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Categories: Restaurants, Lounges, Art Galleries
8 Mission StreetMon-Fri. 6:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
"I used to basically live at this place when it was Frisson. I host many happy hours, and 2/3 of the time, I would opt for Frisson's lounge…" read more »
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Americano: the place to be and be seen (this review is almost completely for the bar, not the restaurant).
This place cracks me up, it is quite a scene, fun people watching and lots of glasses breaking as the later hours of happy hour go on... but still I wind up here now and then. Overall a fun place to go after work on a Thursday or Friday. I can only take in small doses.
Do like that you can be inside or outside (recommend outside), there are heat lamps & sofas.
Apparently there is a "happy hour" I've never paid happy hour prices but good to know...Oh wait, it's Saturday-Wednesday, of course, the days when no one I know ever goes there! Too funny. I guess if they know people will come pay full price during happy hour, why give a deal?
Tried their pizza the other night, not too bad, a bit salty but was thin crust and edible
Nice place to get glass of wine outside if you can go early enough on a sunny day to sit at a picnic table and be able to hear your friends when you talk. Do like that it is close to BART/MUNI lines, so you can take public transit to/from if not walking and still be able to afford the drinks.
Outdoor seating is the main appeal here. And probably the alcohol/cocktail selection. Food/snacks menu isn't that bad either. Go for their pizzas...rather than the fancy stuff.
The 3 stars is because service is lacking big time but I guess they probably figure they don't need to give good service because it's all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. *shrug* If the service were better, I'd give them more stars.
That said, I still enjoy hanging out with friends here because well...it's about the company.
Americano is very chic, trendy, and popular. This hotel bar is located right on Embarcadero across from the fairy building downtown. Americano is the perfect place for those who work in the financial district to unwind and relieve stress with fermented libations and delicious small plates.
I met up with a friend here after she got off work around 5pm and Americano was already starting to fill the outside patio. The drinks were large and stiff and the ambiance was relaxing. We were hungry so we ordered a mushroom, truffle, and cheese pizza and some cajun fries. The pizza had an earthy and sharp taste that was accentuated by the truffles. It was very good. The fries had a smoky taste similar to that of bacon. They were also very good.
I highly recommend and can't wait to go back.
Stopped in to Americano one evening after work for some cocktails with friends. My first adventure to Americano and no idea what to expect. Got there a touch early and sidled up to the bar to order a Tanq and Tonic. Drink was poured stiff, just the way I like it. My friend arrived and ordered a mojito. Looked like a solid drink in itself.
We ventured outdoors to sit since it was a nice night. But Friday means it was crazy busy outside. Good vibe though, and plenty of heat lamps kept us cozy.
More drinks and my friends boyfriend arrived. Then we moved to drinking scotch.
Overall, a pretty nice vibe and good quantities on the al-kee-hol. I'll be back and next time I'll try the food.
This review is for the outdoor bar area only. I've not actually eaten at Americano...just late night drinks. It excels b/c of what it is, which is an easily-accessible, large, comfortable outdoor bar in SF - where outdoor space of any kind is a premium. If you feel like drinking outside and casually lounging on couches, this is your place. Being on the sidewalk and so close to the cars on Embarcadero is pretty cool. The trouble is the crowd. It's part Marina transplant, part bridge and tunnel, and part tourist. The night I was there was kind of random, but replete with middle-aged, prowler, 'wild and crazy guys' and groups of tacky girls sitting on benches with their thongs showing.
Bottom line - the patio is cool, the people are questionable.
false boobs
false tan
false hair
false eyelashes
false personalities
false affections
false conversations
false conceptions of self worth
No one is real here...everyone is trying to be someone else or more important versions of themselves.
Great Mojitos!
I've been for breakfast many times, but only one happy hour, so my review is based on breakfast.
HANDS DOWN the best scramble I've EVER had. Wild mushroom scramble, has something like 8 types of mushrooms with shaved black truffle on top. It's amazing. I've had the crab and asparagus omelet too, which is also good and very fresh, but don't waste your time; the wild mushroom scramble is the ONLY way to go. It's heavenly.
