Amnesia
853 Valencia St
(between 20th St & Cunningham Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 970-0012
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Mon, Tue, Fri
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
6 reviews
Neighborhood: Parkside
"This place just open on 6/1/08....2nd karaoke place in sunset. It is impressive...especially the large room. I love it~ price is…" read more »
217 Reviews for Amnesia
I guess I just don't understand this place.
The shows they have are extremely hit-and-miss (and usually a miss).
It's trying awfully hard to be something it's not. The beers and wines are overpriced for what it is....which is a wannabe-artsy-dive-cafe-bar.
And those Soju drinks? Give it up already. You have a beer and wine license only, and you can't serve liquor. Deal with it and stop giving up fake booze. Soju sucks.
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This place gets 5 stars because its one of the first bars I randomly found myself sipping away in San Francisco, having a great time. There was a bluegrass band playing that night (my first live experience), and the place was so full of great, low key people just there to dance and have a great time. It was such a carefree vibe with great music. I say check out the Bluegrass, its a fabo time.
Enter here and the sweetest girls are asking you for cover - and then stamp your hand in the oddest of places.
There's a dancefloor.
It's over THERE.
And yet, I distinctly recall I was dancing over HERE. No dancefloor, in between people, tables and chairs. All I know is I never set foot over THERE, but I did indeed dance. To both Akon and The Jackson Five.
My stomach - - CHOCK full of wine. Good wine. From dinner.
And I distinctly remember filling it up with AWESOME Belgian beer: Delirium. Chug chug. Lesson first learned at age 16: wine and beer do not belong together, ever, except on a liquor license.
Apparently not learned well enough.
. . . . . . . . bling . . . . . glimpse... . . . . . . .. . a beam of light . . . . . . .
And then I woke up at home. Alone.
So this is what Amnesia feels like.....
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I'm kidding. Of course, I remember coming home!
All's I'm sayin' is I had a grand time here!!! Geez, can't you take a joke?
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I was only here for a beer, but I'll be back.
I came here 30 minutes before a live show with my sister and some friends. The lady at the front was kind enough to let us skip out on the seven dollar cover charge (in trade we would stay for a drink and scoot). Reasonable bouncers are the best people in the world, really.
I've never really been good at describing interiors of restaurants or bars, but I'd have to put this one where between a cluttered attic, a barn, and a coffee shop. Yet, there's no moth ball smell, cow shit, or pretentious hipsters (haha, just kidding. It's the Mission). In any event, the decor is at least memorable.
Tap selection is good -- lots of local favorites, plus cheap (two or three?) dollar cans of PBR. Mixed drinks get a knock off; they try that soju business to get away with not having hard alcohol. STOP TOYING WITH ME, IT'S NOT REAL BOOZE. Bartender was fantastic, gave me a free beer on my second round, and I didn't even have to kiss him. Also, he may have forgotten to charge me.
I'm definitely coming back to this joint.
I keep forgetting to review this place.
I have a long history with this place and the last three bars it has been. I don't think it's possible to compete with the excellence that was the Chatterbox but at least they're an improvement on the chameleon.
This is the kind of mission dive that makes mission dives great.
Minus one star for sticky tables, I realize this is a dive bar but I can live without sticking to the table.
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Really a superb Bar!!! 3$ draft beers during happy hour, and Im talking awesome microbrews, excellent belgian selection, and they also have wine for those who are not so folky.
Live bands like every night of the week, bluegrass on mondays, wednesdays a django-esque band plays whom is awesome, and people even foxtrot and swing to it. Last time I was there there was even a dude in his mid 20's who looked like he was from the Mid 1920's, with a vest, a nicely trimmed mustache and saddle shoes ( the only "modern" clothing)
What else? dog friendly, really nice bartenders, super helpful in beer selection, they all have usually offered samples.
the atmosphere is this really antique inside-a-barn kinda feel with dim red lights that are accessorized with little metal dangly things and baubles. The bathroom was just recently redone which is nice since it used to be a shit hole, so now you can feel classy in an upscale dive. I can't even really call this place a dive except from the outside.
This is what I would picture the most perfect saloon-moderne to look like, and you should all pay homage to this place and make it your new spot.
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I used to quite reckless....wet reckless....but I have simmered down in the last few years.
You wouldn't know it by seeing me at Amnesia for Monday night Bluegrass! Dancin', drinkin' kissin' kickin' ALL on a Monday night!
Youth dies hard.
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Gather round children and I'll tell ye a tale of ancient times... times so long ago that it was in another century. Aye, twas the dark days of the eerie, early 1990s that I first ventured into this wee bar... but twasn't known then as Amnesia, oh no no. Twas the Club Chameleon it twas. And a tribe of young folk much like thee did hang there nightly, aye they did, and drank their fill of brews both light and dark! For the light and the darkness warred within their souls, and only brew and bands could soothe their angst!
http://www.youtube.com...
Inside hung the gathered tribe, and outside over the sidewalk hung a great wooden chameleon, a totem of the tribe. And the beer flowed, and the bands played, aye just as they do today. In those days dark images covered the walls to the ceiling, black velvet paintings of Christ and Elvis and beasts of many kinds, a wall of tacky irony and angst that never changed, depressing the sh*t out of any lone patron who foolishly cast an idle glance that way.
But then the tribes of lean and longing youth transformed, and became proud dotcommers, and clubbed there no more. And soon the wooden chameleon was gone, to spy no more upon the passing throngs outside. The club forgot itself, and reawoke, in a new age, with no memory of former times. So it rightly called itself, "Amnesia".
The brew costs more, sadly so much more, but the forest of beer taps still remains, just as it was in the day. And the legend says that someday the chameleon will return, and take its rightful place somewhere above the bar, and that they who tell this tale may earn an ale at midnight with their words, aye tis what is said, and rightly so!
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Welcome to Miss Havisham's gypsy den. Amnesia has great beer, decent wine, eclectic music, an attractive albeit sweaty crowd. What more could you ask for?
It's got a thrift store vibe (not a bad thing), great music (at least the DJ was good this night), and LOTS of different beer on tap. Tonight's choice: Hemp Ale, which didn't remind me of hemp at all. There was a cover charge? Ooops.
The is the BEST bar name ever, by the way. No, really, think about it...
I like the whole live music thing. People packed into a small space is expected when the drinks are cheap and the music is good.
But for Pete's peppers can all y'all invest in a little deodorant before hitting the town? Really, I mean please patrons, respect the rest of the fellow patrons. I swear the music sounds better and the bohemian quality still exists when you smell fresh and clean.
Amnesia is one of my favorite bars.
They have a nice down to earth atmosphere and a plethora of interesting music/people. This is where I go when i want to enjoy a nice atmosphere and free/cheap music. It gets a bit crazy on the weekends, but usually the type of person that ventures there, is the kind you don't mind being squished into a sweaty crowd with ; )
Sophia Marie
sacredmuse.com
I can't believe someone complained about paying a $2 cover for live music. c'mon! I love Tuesday nights, up to 9:30pm it's open mic for pomes, twanging irons, etc. After about 10pm it's Glenny Kravitz, the best karaoke jock in the Bay Area. The whole evening puts a smile on the old boat race.
I did not have a good time at this place. First, there was a cover. Well, $2 but still and....the music was weird. No hard liquors? No, no, no... Bathroom, it didn't have a lock on it. I smelled some B.O on the dance floor. Not my night.
I'm sure there's something good about this place....hm, don't remember.
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First time there was on the 4th of July - they were open! You have to love a patriotic bar. The place was very dark and the atmosphere relaxed... I have to go back and see what the night scene is all about.
Saw MOPED here Saturday night. Bar was full but not packed which made it fun to chill out to the music. I like to drink beer, so I didn't have an issue with the lack of cocktails, although I think others in my party might have. I liked the vibe of this place, alternative and laidback. I would definitely go back, especially to see MOPED. Also, I was in larger group and the bouncer gave us a break on the cover, always a plus.
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Although quite small and you may feel as if you are in a placental sack, it's a sweet place to be on a Friday night with good company. Just as long as you don't mind the folks who consider jumping jacks and trampoline exercise motions as dancing, you'll be all good for the evening. The seating is sparse but if you get there early enough, you can land a seat, kick back, knock a few back (even if it is just water), and get your grind on later.
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"Aw crap, this is one of those bars that doesn't serve liquor, only those weird soju cocktails." These were my thoughts as I walked into Amnesia to meet some friends for drinks during happy hour (6-8 here). Not wanting beer, I asked the cool bartender what he recommended. He said the sangria was good, and poured me a taste. He was right.
Like many others have mentioned, this place has a great, laidback vibe, with its lush dark red surroundings. It's a cool place.
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i met this band playing in an alley and they gave me a flyer
they were from portland...and were itching to go home.
they were a seven piece band and im a sucker for chamber rock
so i went to see their show at amnesia
small stage, small bar, strange bathroom, great white on tap,
i liked it very much...
Walked out of a nearby restaurant on Monday night and heard this incredibly cool music, so my posse and me decided to wander on in and were pleasantly surprised by the cool ambiance and the toe-tapping bluegrass. i didn't know i liked bluegrass. Seems like they have a wide variety of music on different nights of the week. A refreshingly cool place to hang out.
too small..no hard liquor...after one night here...we just want to forget about it
From the moment we walked in to the time we left, we couldn't figure out what decade we were supposed to be in. The homemade tin light treatments framing red bulbs. The mismatched barstools. The strange video of abstract colors being projected on the back screen. The illusion that everything was pulsating (no, I had not drank THATmuch). The interesting collection of imbibables (nothing harder than Soju, I noted. I will not call this a dive because I could not get my usual dive-bar bourbon-on-the-rocks). I kept wondering to myself, where am I?
Two oddly dressed women proudly projected their amateur voices on stage to the background of 90's techno-drum'n'bass-trance loops. It looked like a lot of fun - I mistakenly thought this was an open mic at first and thought I might go up there and try to invent a song myself. Alas, this was the opener for the act we'd paid cover for. But very fun, very freespirited and different.
Sangria was cheap, strong, and not-too-sweet. But one definitely did it for me. Belgian beer selection was more what I'm talking about.
I will definitely be back.
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This is my favorite hangout in the city. If you appreciate live performances, and have an eclectic taste in music, then this is your place to hang out too.
Sunday nights are the best. I've seen great local talent play here on a Sunday, including Sean Hayes, Rupa and the April Fishes, and Brass Menazeri. Non local notables have played here too, like Golem and Vagabond Opera. In any case, I like the level of randomness that you experience in such a night. I've seen burlesque and belly dance shows, puppet shows, mini-plays, and a variety of music: Tango, Greek, Balkan, Klezmer, Mariachi, Classical, Old-time Blues and Jazz. I remember once they even had a heavy-metal all oboe band.
Mondays are fun too. They are dedicated to Bluegrass, with Toshio Hirano playing regularly. Wednesdays are for Gypsy and standard Jazz with Gaucho and Mitch Marcus. Thursdays are also a grab bag, but dedicated to live performances nonetheless.
I can't feel my face every second Friday.
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Amnesia... My Tuesday night hangout.
7pm to 9-ish, you can get all the angsty poetry, folk music, short stories, and other types of open mic fare you can handle at the Red Light Open Mic, hosted by none other than the fabulous Philip T. Nails. I've been up on that stage a few times to do it myself. The crowd is appreciative, warm and welcoming. Oh, and the happy hour specials from 7-8 are pretty awesome too.
10pm onward, you have Rock Out Karaoke hosted by the karaokevangelist, karaoke shark, and the godfather of the San Francisco Karaoke Mafia, Glenny Kravitz. Glenny is a great KJ, I only wish that I could have been half as cool when I was a KJ in Montana. He's charismatic, and really makes sure that the stage is the place that Amnesia patrons in varying states of drunkenness are focused. The themed nights are always a blast, and it is all around a great time.
Check out Serrano's pizza a couple blocks away, if you are hungry between these two events. I'll buy you a slice!
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Fun dive bar and with the right mix (from the DJ) - a crazy night of dancing.
Sure, the music and beer selections are top notch... but I probably keep coming back to Amnesia because I have crushes on like 10 girls that go there.
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I just celebrated my birthday here and had a blast. LOVE that they serve Great White on tap. Cocktails are STRONG--I loved the Ambrosia.
Great vibe, flattering light. The bathroom really doesn't have a lock on it--but the door is close enough to keep your hand on it while you pee. Thoughtful grafitti to read while you do so.
I want to go back for Bluegrass Monday!
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With its lush red velvet glow and fine wine and Belgian beer selection, Amnesia hardly feels like a dive bar, which is what makes its free Tuesday night karaoke so special. Plus, the fact that it's hosted by Glenny Kravitz, one of the most prolific KJs in the dive bar circuit, means there will be a huge selection of music and props -- la cowbell and toy sax.
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I like this place. It's different from all the other bars I've been to on Valencia and it has a cool burlesque-type feel, although I don't know whether they ever have burlesque here. I've seen live music here that was a good fit with the atmosphere, mostly because they had accordion.
I kind of wish at least one of the bartenders would grow facial hair in a 19th-century fashion. That would be pretty cool, and I know that look is in with the hipsters these days.
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I love the diversity of entertainment Amnesia provides. Free bluegrass night originally drew me to the place. I was equally impressed when I returned for country night the following Thursday, and just last Friday had some of my best dancing this year when I stopped in to check out the fresh house and techno records being spun.
My only complaint--and it's a severe one--is that Amnesia serves no hard alcohol. I mean, come on: I can't fully appreciate country music night with a soju cocktail in my hand. I don't want a nice glass of Shiraz to go with my bluegrass. I need whiskey, dammit! And while I like their selection of Belgian beers, they weren't enough to get me toasted last Friday; I just can't dance with that volume of liquid sloshing around inside of me.
Here's the deal, Amnesia: get a hard liquor license, and get a revised 5-star review from Karin H.
i went here last night to help celebrate my friend's post quals.. nothing is better than seeing your friend so happy she passed and is officially a PhD.D candidate... Regina, our dear scientist, picked Amnesia off of YELP.. yet another reason why is yelp.com is super fantastic.
Amnesia has an awesome selection of beers (prohibition ale was really good), the bartenders are helpful, not stuck up at all (i hate that shit), and the entire vibe is just really laid back..... no pretentious people, sweaty sluts, or Chester molesters.. thank goodness.
THE BEST PART OF AMNESIA was DJ Hopper, and DJ KLN..."last night a dj saved my life".. forrreal.. if you know what i mean.. old school hip hop, some 90's r&b, a sprinkle of prince, de la soul, blacksheep, a whole bunch of funk...they even played Zhane,that was hilarious.. we actually bumped into dj hopper outside when we were having some fritos and cigarettes at the corner market, i changed out his 20 and we requested some peter piper.. sure enough the song was played... (that almost never happens)..he came up to us after his set and made sure we noticed he played it and promised some cds after.. we didn't end up staying til closing.. : ( so this morning i'm yelping and searching for a way to contact him.. his name was brian i think..
Now that i'm reading back at my review i realize this is a rant and rave over the dj.. so what.. i know i love the dj when i say "this is what i want playing at my wedding".. hahah...my boyfriend is laughing at me now..can't wait to see who else djs at Amnesia..
this is one of my favorite not so secret hang outs: dark, red, and high-ceilinged. amnesia attracts a wide-range of artists/performers and an equally interesting array of clamoring clientele. plus they have a huge selection of beverages from all over, geographically speaking. yum. there is something incredibly warm about the ambiance here. the dance floor is small, yet there's always room to twirl if you're up for it. happy sauce.
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Just before the sun goes down, it shines directly through the red-draped front windows into the syrupy redness that is this red place, and as I sip my red sangria, I suddenly feel seven times more sultry than usual.
There's just something about crystal chandeliers, all red decor, and amps piled up everywhere. Great spot for that after-work sangria.
Me? I don't do karaoke. Lucky you!
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I like funny gypsy music in the mission
They don't have a full bar but have best selection of belgian beer in San Francisco as far as I know. They have soju and are making good soju cacktails, too. I also like red deco and laidback atomosphere here.
Nice crowd on Fridays/Saturdays, but I liked Sunday night soul best.
Their decorations don't get any tackier, but then again, it kind of makes it that much more charming.
I randomly stumbled in here last Saturday and I'm glad I did. Not only was it crowded (a nice crowded...not annoying crowded), but there was a live band called Moped playing...and they seriously blew me away!
Drinks were cheap, music was pumping, and they even had a 1950's "Batman and Robin" movie projected in the background in slow motion.
It was pretty epic.
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Once again, i can't believe i haven't reviewed this spot. It's only second to Zeitgeist as my most frequented bar in SF.
Why? Cuz BrassTax does a monthly party there on the first friday of every month and its AWESOME. I should know, i've gone to most of them. That's like 52,000 times (i'm not really good with numbers). check out - thebrasstax.com
Also its just a great average bar. Not too big, not too small, just right. Has a stage, sometimes a pool table, lots of tastee beers on tap, and in the heart of the mission.
Only thing that sux is that they don't have hard liquor - just beer/wine.
Oh, lookie - this is my 100th review. Hurray!
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The lack of hard liquor got to me initially, but my little soju Margarita was good and the horrible karaoke was even better.
Came here halfway drunk and still thought the karaoke singing was awful, so if you want to try out your vocal stylings at someplace safe - this should be your top destination.
A nice place to hit up along the way, but I probably wouldn't park it here for more than a cocktail or two.
What an appropriately named venue.
I have no recollection of my visit here, other than the fact that I did go :-/
I shouldn't have stared into the flashy things.
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