One of the most historic spaces in Downtown San Francisco will soon have an ultra-luxe tenant with capacity for as many as 2,000 guests, when restaurant and events venue Holbrook House takes up residence in early September.
A liquor license application, along with a caterer permit, issued this week confirmed that Philip Spiegel, who has previously worked with the Julia Morgan Ballroom and the Merchants Exchange Club, is attached to the project at 1 Sansome St. Holbrook House was a historic structure on the same site.
Early images, including the website, reveal an upscale interior whose marbly vibe evokes an early 20th century Parisian train station with jungle accents. In a neighborhood staking its economic recovery on culture and nightlife, Holbrook House’s debut is likely to make a splash.
Strictly speaking, the address 1 Sansome St. is two adjacent buildings. One is a 550-foot skyscraper built in the 1980s known as the Citigroup Center that houses corporate offices and consulates, while the other is the much older Anglo and London Paris National Bank, an ornate 1910 structure with Doric columns and the Conservatory at One Sansome, a beautiful light court that serves as an atrium.
The Conservatory at One Sansome, which has often had palm trees in it, is also one of San Francisco’s privately owned public open spaces, or POPOs—and Holbrook House will spill into it when the venue opens Sept. 6.
A 2022 San Francisco Chronicle article teased the project, with Spiegel calling it an alternative to the neighborhood’s hotels—a Gatsby-esque destination where people drink martinis and champagne. In addition to being luxurious, Holbrook House is centrally located, situated above the Montgomery BART Station and just off Market Street.