Elephant Bar in the former Hygga space in St. Paul’s Lowertown has opened its doors.

And it’s a twofer: The front of the restaurant operates as a coffee shop/cafe by day, and by night, it moonlights as a sit-down service restaurant, where chef Lucas Almendinger (formerly of Third Bird, Tilia and Union) features a dinner menu of contemporary American dishes with worldly influences.

Menu items are divided into three categories: starters, shareables, mains and sweets. Look for charred cucumber, poached potatoes, duck confit, pan-roasted duck, ribeye and halibut, among other dishes.

The new restaurant and bar is poised to have a serious bar program as well, with Earl Giles by Twin Cities — aka Jesse Held, who is responsible for some of the top cocktail programs around town, and business partner Jeff Erkkila — creating the cocktail recipes.

The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Restaurant hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

ELEPHANT BAR