San Francisco restaurateur Rene Denis, owner of Chao Pescao, is set to open a new restaurant in Mission Bay, according to a liquor license application. The restaurant, which appears on the application as Noches, would be located on 301 King St., in the 1,736 square-foot space formerly occupied by Death by Tacos, which closed in 2023.
Denis established himself in the San Francisco area with Soluna Cafe & Lounge, an upscale restaurant located in the Civic Center. The restaurant closed in 2020 as the pandemic lockdowns forced many restaurants to close. However, it may be more accurate to say that Soluna evolved, as Denis took the closure as a chance to rework the menu and price point for takeout, before rethinking the concept of the restaurant entirely.
Denis would reopen the space as Chao Pescao in 2021 in an explosion of bold blues, yellows and reds. Chao Pescao, which roughly translates to “see you later, alligator,” serves Cuban and Colombian food, like its Tajin fried chicken and Colombian-style chicharron. Denis told Eater SF in 2021, “I had this deep desire for the food that I grew up with — Cuban and Colombian. And I just thought the city was lacking in both of the cuisines I grew up on and love.”
Now, Denis is getting ready to embark on his next venture with Noches. Denis declined to comment on the restaurant’s opening, only saying that “Noches” was just a portion of a longer restaurant name. Without many details about this upcoming restaurant, we may just have to catch up with this alligator later.
