After closing for a revamp, La Bande is re-emerging on Sept. 24 with fresh new fare. Previously a café located in Market Street’s San Francisco Proper Hotel, the restaurant is keeping its European roots but has shifted its focus to tapas and cocktails.
“The idea behind La Bande is to create a cohesive meal, with layers of small dishes,” Executive Chef Jason Fox, formerly of the now-closed Michelin-starred Mission restaurant Commonwealth, said in a statement. “Much like some of our favorite tapas bars in Barcelona and San Sebastián, the idea is to use some of the best local ingredients very simply in a space that inspires friends to come together and share a meal in the European spirit.”
From La Bande’s counter, diners can order from a tapas selection infused with California-meets-Mediterranean flavors. The menu includes eggplant tarts, green garlic churros, squid grilled on the plancha — a type of metal plate commonly used in Spanish cooking — and house-made Meruez sausage. Also featuring will be Spanish seafood conservas, canned seafood delicacies, like smoked sardines with olive oil, razor clams in brine and tuna belly in confit, served alongside freshly baked sourdough bread, hot sauce and olive oil. La Bande will also open a retail section carrying gourmet Galician seafood and European honeys, salts, vinegars, olive oils and more.
The restaurant’s beverage program will be conducted in partnership with BVHospitality, which also consults on the cocktail menu for the Proper Hotel’s rooftop bar Charmaine’s Rooftop Bar & Lounge. Its focus will be on apéritif cocktails and gin, including a special gin and tonic service called the “Doctor’s Note.” Meant for four to six people, the “do-it-yourself” service includes a half-bottle of Monkey 47 gin served alongside a selection of tonics and garnishes. The restaurant also will offer a wine menu emphasizing European varietals, European beers and a selection of Madeiras dating back to the 1930s.
La Bande will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
This article has been updated to reflect La Bande’s new date of opening. Previously, the opening was set for Sept. 22; it has been moved to Sept. 24.
