Le French Brings Its Senegalese Spin on Bistro Fare to 9+CO

Brie with baobab preserves; oysters with tamarind mignonette inspired by niambaan, a spicy Senegalese snack; and poutine with yassa, a caramelized onion and lemon sauce traditionally served with chicken. These are some of the items you'll find at the new location of Le French at 846 Albion Street, which opens September 21 and is part traditional French bistro but also honors Aminata Dia's heritage.

Aminata and her sister, Rougui, who were raised outside of Paris, opened the original Le French at Belleview Station in the Tech Center in 2019. Since then, the menu has evolved to include even more nods to their Senegalese background. "I'm French-Senegalese and I'm very proud of both, and I just want to share that with the community," Aminata says. "Some people might be a little surprised or taken aback, but if I don't do it, who's going to share that culture?"
While Rougui moved back to France in 2020 when borders were being closed because of the pandemic, Aminata has kept the business going with her sister's support from afar, fueled by positivity in the face of challenges such as the pandemic shutdown, inflation and staffing shortages. "Sometimes I know I can come across as cheesy," she says. "But I know the industry is really tough, and the only way we can survive it is if we have each other's backs and if we understand that positivity is important."

Aminata admits that she "wasn't planning on opening a second one anytime soon," but when her commercial real estate agent (who also happens to be a friend and a fan of Le French) encouraged her to look at the space in the 9+CO development at Ninth and Colorado, "just the vibe and the feel here, it just made sense for us."

The new restaurant is twice the size of the original and includes an outdoor patio, a lounge area with blue velvet couches and chairs, a large bar lined with white stools, a wall filled with wine bottles, and a spacious main dining room. There's also a series of gold-framed black-and-white photos throughout shot by Aminata. "Every area shown in these is a story," she says of the images, which depict scenes like a baobab tree in Senegal or a view of the Roue de Paris.
Le French offers lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The menu at 9+CO is the same as at the DTC and includes an array of small plates and entrees. "France, today, is really a melting pot," Aminata notes, and the menu reflects that. Along with the dishes with Senegalese-inspired ingredients, there are items like merguez (North African lamb sausage) and a scallop and pork belly dish with French Caribbean aioli. These appear alongside classic bistro fare like French onion soup, escargot, steak frites and boeuf bourguignon.

"We love the vibe here already. People are so welcoming," Aminata says of Le French's new home. "The reason I'm doing this is — I'm passionate about food, but really, it's to connect with people."

Le French at 9+CO is located at 846 Albion Street and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit lefrenchdenver.com.