Matsu announced this week that it will permanently close its current location at 626 South Tremont Street on May 31 as chef-owner William Eick searches for a new space better suited to the restaurant’s long-term vision and ambitions.
In a message sent to customers, Eick described the closure not as an ending, but as the beginning of “the next era” for the restaurant.
“As our current lease comes to an end, Matsu will be closing this chapter in its present home and preparing for what comes next: a new space that better reflects the vision, creativity, and experience we’ve always dreamed of building,” the restaurant wrote. “While this location may be closing, Matsu is far from over.”
The announcement closes a major chapter for one of Oceanside’s most celebrated fine dining restaurants, which launched in 2021 with explicit Michelin-level aspirations and quickly became one of San Diego County’s most closely watched culinary projects.
Eick originally developed the Matsu concept through intimate tasting dinners hosted inside Mission Avenue Bar & Grill beginning in 2019 while searching for a permanent home. He eventually secured the former Flying Pig Pub space in Oceanside, transforming the 2,400-square-foot restaurant into a minimalist Japanese-inspired dining room centered around refined tasting menus blending traditional Japanese technique with seasonal Southern California ingredients.
Named after the matsutake mushroom native to Japan, Matsu built its identity around hyper-seasonal cuisine, local foraging, meticulous plating and a deeply personal chef-driven experience. The restaurant became widely regarded among local diners and industry observers as a serious Michelin contender, particularly following the Michelin Guide’s expansion deeper into San Diego County dining coverage.
Over the years, Eick developed a reputation for combining Japanese culinary precision with California’s agricultural bounty, frequently incorporating locally sourced seafood, vegetables and wild ingredients into ever-evolving tasting menus. The restaurant also operated the casual side concept Naegi during its early years, serving karaage, katsu sandwiches and Japanese baked goods.
Matsu’s rising profile eventually attracted collaborations with internationally acclaimed chefs, including a high-profile 2025 dinner featuring three-Michelin-star French chef Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. The one-night event further cemented Matsu’s standing as one of the region’s most ambitious fine dining destinations.
The restaurant’s closure reflects broader pressures facing high-end independent restaurants throughout California, where rising labor costs, escalating lease rates, inflation and operational expenses continue making ambitious chef-driven concepts increasingly difficult to sustain long term, even for critically acclaimed establishments.
Despite the closure of its current location, Matsu emphasized that the restaurant intends to continue operating in a future space and is actively searching for a new home that can fully realize Eick’s long-term vision for the brand. In the meantime, the restaurant plans to host celebratory farewell dinners during its final weeks of service in Oceanside.
Matsu’s final day at its current location, sited at 626 S Tremont Street in San Diego's North County city of Oceanside, will be May 31. For more information or reservations, visit eatatmatsu.com.
Originally published on May 14, 2026.
