One of just six two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurants in the city, Saison in San Francisco had already built up a reputation for serving some of the city’s best wine. So it’s only fitting that co-founder and winemaker Mark Bright has now gotten an official space to go hard on all things wine at a new spot nearby.
Saison Cellar & Wine Bar, just one block away from the fine-dining restaurant, is two concepts rolled into one. There’s the bar for top-notch food and casual glasses of wine to get a taste of Saison’s next-level selection without splurging on the full tasting-menu experience. “We can offer the highest quality but at the best price,” Bright says. “Basically like affordable luxury.” And then later this month, the cellar will open as more of a private club for serious collectors.
Read on for what to order at the new wine bar from Saison in San Francisco, and make a booking on OpenTable.
What to drink
You’re here for the wine, of course, and you’re in some of the best hands with Saison’s expert team. Expect a global selection, but with a focus on California and France, especially Burgundy.
Choose from nearly 50 wines by the glass, from a crisp white Hugel & Fils from Alsace for $11 to a swanky Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne for $75. Bright recommends the Domaines Leflaive Macon-Verzé if you’re a Chardonnay person. “Leflaive is one of the most famous white Burgundy producers out there, so to get that for $28 per glass, that’s one of the best deals you’re ever going to find,” he says.
But even if you’re not a Burgundy connoisseur, just belly up to the bar and say what you like, and the team can steer you in the right direction. The wine flights are also a fun way to explore the options, offering three pours of two ounces each. Plus, Saison is building out storage and will eventually have up to 1,000 bottles for people to choose from.
What to eat
The menu is decidedly French, and not your average bar food. Think crispy pommes dauphine, hearty croque monsieur, and a Michael Mina-inspired dish (a nod to Bright’s first restaurant job) called caviar parfait à la Mina. For the uninitiated, that’s a tidily layered terrine of potatoes, smoked salmon, and crème fraîche, with caviar on top.
Soon, there will be a cheese cart gliding through the space with a selection of Morbier, époisses, and tete de moine—all shaved tableside. Pair it with charcuterie like jamón ibérico and the superb pâté en croûte from Maison Nico.
Where to sit
Saison Cellar & Wine Bar took over a couple of storefronts: The wine bar is in the former Petit Marlowe space, while the cellar is hidden a couple doors down. The wine bar channels a royal hunting lodge with deep blue paint, luxurious gold trim, and taxidermied animals. Post up at one of the sixteen seats at the marble bar, or you can choose from seven tables with leather banquettes.
When to go
Saison Cellar & Wine Bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 2 pm to 10 pm. Soon it’ll open on Sundays, starting with happy hour this month, followed by brunch later this fall with special Champagne bottles and burlesque performers.
This marks the second location for Saison Cellar & Wine Bar following the one that opened earlier this year near Saison Winery in Santa Cruz County. Stop by now to check out the new opening and swing back later this fall for bubbly with a show.
Becky Duffett is a food writer living and eating in San Francisco. She was the deputy editor at Eater SF and has written for The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Bon Appétit, among other places. Follow her on Instagram at @beckyduffett.
