FRIDAY FIVE
Living in San Francisco is a totally different experience than visiting this lovely city, but that doesn’t mean you can’t act like a tourist once in a while. As the longer nights set in after work, it’s likely you’ll want to cozy up at a bar for a cocktail or two. Why not make that happen at a hotel bar and pretend you’re a visitor and enjoy the experience? Here are our favorite spots at which to do just that.
1. Top of the Mark
This famous bar is as much of a San Francisco classic as the Golden Gate Bridge. Even better, having a drink here makes you feel like you’re going back in time to an older, more sophisticated San Francisco. Located in the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel, this bar has been around since 1939, when the then-owner of the hotel’s 19th-floor penthouse converted his apartment into a cocktail lounge. During World War II, the spot was a popular one for servicemen. Today, the bar has one-of-a-kind panoramic views of the city, unique cocktails, and live entertainment. This is a hotel bar that, no matter how touristy it may be, is always worth a visit.
999 California Street | topofthemark.com
2. Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar
This is another Nob Hill favorite, located at the Fairmont Hotel. Not only are the tropical-themed libations a major draw, but also there’s a lagoon in the middle of the bar, where the Island Groove Band rocks out on a floating barge. Bar-goers can dance to the music on a dance floor built from the remains of the S.S. Forester, a sail ship that once traveled between San Francisco and the South Sea Islands. Adding to the ambiance are frequent simulated tropical storms with thunder and lightning. There is nothing hotel about this bar, except that it’s part of a hotel.
950 Mason Street | tongaroom.com
3. Charmaine’s Rooftop Bar & Lounge
There’s often a universal complaint in San Francisco when it’s compared to other cities: its lack of rooftop bars. Of course, demand is not that high, considering the predictable, mostly year-round foggy climate. However, the San Francisco Proper hotel has stepped out of the city’s comfort zone with a trendy rooftop bar called Charmaine’s that’s very worth visiting. Located on Market Street, this trendy bar has Instagrammable views, tasty cocktails, and firepits. Need we say more? Get there for an early happy hour to snag the best seat in the house.
1100 Market Street, Entrance at 45 McAllister Street | properhotel.com
4. Chambers Eat and Drink
When you think of a hotel bar, you might imagine neutral colors and people working on their laptops, but the Phoenix Hotel’s Chambers is not that kind of place. The quirky Tenderloin favorite is a little tropical oasis with an outdoor patio adjacent to a heated pool; the scenery is something out of a movie based in Palm Springs or L.A. Inside, the Instagrammable words “Be Amazing” are written behind the bar. It’s a great place to go to in order to forget about the fog for a California minute.
601 Eddy Street | chambers-sf.com
5. Clock Bar
Located off the lobby of the Westin St. Francis hotel is Clock Bar, offering the perfect balance between elegance and kitschy fun. This is a great place for happy hour because of the deals, but it’s also ideal for a nightcap. At Clock Bar, the menu rotates on the basis of specific themes based on different eras, from 1904 in San Francisco to the 1920s in Paris. Right now, it’s inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The tucked-away-hideout vibe is enough to satisfy your desire to get away right away, but without the need to travel too far—it’s an easy Muni ride away.
335 Powell Street | westinstfrancis.com
