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Categories: Lounges, Dance Clubs
Neighborhoods: Hayes Valley, SOMAMon-Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"My friends and I randomly wandered into Bamboo Hut, and it was one of the best unplanned nights ever. There were $4 tropical cocktails, two…" read more »
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I LOVE YOU. No it's not the alcohol talking. I didn't have beer-goggles on. I just plain, flat-out, am head-over-heels, in love with you.
Date whisked me into this intimate joint after a night of salsa dancing. What a way to come down with a nightcap. We sat near the piano as a duet keyed away in song. It didn't hurt that my date found the tiger inside (not ruling out alcohol consumption) to push the duet aside and serenade me. NOTE: Women will put out for this.
Scene: Eclectic. A LOT of men... interested in other men. A great date spot. A chill lounge for a cocktails and piano tunes.
Drink Strength - 5/5
Service - 5/5
Price - 4/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
I love this place.
As long as you behave the bartenders will be your new best friends.
it can get a bit loud some nights, but its a great place to go and actually hold a conversation that doesn't involve yelling. I love how dark and cozy it feels.
Great drink menu, no cheap watered down concoctions. This is the kinda place where you can ask to be surprised and will be. Never had a bad drink here and this is the only place I can say that about.
Oh honey,
Let's sit down and talk!
This place is Amazing! I know that as a gay man - especially one singing in the Gay Men's Chorus, I should really have been going here since my first night in San Francisco. But here I am - 4years in the city and last night was my first time there. The martinis were heavenly, the cocktail server was wonderful, and the lounge singing was great. I even got to close the bar out with a Chorus Line!
Minus one point for the hot but rude bartender who looked like he was not having fun there.
I am not a fan of karaoke, but this place is different. Much better caliber of singers than at any other place I've seen, and the piano guy is amazing. The martinis are strong and affordable ($7-8). Dim lights help create a cool atmosphere. If you're like me, bring a couple of friends over, especially those that can sing, kick back and relax.
Jesus Christ on a bike!
Came here last sunday with my new buddy Luke A. and his gorgeous tennis instructing gentleman caller ;)
I walked in and it was packed! I think it took me about 3 minutes trying to squeeze my way through to get to the back where the piano was. Met with the boys had some drinks and we were ready to play!
LOVES the piano- and the big group sing a longs. Seasons of love and martinis and gorgeous gay men? I'm in.
The lady took down my order wrong at first and just gave me a dirty martini. Not my fave but it was ok. She then got me the peach and it was delicious.
There will always be a line for the bathroom in a place like this. I made friends with a hilarious 75 year old man named len and a cute girl named jenny. She just starting playing with my hair and commented on how "full and gorgeous" it was haha. Loves it.
Can't wait to go back!
I've lived in SF for about 6 weeks, and have been here 5 times. I live right around the corner, which helps a lot, but so does fun drinks, fun piano and the occasional Broadway musical cast showing up to promote their benefit and sing a few songs!
Granted, that was me being in the right place at the right time, but who can beat that?
Sparkling wine that actually sparkles! That's rare. Most places will give you a chilled glass of flat, lifeless "sparkling" wine. At Martuni's, enough people order the bubbly stuff here that it's not a problem. You won't get a glass from a bottled opened a week ago! Also, the martinis are a must-try. I loved the key lime martini.
Martuni's is a fun piano bar in back and regular bar in front. The piano wasn't a sing-along-all-the-time kind of thing, but sing along when you feel moved. One point off for playing the oh-so-obvious tunes of Piano Man and Sweet Caroline. Too obvious.
Oh Martuni's ... how I love thee.
Awesome drinks, great servers, amazing bartenders, and the lovely Katie, ever so gracefully kicking out the jams on her ivory keys...this place is what a cocktail bar should be.
Bring your pipes and sing a tune or just bring you liver and make a friend. Either way, this is one of my favorite bars.
Best. Bar. Ever.
I echo Patricia N's comment: "Don't come here on an empty stomach." Even after reading that, I went to Martuni's starving. The watermelon martinis were amazing - and strong. I hope to re-gain my memory soon.
Very wonderful space - dark, intimate and great drinks.
My roommate says we went here last night but records from that era are sketchy at best. Olives were good.
Tonight, my unconventional conventionalists you are to witness Dr. M drinking beer at a martini bar.… Read more »
This is a good place for drinks and an odd place for drinks. The room is so inviting and is dark so everyone looks ten times better then they really do. The wait staff-- a crowd pleasing bunch. Our particular waitstaff was getting a little to cozy with Jeff, but Jeff invites that type of attention.
As usual I ordered a Manhattan, it was perfect with the dried cherry in it.
It's a good place to hang out with friends or enemies.
The first time I came here, some guy sang a jazzy version of "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" (you know, Kermit the Frog's song) at the piano.
SOLD!
I have come to really love this place. The entertainment is fabulous and the martini selection is well-priced and goooooood. Someday I'll graduate to straight up vodka and vermouth but for now, I'm into flavored vodka and sugar rims. They've got those. My favorites are the Blueberry Lemondrop (it tastes like blueberry pancake!) and the Cherry Blossom. The drinks are strong but delicious, which is a good combination: you get your money's worth and don't make that "blech" wincing face when it goes down.
So the drinks are great, but I wouldn't go without sitting in the back to listen to the singers at the piano. Anyone can go up and perform although there seem to be some serious regulars who dominate the room. I love going on Saturday nights. All different types of songs are sung and the piano player is usually a woman named Dee who can pretty much play anything. I think she handles the balance of playing songs the whole room can sing along and having individuals come up to sing really well.
The crowd great since you have people of all ages who come for a fun night. It's always a happy, hopping joint. Love it!
"When Life throws Lemons at You, gather those babies up and head over to Martuni's to drown your sorrows in some Raspberry Lemon Drops!"
6:30 pm
EDGAR: Hey you wanna go out? I just need to get out of my house!
FAYE: Yeah, where do you wanna go. I'm not having a good week myself and I want to get out and do something.
EDGAR: Yeah I just want to do something low-key, let's get a martini at Martuni's then we can head home early.
FAYE: Ok cool, cuz I'm trying to get home no later than 11pm because I have a funeral to attend tomorrow morning.
EDGAR: Deal, let me change and I will meet you outside.
8:00 pm
We are both seated and ordering out first drinks. Edgar has a Raspberry Lemon Drop and I order a Blue Berry Martini.
8:15 pm
Eh, we should have JUST one more set... Edgar orders another Raspberry Lemon Drop and so do I...
8:30 pm
Okay, ONE more and that's it... Edgar orders his 3rd Raspberry lemon drop and I try the Watermelon Martini... This is when I start to drunk Twitter and drunk FB... then I get hiccups...
8:50 pm
Edgar decides on one last round.. after all we need to wash my hiccups down with something... Edgar orders his last Raspberry Lemon Drop and I order one too...
9:20 pm
We cross the street and begin embarking on the night... I couldn't really tell you what happened after because most of it was a blurr after crossing over Market Street to Triple Crown... I just remember falling, bleeding, washing my leg in a sink ending up at some restaurant and ordering Country Fried Chicken at the end of the night, then awakening abruptly the next morning almost late to my funeral. One thing I know is that I hit up at least 5 clubs that night.. and it definitely was one of the best SUNDAYS I've had in a while...
Martuni's is STILL my favorite place to enjoy the most DELICIOUS MARTINI's EVER... and the ATMOSPHERE, QUALITY, SERVICE, and PRICE just can't be beat!
Tell me why I even believed my gay when he uses the words 1. Martuni 2. Low Key and 3. home early ... in the same sentences?
For as long as I've known him (well he's been my neighbor since I was 7 years old) If you ask Edgar what he thinks about Martuni's he will say "That's where you go if you want to get F*cked UP!" ... LOL I should have KNOWN better...
It was one of my gay's birthdays last month and of course there would be no other place he would… Read more »
Love Saturday nights here! I love the pianist and the crowd - they are usually very engaged in the music.
The drinks are great - especially the lemon drop! Yummm - sugar on the rim of the glass.