They also have good coffee.
Service is fine. Not memorable. Not overly friendly.
Prices are a little high, in my opion, for breakfast and brunch. My delicious little scramble is some $14... but I'll tell you, it's worth every bite!
super trendy and super pricey! although, damn good drinks I tell you! If you have 15 bucks to spare, order yourself a Ginger Bulliet :) guaranteed to knock your socks off!
nice patio space outside, not much for the regular smoker - no ash trays!
the bathrooms are not clearly marked, be careful - you may walk into the wrong door.
nice place to wine and dine some colleagues.
The Bad:
1. We had to call 4x to try and arrange a lunch for 21 people. They did not return our phone calls, asked a ton of questions, tried to tell us we had to order from a prix-fixed menu, the list of crap goes on
2. The food was NOTHING to write home about. Two of the appetizers (balsamic onions & mushrooms) were cold. This was unexpected and not very appetizing at all. Apparently the meatballs were good?
The Good:
1. The place had a nice atmosphere and decor was impressive. The best part was probably the outdoor seating and heat lamps they had outside. Since the restaurant is on the Embarcadero there's a nice view of the bridge and you can people watch while you're enjoying a strawberry mojito
The Mediocre:
1. Strawberry Mojito - some thought it was too sour. I thought it was alright. Nice presentation.
2. Hanger Streak (lunch menu) - again, nothing to write home about. Definitely not worht $25 - I'd much rather have the pork chop dish at The House instead of this bumph.
We came here during Dine About Town. The prix-fixe menu was so limited. You can't even choose the food, since there is only one choice per course. But I must say, they were all tasty. The salad was warm. It tasted like cooked bokchoy. The main entree was some pasta with beef. It looked like something I cooked from home. It was a little oily, but I think thats what made it delicious. The dessert was a lemon pound cake w/ strawberries & cream. The cake was kinda hard so it was definitely not fresh.
Don't ever get the Hemmingway Daquiri! It tasted like something my grandma would drink. It wasn't sweet & fruity at all. But the mojito was good. The service, ambiance & view were terrific. They have an heated outdoor patio. This place is definitely better as a happy hour joint.
Americano, is one of the hot spots for happy hour in the city. It's always packed and they have a great out door sitting area. I had eaten dinner here, when Opentable had Dine About Town, and the food was just ok. I decided to give it another shot and have lunch here, since a friend of mine works at the Hotel and she gets a discount lol.
We had the mushroom pizza and a cheeseburger, and I have to say it was just ok. The food isn't that fancy and it's way over priced. Thanks to her discount it wasn't a waste of money. I wouldn't go back for a meal here, just for Happy hour.
I stayed at the Hotel Vitale and came here for breakfast and happy hour, so I can't really speak to the food, but I can say that I will definitely go back.
First off, the happy hour is awesome. Drinks are cheap and there are lovely snacks like seasoned almonds and olives to accompany them. Plus there is a cozy indoor lounge, a bar and a huge outdoor seating area with beautiful long wood tables (and heat lamps) with direct views of the bay.
Second, for breakfast I just had a croissant and tea and though it was pricey it was delicious and high-quality and a nice way to start the day. I'm not surprised this place is sceney but I feel that if you came at the right time (say, for happy hour on the weekend) you could avoid this and sit outside enjoying the gorgeous city over a cocktail or glass of wine.
This review, much like Americano itself, is really only relevant for happy hours. The real advantage that Americano has over other happy hour places nearby (and they are a dime a dozen) is that there is a sizable outdoor area so it doesn't get nearly as packed as most of the other indoor places nearby as long as you stay outside. However, with the SF weather, there is not an over abudance of days in which having happy hour outside is a good idea. Also, the drinks are overpriced, but that's pretty standard for happy hour spots in the Financial District. So...
If it's a nice day outside and you're in the Financial District, I'd recommend stopping by for happy hour. Otherwise... probably not worth the trip.
