Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero Welcomes Renowned Local Chef Rupert Blease as Chef-in-Residence

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco At Embarcadero and distinguished Bay Area Chef Rupert Blease are thrilled to announce a limited-time dining experience – Turntable at Four Seasons Embarcadero – debuting this week. The pop-up concept takes inspiration from Blease’s much-beloved San Francisco restaurant, Turntable at Lord Stanley, which opened in 2020 as a hub for renowned and emerging chefs to collaborate and showcase their signature cuisines. As the Hotel’s first chef-in-residence, Blease has curated a dynamic menu of elevated bar bites and homemade dinner dishes that spotlight the season’s freshest ingredients, which Hotel guests and locals can enjoy from now through early 2023.

Located on the ground floor lobby level of the Hotel, the recently renovated 118-seat Lounge & Bar at Four Seasons Embarcadero serves as a welcome respite for city residents and travellers alike. Designed by luxury design firm Marzipan, the space features well-appointed interiors with ornate metallic detailing, distinctive industrial-style lighting, velvet and leather seating, and bronze fixtures and finishes. Several intimate vignette spaces are ideal for happy hour drinks and bites, dinners with friends and loved ones, and celebratory gatherings.

“We are truly honoured to have an opportunity to partner with an award-winning talent such as Chef Rupert Blease to bring such a special dining pop-up to Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero,” commented General Manager Gigi Vega. “Our team admires Chef Blease’s work at Lord Stanley, and it feels like the perfect moment to debut a dynamic culinary concept in our beautiful Lounge & Bar space in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District. Chef Blease’s expertise and deep understanding of the San Francisco culinary scene is invaluable and inspiring, and it really serves to elevate the one-of-a-kind hospitality experience we seek to offer our guests on a daily basis. As we prepare to launch a permanent restaurant concept early next year, we couldn’t be more pleased to showcase Chef Blease’s cuisine and welcome him as our interim chef-in-residence.”

The Turntable at Four Seasons Embarcadero dinner menu, created by Chef Blease, celebrates comforting seasonal California fare and locally sourced purveyors. Highlights include starters such as Beef Tartare with hazelnuts, paprika and pita bread; Lightly Cured Yellowtail Tuna with saffron rouille, black olive, fennel and cilantro; and Warm Seasonal Mushrooms with buttermilk and alliums; as well as main courses such as House-Made Tagliatelle with walnut and basil pesto and chanterelle mushrooms; 16 ounce Aged Wagyu Beef Chop with bordelaise, shallot jam and pommes purée; and Pan Fried Local Black Cod with beurre blanc, charred green cabbage and dill. For dessert, guests can enjoy sophisticated sweet treats such as the fresh Red Fruit Eton Mess, consisting of meringue and vanilla cream; Lemon Verbena Custard, with fall citrus, pistachio and argamato lemon oil; and Warm Black Cocoa Pudding with sourdough ice cream and chocolate crumble. An array of small bar bites include Bacon Popcorn, Smoked Castelvetrano Olives, Salt Cod Brandade, Beer-Battered Onion Rings with House Ranch, and the beloved Lord Stanley Burger.  

The cuisine complements a refreshed fall beverage menu helmed by the Hotel’s Director of Outlets Aom Aphiradi Lee that includes new signature cocktails such as The Breadwinner with Bulleit Bourbon, Domaine De Canton Ginger, Amaro Abano, Oban 14-year rinse, and burnt thyme; the Summer Fog made with Hennessy V.S.O.P, Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 rum, Heering Cherry, Amaro Montenegro, Crème De Noyaux and maple wood smoke; and the San Francisco Negroni made with St. George Terroir Gin, Campari, Lo-Fi Sweet Vermouth and amaro.

“I am so delighted to launch the first Turntable outside of Lord Stanley at the beautiful Four Seasons Embarcadero,” says Chef Blease. “It has been a joy to bring this residency to life and developing a menu of simple yet elevated seasonal cuisine that far surpasses the standard hotel dining experience. It is the first time we’ll be creating such a varied menu that can be enjoyed in multiple spaces and across an extended period of time – from happy hour to dinner as well as in-room-dining. This is a whole new ballgame from the concise tasting menus we’re accustomed to offering at Turntable by Lord Stanley, and we are excited to delight and surprise diners at every turn.”

Early next year after the Turntable pop-up comes to a close, Four Seasons Embarcadero will announce a new, permanent restaurant concept within the Lounge & Bar space; more details will be shared in the coming months.

Four Seasons Embarcadero is located at 222 Sansome Street. Turntable will be available daily for dinner from 5:00 to 10:00 pm, and for bar bites and beverages from 3:00 to 11:00 pm. To book a reservation, click here and follow along @FSEmbarcadero #ExperienceEmbarcadero.

About Turntable at Lord Stanley

The location stays the same, and the chefs rotate monthly to create new and unique culinary experiences to showcase cuisines from around the world. At Lord Stanley, co-chefs and husband-and-wife owners Rupert and Carrie Blease have transformed the Michelin-starred modern European restaurant into Turntable at Lord Stanley: a hub for world-renowned and up-and-coming chefs to collaborate and showcase their cuisines. Each Chef in Residence serves a multi-course menu, along with takeout options from the to-go window. The staff at Lord Stanley have remained in place including the front of house team led by General Manager Catherine O’Brien, the kitchen crew, and Wine Director Louisa Smith, who works with each Chef in Residence to create a natural wine pairing that reflects their menu. Turntable at Lord Stanley is open five nights a week for dinner; Tuesdays through Saturdays 5:30 to 10:00 pm. Turntable at Lord Stanley is located at 2065 Polk Street, San Francisco.