Bring lead sheets for the pianist if you plan on singing, or try to find what you want to sing in the books that are already at Martuni's.
It's nice to know that Martuni's is still thriving. Quite by chance I was able to jump in for a couple of cocktails with a friend for the habitual Friday afternoon "tie one (or two) on" session. I hadn't been in about 10 years and I think there was even a drag show or something back then.
The place looks great and I was happy to see they knew how to make a proper sidecar in frothy sugar-rimmed glory.
The back room was boisterous and dark with patrons taking their turn as singing accompanist to the piano player. The crowd seemed to be a nice mix of gay/strait, locals/out-of-towners, young/old, and of various race, color, and creed, all happily meshing in cocktail loving oneness.
What a great find!
My friends Sandy and Bill kept on talking about 2 different places on night. One gay bar, one piano bar - going back and forth on what seemed to be two topics. Then they started talking about karaoke, and I became totally confused.
It turned out they were both talking about the same place: Martuni's. Piano bar - with great pianists.... and anyone is allowed to sing - which is Karaoke-like but not quite.... and lastly, many of the patrons are indeed gay - and amazing singers, too.
In the Mission at the corner of Van Ness and Valencia, I have always spotted Martuni's on my way to one of my favorite hangouts, Zeitgeist. Never once did I enter, but rather liking Martinis, I kept it in mind.
While we were at Cosmopolitan on this evening - the five of us decided to head over to Martuni's.
In the front is a typical bar area with dark lighting, booths and a large bar in the center of the room. The real highlight of this place, though, is when you go further back in the restaurant through these curtains and find a small room with an electrical piano inside of it, topped with a huge table and barstools surrounding the piano, and intermittent tables and chairs throughout the room. This is the piano bar section.
The first night - they played great music and had some showcase singers. We had some stiff Martinis and had a stupendously fun time, though none of us sang.
The second time I went, which was last night with Archie, they had some really outstanding singers and an even better pianist who was practically a comedian with her witty and perfectly timed comments. She was also a great singer with one beautiful voice - quite impressive from such a small framed woman!
I had wine - Archie had a foo foo Martini - and if we hadn't stuffed ourselves silly of sushi and sake - we'd have tried many more drinks. Most drinks being between $5-$8 - this place has really fair prices, and tasty drinks - even having Glenlivet and Macallan 12 and 18 single malt scotch.
This one woman who had been sitting by the piano grabbed her sheet music and asked the pianist to play it. Obviously, if you carry your own music, you are either good or you really think you are, so I was curious to hear what she would sing.
She proceeded to belt out the most amazing rendition of "Defying Gravity" from the musical, Wicked.
WOW.
Showstopper.
Deep voice, but strong and clear - and she hit that last super-high note in the song so beautifully, I got chills.
Make a note - the music is mostly going to be showtunes or old classics - no Britney here. Then again, last night, the pianist did sing "Flashdance" quickly followed by her rendition of "I Kissed a Girl".
Perhaps she can play Britney.
On both visits, the servers have been nothing short of terrific - friendly, fast, and they all seem happy!
Martuni's is a great place to wind down the evening, be it with friends or a date. Whatever this place lacks in classiness, it makes up for with good fun, great music, and casually comfortable ambiance.
One of the highlights of the evening was when a random girl picked a random gay man, and asked him to dance while the pianist belted out "Flashdance". He looked surprised at first - but immediately got up and seriously showed us some flashy, hot dancing. How SHE knew HE was THAT good, I won't know, but "Tom" and "Alisa" - - you guys rocked!
For a good time - - this is one of the best places to go.
Even on a Tuesday evening, the place was full of patrons all looking to have a good time - and a good time, we all had!
Cheers!
Martuni's, visible from across the street in glorious neon.
Squeeze through the small & busy front bar of chatters and drinkers, through the curtains into the back bar, a place (on the Saturday I went) of happy, happy people, lounging against the walls, crowding round small tables, or leaning into the big piano - expect cheesy show tunes, pop classics and anything else the hosts (or you) want to sing. This ain't no karaoke though, so have something to offer and you will be loved (or just sing along without the mic like everyone else).
