San Francisco is fortunate to have not one but two Four Seasons hotels, each with its distinct ‘personality.’ While Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco on Market St. exudes a lively ‘see and be seen’ atmosphere, Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco At Embarcadero offers a more understated vibe, attracting celebrities seeking privacy in its 155 cloud-adjacent rooms and suites spanning the upper 11 floors of the 48-story building. The hotel’s new restaurant, Orafo, adds another layer of allure to this particular Four Seasons property, complementing the urban ambiance with its chic and inviting setting, serving delightful cuisine and expertly crafted cocktails that rival the best in the city. While predominantly frequented by hotel guests, dismissing Orafo as a mere hotel eatery would be a misjudgment.
Headed by Executive Chef Gunnar Planter, Orafo’s 118-seat dining room showcases a menu inspired by the regional specialties of Italy. With 16 years of culinary experience, including a tenure as the executive chef at the boutique luxury hotel Mar Monte’s Costa Kitchen & Bar and Café Lido in Santa Barbara, Planter brings a wealth of expertise in curating menus, preparing dishes, and presentation. Drawing influences from Tuscany and Calabria, his creations offer a contemporary twist on classics, highlighting the abundance of produce and seafood from Northern California, alongside authentic ingredients sourced directly from Italy, such as culatello paired with burrata and pistachio. Noteworthy dishes include handmade pasta like Squid Ink Linguine with uni butter, clams, and bottarga, Wild Mushroom Pappardelle with tarragon porcini sauce, parmesan, and crispy leek, and Rigatoni Pomodoro topped with burrata and confit cherry tomato, slow-roasted for 24 hours to enhance its flavors.
For mains, indulge in dishes like Mussels & Nduja with sherry wine, peppadew, and nduja butter, or the Grilled Lamb Two Ways with fregola sarda, harissa, braised fennel, and confit tomato garnish. For communal dining, opt for Secondi per la Tavola selections like Whole Branzino with lemon and Italian salsa verde or the 32oz Bistecca—an opulent dry-aged Porterhouse.
Orafo, named after the Italian term for goldsmith as a tribute to San Francisco’s gold rush heritage, offers an intimate and exclusive ambiance with intricate metallic accents, industrial-style lighting, plush velvet and leather seating, and cozy circular booths perfect for private conversations. The intimate five-seat bar serves inventive cocktails created by the skilled food and beverage team, featuring delights like The White Lotus with Tanqueray orange, calvados fine, Benedictine, and Nonino, or the theatrical Karl the Fog cocktail with Hennessy VSOP, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, cherry heering, amaro Zucca, crème de noyaux, and maple wood smoke, prepared tableside for a captivating experience.
Chef Planter expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “It’s exciting to be a part of the iconic San Francisco culinary community and create an outstanding new dining destination for the city. I’m excited to cook in San Francisco’s world-class culinary community for the first time and can’t wait to welcome our guests with memorable dishes that will leave them looking forward to their next visit.”
General Manager Gigi Vega of Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero added, “Since the completion of our 2022 renovation, we have eagerly awaited the perfect match for our restaurant and are grateful to have found Chef Gunnar Planter to bring life to our new dining experience at Orafo. We’re confident that Chef Planter’s world-class culinary training, tremendous talent, and dedication to sourcing the highest quality ingredients will provide guests with an unforgettable meal at Orafo.”
Additionally, Orafo is open for breakfast and lunch, providing guests with an opportunity to enjoy its offerings throughout the day.
Address: Orafo, 222 Sansome Street, San Francisco
Photos by Marc Fiorito, Gamma Nine
