Chezchez, the Trick Dog Team’s Temple to Spritzes and Tinned Fish, Has Closed

Despite a couple of recent high notes for sister bar Trick Dog, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary and earned a nod on the James Beard Awards long list in January, BV Hospitality quietly pulled the plug on its second bar Chezchez earlier this year. An Eater SF reader noted Chezchez was dark for the entire month of January, and a representative for the bar confirmed on Monday, February 6 that the bar is permanently closed.

Chezchez got its start in August 2021, the result of BV Hospitality reinventing the space at 548 Valencia Street from its previous iteration as Bon Voyage, a travel-inspired cocktail bar serving “world flavors” that the team opened in 2018. While Bon Voyage leaned more international with its food and cocktail menu, by the time Chezchez took over in the summer of 2021, San Francisco was already a year and change into the pandemic, and the team aimed for approachability with this bar, owner Josh Harris said at Chezchez’s opening.

Chezchez quickly built up a following, receiving recognition around town for its food and drink menus, and was regularly featured on lists of top San Francisco places to visit, including by publications Thrillist and Forbes. Chezchez was also recognized as one of the best new bars in 2021 by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Chezchez was never meant to be a Trick Dog dupe; instead, the bar served a solid wine list; focused on aperitifs; and in the interest of that word “familiar,” offered small twists on classics such as the spritz, Negronis, Old Fashioneds, and a number of non-alcoholic options. The menu built and expanded on the tinned fish obsession that was proliferating around the Bay Area, with other snacky options available, such as a crudite plate, or a caviar indulgence.

No other information on the reason for the closure or upcoming plans for the Valencia Street space was available at this time.