Eat, Sip Wine, and Dance the Night Away at the Charming, Newly Reopened Verjus

After four years of being closed to the public, it’s finally official: As of Friday, November 1, San Francisco re-welcomed a favorite — Verjus is back.

For as many accolades as Verjus commanded in its day, it’s easy to forget what a short time it was truly open. Michael and Lindsay Tusk first opened the French-style wine bar in January 2019 as a casual companion to three-Michelin-starred Quince and their Italian restaurant Cotogna; the wine bar was barely open a year before the pandemic forced its closure. In the interim, the space survived as a de facto grocery store — remember those days? — selling farm goods and wine, and later converting to a private event space. There wasn’t a timeline for bringing back Verjus, says Lindsay Tusk. After the renovation and reopening of Quince in November 2023, the owners began to consider revisiting the wine bar idea. “My goal is that Verjus 2.0 will [...] be everything that [customers] remember,” Lindsay says. “I don’t want to disappoint anyone and have it not be as good as it was.”

It’s a lot to live up to, especially considering the halcyon pre-pandemic days of 2019 when Verjus first opened. Lindsay says that back then there weren’t as many natural wine bars open then as there are now — namechecking then-contemporaries Ruby Wine, (now closed) Terroir, and Ordinaire in Oakland — but she’s committed to bringing back the “social energy” that the wine bar contributed to the genre and neighborhood at large.

Will Brinkerhoff

In reopening Verjus, the team knew some things couldn’t be touched, to maintain that je ne sais quoi that kept people coming back. It was never meant to be a restaurant, Lindsay says, instead, it’s a wine bar that was fun and high fidelity and had “real gusto and life about it.” But, that doesn’t mean there can’t be improvements. One of the more noticeable things visitors will see is the addition of cocktails to the menu, courtesy of Thad Vogler of Bar Agricole. Vogler has recently worked with the team on the cocktail offerings at Quince and Cotogna, and the Tusks consulted with him on how to bring in cocktails for a bar most famously known for its wines. Together, they developed a program that still allows the wines to remain the focus. “The cocktail program is actually very simple, French-inspired,” Lindsay says. “Some ingredients you may associate with French cocktails, but it’s really very clean, very balanced. It’s almost more of an aperitif style [of cocktail] as a prelude to the wines.”

As for food, Lindsay says the menu “will be very emblematic of version 1.0” with small plates and entrees from chef Walker Stern. The selections will read as very contemporary bistro fare, Tusk says, with items such as a Boursin omelet or pertrale sole for two.

For the space itself, there will be plenty that previous customers will remember. The ceramic tile floor has since been replaced with warm wood, and the secondary bar has transformed from shop into a rentable private dining room (or overflow space), but other design features remain. One new, bold element in the side room is the vintage metal chandelier made of tangent circles designed by a woman designer in the 1970s, giving the room its circular theme. Notably, the iconic red ceiling and kitchen-wide marquee menu board still anchor the main room. Lindsay says the ceiling was first inspired by the Paris wine bar Le Baron Rouge, turned reflective and dreamy with candlelight thanks to the high-gloss lacquer (Lindsay’s personal touch). The marquee board was inspired by a 3-by-5-foot version that lit up the room of a Barcelona restaurant. “The design itself is very loud, it’s energetic,” Lindsay says, “it’s got a real point of view. It’s not by any means quiet or subtle.”

Will Brinkerhoff

Will Brinkerhoff

Will Brinkerhoff

The Tusks finally made music a more proper part of Verjus by installing a DJ booth — previously DJs used a makeshift table to spin — and adding late-night programming on Fridays and Saturdays. Michael loves music and has a huge vinyl collection, Lindsay shares, and they want to see Verjus as a place where people listen to music, drink great wine, eat great food, “and if they want to start dancing at 11 p.m. then that’s fine. The mood moves you,” Lindsay says.

To make it easier to visit, Verjus now has reservations available via Seven Rooms, with room for walk-ins. Meanwhile, Lindsay says they hope to relaunch retail in 2025, once things get settled with Verjus. They haven’t changed a ton of things, but the hope is that all these small moves will make Verjus feel more focused. “I really wanted to maintain its soul as a wine bar, for it not to be viewed as a restaurant,” Lindsay says. “I want to surprise people, I want to surpass their expectations. They think they’re coming to your typical wine bar, and then for them to be really bowled over by the quality of the food.”

Verjus (550 Washington Street) opened Friday, November 1, and is open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Will Brinkerhoff

Will Brinkerhoff

Will Brinkerhoff