ONE65 Bistro & Grill

ONE65 Bistro & Grill Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Here is what there is to understand about this location taken over by French chef Claude Le Tohic. The six-floor French Beaux Arts 1906 building, listed in the National Registry, had been transformed into a culinary mecca --- French, of course. Each floor has its own identity: the first one is a pâtisserie/bakery with light meals on the spot or to go; the fourth is Elements, a sophisticated bar; the fifth and sixth are the crown jewels with O’ by Claude Le Tohic. But now, let’s talk about the third level where we find ONE65 Bistro & Grill, Le Tohic’s “casual” dining version for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The décor is modern, with brown leather chairs and booths, white marble table tops and walls. (If you think we missed the second floor, we did not, we’re saving it for the end, as it is where the chocolates sold at the pâtisserie are made.)

Likes: The variety of seating options.
Dislikes: So far, none.

About the food & drinks: We wrote “casual” above in quotes because nothing can be casual about chef Le Tohic --- he worked with über-chef Joël Robuchon before moving to San Francisco. So, if the cuisine here is not fine dining, it is always sophisticated yet relaxed, thoughtful yet approachable. We prefer sitting at the kitchen counter so we can watch the team of chefs, led by chef de cuisine Floyd Nunn, prepare the crispy onion tart, king crab salad, steak tartare, skate wing, braised lamb gnochetti or the skirt steak. We liked the side dish of king oyster mushrooms, sprinkled with fried shallots in a black garlic vinaigrette. You can opt for cheese before the fraise-melba or the nougatine or a lavender honey ice cream with confit dried and fresh fruits, topped with kirsch Chantilly. The wine list is short, with mostly French and California labels.