A San Francisco restaurant that earned critical praise for putting a modern spin on Southern cuisine is preparing to serve its final meals. Despite earning recognition from the Michelin Guide and praise as one of the Bay Area’s notable new restaurants, the restaurant’s run will come to an end this fall.
Prelude will close in September
Prelude, a Southern-inspired fine-dining restaurant inside San Francisco’s Jay Hotel, will permanently close after dinner service on September 19, 2026. The restaurant opened in August 2024 and is operated by Omakase Restaurant Group.
Located at 333 Battery St. in San Francisco’s Financial District, Prelude was created by Executive Chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones, who drew inspiration from his Southern family heritage. The menu combined traditional Southern flavors with contemporary techniques and Bay Area ingredients.
Among the restaurant’s distinctive offerings were fried chicken wings stuffed with dirty rice and grits, pimento cheese topped with trout roe, and a modern take on banana cream pie.
Restaurant earned Michelin recognition
Prelude’s closure comes less than two years after its opening and despite receiving significant industry attention…