New French Diner & Bar Replacing Brian's 24 In San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter

February 22, 2023

Downtown San Diego's historic St. James Hotel is being renovated to reopen later this year as Palihotel, a 122-room property that will house a French-inspired diner and bar in the former Brian's 24 space. 

In 2021, Dovetail + Co acquired the historic St. James Hotel, a 99-room full-service hotel located on Sixth Avenue in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego. The St. James Hotel was originally built in 1912 as a Victorian, eleven-story hotel that soared over San Diego with unobstructed views of the city. In recent years, the property housed the iconic 24-hour diner Brian's 24, which shuttered last summer after 14 years in business. 

The former St. James Hotel property is undergoing an interior renovation to transform it into the first San Diego branch of Palihotel, part of Los Angeles-based parent company Palisociety's national collection of boutique hotels and residences. The property will have a "preppy-meets-nautical" design with 122 guest rooms, a new French diner bar & restaurant, and an updated guests-only rooftop lounge with a daily social hour featuring small bites, wine, cocktails and more. 

Taking over the former Brian's 24 space on the base floor, Saint James French Diner will combine the casual nature of a roadside American diner with the classical charm of a French bistro. The new, all-day bar and restaurant will be helmed by Executive Chef Casey Lane, a four-time James Beard Foundation Rising Star semi-finalist whose work in the Los Angeles restaurant scene has garnered him attention and accolades throughout the city and beyond. Expect dishes like steak tartare, croque madame, peppercorn beef filet, a traditional French omelet, Parisienne-style burgers, and a bouillabaisse swimming with local seafood.

Palihotel is expected to open this May at 830 Sixth Avenue in downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. For more information, visit palisociety.com/hotels/san-diego.