The restaurant left Bristol in March after 10 years to move into the larger space formerly occupied by Rue de L'Espoir.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The new Persimmon opens at 99 Hope St. on Tuesday, with a new menu and casual look but with the same James Beard-nominated chef and service team.

Champe and Lisa Speidel are poised to introduce their new space, in the former Rue de L'Espoir, after a whirlwind few months of renovation and reinvention.

"Because we now have the space, we are offering variety," said Champe. "People can make it any experience they want from having snacks with a cocktail or glass of wine, to dinner. They don't have to commit to a three-hour meal."

But of course, they can still have the chef's tasting in five courses but Speidel's menu now offers many choices within the categories of vegetables, hand-pasta and grains, meat, poultry and game, fish and shellfish and desserts. He is a six-time James Beard nominee for Best Chef - Northeast.

The menu will change often and feature dishes such as venison tartare, pan-seared foie gras, mushroom-stuffed chicken wings, oysters three ways, cavatelli with lamb shoulder rillette and vegetable salad with buttermilk vinaigrette.

Dinner will be served Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. The restaurant will also serve Sunday brunch.

Speidel and sous chef Kyle Kerstetter will now be working in an open kitchen around new subway-tiled walls and a five seat kitchen bar with front row viewing.

Lisa Speidel said that while working with designer Libby Slader, they've made the space their own with refinishing, repainting and the removal of the booths to add tables in the dining room. The white tablecloths are gone, replaced by modern wood tabletops.

There is local art from Mark Freedman in the dining room. Murals of persimmons through the four seasons, have been painted by Warren artist Christine Depoto in the bar.

Beverage manager Kevin O'Connor set up the bar which has 12 stools and 22 table seats around new banquettes. He also trained the front of the house staff on wine and menu details. Persimmon was twice nominated in James Beard Outstanding Service category.

Deborah Norman sold the Rue when she retired at the beginning of 2016 after 40 years of running the restaurant.

If you go: Persimmon, 99 Hope St. Providence, (401) 432--7422, persimmonri.com