Cocktails 2.0
SIP YOUR WAY THROUGH THE NEXT GENERATION OF SAN FRANCISCO’S UPSCALE BARS AND LOUNGES.
BY KAREN LELAND
The Silicon Valley, located an hour south of San Francisco, may be known as a hotbed of technology, but the city itself is rapidly gaining a reputation as the home of hot mixology. To find a culinary cocktail that will knock your socks off, check out these sophisticated and sexy bars, where the drinks are top of the line and the atmosphere draws a crowd. From Union Square to the Mission District, Bay Area bars have something for everyone.
HIP AND HAPPENING
If you’re looking for a place where you can shake off the stress of the office, kick back and let the music move you, these places have just the ticket. They cater to the Bay Area digerati—Gen Xers, Gen Yers and hip baby boomers out for a rocking good time.
Ambassador (www.ambassador.415.com; 415-563-8192) Industry insiders currently tag this Tenderloin District spot as the hottest ticket in the city. The interior is reminiscent of a Rat Pack film set (complete with telephones in the black leather booths to call a bartender with your drink order), and there is always a line out the door. The cocktail menu, while not extensive, is solid and has some fun items such as the Scarlet O’Hara (Southern Comfort, fresh lime, cranberry, bourbon) and Between The Sheets (Sailor Jerry Rum, cinnamon brandy and Patrón Citrónge with a cinnamon-sugar rim). Pull up a seat at the marble bar, located under the magnificent crystal chandelier set 20 feet overhead, and listen to some of the best DJs in the city spin their magic.
Blondie’s Bar & No Grill (www..blondiesbar.com; 415-864-2419) Located in the heart of the Mission District, Blondie’s has won numerous Citysearch awards, including “Best Martini,” “Best Singles Scene” and “Best Live Music Venue.” Complementing the eclectic mix of music and patrons is a plethora of Martini options, all served in 16-ounce pint glasses. The signature drinks are the Blondie (a Boodles Martini with a float of Cointreau, garnished with an orange slice) and its perfect partner in crime, the Dagwood (a Tanqueray Martini, garnished with a cocktail onion and a smorgasbord of pimento, garlic smoked salmon, spicy sausage, blue cheese and ginger-stuffed olives). For those with a sweet tooth, the Almond Mocha Vodka Martini (coffee-flavored vodka with a splash of chocolate liqueur and a float of Frangelico, garnished with a chocolate kiss) hits the spot. Dress code? Come as you are.
Cantina ( www.cantinasf.com; 415-398-0195) This new Union Square arrival features a lusty Latin-inspired interior and serves some of the most original drinks around. The creative concoctions include a wide variety of cachaça cocktails including a Blackberry & Cabernet Caipirinha (cachaça, fresh orange juice, lime, blackberries, crushed ice and cabernet). There is hardly a drink to match either the Buccaneer (dry gin, crushed pineapple, lime, bitters, Aperol and Barbados liqueur) or the Laughing Buddha (Hangar One Buddha’s Hand vodka, lemon, crushed ginger, Thai chilies and wild sage honey). Don’t expect plain Jane peanuts for this cutting-edge bar. The nuts served—spicy pumpkin seeds— complement the exotic cocktails.
TUCKED AWAY
For those hardworking power players who get their fill of action during the day and are seeking something a bit quieter at night, these bars are ideal for close conversation in a more intimate setting.
Bourbon & Branch (www.bour.bonandbranch.com; 415-346-1735) Featured in the Wall Street Journal and listed as one of the best bars in America by Esquire, Bourbon & Branch is a trip back in time to the speakeasies of the ’20s. The music and ambiance are all authentic; there’s even a hidden room (the library) that requires a password (“books”) to gain entry. The posted house rules say it all:
1. Please Speak-Easy.
2. No name-dropping.
3. Patience is appreciated.
4. No cell phone use.
5. No camera use.
6. Don’t even think of asking for a “Cosmo.”
7. Smokers, use back door.
8. Please exit Bourbon & Branch briskly and silently.
The libations will please even the most discerning: authentic hand-numbered bourbons (Noah’s Mill, Buffalo Trace), rare Scotches (Monkey Shoulder) and exquisite rums and tequilas. And when you make a reservation here, you’ll be given a password to enter the location itself; simply speak it (sotto voce, of course) at the door and enter another era.
