'Commis' To Open Next-Door Cocktail Bar, 'C.D.P.'

'Commis' To Open Next-Door Cocktail Bar, 'C.D.P.'The new bar will move into the space where the DBFL sign now hangs. | Photo: Will Callan/Hoodline
Will Callan
Published on June 16, 2017

James Syhabout of Commis––Oakland’s only Michelin-starred restaurant––is adding a cocktail bar next door at 3861 Piedmont Ave. 

The space will be called C.D.P., for chef de partie, or station chef. 

Whereas Commis (French for “apprentice”) offers a broader tasting experience, C.D.P has a narrower focus. 

The future site of C.D.P. | Photo: Will Callan/Hoodline

Eater reports that the wine list will specialize in Champagne and brandy, with a menu that's focused on snacks and small plates. 

With a 10-seat bar and a 14-seat lounge, the bar's layout will reportedly mirror the neighboring restaurant, with a door that connects the spaces. SFGate reports that the restaurant will briefly close near the end of the construction period so contractors can create a doorway.

"I've done the design for this myself," Syhabout told SFGate."I love design and this was in my head for over two years."

Syhabout, an Oakland native, has a had an eventful year. 

In February, rising rent and wages led him to close the popular Hawker Fare, but he rebounded in March with the opening of Old Kan Beer & Co., a laid-back brewpub in West Oakland. 


James Syhabout at the now-shuttered Hawker Fare. | Photo: Walter Thompson/Hoodline

Construction on C.D.P. began on May 1 and should be complete by the fall. 

Commis (510-653-3902) is located at 3859 Piedmont Ave. and is open from 5 to 9:30pm Wednesday through Saturday, and 5 to 9pm Sunday.