You’ll Never Eat Cafe Du Nord’s Delicious Burger Again

After almost two years, Cafe Du Nord is reverting back to its former self as live music venue, following its 2015 transformation into a cocktail bar with drinks from the Bon Vivants, and food from Ne Timeas group (Flour + Water, Aaxte, Central Kitchen). Rumors have swirled for weeks about the bar’s fate, though when Eater reached out to Ne Timeas’ CEO and culinary director Thomas Macnaughton in March, he denied that the venue would close.

And while true that Cafe du Nord itself will not technically close, the cocktail bar and restaurant as we know it will certainly be kaput. That means no more burgers Du Nord (beloved even by Bauer), dollar oysters and Champagne happy hours, or buckets of excellent fried chicken. And, SF is down one of its very few worthy late night dining destinations.

The news wasn’t a bummer for everyone, however— fans of live music are excited to see Cafe Du Nord’s return to its roots, after watching the city’s number of good venues dwindle in the past few years. (Many Eater SF commenters were not pleased to see the original Cafe Du Nord’s remodel.)

The switcheroo was confirmed to Hoodline by Josh Harris (Bon Vivants), who said that the cocktail crew’s partnerships with upstairs Aaxte and Swedish American Hall would remain intact. According to Dylan MacNiven who owns the property itself, Cafe Du Nord is going to complete its transition back to a full-time music venue in the next few weeks, including announcements for upcoming shows. That means a slim menu of food and drinks will be on offer at least five nights a week, presumably in order to maintain their Type 47 liquor license, which requires food sales. Stay tuned for more.

• Market Street's 'Cafe Du Nord' To Transition Back To Music Venue [Hoodline]
• Inside the Revamped Café du Nord [ESF]
• Dollar Oyster Deals in San Francisco [ESF]