Two restaurant vets from France are realizing their San Francisco dreams this week, opening casual French bistro Caché in the Inner Sunset on Saturday, March 8. Florent Thomas and chef Simon Mounier discovered their shared love of San Francisco while working at two-Michelin-starred Le Grande Maison de Bernard Magrez in Bordeaux, France, for five years. They each took trips to San Francisco in their younger years and the experiences left a lasting impression, and they individually plotted to one day return to the Bay. Fast forward to 2025 and the duo are ready to provide locals with fresh seafood, seasonal produce, fun bites, and wine pairings. “A Michelin star has a price, it has a lot of costs, it’s very demanding, and it does offer a certain type of services,” Thomas says. “But what we are really enjoying the most is sharing good times with customers, meeting new people, and being able to host [diners] in a welcoming environment, not something too fancy or strict, in a casual way.”
Mounier hails from the Brittany region on the west coast of France, and says the region shares some similarities with San Francisco, especially when it comes to cooking with seafood and organic vegetables. The inspiration for the menu lies not in overcomplicated recipes, he says, but instead in dishes that let the ingredients shine. “I think a good cooked fish with a good cooked vegetable and a good cooked sauce are enough to understand my vision of the cuisine,” Mounier says.
The menu will change with the farmers market and the catch of the day from their seafood partners. For the opening menu, Mounier points to the seabream sashimi for two as a favorite of his, a signature dish that was a hit at a recent Nightbird pop-up. Featuring the entire fish on the plate, it’s marinated with oranges and limes with a hit of sugar and salt for balance. It’s an unusual plating for sashimi, but Mounier feels it’s best to display it as “a reminder of the sea.” “I think it’s very important for us to respect nature and respect the fish man,” Mounier says. “That’s why we prefer to not put a name of fish for the plates because, again, we just cook what the sea wants to give to us.” There will also be vegetarian options, such as a quinoa dish made with a green curry with coconut milk, as Mounier hopes to make the food as accessible as possible for diners.
Mounier isn’t shying away from having fun with the menu. One of the twists the chef is employing on his lunch and brunch menu is an octopus hot dog, inspired by a trip to New York. Mounier’s version will employ a tender octopus tentacle rather than the traditional sausage, swathed in peppers, pickled onions, and mango-curry mayonnaise, all on a brioche bun made by the kitchen. He also created his own take on the San Francisco burrito, made with a buckwheat galette and corn done up with a “Brittany twist.” The chef is already considering the upcoming produce and seafood for the ever-changing menu; he says he’s looking forward to working with strawberries for desserts in the summer, “beautiful oysters,” and John Dory when they come into season.
The restaurant also plans to offer takeaway options like coffee, juices, seasonal tarts, salads, wine, and more. Thomas and Mounier hope to launch the daytime program in May or so, when the weather gets warmer, tempting neighbors to drop in for picnic provisions on the way to Golden Gate Park or elsewhere.
Thomas leads the charge on the beverage options. He’s created a wine list made of smaller producers from California and Europe who practice natural and low-intervention techniques. There will also be cordials and vermouths on offer, as well as low-ABV and nonalcoholic cocktails. Thomas, a self-proclaimed wine geek, toured local producers and visited wineries in his home country of France, and he’s thrilled with his chance to put together this wine menu. Ask him about the latest favorites he’s tried, and he’ll say that’s an impossible question, as the answer depends on the dish, the weather, or even the vibes of the occasion. “There’s so many hidden gems everywhere, and it’s just so fun for me to to play with the different regions and countries in order to have a fun and unusual wine list,” Thomas says.
Caché’s decor is what Thomas calls “modern, bright, and inviting.” The space is swathed in creams, terracotta orange, and green. They also decorated the back patio, adding a deck and plants befitting the restaurant’s location in the Inner Sunset and nearby Golden Gate Park. After looking for a home for their bistro over the last two years, they’re thrilled with the new space and neighbors.
“It was love at first sight,” Thomas says of the Caché space. “I like to say it that way because everything was just phenomenal: neighborhood vibe, very close by the ocean and the park. We were like, ‘Wow, that’s definitely the spot we want to see ourselves in the future years,’ and we hope to deliver what the neighborhood is looking for.”
Caché (1235 9th Avenue) debuts Saturday, March 8, and will be open 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday through Monday, serving brunch and lunch, and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for dinner.
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