476 Castro Street
San Francisco, California 94114
(415) 558-0893
BlushWineBar.com
Status: LGBT/Mixed Wine Bar
In Their Own Words: In the heart of the Castro, Blush! invites you to savor an experience inspired by the greatest wine bars of Europe. Amidst a cozy décor, our trained staff will guide you through a selection of some 50 wines offered by the glass, part of our extensive wine list (120 wines by the bottle). To accompany our wines, we offer a flavorful and authentic cuisine – antipasti, small plates, entrees, created according to the certified art of our Chef, Martin. Blush is also proud to be a unique home for live Music and Arts in the Castro. We feature quality live music every Tuesday and Thursday, French Improv Theatre once a month, and new Art is displayed on our walls every couple of months.
History
Summary
| Name | Dates of Operation |
| Blush | 2009 – present |
Details
When it first appeared in the Castro as A Bon Port, it seemed doomed — a French crêperie at the site of another failed French crêperie, which had (if memory serves) had replaced yet another failed crêperie. Indeed, businesses at that spot seemed to be replaced at a rate of two to three times a year.
But the new owners of A Bon Port, Jean-Francois Pauly and Mickael Azoulay, had a vision and a secret plan. When their beer and wine liquor license finally came through in March of 2009 after long delays, they closed for a super quick face life (so fast, we didn’t notice they were closed until they had already reopened), and then reopened as an upscale wine bar called Blush that is now open until midnight or 1:00 a.m. every night.
Although they still have a kitchen (their liquor license requires it), the emphasis is now on fancy appetizers rather than full meals. But it’s clear that it’s the wine that’s front and center — and as a result, finally the curse may be lifted from this poor location. Five years later, despite having to close briefly due to construction in the building, they continue to do a solid business.
In 2012, Bay Area Reporter readers named Blush their favorite wine bar.
After SuperStar Video moved out of the building that Blush is housed in, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation was approved to take over and renovate to create a 14,700-square foot health and wellness center for gay and bisexual men, winning rezoning approval in June of 2013. The center will house Magnet, which provides STI testing and counseling, the Stonewall Project, which provides drug counseling programs, and the Stop AIDS Project, which provides HIV prevention programs. The building was gutted and is being rebuilt from the ground up, with Blush temporarily closed for about a month. The wine bar is now reopened even as construction continues on the rest of the building. Although Blush’s space remains largely unchanged, a new open-air balcony is being constructed above it.
To our knowledge, Blush is the first actual bar to occupy the space.
Sources
Bajko, Matthew S., “Bartender has an Edge with customers,” Bay Area Reporter, April 5, 2012.
Bajko, Matthew S., “Castro Street zoning change for nonprofits wins approval,” Bay Area Reporter, June 20, 2013.
Bajko, Matthew S., “SFAF presents new design for gay men’s health center façade,” Bay Area Reporter, June 6, 2013.
“Changes are coming to SF’s gay nightlife,” Big Gay Frat House Blog, March 22, 2009.
Flournoy, Raymond, “San Francisco style for Milk’s manager,” Bay Area Reporter, March 3, 2009.
Hemmelgarn, Seth, “Health center design updated,” Bay Area Reporter, July 11, 2013.
Hemmelgarn, Seth, “Panel approves SFAF’s Castro plans,” Bay Area Reporter, October 24, 2013.
Location
476 Castro Street, San Francisco