San Francisco’s Sorrel is a Feast for the Senses
Author:Michelle KonstantinovskyThere are plenty of reasons to pay a visit to San Francisco restaurant, Sorrel: the delectable locally-inspired cuisine with an Italian twist, the numerous accolades including a ranking on Bon Appetit’s Top 50 Best New Restaurants in America of 2018, the prime location in the city’s posh Presidio Heights neighborhood. But for design geeks, Sorrel’s intimate, serene space is among its top attractions.
Sorrel’s elegant, Zen atmosphere is the result of meticulous planning on the part of Chef Alex Hong and director of operations, Colby Heiman. The duo designed the 2,800 square foot restaurant from the ground up, selecting paint colors, tiling the bathrooms themselves, and working with local Bay Area artisans to create custom-built planters, light fixtures, tables, and ceramics.
Mirroring the menu’s homage to Northern California, Sorrel’s design is all about Bay Area beauty. The blue-gray color palette is complemented by white, gold, and green accents that play up the plentiful natural light and lush plant life throughout. Guests are greeted by the restaurant’s green and white marble bar upon entry — an impressive feat of design from Fox Marble in Hunters Point.
Sorrel’s main dining room features two large walnut slab tables with strips of polished, black epoxy running down their centers designed by Ben O’Hearn at Modern Millwork in Emeryville, and black steel table bases forged by Joe Servin at Dark Metal Machine Works. Hanging from the ceiling are locally-sourced plants cascading from custom-built planter box light fixtures, with teardrop globe lights hand-blown by Guido Gerlitz at Effetto Glassworks.
The restaurant’s fresh floral arrangements from Ampersand, and a young ficus nitida tree grows towards the skylight in the center of the dining room. Additional custom touches include ceramics by Mary Mar Keenan, including a claypot dish specifically for the restaurant’s sourdough focaccia, and Sorrel’s rooftop garden grows the restaurant’s herbs, flowers, and other garnishes.
If the aesthetic appeal isn’t enough to draw you in, consider the mouth-watering menu which features rotating, seasonal dishes like hamachi crudo, cappellacci, and rack of lamb.
Sorrel is located at 3228 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94115. Visit sorrelrestaurant.com or call (415) 525-3765 to make a reservation.
