Durham’s newest seafood restaurant is the result of one driven catering chef and two weeks of preparation.

Nerra, located at 506 Ramseur St., opened in September under the leadership of executive chef Alexis Lawson. With small seafood plates and customizable fresh catches offered in an atmosphere reminiscent of the seaside, Nerra is reimagining how coastal cuisine is served in Durham. 

“We want to appease to everybody and still have it feel like this food is home for them, or that they can relate to it in some way,” Lawson said.

The restaurant opened in the former space of Krill, a Filipino restaurant that permanently closed earlier this year. Lawson, who is known for her catering business Chef Lex, had worked at Krill for several months prior to its closure. 

When Krill closed, there was an opportunity for a new restaurant to open in the space, and Lawson eventually decided it would be hers. 

“I never really planned to actually run or open a restaurant,” Lawson said. “It all just kind of fell in my lap, and I just kind of went with it, and here we are.”

In just two weeks, Lawson, together with a group of former Krill employees and new team members recruited specifically for Nerra, designed a concept for the new restaurant and transformed the space.

Lawson’s love for cooking comes from her family. Her family was full of great cooks, so she did not step into the kitchen until later in life. Once she finally took that step by attending pastry school, her culinary career catapulted from there.

After working in management at upscale chain restaurants for several years, Lawson began her catering business Chef Lex following her grandmother’s death. Lawson said she then knew it was time to focus on cooking for the community, something she learned from her family.

“That hospitality and just that warm feeling of always wanting to entertain people, making sure people are taken care of through food, I really got that through my family,” Lawson said.  

Lawson’s family’s love of North Carolina’s beaches, nature and seafood inspired the menu and interior of Nerra. Fresh catches like salmon, tuna and snapper are among the dishes featured on the restaurant’s menu and rotating specials. 

While seafood may be the culinary spotlight of Nerra’s menu, the restaurant is designed around community and accommodations more than any particular cuisine. 

Lawson said accommodating different diners’ dietary preferences is important to her. The curated catch section of the menu allows diners to choose a fresh fish that is cooked to their liking and paired with one of Nerra’s signature sauces.

“Durham is full of different cultures, cuisines, people from all different walks of life, and that’s where we want to be with Nerra,” Lawson said.

Across the menu, dishes are inspired by a range of global cuisines. Diners can enjoy sauteed mussels in a coconut curry broth influenced by Indian cuisine, or a salmon cake with a side of remoulade that showcases Lawson’s experience with Louisiana- and Southern-style cooking.

Danielle Watts, the director of hospitality for the Durham Bottling Company, who is responsible for events at Nerra, said even though she has a seafood allergy, there is always something she can eat and enjoy at Nerra. 

Gouda and rosemary biscuits, roasted red potatoes and herb jasmine rice are highlights among Nerra’s options for diners seeking non-seafood dishes.

“I do still feel accommodated,” Watts said. “I still feel like I’m a part of the squad.”

Nerra’s commitment to the sea begins long before plates hit the table. As soon as you walk in, a 20-foot-long mural from Durham artist Kate Loughlin showcases a long-stretching cerulean sea. The mural was finished in just two weeks, along with the rest of Nerra’s preparations. The restaurant’s navy walls complement tan wooden chairs and tables to transport diners to a seaside retreat.

Durham is home to a sea of casual seafood restaurants, but Nerra stands out as an upscale dining experience. Attentive service makes diners feel like family while enjoying hearty dishes in the coastal atmosphere.

Lawson said she wants the restaurant to offer an upscale experience at an affordable price.

“The experience that you get feels higher end, but it’s still affordable,” she said. “It’s not something where you have to limit yourself to just a date night or something. It’s open to everybody.”

In the kitchen, the team has built a tight-knit family among themselves that carries on into the dining room. Lawson often visits tables during dinner service, connecting with diners and carefully listening to feedback.

“You taste the love and careful consideration and preparedness in each and every meal thanks to our Chef Alexis, it’s so good,” Ainsley Allen, the director of management for Nerra, said. “Our staff caters to our guests, makes them feel welcome, makes them feel like family.”

Nerra is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. offering a seafood-driven dinner experience. On Sundays, Nerra opens early for brunch service, a menu that the team is continuing to refine. 

Lawson is eager to expand the restaurant’s operations after being open for just under a month. Lunch service at Nerra is on the horizon, and Lawson said her big goal is to open a second location of Nerra in the future. 

“We’re all working together to provide services and just provide a special feeling, something that we feel like Durham can use,” Lawson said.