Once you enter Le Colonial, the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco cease to exist.
This French restaurant, located near Taylor and Post streets, is tucked away in the inner courtyard that once housed the legendary Trader Vic's restaurant.
Opened in 1998 by a well-established French restaurateur, Jean Denoyer, it offers distinctive French-Vietnamese cuisine to locals, tourists and the
professional downtown crowd.
The atmosphere is immediately inviting once you saunter across a glass-canopied outdoor atrium with carved rattan furniture, swaying palm trees and intricate tile flooring. The dining room — with its vintage pressed-tin ceilings, French colonial decor and slow-moving overhead fans — evokes scenes from Catherine Deneuve's award-winning film "Indochine."
The drowsy colonial ambience is further explored in the upstairs bar and lounge; antique Oriental rugs, decorative bamboo birdcages and vintage posters instill the sense of being transformed to Saigon life circa 1927. This part of the restaurant is ideal for informal celebrations, casual dining or an after-dinner cocktail with friends. It also turns into a swinging live jazz venue after 7 pm several nights a week.
On Mondays, one of the best gypsy jazz groups in the U.S., the Hot Club of San Francisco, showcases its music inspired by legendary French guitarist Django Reinhardt. On Wednesdays, The Cosmo Alleycats feature Emily Wade Adams on vocals, and work the crowd with their infectious mix of jump blues, swing and jazz. And on Thursdays, the Martini Brothers Band brings the smooth 1930s, 40s and 50s style of swing from the golden era of "Hollywood Night Life." Sophisticated and upbeat, the band has been a favorite of the San Francisco social scene for over 10 years.
General Manager Andre Cortes, who has been in the music business for over 20 years, recalls that "in the 90s, during [the] swing revival days, California led the way so I would bring hottest local swingers like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers to 800-people venues in New York."
Envisioning live music at Le Colonial lounge every night of the week, he continues, "I want to create something of a niche here, [and] have Le Colonial being recognized as a cabaret/jazz music venue in a greater sense."
Sophisticated menu choices need a special note. Prepared by Executive Chef Joseph Villanueva, worthy of note are Goi Du Du Tom (shredded green papaya with poached prawns, carrots, mint, toasted peanuts and crispy shallots tossed in chili garlic and lime vinaigrette) and Cha Gio (crispy spring rolls with shrimp, pork and woodear mushrooms, served with table salad and nuoc cham dipping sauce). Entreé choices include Ca Hap La Chuoi (steamed Chilean sea bass wrapped in banana leaves with tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms and ginger in ablack-bean coconut sauce) and Vit Ngu Vi Huong (seared 5-spice Pekin duck breast with crispy Brussels sprouts and tamarind ginger sauce).
Elegant and classy, Le Colonial makes for an authentic San Francisco outing that will make your taste buds yearn for one more bite and your ears tune in for that swinging number!
And when you book your table at Le Colonial, please mention this article on JazzWest.com!
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Le Colonial Restaurant is located at 20 Cosmo Place (between Post and Sutter streets) in San Francisco. Call 415.931.3600 or visit www.lecolonialsf.com.
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