Tribune Tavern first opened in 2013 with co-owners Chris Pastena and Tom Henderson at the helm. Four years later, Pastena had left and the restaurant abruptly closed in the middle of a legal scandal involving Henderson. Earlier this year, Henderson was indicted for defrauding more than 200 foreign investors of $110 million.

On Thursday, Pastena and his wife, Jana, reopened Tribune Tavern, located in downtown Oakland’s historic Tribune Tower, with a new chef, new menu and brighter interior.

“It felt really triumphant that we were able to get back the space we put our heart and soul into,” he said. “To take that first step back in was special and emotional.”

Pastena, who also owns the Oakland restaurants Calavera and Chop Bar, left the original Tribune Tavern in 2015 after “creative differences” with Henderson. Pastena said he wanted Tribune Tavern to highlight fresh, quality ingredients but that Henderson became preoccupied with cutting costs.

After the first Tribune Tavern closed, the new building owners contacted the Pastenas and asked if they’d like to reopen the restaurant.

For version 2.0, they redid the floors, painted, and changed up the layout so the 5,000-square-foot restaurant looks brighter and flows better. But many of the building’s historic details remain, including the circa 1906 marble, restored columns and table bases made out of 1920s newspaper roll carts. The restaurant seats 150 people between the bar, lounge, patio and new private dining room.

Executive chef Dario Pantoja (Calavera, A16, Wayfare Tavern) created a seasonally changing, New American menu with salads, house-made pasta, burgers, steaks, chops and seafood. Some basics like shrimp cocktail and charcuterie have been carried over from the old Tribune Tavern menu along with an updated version of the fan favorite “Guilty Fries,” which feature smoked fondue and pulled pork. Otherwise, the original restaurant’s British pub influences are gone.

“We’re really trying to make things feel a lot fresher and cleaner,” Pastena said, calling out a broiled pork chop with grilled peaches and a Gorgonzola mornay sauce as a current favorite.

The bar has 11 taps for beer — the majority Oakland brews — as well as wines on tap and by the bottle. Pastena calls the cocktail program “wonderful and cheeky,” with spins on classics and some unusual ingredients like garam masala and bay leaf. The Red Velvet, for example, channels the classic cake with St. George Spiced Pear Brandy, coffee liqueur, cherry-chocolate syrup, chocolate bitters and a beet-almond spuma on top for creaminess.

The restaurant is currently open just in the evenings, though Pastena plans to add lunch and brunch in the coming weeks.

Tribune Tavern. 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 401 13th St., Oakland. 510-607-8187 or www.tribunetavernoakland.com

Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker