Fifth Floor update?

[cortez]

I'll be visiting SF in August and will likely stay at the Palomar Hotel. I've read a lot over the years about the hotel's Fifth Floor restaurant but have never been there.

Searching this board, the reviews are mostly dated 2002-05. Has anyone been to the Fifth Floor in the last 6 months or so? Would you recommend it?

Thanks for your advice.

[gemster]

Out of curiosity, what happens in these situations when the executive chef leaves? Who makes the menus? Who runs the show?

[Robert Lauriston]

Typically the chef de cuisine or other most senior remaining person. Sometimes a consulting executive chef.

In this case, the hotel and restaurant are now for sale.

[chaddict]

The hotel as well? That was once a jewel in the Kimpton crown...

[Sarahgraci]

The Hotel Palomar is indeed for sale. My husband and I stayed there for 4 nights last week. I was surprised to read in the local newspaper that the hotel and restaurant are for sale. We did not eat at the restaurant (the menu actually isn't something that appeals to us). However, we were overall pleased with the hotel. Hopefully they will be bought and the restaurant brought back up to snuff.

[Robert Lauriston]

The restaurant's not necessarily not up to snuff, it just had a name chef with a great reputation, and now it doesn't.

Though it is weird to charge $115 for a "chef's tasting menu" when the chef is anonymous.

[Atomica]

My in-the-know travel industry friend says Kimpton is selling the Palomar, but will continue to operate the hotel. She says this is very common.

[chaddict]

Makes sense. IIRC, the MO is that Kimpton properties (not necessarily all) have various investors for various properties and they are held as separate LLCs or something like that. Then Kimpton manages all the properties. They did (and maybe still do) own some of the properties but when Bill Kimpton died, a lot of the privately held stuff was sold, i.e. Masa's and the Hotel Vintage Court.

[chaddict]

They are currently without an executive chef. I would wait until things settle down, the staff has been telling me things aren't so great right now...