The Bubble Lounge (www.bubblelounge. com; 415-434-4204) Looking for a cozy place to canoodle while you sip Champagne? The Bubble Lounge, featuring brick walls, cushy red velvet couches, oversized chairs, marble tabletops and a room full of candlelight, provides the ideal location. Known as the “ultimate Champagne source” in the city, it serves more than 300 brands, including light-bodied (Piper Heidsieck Brut), medium-bodied (Pierre Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs), full-bodied (Pol Roger Brut), vintage rosé (Gosset Brut Grand Rosé), prestige Cuvée (Krug Grande Cuvée) and domestic sparkling wines such as Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 2001.
If all that Champagne has gone to your head, the lounge’s appetizer menu offers perfect pairings of caviar, oysters and sushi. While the atmosphere is elegant, the dress code and attitude are casual chic.
LATE CHECK-IN
Not surprisingly, many of the city’s trendiest bars are housed within their equally chic hotel counterparts. For an evening of sophistication, check out these top-rated hotel bars where, as a bonus, if you have one too many, you can always check in for the night.
Top of the Mark (www..topofthemark.com; 415-616-6916) In 1939, hotelier George D. Smith enclosed the 19th-floor penthouse suite of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, instantly creating one of the city’s most sensational and romantic sky-high cocktail lounges. Guests gaze out at a 360-degree view that includes the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf and Alcatraz, while listening to jazz and blues. The bar’s menu boasts 100 Martinis with light and lively creations like the Lychee Martini (Grey Goose vodka infused with lychee juice). Other popular drinks include the Blue Velvet (Tanqueray 10, Triple Sec, Blue Curacao and bitters) and the Sangratini (Belvedere Citrus, red wine, orange and lime juice, and a splash of soda). Named one of the 26 Best Hotel Bars in the world by Forbes. com, Top of the Mark provides an elegant evening out. Accordingly, the dress code is strictly upscale—no tank tops, T-shirts, sandals, shorts or sportswear is permitted.
Redwood Room (www.clifthotel.com; 415-929-2372) Located in the legendary San Francisco Clift Hotel (which opened in 1913), this glamorous lounge has a sophisticated social scene that San Francisco Chronicle Magazine calls “the ultimate confirmation of cool.” A party for people-watchers, it caters to out-of-town visitors, locals and the occasional celebrity. The hotel, which underwent a $50 million makeover from the Ian Schrager-Philippe Starck team, spared no expense. The lounge has a huge redwood bar and room paneling (rumored to have been carved from a single redwood tree) that infuses the atmosphere with quiet elegance. Try the Lavender Lemondrop and the Berry Martini.
The next time you step out in search of scintillating Champagne, a world-class Caipirinha or a mouthwatering Martini, visit one of these San Francisco hotspots, where you can raise a glass in confidence and good cheer.
BE ON YOUR BEST BAR BEHAVIOR
Alberta Straub worked as a bartender for 10 years before starting her online video podcast, “Cocktails On The Fly.” Here are her dos and don’ts for bar etiquette:
DON’T Wave your money around.
DO Catch the bartender’s eye and wait for him/her to see you, and then smile in recognition.
DON’T Order your drinks and then wander off to chat with friends.
DO Wait at the bar once you have ordered and be ready to pay as soon as the drinks come.
DON’T Wait until the bartender approaches you to figure out what you and your group want to order.
DO Figure out what everyone in your group wants while you are waiting for the bartender.
DON’T Assume that because the bartender is asking you specific questions about the drink you ordered, he/she does not know how to make it.
DO Assume that the bartender is asking these questions because he/she wants to make sure to make you the very best drink possible.