After years of dreaming it up, chef David Barzelay is finally opening the doors to JouJou, a French brasserie that’s about to become the kind of restaurant that makes you actually want to leave your apartment on a Friday night. The spot lands in the Design District this Friday, March 6, and it’s shaping up to be the destination dining experience SF has been seriously lacking.

Barzelay has had this vision brewing for over 15 years. What started as a vague “untitled seafood concept” back in 2009 has evolved into something far more ambitious, a glamorous French brasserie that channels the energy of New York’s iconic Balthazar and the late, lamented Stars. His goal? Create a space where “it always feels like you’re in a place where it’s happening,” whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch or going full fancy with a special dinner.

Located at 65 Division Street in the former Grove space, JouJou is designed to pull you in with its theatrical energy. The redesigned restaurant features multiple rooms, dark-veined marble countertops, cane-backed bistro chairs, and a zinc-topped bar that Barzelay hopes becomes the kind of spot where the buzz is real every single night. It’s giving old-school French restaurant vibes, but make it happen in 2026.

The menu pays homage to classic French bistro fare, think French onion soup, steak frites, and escargots done exactly right. But Barzelay isn’t just copying the playbook. He’s adding his own spin with dishes like black cod à l’ananas, which takes the bones of the classic duck à l’orange concept and reimagines it with seafood. You can also expect those theatrically grand seafood towers that make dining feel like an event. For dessert? Tarte tatin and baba au rhum round out the classics.

Barzelay brought in some serious kitchen talent for this one. Nick Vollono, who’s worked at Quince and Atelier Crenn, is heading up the kitchen as chef de cuisine. Pastry chef Yesenia Castañon comes from Michelin two-starred Birdsong, and beverage director Matteo Villano has experience from both Quince and Cotogna. This team isn’t messing around.

In a way, JouJou represents a bigger shift happening in SF’s restaurant scene right now. After everyone got way too comfortable eating at home, there’s a genuine hunger for spaces that feel special and a bit theatrical again. Barzelay and other restaurateurs are bringing back the kind of dining experiences our grandparents took for granted, the kind where going out to eat actually feels like you’re going somewhere.

Reservations are live on Tock if you want to secure your spot at this one. Trust us, you’ll want to.