New SLO restaurant and bar opens in old Splash Cafe spot. Take a look inside

A new restaurant and bar has opened in the space that previously held Splash Cafe in San Luis Obispo — with a French-Mexican menu of craft cocktails and fusion food.

Owners Brandon Ristaino and Misty Orman have opened Condesa at 1491 Monterey St., right next door to their boutique hotel Petit Soleil.

Inspired by Mexico City’s nightlife and the La Condesa neighborhood, Condesa brings a contemporary cocktail program and noshes like mariscos, tacos and tostadas. It held its grand opening on July 3.

“It’s Mexico City, but there’s this French undercurrent, which we just thought would be a really cool thing to tie into, having the Petit Soleil, which has a French undercurrent, and wanting to do a Mexican-style bar and restaurant,” Ristaino told The Tribune.

What food and drink does new restaurant and bar Condesa offer?

The French twist on Mexican cocktails — like the Yoko Spritz, Jamaica Mule, Hanky Palenque and Oaxacan Dead — were created by Ristaino and Orman with the science behind mixed drinks in mind.

“There’s a great kinship between aged tequilas and aged brandies like cognac and so we call them cocktail modifiers,” Ristaino said. “With this modifier, we brought in a lot of French elements, whether it be cognac, armagnac, calvados or a French fortified wine.”

For the grub at Condesa, its menu of ceviche, tacos, enchiladas and pulpo al ajillo — or octopus with garlic — are paired with its “served all day” cocktails.

“The food and drink menus are such that they invite people to linger a little bit longer. It’s not necessarily a traditional, come in, order your appetizer, order your entree, have your dessert, you’re out the door,” Ristaino said. “It’s more of building your moment in rounds, or you’re building it in stages of eating or drinking.”

Condesa’s ambiance includes jewel tones, electric blues and terracotta lighting, as well as a backlit bar and two patios. Inside the restaurant and bar, certain moments and experiences can be felt based on the visitor’s location, Orman said.

“There’s three different moments when you come to Condesa,” Orman told The Tribune. “Say, you have the bar, which could feel hustling and you mingle there. If you want that intimate date night, or you’re out with the girls and you just want a cozy moment together to catch up, we have these intimate booths for that cozy moment. Then we have banquets along the back walls where families or big groups of 10 to 15 can gather.”

On the second floor of Condesa are four rooms that are part of Petit Soleil, with two balconies overlooking the mountains and the intersection of Monterey and California, Ristaino said.

“Because it’s a hotel that’s so intertwined with the community, we feel like we’ve been able to be part of the community in a way that we didn’t expect. So it’s really fun,” Ristaino said.

As Condesa’s grand opening unfolds, Ristaino said the menu will expand with new ideas, as will the cocktail menu with 35 different mezcals.

“Probably another 40% of the cocktail menu will come out later this week, so we have a bunch of other fun stuff we just kept in our back pocket,” Ristaino said. “We have activities coming to the space, mezcal tastings and mezcal special nights.”

Condesa’s happy hour — Monday to Friday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. — will roll out in a few weeks, according to Ristaino.

For more information about new restaurant and bar

Condesa is open every day from 4 to 11 p.m. at 1491 Monterey St. in downtown SLO. For more information, visit condesabarslo.com or follow the restaurant and bar Instagram.