There’s an intimacy to the kitchens of Atelier Crenn, where a small courtyard connects the savory kitchen, the pastry studio, the dish pit, and the offices. The courtyard, by default, becomes the meeting point for staff and often serves as a makeshift cafe before dinner service. As prep work wraps up, the staff takes turns requesting an espresso from the barista, who makes their drinks on the restaurant’s Linea Mini with a Pico grinder.
The word “atelier” is defined as a workshop or studio in French and is often used to describe the workspace of an artist or artisan. For Chef Dominique Crenn—the first female chef in America to receive three Michelin stars—the idea of her restaurant as a workshop holds true. Each space is distinct and designed to fuel the staff’s creativity, allowing Chef Crenn’s vision of French cuisine to be executed with precision.
But where the savory kitchen is abuzz with excitement, cooking surfaces, pans, pots, and busy hands, the pastry studio features bright, colorful wall paintings, shelf decorations (including a portrait of Willy Wonka), and a row of cookbooks resting near awards.
It’s here in the pastry studio where precision is king. Ingredients are meticulously weighed out, molds are delicately filled, and blueprints for plating are designed. Where one cook might be spreading a gelée over a silicone cutout to achieve perfect circles, another might be pulling a Pain d’Epi—a baguette snipped at odd intervals until it resembles a stalk of wheat—from the oven.
It’s here, in the pastry studio, where Atelier Crenn’s espresso station lies. Tucked into the corner, just by the door that leads to the courtyard, the Linea Mini at Atelier Crenn serves as a connecting point between the kitchens and the dining room. The same espresso that’s served to customers is also enjoyed by staff, fueling their inspiration before service while providing a moment of reflection for guests at the end of a meal.
Installing their espresso set up in the pastry studio is a signifier that espresso, like baking, requires precision, a careful eye, and patience. For that reason, it’s an honor that Atelier Crenn trusts La Marzocco equipment for both their staff and guests.
Fine dining at this level is like conducting a symphony orchestra; only each section is furiously working away in its own sequestered room rather than in the eyesight of the conductor. But for all the bluster behind the curtains, the dining room at Atelier Crenn is a serene escape from the city outside. It’s here that guests are able to tune their senses into the food brought out in front of them, and it’s here that the servers are able to communicate the work that went into crafting each dish.
At the end of each night, when the last plates have been cleared, and staff begins to break down the kitchen, the Linea Mini is still visible through the window, ready to start the entire process over the next day. There’s a comfort in reliability, and Atelier Crenn’s three Michelin stars are a testament to the restaurant’s ability to meet and exceed expectations every single day from the world’s most demanding diners. Knowing that La Marzocco meets the restaurant’s own expectations is one of the greatest honors we could ever hope for.
Atelier Crenn is located at 3127 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123.
You can visit their website and follow them on Instagram.
