FOOD & WINE

Bon Délire, a hip bistro owned by a Parisian on the San Francisco waterfront, makes a classic Mauresque with Pernod. 

“It serves as a great aperitif on its own, or as a perfect pairing with our charcuterie board or heirloom-tomato tartine with tapenade and Calabrian anchovies,” says General Manager Laurent Ertle.

JUSTLUXE

Classic French, with a California touch. A plate of warm madeleines, a glass of Champagne, a view of the Bay and a soundtrack of French vinyl. Bon Délire makes a persuasive case for an afternoon or evening in San Francisco.

I recently returned to the Embarcadero restaurant, having first written about it more than a year ago. What struck me this time was how naturally the concept has settled into its waterfront address. Bon Délire is both playful and grown-up, with the easy sociability of a Parisian bistro and the energy of a fabulous night out in the city.

SF EATER

By next summer, San Francisco diners will be able to enjoy French bistro fare and a glass of Champagne in a bay-front space on the Embarcadero. Bon Délire, a new restaurant from the owner of downtown restaurants Sens and Barcha, is expected to open in April 2024 at Pier 3, Suite 102. San Franciscans may know the space as the longtime home of chef Charles Phan’s New Orleans-inspired bar Hard Water, which closed during the pandemic leaving the waterfront space dark for the past few years.

SF EATER

Restaurateur Kais Bouzidi can’t deny he enjoyed a magical childhood growing up on Ile Saint-Louis, the little island tucked behind Notre-Dame Cathedral, smack dab in the center of Paris. His father immigrated from Tunisia to the City of Light at 18 years old, married a French woman, and worked his way from dishwasher to server to owning a small creperie. Bouzidi and his brother used to run through the family restaurant and munch on Nutella crepes.

SF CHRONICLE

Bon Delire will open next to the new restaurant Alora, on the Embarcadero’s Pier 3, featuring elaborate Mediterranean cuisine and scenic patio seating.