The restaurateur Michael Mina has closed his eponymous restaurant at 252 California St., but the closure also marks the start of a new project that is slated to open this fall.

Estiatorio Ornos, a Michael Mina restaurant focused on Greek seafood, will take over Michael Mina’s former premises and is expected to open in September. As Estiatorio Ornos moves away from the former restaurant’s Middle Eastern menu, Mina hopes it will bring back memories of the days of AQUA, the restaurant he ran before Michael Mina.

“I started my career introducing new fish dishes to people at AQUA, and the Estiatorio Ornos is an evolution of that …” Mina said in a statement. “This new version of the restaurant will not only continue to offer a tasting menu, but also a la carte experience that feels more social and uses its roots to pay homage to the Mediterranean seafood experience.”

The restaurant plans 76 seats with wraparound cabins, a bar with a redesigned cocktail menu and a menu that focuses on children’s dishes inspired by Mina and Estiatorio Ornos partners, Chef Girair “Jerry” Goumroian and Chef Nikolaos Georgousis. The menu options include phyllo-encrusted Dover sole and Mediterranean sea bass. The restaurant also plans to hire a fish sommelier who will suggest some of the best ways for guests to enjoy their meals.

The restaurateur Michael Mina has closed his eponymous restaurant at 252 California St. to present his upcoming Estiatorio Ornos restaurant.

David Varley

In a statement, Mina said the pandemic affected his decision to close the Michelin-lauded restaurant, which won its first star in 2011. During the COVID lockdown in San Francisco, Michael Mina remained closed while his pop-up Mac ‘N Cue in collaboration with Ayesha Curry operated in the restaurant area. The pop-up has since moved to other locations in San Francisco and continues to only be delivered.

“While I’m so proud of what we were able to achieve at Michael Mina, the evolution of our Middle Eastern tasting menu seemed like a natural complement given the history of Greek influence in ancient Egypt,” Mina said in a statement. “Last year was a shared period of reflection and I sat back to really think about what the next chapter of this space should look like and what is best for our changing city.

“San Francisco will always be one of the best food cities in the world and I am 100% committed to constantly evolving our concepts to support its growth and to honor a place without which I would be nowhere.”

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