A new lounge has opened on the mezzanine level of Le Parc Bistrobar at 185 Sutter Street, and the space features a small-bites menu distinct from the French fare served downstairs.
As reported by WhatNow, Antoine Chemel has worked alongside his father since he was 11 years old. The lounge offers small bites, according to the outlet, and guests can find booking information through Toast.
A Cocktail Menu Curated by Christie Chemel
The lounge's drink program was curated by Christie Chemel, Bruno's wife and longtime business partner, and includes cocktails. Among Le Parc Bistrobar's named cocktails are the French Revolution and the Studio 54. Bar Antoine Lounge also stocks cognacs, armagnacs, and Madeira wines alongside its hand-crafted cocktails.
Downstairs, Le Parc Bistrobar continues serving dinner Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 8:30 pm and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 pm, offering French cuisine moderne-inspired dishes built from fresh, seasonal ingredients and a wine list centered on French and California bottles. The bistro sits within the Galleria Park Hotel, an Art Deco boutique property in the Financial District corridor near Union Square and the 1927 Hunter-Dulin Building, according to SFGATE. Guests can use a nearby public garage, per WhatNow's reporting.
A Family Business Spanning Two Decades
Le Parc Bistrobar occupies a space with deep San Francisco restaurant history. The two-story address previously housed Gaspar Brasserie, which opened in 2014 under restaurateur Franck LeClerc, as detailed by SFist. Gaspar Brasserie shut its doors during the pandemic and never reopened, leaving the ground floor and mezzanine open for the Chemels' next chapter.
Bruno Chemel first made his mark in the Bay Area in 2004 as opening executive chef at La Suite, a French brasserie on the Embarcadero. He later served as executive chef at Mountain View's Chez TJ, where he helped earn a Michelin star, according to Hoodline. In 2010, Bruno opened Baumé with Christie in Palo Alto, and the restaurant earned a Michelin star in less than a year before holding two stars for nine consecutive years, per SFist.
From Michelin Exclusivity to a Neighborhood Lounge
Baumé's success came with an intensity the Chemels eventually stepped away from. Before closing the restaurant, Bruno and Christie ran it with zero extra staff, serving just two to four tables a night at prices reaching $800 per person with mandatory wine pairings, SFist reports. In 2021, Bruno asked Michelin to remove Baumé from its listings entirely, saying maintaining the stars had become a distraction amid what he called an erratic corporate focus, per the same SFist account.
The Chemels closed their more casual Palo Alto rebrand, Bistronomie by Baumé, in August 2023, ending nearly 14 years of restaurant operations on California Avenue, according to SFGATE. Le Parc Bistrobar opened the following July on the ground level and mezzanine of the Galleria Park Hotel, marking Bruno's return to San Francisco dining after years on the Peninsula. When he first announced the project, peers voiced skepticism about downtown San Francisco's economic rebound, though Chemel wanted a fresh start cooking classical French fare without laborious modernist techniques, according to Food Gal.
With Bar Antoine Lounge now open, the Chemels' restaurant business spans generations. Hoodline first covered plans for the bistro in 2024, and the lounge is now open. For now, guests can plan a visit through the restaurant's available booking information.
