La Serre Is a Hotel Restaurant That Actually Earns the Reservation
Inside The Vanguard on Glen Avenue, chef Michael Polsinelli is running a 125-seat French brasserie at brasserie prices and brasserie standards.
La Serre opened May 6 inside The Vanguard Hotel on Glen Avenue. The French brasserie includes a display kitchen, raw bar, and full-service menu. The official site lists current menus, hours, and reservations.
The Room
The Vanguard is a Marriott Autograph Collection property owned by Robert Finvarb Companies and Milford Singer & Company and managed by Greenwood Hospitality Group. La Serre is part of the hotel's full-service food and beverage program.
The name means "greenhouse" in French. The design uses bleached oak floors, Parisian-blue banquettes and trim, a 125-seat dining room, a 30-seat bar, and private dining rooms.
The display kitchen is open to the dining room and visible from most seats, making the cooking operation part of the room's design.
The Food
Executive Chef Michael Polsinelli's menu combines French technique with Michigan sourcing. The menu has included moules-frites, braised short ribs, lobster spaghetti, a raw bar, seafood platters, croque monsieur, house breads, and pastries. Dishes, prices, and prix-fixe availability change; the official menu is the authority.
The Wine
The wine list tilts French and includes Michigan bottles. The bar operates separately from dinner service; current hours are listed by the hotel.
The Larger Point
La Serre brings a full French-brasserie format to Ann Arbor at hotel scale: a 125-seat dining room, full bar, display kitchen, and menu built around French technique and Michigan sourcing.
The restaurant's long-term test is consistency across service and seasons. This desk profile establishes the format and current offering; a future tasting review should be based on documented field notes.
La Serre is at 201 Glen Ave, Ann Arbor, inside The Vanguard Hotel. Check the Vanguard dining page for current hours, menus, and reservations.