The Bay Area has seen a string of impressive openings lately, but Wolfsbane doesn’t just join the pack, it leads it. The new fine-dining restaurant from former Lord Stanley owners Carrie and Rupert Blease and Serpentine’s Tommy Halvorson arrives with a tasting menu so assured, it feels like the team has been running it for years.
Full disclosure: I’m biased. I’ve featured Lord Stanley and their Turntable guest-chef series many times for social media, so I came in with high expectations. Even so, I left genuinely impressed by how dialed-in this 11-course tasting menu felt during their preview service.
The space, housed in Serpentine’s former Dogpatch location, is the stuff of design dreams. Its industrial bones are softened by deep warm tones, foliage, golden light, and an understated modern palette that feels as refined and inviting as the service itself.
Dinner began with delightful small bites, including a sunflower centerpiece that housed artichoke hearts, made to resemble sunflowers, with petals and a poppy-seed center. Crisp tempura enoki mushrooms evoked delicate branches, while other bites also played with contrast. Wolfsbane set the tone early: confident, thoughtful, and playful.
Next came a nod to Lord Stanley: creamy buttermilk cabbage topped with shaved uni bottarga and fresh dill, served in a sea urchin bowl. A tomato course followed, paired with a sip of tomato essence that burst with the sweetness and acidity of late summer.
The later courses showcased balance and restraint: striped bass braised in a silky celery-root sauce, followed by a tender duck breast paired with sweet roasted fig.
Before dessert, a staff favorite made an appearance—pain au jus, a slice of Lord Stanley sourdough dunked in red-wine jus and cultured butter.
Desserts were just as strong. A milk-oolong shaved snow cleansed the palate, followed by an autumn fruit composition that was a textural delight. The meal closed with a tray of petits fours, including their signature cannelé.
A beverage pairing is available, though we opted for cocktails—an area that still feels like it’s finding its rhythm.
Wolfsbane officially opens October 15 in Dogpatch. Reservations are required for the tasting menu, which starts at $248, or $383 with beverage pairing. An à la carte option will be available for walk-ins.
