The Most Anticipated San Francisco Bay Area Restaurant Openings, Fall 2024

The Bay Area restaurant scene is humming again as a new roster of restaurants is ready to open this fall across San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. Some familiar faces are returning for their second go-around — in some cases, the fourth, maybe fifth property — but all are focused on providing locals with stellar food and drink options for the fall. Here are the biggest openings to look out for in the upcoming months.

Is there a restaurant or bar opening before the end of the year that we should know about? Email us at sf@eater.com.

Dave Bazzano

Chef Carlos Altamirano will soon open his eighth restaurant with Altamirano, bringing the flagship restaurant to San Francisco’s NoPa neighborhood. Expect Peruvian cuisine utilizing California produce from the same team behind La Costanera, Mochica, and others, with dishes such as lomo saltado, pescado Nikkei, or deep-fried whole diablo fish with veggie chaufa, and a selection of ceviches.

Address: 1775 Fulton Street, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: September 14

Marina favorite Causwells is set to expand with the debut of Lilah, a cocktail bar centering low-proof cocktails and “pan-Asian fare,” according to a press release. Opening a few doors down from Causwells, expect the same high-end, thoughtful drinks from co-owner and bar director Elmer Mejicanos with a 21-drink bar menu that moves between spritzes, martinis, and Japanese kakigori cocktails with ease. Causwells chef and co-owner Adam Rosenblum leads the food side of the equation with a mix of bar snacks, shared plates like Cantonese-style duck tacos, and an upcoming brunch with dishes such as a scallion pancake wrap.

Address: 2336 Chestnut Street, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: Late September 2024

Itani Sushi

In a bit of restaurant kismet, chef Kyle Itani of Yonsei Handrolls brings back his pandemic-born business, Nikkei Sushi, as he takes over the Kirala 2 space from his friend and sushi chef Akira Komine. Located on Shattuck Street inside the Epicurious Garden Food Hall, the restaurant will offer grab-and-go sushi as well as made-to-order items such as nigiri, maki, and specialty sushi rolls, plus a healthy mix of salads, rice bowls, and ramen, to boot. Jeremias Jimenez is joining as chef and partner of Itani Sushi, hailing from East Bay sushi favorite Mujiri.

Address: 1511 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Anticipated opening: September 20

Chef David Nayfeld and Matt Brewer are on a roll with openings. Just a year after they launched Che Fico Parco Menlo and Il Mercato di Che Fico, they’re readying the debut of Che Fico Pizzeria at Thrive City outside of Chase Center. Here Nayfeld’s pizzas take center stage with pies available whole or by the slice, plus a mix of salads, sandwiches, and gelato. The group partners once again with Jon de la Cruz of DLC-ID, who created the distinctive Che Fico space on Divisadero Street and the Menlo Park locations, and there will be both a full-service bar and plenty of televisions (perfect for watching Warriors games).

Address: 1725 Third Street, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: Late September 2024

The former Dorian space will see new life breathed into it with the debut of Morella, the latest restaurant from the team behind Wilder, Thriller Social Club, and Westwood. Led by chef Jesus Dominguez, formerly sous chef at Taj Campton Place, the menu will center on “the modern intersection of the Italian and Argentinian cultures,” per a press release, with asados, empanadas, and wood-fired kebabs meant for sharing.

Address: 2001 Chestnut Street, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: Late September 2024

Isabel Baer

Also debuting near Chase Center is Kayah by Burma Love, the latest restaurant from the Burma Superstar team. This restaurant will feature some Burmese dishes, but expect the menu to expand past that to include other street foods from neighboring Southeast Asian countries, per a press release. Think skewers cooked over a binchotan-style grill, plentiful noodle options, and larger entrees including lemongrass steak frites. Wine, beer, and cocktails highlighting tamarind, hibiscus, and lychee, are also on deck for refreshments.

Address: 151 Warriors Way, Suite 105, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: October 2024

The former Hard Water space is finally turning over a new leaf with the debut of Bon Délire. Owner Kais Bouzidi of downtown’s Sens and Barcha is opening this waterside restaurant and bar with “modern interpretations of French cuisine,” along with a strong cocktail menu and vinyl records spinning into the wee hours to keep the good vibes rolling.

Address: Pier 3 on the Embarcadero, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: October 2024

GiGi’s

It’s a big fall for chef Tu David Phu. His upcoming cookbook The Memory of Taste: Vietnamese American Recipes from Phú Quoc, Oakland, and the Spaces Between not only drops on Tuesday, September 10, but he also managed to find time to ready his new Vietnamese-influenced wine bar GiGi’s for a fall debut. The Top Chef alum created a menu composed of dishes inspired by growing up in the Bay Area, further influenced by his father and mother. Expect dishes such as cá nhúng dấm, or salmon ceviche with pineapple niyog, lemongrass, makrut lime leaf, and coconut vinegar, or a Saigon wagyu loaded hot dog with an egg, bacon, scallions, and pork floss furikake. Also expect a killer wine list from Advanced Somm Justin Chin, with bottles available to-go from GiGi’s next-door retail shop.

Address: 299 Divisadero Street, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: October 2024

This two-story restaurant from the team behind Paper Plane and Mini Boss is expected to be a stunner, serving Mediterranean cuisine from France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and North Africa. Chef Nicko Moulinos leads the charge on the food menu, hailing from Le Bernardin in New York and Taverna in Palo Alto among other spots. Dishes such as lamb chops with onion soubise and confit potato or octopus served with sofrito and Cippolini onions will fill the menu, with two cocktail menus built for dinner or brunch, depending on when diners drop in.

Address: 201 South Second Street, Suite 120, San Jose
Anticipated opening: November 2024

Eylan

Chef Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan and restaurateur Ayesha Thapar struck gold with their last restaurant Copra, and they’re looking to repeat that success with Eylan. The team’s next project is in Menlo Park, opening at the upcoming Stanford Middle Plaza development. The restaurant will serve a “bold, global interpretation of Indian cuisine,” per a press release, showcasing local ingredients cooked on a wood-fired grill. Keep an eye out for a snack cart with chaats, farsans, and other foods.

Address: 500 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Anticipated opening: Fall 2024

Restaurateur Eduardo Rallo is having quite a year, with the opening of Il Parco (and before that Colibri) in the Presidio. But now his sights are set on Santana Row with the upcoming debut of Parranga. This taqueria will serve Tijuana-style street tacos with cocktails on draft, plus a useful outdoor patio perfect for the warm South Bay weather.

Address: 300 Santana Row #110, San Jose
Anticipated opening: Fall 2024

Le Soleil Stonestown

Le Soleil

Vietnamese restaurant Le Soleil has been a family-owned, Clement Street institution since 1993, but now the next generation is set to put their stamp on the family brand. Sisters Bianca and Kandyce Wong will open a new location on the second floor of Stonestown Galleria, combining classic Le Soleil dishes with modern Vietnamese options.

Address: 3251 20th Avenue, San Francisco
Anticipated opening: Late Fall 2024