A French bistro and wine bar chain has set its sights on Hayes Valley, listing 528 Laguna St. in San Francisco as a coming-soon location on its official website. The address already carries some history in the neighborhood's wine scene, having hosted at least two previous bars known for pours by the glass.
Amélie's own site lists the spot simply as “Coming soon Hayes Valley 528 Laguna St., San Francisco, CA 94102,” according to ameliewinebar.com. A report from WhatNow describes the plan as “a new wine bar planned for 528 Laguna St., San Francisco,” and notes that a California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control filing identifies the location under the name Amelie, associated with an entity called FAMELIE26 LLC.
What Amélie Is Bringing to the Block
Per the same WhatNow account, Amélie operates as a wine bar with an extensive selection of wines available by the glass alongside a kitchen serving French bistro fare. The reported menu leans into French classics — French onion soup, escargots, beef tartare, steak frites, and seasonal specials — plus cocktails, cheeses, and desserts. The format is said to accommodate dinner service, casual drinks, and weekend brunch, though no details on hours, seating, or pricing for the Hayes Valley address have been verified.
Amélie began on Polk Street in San Francisco in 2006 and then expanded east, with locations now in Washington, D.C., and California, including San Francisco and Fairfax. WhatNow's report describes a 2012 West Village location at 22 West 8th Street in New York City. Neither version is resolved here, and both are presented as the sources state them.
A Storefront With Bubbly Roots
If Amélie does land at 528 Laguna St., it will be moving into a building with a track record for by-the-glass pours. Linden & Laguna wine bar officially opened at that address on August 11, taking over the former home of The Riddler, according to Eater SF. That bar, from wine industry veteran Chris Nickolopoulos and featuring food from Pesha Perlsweig, served 16 wines by the glass plus small plates like oysters, goat cheese-stuffed apricots, and caviar-topped clam dip and chips, in a design-heavy, Parisian-style space with seating for 24 inside and 20 outside. As of its opening day, it was running Wednesday through Sunday evenings.
Before Linden & Laguna, the same address was home to The Riddler, a Champagne bar from first-time restaurateur Jen Pelka, who also owned Magnum PR, Eater SF reported at the time of its opening on a Sunday, January 15. The Riddler poured sparkling wines by the glass starting at $12 and stocked over 100 Champagnes with a focus on grower-producers and vintage wines from traditional houses, all inside a 500-square-foot, 40-seat space. Its slim food menu ran to tater tot waffles, caviar, cheese, and charcuterie, and it had planned to operate Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with Fridays and Saturdays stretching to midnight.
For now, Amélie's Hayes Valley plans remain at the listing stage, with the company's site and the ABC filing offering the clearest public signals that a wine bar is headed for the neighborhood. Whether the new arrival will lean closer to Linden & Laguna's wine-forward small plates or The Riddler's Champagne focus, or chart its own French bistro course, is not yet spelled out in any available account.
