Le Central opened its doors in November of 1974, founded by brothers Pierre and Claude Cappelle from Normandy, France, and was the first brasserie-style French restaurant in San Francisco. Through the seventies, eighties and nineties it was where the city's movers and shakers came for the power lunch, and Willie Brown has kept his Friday table for nearly fifty years. Pierre and Claude sold to their own cooks and maître d' in 1993; in 2024 the restaurant passed again to two long-time employees, David Gabiné and Ignacio Colorado.

Lunch 11:30–2:30 · Dinner 5:00–9:00 · Closed Sundays

onion, crouton, gruyere, fines herbs

french escargot, garlic, butter, pernod, parsley

cornichon pickles, toasted baguette, dijon mustard

frisée, lardon, poached egg, fuji apple, honey-dijon sherry vinaigrette

white beans, carrot, duck leg confit, lamb, pork shoulder, pork sausage

10oz. center cut prime NY steak, pommes frites, marchand de vin butter

braised short rib, carrot, pearl onion, butter & herb egg noodles

Sautéed Petrale Sole

marble potatoes, baby carrot, lemon, butter, capers

half chicken, fingerling potatoes, broccolini, romesco sauce

Truffle Pommes Frites

truffle oil, parmesan, shaved truffles, parsley

The dishes here feel stuck in time, but in a good way.

Le Central exists as an homage to the French bistro.

It's been cooking for nearly 18,000 days.