cherish the great times we shared with all of you at The Libertine and we will truly never forget them. I am so proud of what we have done at The Libertine, its contributions to the STL culinary scene and what The Libertine represented.

“We are so grateful to our staff, family, patrons and friends who have made the experience of operating The Libertine so unforgettable!

“Again, thank you to everyone that helped make The Libertine a truly special place and we look forward to feeding you all very soon!”

The Libertine opened to critical acclaim in May 2013 with chef Josh Galliano at the helm. In June 2015, Galliano left the Clayton eatery for Companion Bakery, and chef Matt Bessler took over the kitchen. Farmtruk chef-owner Samantha Mitchell took the top toque in April 2017.

Mitchell said she won't continue on with the Lueddes' new concept. Instead she will focus on Farmtruk and participating in the upcoming food truck court, Court Louie, located at 4001 Utah St., which will have its soft opening on Friday, Jan. 19.

Nick and Audra Luedde did not immediately return requests for comment. 

Matt Sorrell is staff writer at Sauce Magazine.