page: lecentral-home business: Le Central Bistro, a historic French brasserie at 453 Bush Street in San Francisco's Union Square world: woodcut medium: dark woodcut propaganda poster engraving flow: stark density: balanced fonts: display: Anton body: Anton palette: - '#a12f24' - '#1c1613' - '#e9dcc0' - '#7a1f1a' sections: - id: nav type: nav archetype: nav-bar s_archetype: S9 fidelity: structure elements: - role: logo font: display text: Le Central convert: live - role: nav-link font: body text: Menu convert: live - role: nav-link font: body text: History convert: live - role: nav-link font: body text: Gallery convert: live - role: nav-link font: body text: Visit convert: live - role: cta font: body text: Reserve a Table convert: baked items: [] images: [] - id: hero type: hero archetype: hero-banner s_archetype: S1 fidelity: pixel elements: - role: eyebrow font: body text: Union Square, San Francisco · Since 1974 convert: live - role: headline font: display text: A Little Taste of Paris in Downtown San Francisco convert: live - role: subhead font: body text: The city's first brasserie-style French restaurant, still serving the cassoulet it opened with. convert: live - role: cta font: body text: See the Menu convert: baked - role: cta font: body text: Book a Table convert: baked items: [] images: - role: hero-illustration source: generated subject: a marble-topped brasserie table laid for lunch — a copper cassoulet pot, a glass of red wine, a folded white napkin and a brass-railed banquette behind it - id: story type: story archetype: split-text-left s_archetype: S3 fidelity: structure elements: - role: eyebrow font: body text: Our History convert: live - role: headline font: display text: Fifty years on Bush Street convert: live - role: body font: body text: 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. convert: live - role: fact font: body text: Opened November 1974 convert: live - role: fact font: body text: SF's first brasserie convert: live - role: fact font: body text: Over 17 wines by the glass convert: live - role: fact font: body text: 4.6 stars on OpenTable convert: live items: [] images: - role: supporting-illustration source: generated subject: the long brasserie dining room in the evening — gilded mirrors, oxblood leather banquettes, white paper over linen, and a zinc bar at the far end - id: menu type: menu archetype: menu-band s_archetype: S5 fidelity: structure elements: - role: eyebrow font: body text: The Menu convert: live - role: headline font: display text: Bistro Classics & the House Cassoulet convert: live - role: legend font: body text: Lunch 11:30–2:30 · Dinner 5:00–9:00 · Closed Sundays convert: live - role: legal font: body text: Happy hour at the bar Monday to Saturday, 4:30 to 6:00. Half-price wine bottles Monday evenings. convert: live items: - name: Onion Soup Gratinée details: onion, crouton, gruyere, fines herbs price: $14 - name: Escargot Bourguignon details: french escargot, garlic, butter, pernod, parsley price: $17 - name: Pâté de Campagne details: cornichon pickles, toasted baguette, dijon mustard price: $14 - name: Frisée aux Lardon details: frisée, lardon, poached egg, fuji apple, honey-dijon sherry vinaigrette price: $19 - name: Le Central Cassoulet details: white beans, carrot, duck leg confit, lamb, pork shoulder, pork sausage price: $36 - name: Steak Frites details: 10oz. center cut prime NY steak, pommes frites, marchand de vin butter price: $47 - name: Beef Bourguignon details: braised short rib, carrot, pearl onion, butter & herb egg noodles price: $36 - name: Sautéed Petrale Sole details: marble potatoes, baby carrot, lemon, butter, capers price: $32 - name: Roasted Chicken details: half chicken, fingerling potatoes, broccolini, romesco sauce price: $28 - name: Truffle Pommes Frites details: truffle oil, parmesan, shaved truffles, parsley price: $12 images: [] - id: testimonials type: testimonials archetype: testimonial-strip s_archetype: S2 fidelity: structure elements: - role: eyebrow font: body text: In the Press convert: live - role: headline font: display text: Stuck in time, in a good way convert: live - role: quote font: body text: The dishes here feel stuck in time, but in a good way. convert: live - role: attribution font: body text: The Infatuation convert: live - role: quote font: body text: Le Central exists as an homage to the French bistro. convert: live - role: attribution font: body text: GAYOT convert: live - role: quote font: body text: It's been cooking for nearly 18,000 days. convert: live - role: attribution font: body text: The sandwich board by the door, on the cassoulet convert: live items: [] images: [] - id: gallery type: gallery archetype: gallery-band s_archetype: S6 fidelity: pixel elements: - role: eyebrow font: body text: The Room convert: live - role: headline font: display text: Mirrors, brass, and a table by the window convert: live - role: subhead font: body text: Half a century of lunches between Grant and Kearny. convert: live items: [] images: - role: photo source: generated subject: a cast-iron pot of cassoulet with duck confit and sausage, crust broken open - role: photo source: generated subject: the zinc bar with brass rail, bottles ranked against a gilded mirror - role: photo source: generated subject: steak frites on a white oval plate with a copper pot of pommes frites - id: visit type: visit archetype: visit-band s_archetype: S5 fidelity: structure elements: - role: eyebrow font: body text: Visit convert: live - role: headline font: display text: 453 Bush Street, between Grant and Kearny convert: live - role: fact font: body text: 453 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 convert: live - role: fact font: body text: (415) 391-2233 convert: live - role: fact font: body text: Mon–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm and 5:00–9:00pm · Closed Sunday convert: live - role: form-label font: body text: Name convert: live - role: form-label font: body text: Email convert: live - role: form-label font: body text: Party size convert: live - role: cta font: body text: Request a Table convert: baked items: [] images: - role: map-illustration source: generated subject: a simple map of Bush Street between Grant Avenue and Kearny Street in downtown San Francisco - id: footer type: footer archetype: footer-bar s_archetype: S9 fidelity: structure elements: - role: logo font: display text: Le Central convert: live - role: tagline font: body text: A little taste of Paris in downtown San Francisco. convert: live - role: fact font: body text: French brasserie · Union Square · Opened 1974 convert: live - role: fact font: body text: 453 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 · (415) 391-2233 convert: live - role: fact font: body text: Lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday · Closed Sunday convert: live - role: legal font: body text: © 2026 Le Central Bistro convert: live items: [] images: []