San Diego Francophiles must be foaming at the mouth. French steakhouse Le Coq just landed in La Jolla, chef Brad Wise’s forthcoming French brasserie will transform a long disheveled corner of North Park into a Parisian portal next year, Amaya at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar recently reinvented itself as a West Coast-meets-South-of-France concept, French native chef Phillippe Maurin opened L’Orangerie on Coronado earlier this summer. Bar Nice will open in North Park in early 2025.
Pronounced “niece” after the city on the French Riviera, owner Anthony Viveros says he plans to have fun with the inevitable mispronunciations referencing the town and general pleasantry. He explains that the double nature perfectly plays into their Old-World-meets-New-World ethos. “There’s going to be a dichotomy,” he says. “Our wine list motif is going to be half New World American and half Old World French, [and] you’ll see that too in our food and cocktails.”
A Chicago native and hospitality lifer, Viveros first came to San Diego around 2011 to open multiple True Food Kitchens with Sam Fox before traveling through Europe starting in 2016, including through Nice. He returned to co-found Nolita Hall in Little Italy in 2018 and worked as the director of operations until 2020. At that point, he partnered with Paul Basile and Jules Wilson to begin conceptualizing their Roseacre project in La Jolla. Bar Nice is his first hospitality project as founder and full partner.
While France is generally well-regarded for the quality of its cuisine, Viveros says the Mediterranean landscape and other unique cultural influences surrounding Nice make it the ideal inspiration for San Diego. Bar Nice will focus on traditional French dishes with a vital seafood component to start, but “at the end of the day, it’s a cocktail bar,” he explains. “We’re going to be really focused on French liqueurs, apéritifs, quinquinas, agricole, rum, things like that.” He adds they also plan to emphasize low-intervention wines, plus plenty of Southern French rosés.
Viveros’ wife Heather designed the interior and exterior with architect Philip Cudaback from Lahaina Architects to create a warm, timeless, Old World-inspired design heavy on wood elements, marble-patterned tabletops and bar, black and white tiled floors, and brass and gold accents. Viveros calls it “super classic old school French” with a laugh.
Bar Nice’s opening hours will be Wednesday through Sunday, eventually moving to seven days a week. Happy hour will run from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Viveros says he aims to stay open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and close at 11 p.m. the rest of the week.
Staying open late is a non-negotiable, he says. “I think this is a big void in San Diego right now,” he points out. It’s taken a long time to see the finish line—they signed the lease for the space in 2022—but he’s optimistic about their place in the San Diego food and drink scene. “We’re just really excited to get open. It’s been a really long, long journey, that’s for sure.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
George’s At The Cove Turns 40
Everyone loves a splashy new restaurant opening, but it’s another thing entirely to stay in business for 40 years. That’s exactly what La Jolla institution George’s at the Cove will accomplish on August 9 when they celebrate four decades on Prospect Street, with founder George Hauer, chef and operating partner Trey Foshee, executive chef Masa Kojima, and pastry chef Anna Adams on hand to commemorate the occasion. The restaurant has many special events throughout the year, including an upcoming renovation and a chef’s dinner series.
Perry’s Cafe Closes
Old Town icon Perry’s Cafe announced its impending closure only a few weeks ago but ended up shutting its doors earlier than anticipated on Monday, August 5. The legendary diner operated for nearly 40 years, serving omelets, hotcakes, hot coffee, and hamburgers to tourists and locals alike. Owner Perry Eulmi cited her retirement as the reason for the closure, and we certainly wish her the best on her hard-earned break.
Ten Gu Ramen
Beth’s Bites
- San Diegans felt a little deflated at this year’s Michelin mentions (tires, deflated—get it?). We didn’t get a single new star—in fact, Sushi Tadokoro lost one, and the guide dropped Solare Restaurant entirely from Bib Gourmand. Lest Los Angeles feel too smug, Addison is still the only three Michelin-starred restaurant in Southern California, so take that!
- San Diego Beer News first reported Karl Strauss’ San Marcos location, dubbed “The Outpost,” would close permanently on Sunday, August 11, citing numerous issues that prevented them from continuing operations at the experimental concept after less than a year. No other locations are closing—phew.
- As always, a bunch of new restaurants are on the horizon: 85°C Bakery Cafe is coming to Oceanside (bring me all the buns!), Birria Puesto is coming to San Marcos, Ten Gu Ramen will open in Escondido in October, and Houston TX Hot Chicken is bringing the heat to Gaslamp on Saturday, August 24.
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