Mesón, a Spanish tapas bar backed by key members of the old César crew, is gearing up for a summer debut in Berkeley, taking over the former Three.One Four pizzeria space on Gilman Street. The project reunites cooks and managers from the much-missed César tapas bar and promises paella, montaditos and other small plates in a roomy indoor-outdoor setting. The owners say the venue will include a front dining room, a bar and a backyard set up for games and casual hangouts.
The official site for Mesón lists the address as 1329 Gilman St in the Westbrae neighborhood and teases a coming this summer opening. Local reporting lays out plans for a front dining room, outdoor patio, bar space and a backyard area slated for games, with a menu that is expected to feature patatas bravas, montaditos, bocadillos, salads, brussels sprouts with parsley-garlic sauce and paellas, according to WhatNow. There is still no firm opening date.
Former César Team Returns
Owner and former César general manager Cameron McVeigh is leading the charge at Mesón, with the kitchen headed by Juan Gomez, who previously worked as sous chef at César. Chef Maggie Pond, who helped open and run César, is also listed as part of the culinary team, according to Berkeley Eats. The piece notes that the group is eyeing a late-summer opening, possibly in July, and that many familiar faces from the original César staff are expected to return.
Filling a Local Void
César, the tapas bar that anchored Shattuck Avenue for more than two decades, closed in July 2022 after its lease was not renewed when Chez Panisse reclaimed the space, as reported by Berkeleyside and the SF Chronicle. For many Berkeley diners, Mesón reads as a very intentional effort to revive that lively, tapas-first style of dining that César helped define in the neighborhood.
From Pizza Lounge to Tapas Bar
The 1329 Gilman address has most recently housed Three.One Four pizzeria, whose site and ordering pages list the location and its contact details. Mesón’s plan to reuse the space’s mix of indoor and outdoor seating for Spanish small plates and cocktails tracks closely with the existing layout, and local coverage notes that the backyard is slated for casual games and gatherings, according to Three.One Four Pizzeria and WhatNow…