Julius' Castle

Historic Telegraph Hill Restaurant Julius’ Castle Is Set to Reopen in 2020 | Eater SF

"A 1920s-era Telegraph Hill restaurant at 1541 Montgomery Street, Julius’ Castle closed in 2007 but is on track to reopen by the end of 2020, its long-suffering owner Paul Scott tells me. Built in 1923 by Julius Rozbegan to echo the German-style Layman’s Folly (destroyed in 1903), the spot began as a speakeasy and later hosted celebrities such as Robert Redford, Cary Grant, Sean Connery, Marlon Brando, and Ginger Rogers, and even appeared in the 1951 film The House on Telegraph Hill. Over decades it became the setting for countless proposals, prom dates, and major life events; Scott—who won a 2012 fight to save the site from a condo developer and now owns San Francisco landmark #121—says a lawsuit that had delayed the reopening was resolved in March. Scott still needs to select an operator and complete an interior remodel, and he’s interviewing candidates who would act as consultants/management and help shape plans; he insists whoever runs the place must respect its history and neighborhood character rather than turn it into a minimalist, white-wall concept. If all goes well, he says, the restaurant will reopen next year so people can start making memories there again." - Eve Batey