Cougar-traps and crass pick-up lines aside: I like this place.
There are some expectations that you should have when you're in the Embarcadero-end of the FiDi. There probably will be a flood of suits; and packs of hungry barflies looking for prospective ex-husband material. Let the feeding frenzy commence. Should any of this come as a big shocker? C'mon people, it's like watching Animal Planet and being surprised that Wild Kingdom is on. I mean, I wouldn't think if the goal was to find a happy-hour on a friday evening; that this would be the first choice. Maybe if I wanted to appease my strange sense of humor; satirically watching the meet-market microcosm could be masochistically amusing on a friday evening (elbow pushes and crowding aside).
However, I do find the environment much more enjoyable on the weekends, and mainly during the daytime: Love the outdoor area. It's a great place to enjoy a sunny afternoon. The food is very commendable: nice seasonal flavors. I do love their Truffle-Oil Fries and their Omeletes: very rustic flavors. Their Duck Confit Salad and Pasta dishes are fantastic too.
Their drinks are well made too. Whenever I get one of the drinks, they have a nice zing to them. Nothing too uncharacteristic of the area, but they do make them tasty. The bar staff does do pretty well, even on the few times that I have been there when the place is packed. The drink prices can be a bit overpriced though.
Trendoid hole it may be; but coming at the right times would be a very enjoyable experience.
Fun place but nothing 'terrific'. You are better going to somewhere with a little more personality. Its a cookie cutter bar lounge
This is a great place to go after a looong days Work!
The drinks are pretty tasty. mmmm. Our group sat outside, the appetizers were okay, I especially enjoyed there pizza selections. But, what I really enjoyed were the heat lamps especially when the wind from the coast came in later on towards the evening... keeping us really toasty!
Cut the drama and come here to EAT with friends! I had an early dinner here, really early. 6:45 p.m. It was my first time here and I called to see if it was by reservation only. The person over the phone was very nice and welcoming, and even though I didn't need a reservation offered and took one for me.
We arrived and saw a large crowd of people at the bar talking VERY loudly. I was a little apprehensive, but we were taken back to the dining area with the big booth and I forgot the crowd was there. Service was excellent and whenever it crossed my mind that they were going to do something wrong, like take my silverware away with my appetizers and leave me utensil-less, they never did. Everything I would have expected to make a perfect dining experience was there.
I had the arancini as my appetizer with the blood orange martini. The arancini was very tasty and served ready to eat. Most of the time when things are deep fried, the moment you bite into it there's a mouth full of hot oil and lots of huffing like you're about to give birth. Not here. My martini was VERY strong, but it was an experience, I wouldn't order it again.
For dinner I had the ahi, and I asked for it rare. I like sashimi and I like rare ahi. They served it RARE. Most restaurants would run scared when someone says rare so I definitely give kudos for that. Everything was delicious.
I finished off my night with the apple crisp and a cup of coffee. Coffee was brewed well and very fresh. The apple crisp was tasty, but I really should not have endeavoured to eat it all by myself. The coffee helped balance it.
Overall, my dinner experience was great. I don't know about all the hub bub at the bar, but I would definitely come here again to have good food and good service.
Note: This is only for the COUGAR BAR.
Ummmm.....no, three years ago.
Ummmm.....no, now.
Another one of my favorite places for happy hour events (especially during warm summer evenings).
Unfortunately, there are no "happy hour" prices and drinks are slightly more on the expensive side.
Be sure to arrive early if you're looking for some outdoor seating. On Thursday's, the crowds usually arrive around 4:30 pm and it starts to clear out around 8:00 pm.
Seems like people either love this place or they hate it. I'm not sure why there are all the bad experiences....but a lot of people keep coming back because it does get crowded.
Great place to go to enjoy a Peroni on a crowded patio, overlooking the water, with other like-minded over inflated egos- share about how fast your car goes, or look for a potential husband.
San Francisco, CA
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Bars
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