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"Trendy, upscale bar in the W hotel. Great place to take a few friends or a date to hang out. Spacious, awesome bartenders and a DJ spinning…" read more »
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All upscale hotel bars pretty much look and drink the same, and I've stayed in way more than I can count over the years. My career pretty much assures an occasional life of having to down a few overpriced cocktails to come down after a long day of crazy jacked up stress so I can sleep.
Even though I live in SF, I had to spend a week at the Intercon recently because of an event I was working. Every night, after many hours of Moscone drama, my colleagues and I would grab the couches and work our way through the various shiny bottles in the bar.
For a hotel bar, 888 is not bad. The chairs are comfortable, everyone who walks into the hotel has to pass the bar, so there is plenty of people watching, and the snacks are pretty solid.
I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to drink there, but if you find yourself in the neighborhood, it's worth your time.
My husband and I had our first getaway yesterday after having our baby 2 months ago. We decided to have lunch and a drink in SF. The search was on for a worthwhile "New American" restaurant. However, my search turned very challenging as most highly restaurants in the city are only open for dinner. So, in a rush I chose Luce and we were on our way.
By the time we arrived, the restaurant was closed. However, luckily Luce is in the Intercontinental hotel, so we could order from the full lunch menu from the adjacent bar. We had a seat and got right to ordering.
The service was incredible. The bartender treated us very well, despite our very non-fancy-shmancy appearance. The service was really top notch.
The lunch special was really great. For $20.09, you get an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I started with the lentil soup with goat cheese, it was very good and tasty, but not something overly fantastic. I followed it with the butternut squash risotto. That was truly amazing. The creamy, squash-y risotto was topped with delicious chanterelle mushrooms and some tasty hard cheese. Oh my goodness, if I could have it everyday.... Anyway, I finished with the Nutella pot de creme. I don't know where the Nutella was in the pot, but it was still tasty. It was nothing special, though.
My husband had the arctic char (misspelled as "artic" on their menu-- sorry, I'm a teacher). It was pretty tasty. It had two thick chunks on top of a sweet nut and onion chutney. He shared my soup and dessert.
Now, on to the drinks (as this is a bar): My husband had the Stone Sour cocktail. It's a bourbon cocktail that he found to be very refreshing and lightly sweet. He enjoyed that the most.
I enjoyed a nice, refreshing, and summery Pyramid Hef. No complaints there!
Overall, we really enjoyed the classiness of the bar and the fact that we could order off the entire Luce menu. Most of all, we really liked the service and the quality of ingredients. I can't say we'd go out of our way to come here again, but we would certainly recommend it to friends.
Serves a mean Basil Gimlet.
Honestly a beautiful serene way to start off the night.
Caution: the bar counter slopes slightly, watch for the dip or you'll have a wet lap.
SITTING room only: the tvs are angled so that you have to sit down to see what's on.
We strolled over for another drink after leaving the Irish bar. This is more of my type of setting - quiet, loungy and sophisticated. Drinks are definitely strong and our bartender was uber sweet! Great little areas to sit and enjoy an intimate conversation. Haven't had the chance to stop by for happy hour and Luce was closed at the time but making it a priority next time!
Came here on Friday night for happy hour prior to the Black & Pink ball. Overall, it just feels like a hotel bar. Nothing special about it. The happy hour prices were still pricey. Really don't see myself coming back here unless i have another event to attend in the area
*sigh*
Ho hum. Another Monday night hanging with the guys.
A friend of mine was visiting from out of town and wanted to meet up since I have not seen his navy blue suited arse in about half a year. Not to mention, I rarely hit up bars in hotels unless it is for the following:
1. Conference (the conference is so bad one is compelled to seek refuge elsewhere)
2. Date (the date is so bad one is compelled to seek refuge elsewhere)
3. Corporate event (the party is so bad one is compelled to seek refuge elsewhere)
It was only upon my meek acceptance of this that he hit me with a double whammy at the entrance after giving me one of his awesome hugs. "My coworkers are joining us."
After I was seated his coworkers came down from their rooms and lo and behold, consisted of four other men, in suits. Was he trying to kill me? I kicked him on the shin under the table. Good thing I was somewhat appropriately dressed for this occasion in my standard black shift dress and patent black slingbacks. His supervisor and three other associates. I ordered my usual, Grey Goose on the rocks while Alex proceeded to do a round of Glenlivet for the boys. Ah, the consequences of a well meaning friend ;o)
Bar 888 has a very sleek and sophisticated modern interior. I think it would have been a bit more grounding to have darker espresso colored furniture, because the white contrast gave it a little space agey interior. But I'm not complaining. The staff person assigned to our little table was consistent and kept coming back at intervals to insure we were always full or at the very least, topped off.
I personally adore the Intercontinental Hotel Group. When I was in Boston for work, I stayed at one and fell in love, immediately. Everything was to my liking and specifications. No King Bed? They fixed me up with a Queen promptly. The men here held the doors open for me. I had one of the best views along the waterfront. So, I confess to being a bit biased.
In addition to our drinks the guys decided to order a little something as a prep prior to going out for dinner. Bar 888 hosts a decent Bar Bites menu. Not too fancy. Just perfect. The charcuterie plate was typical, a decent amount of cured meats, cheeses to slow down the absorption of alcohol. The dishes here are of decent pricing and not too expensive. I personally wanted to try the hamburger but since I got conned into going to dinner with them, thought I'd hold back my meaty inclinations.
Our conversation went somewhere along the lines of the men bantering about the current proposals all the way up to what their next stop was this week. Then it came upon the subject of golf, which basically ate up the rest of the evening. The GG was getting to me and I could already feel the blush creeping slowly across my cheeks.
Decent drinks, lovely bar, good location. I may be back just to see my friends and try their Grappa, their signature drink.
Bar 888 is the perfect place to start off your big evening...
The ambiance is quiet and sophisticated, but not stuffy. The bar has a very modern and chic appearance, but is also very comfortable. They have a great selection of cocktails as well as the standard favorites of liquor, beer and wine. The service was great - our server was nice, polite and attentive. They even give you fancy nuts to go with your beverages (I recall, slightly salted cashews, sweet-wasabi peanuts and honey roasted almonds).
I wouldn't come here with a rowdy group of people - this is a stepping-off point for your big evening. Also, make sure to dress nicely...you'll feel out of place in flip-flops and torn t-shirts.
Very sleek inside the new Intercontinental. I sorta like this place since it is off the beaten track (i.e., metreon or downtown) in that it is not very crowded. The bar is essentially along the pathway from the lobby to Luce. It is not very large. I like the "furniture" looking shelves and the displays of the very exotic looking liquors.
I ordered the chamomile grappa $14, and it was very very delicious. You could really taste the chamomile flavoring and it was sweet, but not too sweet. Also had the shanghai kiss which was $12 and made with vodka, elderflower, lime juice and pomegranate. That drink was also good and they poured it so the red pomegranate color fell to the bottom. Service was great. The bar snacks looked good, but the raw fish was so-so.
I was impressed immediately when we entered the hotel; then it all went downhill once we approached the bar.
The bartender didn't even acknowledge us- a group of five women in suits.
We sat ourselves and waited for a server to come around. Our server was nice but definitely took her time in getting our drinks.
We had some wine so it wasn't rocket science-
Terrible Beer Selection....the St. Regis bar down the street caters much better to anyone who appreciates alcohol regardless of the form (beer, wine, coctail).
Living just a few blocks away we've been waiting for Luce and Bar 888 with the hopes we would find… Read more »
Being in an upscale hotel, the bar isn't cheap, but their happy hour is decent. BTW. If you're craving a burger, their Luce is out this world. Angus beef cooked to perfection on a toasted bun. The bar keeper lays out all the condiments. The crowd is dependent on the convention next door.
I think this is a beautiful hotel bar. Sleek design and great drinks. The owner and designers have great taste in terms of modern design.
I don't usually like Grappa. I have been to Italy enough to know that I don't really care for it, but they do some nice Grappa Cocktails, as well as other drinks.
There bar snacks are also delicious. I have not had anything to eat other than these, but I enjoy them. I was able to eat a lot of them on Thanksgiving after a HUGE meal.
One major flaw. If you get tipsy, the bar is at an angle, so if you slide your drink too fast, it will be all over your best Prada. That didn't happen to me, as the bartender was cool and warned us. Be careful!
This review is strictly for bar 888. We plopped down in the closest bar booth, and did nothing but wait and wait and wait. Finally someone comes over after at least 15 minutes to ask us if we wanted a bar menu. My companions wanted to leave but of course I still wanted to try this place. My flight was not good my friends enjoyed there cocktails. After about 40 minutes we received some nuts and crackers....how nice. Took about 20 more minutes to just get the check..I don't understand why this type of service would exist at a place like this, it was about 4pm in the day and we had just had a tour of ispa, now I don't even wan't to come back to the spa if this is how the restaurant/bar behaves.
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GIVE ME AN EIGHT!
GIVE ME ANOTHER EIGHT!
GIVE ME ANOTHER EIGHT!
WHAT DOES IT SPELL?!....ummm, huh?
So where does a Yelper go for his 888th review? Hmmm ...perhaps Bar 888. Nobu actually gave me the brilliant idea of coming here on the occasion of this arguable milestone. I seem to be moving up in class...500 Club for my 500th review...800 Larkin for my 800th...and now Bar 888 for #888. It's all in the numbers, y'know.
I kinda knew what to expect since by coincidence, I dined at Luce - also in the spanking new InterContinental Hotel - earlier this month. I didn't realize I walked right by Bar 888 then because the open space goes from lobby to bar to restaurant in a seamless fashion. Normally I like an open floor plan, but I have to say Bar 888 reminds me of an airport lounge. I kept trying to look for a sign to see if my flight had been delayed. The bar still has that tinge of retro-70's about it like Luce, though they seem to have gone to a fire sale at West Elm since everything wooden was chocolate brown.
Cocktails were priced for the hotel guests...that's for sure. A fancy selection with plenty of fru-fru. I had a $11 Pimms Spritz 'cause I was going for something refreshing. It was. I didn't realize I was supposed to order one of their vintage grappas, but I wasn't in a particularly high-octane mood for a weeknight. Speaking of which, Jamie W. had a virgin mojito for $6, which had an especially puckery- minty flavor without the rum. We shared a $4 plate of their sweet pickles which tasted like they came right out of a Vlassic jar.
Actually my favorite eats were the freebies, especially those wasabi-flavored crunch nuts. Tasty. The seats in the lounge area have the same shiny faux-leather as the restaurant, and you certainly have room to spread out since the more hardcore drinkers were at the bar itself. I just wish it felt cozier and the service less brisk. Especially for my 888th review...where was the cake?...where were the streamers?...could someone blow me a kazoo?
COCKTAILS - 3.5 stars...the drink was almost as brisk as the service...pass me the wasabi nuts
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...Flight 782 is ready for boarding...passengers with disabilities and small children will be seated first...and thank you for flying InterContinental Airlines
SERVICE - 3 stars...brrrr...
TOTAL - 3 stars...I think a dive will do me next time
Bar 888 at the Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco is lively for a hotel bar and features some really fresh and delicious drinks and a great way to start off the evening or for an after-work drink. All their specialty drinks are made with fresh ingredients like strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers and enhanced with fresh organic basil, agave nectar or sprigs of mint. I highly recommend this place for happy hour, even if it is in a hotel. Some highly recommended drinks: Eau de Vin (sweet & fruity), The Vincento (strong & shaken with two tasty grappos), Basil Gimlet (light & refreshing) and finally Amante Picante (refreshing and zesty). I give it 5-stars for the drinks... maybe next time I'll try the food.
I lucked out that a friend of a friend was staying at the hotel that the bar is in.
I was starving and tired after the NIKE Women's Marathon and I hobbled over there after the concierge of the Intercontinental said to take a look at the menu since I mentioned that I was craving meat and a glass of red wine (at 11:00am! LUSH!-hey, it felt like midnight to my tired body!)
The young man behind the bare was quick and friendly.
There were several other gals who had obviously ran the marathon too (faster than me since they were already 1/2 way through their beers and bloody marys...thank goodness I'm not the only early-morning-post-run-lush).
He was helpful and noticed that I was about to eat my friend's arm when he said that he would lok to see if the kictchen was ready with some bread.
I had:
Chateau Pesquié, Côtes du Ventoux, Terrasses 1$0
Rouge, Côtes du Rhône, France 2005
and
Short Rib Pappardelle and Wild Mushrooms $14
Perfect wine to go with a perfectly huge and satisfying meal.
PERFECT wine, PERFECT food.
Comfortable seats.
A quick note:
Ed U. said something in his review that I never would have thought of because I only had eyes for my glass of wine, pasta, and my friend Ron,
but Ed said:
"I have to say Bar 888 reminds me of an airport lounge. I kept trying to look for a sign to see if my flight had been delayed."
In hind sight, that pretty much sums up the bar part, but I was sitting in the comfy-est couch-y thing that felt so good to my tired legs and heiney.
Check it out. It was great. I'm a sucker for great service.
Keep in mins it was 11:00am on a Sunday.
Who knows what the nights are like.
It is surprising that Bar Grappa has only 3-stars. I wonder why the low rank. Grappa Bar 888 is a wonderful institution to Grappa. Ask for Vinnie, the chief Grappa guy and you will get an education on Grappa; he is passionate and knowledgeable.. Grappa Bar 888 has selections that are only available there. An amazing place to enjoy and learn about the glorious beverage Grappa.
Grappa is king at Bar 888 at the new InterContinental. Ask for the Grappa list--a very amazing… Read more »
It's hard to get a full gauge on how Bar 888 will settle into itself but as dedicated follower of hotel bars, I had to go opening night. The Hotel Intercontinental, itself just opened, was already alive right at five.
The bar is situated between the main lobby and Luce, the hotel's restaurant, allowing an easy flow between them both. There's some plush seating -- good for groups of four or five -- and the bar has seating all around it. It's top shelf liquor displayed impeccably, but the main attraction, at least for now, is the extensive grappa menu.
If you're used to thinking of grappa as tasting like rocket fuel, you're still somewhat correct but they also do stock a wider range of more accessible (read: flavored) grappas. We didn't really get a chance to try the higher-end "firewater" (that said, our grappas were still $10 a piece), but if you're interested in acquiring a taste for the stuff, this is the place to do it.
The crowd promises to be a mix of suits and well-heeled travelers, so take it or leave it for what it is, or just add more grappa.
This is a really nice bar that has lots of creative and inventive drinks on their menu, most of them containing grappa. I would have never thought of that in a million! I had a delicious drink (think it was called Muscato Marollo), which had grappa, muddled berries, and agave nectar. Man it packed a punch! They also offer little snacks to munch on while having a drink. When I was there they had wasabi covered peanuts, dried fruits, and Japanese spicy rice crackers.
It's a hotel bar so it's visible from almost the moment you step in the hotel lobby. It's pretty nice though. It's modern, and sophisticated, yet subtle and simple and has clean lines throughout. The bar itself is roomy because it's in an open space, but the bar area itself doesn't have too much seating. Maybe 4-5 chairs on 3 sides of the square that the bar sits at. But there is more room adjacent to the bar, which is separated by a wall (though it's not a solid one, there are cut outs). In this area, there are booths, small sofas for 1, 2, and even 3. There are also some booths near the restaurant where you can sit and wait for the friendly waitresses (dressed in black skirts, tights, and white blouses), to come out to help you make your drink decisions and take your orders.
Drinks are on the expensive side, don't expect to get anything for under $10 at the very least, but they are well made. The also have a fairly decent wine selection from which to choose.
Definitely a nice way to start the night.
Last night I went to Bar 888 at the brand new InterContinental Hotel with Nish, Stephy and some other Yelp peeps. I have to say, we felt very chic when we were greeted with free champagne and mimosas at the door.
We were there for -- the Grappa! We couldn't wait to take a taste of Bar 888's trendy new cocktails. Unfortunately, there wasn't much Grappa being served (yet), but we did try the blueberry "cozmo" and the mojito. Both were good, and I would say the mojito was great!
The verdict? Grappa still tastes like lighter fluid. If they can manage to disguise it in interesting enough ways, I suppose they may start a trend.
Hmmm, well, what to say about this place other than, it's just not really my scene. It's the kind of place that made me feel like I was a high class escort going to meet a "client." Very upscale and "chi chi" or however you spell that. But I dunno, definitely not my thing.
I went with "Hotel Bar Lover Extraordinaire," Nish N, to try the new Grappa offerings, but was bummed to learn that on opening night, they only had....2 kinds available? That seemed odd to me, I mean, this is your big night guys, let's roll out the menu and show this town what you're made of! As for the Grappa, wow, that is, um, well, that is some interesting stuff. The words, gasoline, lighter fluid, and burning come to mind, but if that's what you are into, they you are in luck because 888 has 'em.
As for pluses, I did like the fact that as soon as you walked into the hotel they gave you champagne, but I think this was an opening night kinda dealio. Not too sure. Also the decor is nice, but the word cozy definitely doesn't come to mind. Sterile is the word i would use.
All in all, I could see coming here for maybe a meeting with a fancy pants client, but as far as a bar that would make me crave mandatory repeat attendance, this definitely wasn't it.
The day after the grand opening, we had to be there.
My cousins and I swaggered across the street after a family dinner at a nearby Italian-American place last Friday night.
Bar 888 was raw from an atmosphere standpoint. They were clearly in an early-adaptor/beta-program mode. The staff was ear-to-ear in smiles and eager to please, while the waitresses were frazzled and confused as they eased their way into their new role, being a part of a team of hospitality folks in what could potentially be the next hip hotspot.
Minimalist ambiance with subtle luxury sums up the vast space, espresso colored cabinets, transluscent plexi glass decors, dim lighting and perfectly curated floral arrangements. The bar area is vast, the crowd on that Friday night seemed to be mixed ... some wannabe hipsters, out-of-towners, nosy locals such as ourselves and your typical meat-market characters.
It was fun to see that my cousin knew the concierge at the desk who graciously welcomed us in the new place. Kudos to Hilga for knowing and loving Oola and Local. I had to check whether she would recommend guests to my favorite Soma joints, and she said Yeah!
Four stars for now, I'd give them time to iron-out their bugs and imperfections, after all, every living organism undergoes its own alpha and beta processes, its evolution.
It has great potential, given its strategic location juxtaposed the Moscone Center.
update: they've had time to get the rhythm down, which they have succeeded in doing. Only the rhythm sucks. Sure sign of a place to avoid: employees chatting with employees, away from the customers, while customers are asking for service. They have the 5-star prices, 5-star attitude, 3-star selection and 1-star service. This place did more for the community when it was a parking lot.
I work next door and the hotel sits on what used to be our parking lot. Sitting in 888 with a hefty pour of Macallan we decided that it beat sitting in the parking lot. Just weird knowing that my car used to sit right where this establishment lies.
It does seem they're in shakeout mode but it's nice to know I now have a quality bar a minute away from the lobby. No more having to cross the street to get to the Chieftain.
Standard hotel bar - minimal ambiance and overpriced. Not the worst I've been to, at least there was some more private seating off to side so you weren't forced to sit at the bar trying to talk over other conversations and sports the TV. Not my scene.
Reading other yelpers, would have liked to try a grappa drink, so possibly a reason to go back, but doubtful. I can always save that for when I make it to Luce.
Recently had a chance to check out this new place and I was definitely impressed by the beautiful bar backed by large glass windows. There was also plenty of really comfortable seating and the staff were super friendly.
I do have one problem though. The bar selection is heavily based around grappa -- the least palatable liquor imaginable. The premium grappa they sell is about $10 for a shot and tastes roughly the equivalent of hobo vodka. I don't understand it. It's a hip concept but I think they'll be revamping their selection before long.
This is one those places where even giving it a one star seems very generous. If you are willing to spend most of your day at a bar, and are not really in the mood for good drinks then this place will not dissapoint, i gaurantee it. Given the competition i dont know how this place even exists. Oh well , glad we tried it, now we know which bar/lounge to stay away from next time we go drinking
Grappa has ALWAYS gotten me into TROUBLE... but I like it, like it, yes, I do...
Yep! I have a few friends who make it and it always seemed more like a hallucinogen than a cocktail :)
I was recently at a Where Magazine party to introduce Luce and Bar 888 to the Concierge of this pretty city. The appetizers that were going around- TASTY!!! However, it was the Grappa Mojito that still has me jonesin' for another...hmmm... just what I needed a new addiction.
i gave 4 stars only because I was there for an "industry" party and didn't get a true vibe for what its "really" like on a normal eve. Don't worry, I'll be back... gotta get that fix...
ow boy, the psycho who came out during a rare *fresh air* intermission outside the bar left a sour taste... "can you believe it's my 50th birthday party and my friend's girlfriend is hijacking the party?"... "i have a limo..."
um ok.... i mean, what can you possibly say to that? I could say "so maybe you want a gun and a private hotel room?" but that's so depressing. Well, aside from that, and the crowd, the bartenders were nice and accommodating.... the cocktails were pretty good, the decor was nice - conservatively trendy hotel bar style - not exactly exciting but pretty... so what does that leave me with? a nice bourbon cocktail and lonely kitty waiting at home to play with some string.... a nice evening, but not a bar i put at the top of my list....
The past few nights I've been out on the town, drama is in full pursuit!
First, let's deal with Bar 888...LOVE IT! Upon entering The Intercontinental, I knew exactly where the bar was having passed the IO several times in its construction. If you're looking for a place that is dimly lit and spacious, you'll be very disappointed. The bar seats roughly 18 individuals and the three "confessionals" (as they were come to be regarded as by our party) could comfortably sit 3 individuals and then seat another 2 in chairs around a small table. Hell, we stole chairs from Luce and had a total of 10 people in our area.
Service was a little slow but the waitresses were amazing. Always a smile and helpful to give you advise on which drink to order made everything superb! The interior of IO is super trendy with mahogany wood, glass tiles and a wonderful lighting scheme. The bathroom was the highlight however. The fresh single flower on the sink accompanied by the soft green pallet of the glass tiles was very tranquil. The only thing that was a little offsetting was when I opened the door and thought I had run into a gentleman exiting the bathroom. Nope, not so. It was my own reflection in the full length mirror mounted on the wall. :O)
Overall, this was a great experience. 5 bottles of champagne, 5 Hendricks and Soda, 2 Jack and Cokes, 3 Cranberry Vodkas and 1 glass of water later...a total of $28 a head (gratuity was added of course) for 10 people. Not bad for a Saturday night...
...OH! The DRAMAAAAA! A guy and girl walk into the bar and the girl sits down in the confessional. Guy asks girl if he may sit next to her and she responds take your pick of a chair. Guy sits in a chair and girl says what are you doing? Guy kindly states that the girl had said to pick a chair to which the girl states that the guy didn't need to sit all the way over there...apparently this had been a issue with them the entire night. Girl takes off, guy orders beer from bar and then disappears leaving his glass (still full mind you) at the bar. Both in their early twenties and probably soon to be wed. Of course I had heard the story second hand as I was in the bathroom, but apparently they made quite the scene. Dang! Wish I had been there to see it!
Whose bright idea was it to install fluorescent lights at the bar?
If you love grappa like I love grappa this is your slice of heaven. Or if you're burnt out from the usual and looking for a new habit that tastes like fermented cardboard there are 100 or more on their list, each with a half page description, which is TMDI even if you're sober so you just ask your bartender for advice.
San Francisco is to bars what the Dominican Republic is to baseball and Kenya is to distant running, and the coach here is a guy named Francesco Lafranconi, a guy so famous he isn't just in the museum, he is the museum. Plus a serious bar setup - you know what I say, a bar with plastic squirt bottles on the counter means good drinking ahead. Here there's a dozen of them, full of homemade bitters and presses, syrups and exotic juices. Grapefruit is a jug squeezed in the kitchen, not a foil top mini-can. Garnishes and muddling herbs aren't a tray, they're like Aisle 6 at Whole Foods.
The ultra-serious dedication to alcohol and the 50s airport hotel gone wild decor (but in a hip upscale way) are a retro modern take on what would happen if Frank Sinatra and the brat pack were internationally famous jet setting convention hotel lounge lizards instead of jazz singers. In a rough industrial neighborhood across the street from a chill Irish bar it is intimidating enough to scare away the locals...plus the way the building is designed with seven or eight fake locked doors on a sheer glass front it's impossible to find the real entrance if you arrive on foot, another homage to mid-century airport hotels. So most of the crowd are business travelers who flat lucked out that their bar is so sexy. I will lay serious cash to bet that more office affairs will start at this counter than any other bar in America. If that new girl from finance is coming along for the convention TAKE HER HERE!!!!!
Free bar snacks are first rate - trail mix, wasabi peanuts and rice crackers. The bar menu is inventive and luxe (foie gras, salumi, cheese plates) and reasonable. $11-12 a (large, strong, hand-made with top shelf alcohol and all fresh ingredients) cocktail is 1/3 lower than equivalent drinks at the other top hotels like Saint Francis or Saint Regis. I hope that lasts.
Sadly, they serve Aperol. But nobody's perfect.
I stayed at InterContinental and had a couple of drinks before I went off to dinner with my coworker and co. The bartender, David I think was his name, let me know they were doing specials for $8.88 on some of their signature drinks. I asked which he recommended and he said Eau de Vin. OMG that sh*t was soooo good. It was made with real strawberries and raspberries and grappa and who knows what else, but after two of those bad boys, I was very happy and buzzed. Thanks David! I need to find a Grappa Bar in San Diego!
High end hotel bars are usually a great place to try new fancy drinks and talk to different people who don't hit your local pubs. Bar 888's menu is good enough, but the space is too small and the layout/design is not very luxurious...it actually looks sort of cheap. Head to the Four Seasons if you want a good high end hotel bar experience...4 Seasons is more luxurious and the layout there makes it more conducive to talking to people.
The Intercontinental is open for business and Bar888 is already packed to the gills. Lots of well dressed patrons, suits and whatnot, with a few laid back guests smattered throughout. The space is very chic and not too large, a few booths a squarish bar counter, and very modern apointments in design and furniture. Since they just got their liquor license the bar isn't quite fully stocked yet but they do have a handful of their signature grappa collection. I told the waitress to surprise me and I ended up with a cocktail that had two different grappas (one blueberry infused, the other honey), lime juice and blueberrys afloat. The other drink was a solid French 75. Very good start for opening day and I expect the place only to get better as they move towards their soft opening to full scale operations.
Cool spot! Kinda uneventful right, probably cause it's still new. Layout of the bar itself is not at all that good. Service was ok, our server she was cute & somewhat funny/silly, or just went along with us, who knows! Anyways, worth checking out again once more people check it out as well.
Excellent grappa selection, but since I'm not quite as into grappa as my fiance, that fact was lost on me.
To me, this was an over-priced and badly lit hotel bar. The patrons seemed to reflect that too, as there were quite a few sad-looking 30-yr-olds who seemed to be waiting for someone to take them home.
I had a very good cocktail, the Bangkok something or other, made with Kaffir-infused grappa and other yummy stuff, and a rather dull one, which I already forgot. Cocktails are $12 and grappa is pricey. The grappa glasses are cool-looking but strange to drink out of. This was a good spot to try some new grappa, but I'll just stick to what we have in our own collection.
when i came here, they were just opened for 3 days. So...that was then, but i'd like to review though.
The bartenders are basicly wearing uniform from the hotel, and they greeted us (me & my buddies) nicely. They have 4 sides granite tables & they're a really small bar full of working executives. The design of the bar is simple, there is no too much going on, there was tv to watch the sport and there were 2 nice bartenders that are ready to serve your drinks.
They have an extensive range of menu for the drinks and they have interesting names for the drink, well it kind of made me wnat to tried all of them, but i decided to just drink 2 drinks that night :)
tried the mojito here, it was a great mojito actually. & tried also the grappa muscat, it was both nice drinks. SO far it was a good experience with this bar buut it's nothing much going on, still I feel lacking of soomething in the ambience, maybe because it's too small & the lighting was too bright so I wasnt feeling like in a bar. I felt the light is kind of too bright. But the drinks sure definitely rock!
My ginger drink was super yummy but the inside of this place is kind of ordinary looking, crowd is somewhat touristy. I feel like the cool kids all head down the block to the W or St. Regis.
I had great expectations for this hotel in general b/c it's about 2 blocks away from me and I wanted there to be a cool upscale hotel/bar/restaurant all in one near me where I can just walk to and hang out when the mood strikes. The bar is pretty chic situated b/t the lobby and the restuarant, Luce (which I will review next). Aspasia described it nicely a few reviews earlier so I won't go into detail.
Granted that the hotel is fairly new and that it just opened over a week ago I have to say that they definitely need to iron some kinks out if they want it to be the next "hot spot" of hotel bars in SF. I was there having drinks to celebrate my day of coming into the world with some friends while waiting for our dinner rsvp at Luce, the hotel's new restaurant serving California/Italian cuisine. Drink prices are pretty typical "hotel bar" prices. My Ketel one tonic was about $9. The service was ok at this point granted their was a large conference group at the hotel and the 2 bartenders that night seemed a bit like fresh crop. The part that troubled me with my experience tonight was when we asked the bartender to transfer our bar tab to our dinner table she said it could be done and insisted it would be "easier" if we closed it out at the bar. So, we said sure and gave 2 credit cards to split the bar tab. The total tab was about $48. The bartender handed us 2 credit slips one with $42 and the other with $24 on it. My friend and I looked at each other and carefully examined the itemized bill again b/f giving our "WTF" deal. WTF!! We showed the bartender the bill and asked her to correct the mistake. She was looking at it and trying to give excuses for the potential cause of the mistake and so on and I was like "it's cool, it's a mistake...just fix it so we can get to our dinner." She's trying to fiddle around with the computer and then called another guy which was probably the bar manager and then another lady came and they were now having a full-on meeting about our bill. WTF!! We literally were sitting there for 15 minutes while all this was going on and finally we said look we have dinner rsvp at Luce 10 minutes ago so we're gonna go to our table and when you guys figure out how to fix what seems like a very simple transaction, come find us at our table with the correct bill. They came over a few minutes later after "racking their brains" figuring out how to get the bill right and settled the bill with us "correctly" but w/o an attempt to "make things right."
Well, I'm not knocking my neighborhood upscale bar but they better figure out their kinks and more importantly, who their "patrons" really are...the fly-by-night hotel guests or their neighborhood regulars. The 3 stars are generous b/c I'm optimistic and I do want them to succeed!
Terrible service, incredibly slow and then had the nerve to add a gratuity for a 'large' party. Since when is a party of six for drinks only a large party. Then we were not told that. Very poor service and communication. Overpriced with no benefit. Will not be back.
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