First part of One65, ambitious French dining hub, opens in SF’s Union Square

One65 is seen along O'Farrell Street in San Francisco, Calif. Tuesday, May 14, 2019. One65 is seen along O'Farrell Street in San Francisco, Calif. Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close First part of One65, ambitious French dining hub, opens in SF’s Union Square 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

A huge French dining complex is coming to Union Square.

One65, a six-floor mecca for French-inspired cooking, is opening four interconnected restaurants over the next few weeks, from a bakery below to a high-end restaurant above. The first, One65 Patisserie and Boutique, opened Thursday.

At the helm of the entire One65 project is Claude Le Tohic, a chef known for his work at Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during a time when the restaurant was among the world’s three-Michelin-star elite.

Spread across roughly 3,000 square feet on the first floor of 165 O’Farrell St., the patisserie combines a bakery, a grab-and-go snack space and a breakfast and lunch spot.

Photo: Jessica Christian, The Chronicle The first floor macaron counter is illuminated by color-changing...

Mirroring the style of traditional French patisseries, One65’s iteration has a counter area stretching the length of the room to a series of windows overlooking the central baking area. Everything on the patisserie menu is made in-house, with French pastries as the focus. Breads are also available, along with daily soups and a plat du jour (dish of the day). Other house-made items include 24 different chocolate confections and ice cream flavors like pistachio and mango. Casual breakfast and lunch service is also available.

Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Freshly baked croissants sit behind the macaron counter on the...

Designed by San Francisco-based D-Scheme Studio, the same folks behind Alexander’s Steakhouse and Hotel Epik, the room leans heavily on a black-and-white color scheme, with white marble countertops, white wood paneling and black tile floors. There’s seating for 25. Recessed lighting from above slowly changes from blue to red to green, each shade mirroring a color of the macarons sold in the patisserie.

Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle The main dining area of O� is seen located on the fifth floor of...

The second chapter of One65 will be One65 Bistro and Grill, expected to open in the coming weeks. It will be located mainly on the third floor with additional seating on the second.

The restaurant will be managed by One65 chef de cuisine Jennifer Dewasha and, like the patisserie, will cater partly to the weekday breakfast crowd as well as serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Beverage Director Trevin Hutchins pours a drink into a glass placed...

Like the patisserie, white walls abound in the bistro. One of the more eye-catching elements of the room is the wallpaper. Every inch is covered in cartoon pictures of people’s faces, meant to represent the diversity of the restaurant staff. Once the building is completely functional, the total number of staff will number around 150, according to the One65 team.

Leather seats near the windows facing O’Farrell Street soak in the only natural light available in the room. On the opposite end is an open kitchen space with a charcoal oven imported from Spain. As for the food, “seasonal fare, minimally prepared to allow the ingredients to shine,” will serve as the foundation for the menu.

Photo: Jessica Christian, The Chronicle Elements Bar and Lounge is seen located on the fourth floor of...

Elements at One65, a bar and lounge on the fourth floor, will open following the bistro. With its black surfaces, charcoal walls and mood lighting, the lounge space exists in stark aesthetic contrast to the downstairs bistro.

For the lounge’s eventual crowd of regulars, whiskey lockers will be up for grabs across from the bar area. Adjacent to them is a wine cellar and a communal table for folks to sample whiskeys and wines. The layout is a bit cavernous, stretching from the well-lit street-facing side back past the dark-colored walls to the main bar area.

Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Head Chef Claude Le Tohic poses for a portrait behind the macaron...

The final chapter at One65 will be O’ by Claude Le Tohic, a fine-dining restaurant that will be operated by Le Tohic himself. Though the French-influenced menu is still coming together, the restaurant is built around highlighting elements — fire, water and earth. Seats are shades of blue and red. Artwork from photographer and artist Christian Andrade, some of which is actually built into the walls, features abstract images of flames and more subtle designs of tree roots.

The spirit of Le Tohic’s restaurant space continues on the sixth floor, where the main kitchen is located; food will be sent to the dining room below via a dumbwaiter. Near the kitchen will be a series of private dining rooms, including Le Tohic’s chef’s table with seating for up to eight guests.

165 O’Farrell St.; One65 Patisserie and Boutique is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with the other restaurants planned to open in the coming weeks. One65sf.com.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips