Francophile Renaissance: French Restaurants Are Having a Comeback
These three newer and one longtime restaurant confirm a French renaissance is underway
For years now, French food hasn’t exactly been in vogue. Rich sauces and fussy heaviness are out, not just in a place as diverse and forward-thinking as California but around the world. Especially as the nation and the world start (rightly) understanding a bit more about the massive differences in cuisines of other continents beyond Europe.
Yet French cuisine remains a gift, the early progenitor of what “upscale” dining was.. and it doesn’t always have to be heavy. Though San Francisco has long offered endless French restaurants and game-changing French chefs, in keeping with many cities, new French openings have been more sparse in recent years.
But there is a fresh run of French restaurants opening, from the Cal-French lightness of two France expats with Michelin-starred pedigree (Caché), to a longtime neighborhood classic still going strong (Chapeau!) Late 2024 saw Bon Délire hit the Embarcadero with classic French fare in a gorgeous waterside space, while La Loulou is about to open on Oakland’s Piedmont Ave.
Thankfully, precious legends like Cafe Jacqueline and her focused soufflé palace since 1979 remain (though Jacqueline is in her 80s now), as are bistro treasures like L’Ardoise in the Castro. These three newer and one longtime restaurant confirm a French renaissance is underway.