A boisterous restaurant and vinyl bar has opened its doors in San Francisco’s Mission Creek neighbourhood, occupying the same space the beloved Universal Café once did. Aptly named Side A, the site seeks to turn up the volume on Midwestern hospitality, giving American crowd-pleasers an international spin.
Side A, San Francisco
Styled as a contemporary bistro, Side A exudes a retro-futurist aesthetic. The concept was brokered by Studio Ahead – a local design practice – which introduced husband-and-wife duo Parker and Caroline Brown, who now run Side A, to the venue’s owner Jim Skånberg. ‘We had recently met them at one of their pop-up events and were attracted to the energy they created by combining culinary and musical experiences, a spirit that would ultimately translate to the new venture,’ recall Studio Ahead’s co-founders, Elena Dendiberia and Homan Rajai.
The design team established Side A’s crisp, minimal character with concrete, stainless steel and marble, balanced by bespoke furnishings from 280 West. At the heart of the room, a sculptural, brushed-aluminium DJ booth fronts a vast record wall, announcing the restaurant’s other role as a listening bar. The audio pedigree is equally sharp: a system developed with Good Question Sound, anchored by Tub’s Audio speakers from New Zealand.
To offset the cool rigour of its industrial palette, Studio Ahead layered in warmth. Rounded acoustic panels clad in undyed sheep’s-wool felt from Sonoma and West Marin line the original banquette wall; bar stools in metal are softened with waxed-canvas cushions; bespoke candleholders add intimacy.
In the kitchen, Parker (formerly chef de cuisine at Michelin-starred Aphotic) has devised a menu of refined Americana with a playful twist: a Garbage Salad is laced with little gems, pork belly confit and dilly beans; a bone marrow burger is enriched with red onion jam. The wine list, curated by Paul Chung of La Ciccia, leans Italian with a local accent.
Meanwhile, Caroline presides over the musical programme, drawing on her own vinyl library: a polyphonic spread of soul, funk, disco, blues, rock, reggae, jazz and world. Guest DJs complete the line-up, with a morning rotation that pairs coffee and doughnuts with soul-stirring sets, weekdays from 8am to 2pm.
Side A is located at 2814 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States.
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