Michelin-Worthy Omakase Counter Robin to Open Second Peninsula Outpost

One of San Francisco’s most ambitious sushi restaurants is expanding with a second location poised to serve the tech workers of Silicon Valley. Hayes Valley’s Robin, which is listed in the Michelin Guide but doesn’t hold any coveted stars, will open an outpost at Springline, a 6.4-acre mixed-use development in Menlo Park.

The modern Japanese restaurant, which opened in 2017, joins a growing list of notable Bay Area names slated to open at the development. The lineup includes Divisadero’s rustic Italian spot Che Fico, Burma Love, Barebottle Beer Co., and Andytown Coffee Roasters. Proper Food, the grab-and-go salad and sandwich chain born in downtown San Francisco now with 14 locations on both coasts, will also debut its first suburban location at Springline in fall 2022.

In a press release, Robin chef Adam Tortosa and partner Michael Huffman say they’ve been looking for the right opportunity to expand with a second location for years; Springline made a good fit in part because many of the restaurant’s customers come to San Francisco from the South Bay. The Menlo Park outpost will offer “iconic Robin dishes,” according to the release, with options for both group and private dining. They also plan to build an intimate bar stocked with a selection of Japanese whiskey and spirits. Drink options will include Japanese whiskey flights, highballs, and a list of cocktails.

Tortosa and Huffman have tapped San Francisco-based Olle Lundberg of Lundberg Design to build out the space. Lundberg Design’s work includes the recent updates to Flour + Water’s Mission flagship, plus the causally luxurious Mourad and Nari’s modern-yet-natural dining room.

Springline, billed by developer Presidio Bay Ventures as “Sand Hill Road 2.0,” expects to fully open in summer 2022. By recruiting recognizable San Francisco and Bay Area food and beverage businesses to the development, developers hope to create a new dining hub on the Peninsula.