Orafo: Where Italian Cuisine Meets Northern California’s Bountiful Produce

The Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero and Executive Chef Gunnar Planter have announced the opening of Orafo on Monday, February 27, 2023. The newly renovated restaurant pays tribute to Italy’s regional delicacies, drawing inspiration from Tuscany and Calabria. The 118-seat restaurant will showcase a fresh take on classic dishes, featuring authentic ingredients from Italy, as well as locally sourced produce and seafood from Northern California.

Situated on the ground floor lobby level of the Hotel, the restaurant offers a welcoming environment for city residents and travelers. The space features elegant interiors with intricate metallic detailing, industrial-style lighting, velvet and leather seating, and bronze fixtures and finishes. The restaurant’s intimate vignette spaces are perfect for indulging in cocktails and bites, having dinners with friends and loved ones, and celebrating gatherings with fun, shareable plates.

The dinner menu at Orafo features a tempting selection of sharable Antipasti, including Carne Crudo complemented by the bone marrow, boquerones, and Calabrian oil, Grilled Octopus served with watercress, cannellini beans, and guanciale, Tuna Bresaola Carpaccio with caper, fennel pollen, and Calabrian chili, and Burrata and Culatello with pistachio, Calabrian honey, and Umbia extra virgin olive oil. Chef Planter showcases his authentic techniques with handmade pasta Primi dishes, such as Squid Ink Linguine tossed in uni butter with clams and bottarga, Wild Mushroom Pappardelle with tarragon porcini sauce, parmesan, and crispy leek, and Rigatoni Pomodoro topped with burrata and confit cherry tomato that is roasted for 24 hours, enhancing the richness of the classic pasta.

Secondi dishes include Mussels and Nduja with sherry wine, peppadew, and nduja butter, and Grilled Lamb Two Ways with fregola sarda, harissa, and braised fennel, finished with confit tomato. The Secondi per la Tavola feature large format dishes, with a choice of two contorni, meant for sharing, including the Whole Branzino with lemon and Italian salsa verde and the 32-ounce Bistecca – an indulgent dry-aged Porterhouse. Guests can complete their meal with crave-able contorni such as Polenta ala Pomodoro or King Trumpet Mushrooms with herb butter.

At Orafo, guests can indulge in a selection of enticing cocktails and libations served at the bar. The menu boasts a range of spritzers, including The Goldsmith made with Hendrick’s gin, Meletti amaro, yuzu marmalade, lemon prosecco, and edible gold leaf, and the Kearny and Grant, featuring select aperitivo, ginger, and prosecco. Negroni enthusiasts can enjoy offerings like The White Lotus with Tanqueray orange, calvados fine, Benedictine, and Nonino, and the Coastal Negroni with St. George terroir gin, Foro amaro, and Campari. Specialty cocktails include Karl The Fog, which is prepared tableside with Hennessey VSP, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, cherry heering, amaro Zucca, crème de noyaux, and maple wood smoke. After the meal, guests can choose from a robust selection of amaro bottles.

In addition to dinner service, Orafo is also open for breakfast and lunch. The breakfast menu features notable entrees such as the Egg White Frittata filled with baby kale, mushrooms, asparagus, quinoa, and toy box tomatoes, and the Lemon Ricotta Pancake topped with Meyer lemon curd, blueberry, and mint.