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.
Owner Kais Bouzidi drew on his Parisian upbringing and his family’s restaurant background to create the model. His Kaisen Concepts portfolio also includes Sens and Barcha, with Hayati soon to join the group at the Ferry Building. At Bon Délire, his French roots come through in the food, wine, and design. The Bay setting adds just the right layer of panache.
A Parisian Spirit, San Francisco Setting
The restaurant occupies the former Hard Water space at Pier 3, where tall windows frame the water. Inside, a visually-striking horseshoe-shaped cast-zinc bar takes center stage while banquettes and high-top tables fill the space. Vintage French films and music videos appear on the wall.
Out front, café tables put diners right on the Embarcadero. There is also a small waterside patio with counter seating and views across the Bay. Depending on the time of day, Bon Délire can feel like a place for a leisurely lunch, an apéritif, a proper French dinner, or a late-night cocktail.
Classic French, With a California Touch
The menu follows the same philosophy: recognizable French dishes, excellent ingredients and a few nightly specials. Steak tartare arrives with traditional garniture and potato chips, while oysters come with cocktail sauce and lemon cream. Oeufs mayonnaise gets a San Francisco touch with Dungeness crab. Escargots arrive with shallot-port marmalade and parsley butter, a combination that makes the accompanying bread practically mandatory.
The croques are particularly photogenic. The Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame combine Parisian ham and Gruyère. The sole meunière, a more delicate choice, is prepared in the classic French style.
Sunday brunch has its own following, with quiches, omelettes, salads and other French favorites. It is an especially good time to experience Bon Délire’s café personality, when coffee, pastries and a table outdoors make the waterfront feel remarkably continental.
Champagne, Cocktails and Madeleines
For drinks, you’ll find Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Alsace represented within the wine list. The cocktails take a more experimental turn. One standout is the Butter Paloma, made with butter-washed Volcan tequila, Mezcal Agave de Cortes, lime, agave and grapefruit soda. The Oaxaca Old Fashioned is also a winner, featuring Cazcanes Blanco, Mezcal, sugar, and Peychaud’s and grapefruit bitters. But don’t miss the Spritzes;
Dessert deserves its own paragraph because the madeleines deserve star billing. They arrive freshly baked with anglaise and chocolate dipping sauces. Valrhona chocolate mousse with Maldon salt provides another rich finish, and on this visit, a delicate Cara Cara Crème Brulee was a delicious denouement to the meal.
Worth the Return
Bon Délire’s appeal really comes down to its ability to make French dining feel lively rather than formal. You can come for Champagne and oysters, stay for steak frites, or drop by simply for a cocktail and a few madeleines. The waterfront setting makes the experience unmistakably San Francisco, while the food, music and design keep Paris firmly in the picture.
I’ve had the same dining companion at both visits — a committed Francophile who splits her time between San Francisco and Paris; she does not hand out compliments to stateside French bistros lightly. Her verdict, unchanged from that first visit to this one: very authentic. Coming from someone particular about her croque monsieur, the compliment means something.
More than a year after my first visit, Bon Délire has proven it’s built for more than a single visit: it has become a place to which people are happy to return, again and again.
Photos by Hardy Wilson