Pretension-free, friendly mixed crowd, VC for $80 a bottle.
This is a very cool bar. I like the atmosphere, the bartender, Diane, it has a piano in the back. I usually come here to meet up with my friend Courtney for drinks.
They sure know how to make a stiff drink here. They don't mess around. I have been to bars that pours light, average, heavy but never have I had drinks poured like this place. When asked why don't you serve different top shelf alcohol. Diane simply said........we want to keep the cost down so that we can sell drinks cheap to our customers. I was very impressed with that answer.
They have a whole bunch of aqua martini's here laying out on the bar. Almost grabbed one as a back when Courtney told me it was to chill the glasses.........ohhhhhhh!!! I'm such an idiot.
I ordered 1 drink, an espresso martini made with van gogh espresso vodka, frangelico, squeeze of lemon. It's probably the best that I have ever had. It's refreshing, had that hint of espresso bean and I don't even drink coffee. It's not on their menu so you have to ask Diane to make it.
When you come to a bar..........you don't want to feel rushed. It's a martini bar so kick back, sip, and enjoy.
About 7 years ago I went to Martuni's for the first time with my sisters and some of their friends. I'm happy to report that time has stood still at this much-loved establishment where little, if nothing, has changed.
We came here recently for a friend's birthday and went straight to the back room to enjoy the piano bar and feisty singer. She was hysterical, crass, and had a great voice ---all the things that made her the perfect adornment to the place.
Martinis are their signature item so I had my usual vodka dirty martini...only $5 and crazy strong! I heard their other specialty martinis and drinks were also well priced and poured with a heavy hand. Score!
I'm sure if we lived in the city I would come around more often and Martuni's would probably become my favorite pit stop after work. Wonderful atmosphere where the cocktails flow, entertainers are enjoyable, and patrons are always interesting. Now that's the formula to a great bar.
Martuni's Math:
$5 martinis at happy hour + Karaoke for adults + sandwiched between two Muni Metro stops = Friday night perfection
I was just here for a grassroots fundraiser event for a very good cause. Their raspberry-lemon drops taste very juicy with only hints of alcohol, perfect for those who don't like the taste of alcohol and modestly priced as well!
There's a backroom with a piano, where events can be hosted with live music. The event I attended had a great guitar player who rocked the room that night. We're all on "solid ground" after that performance!
This is a great casual place for happy hour, to spend some quality time with buddies, or just a place to stop by after work for a drink!
I used to love this bar for the creative cocktails, kitchy atmosphere and fun piano lounge, but last night I went there with some friends and was very rudely served by a cocktail server named Brett. Not only did he push me several times during the night to pass by, he also pushed others and wasn't polite about it. I figured it was so he could quickly get his fix of blow in the back room because he would come out in a better mood than he went in with. Then a few minutes later he'd turn into a raging rude bitch of a server again just after being nice and chatty. He made us leave because we didn't refill our drinks quick enough. Can you believe it? I've never been so rudely treated in a bar before, especially by a fellow fag. He should be ashamed of how he acted. I'll never go back again.
Nice bar, COOL live piano, and Great cocktails. What r u waiting for?
Snazzy!!
One of the nicest bars in the city. Clean, fun piano music, singing, nice lighting, friendly bar tenders. Tonight there was a woman in the piano area who was flashing her boobs. She was drunk and was escorted out. On the way out she flashed to a group of gay men. No reaction. Ha!
ACTUAL MARTINI-SIZED MARTINI GLASSES!!
I remember the good old days - back around 2005 or 2006 - when all bars in San Francisco made great martinis and cosmos and appletinis in regular sized martini glasses. Seems Martuni's is happily stuck in the good old days because they are the ONLY BAR in the city that I know of still using regular sized martini glasses. Everywhere else bought these dinky little baby-sized martini glasses and charges the same price to fill them up. I'm just a petite girl but I can down one of those in two sips - lame!
Now, maybe some people haven't noticed the size change. So maybe those people should go to Martuni and remember what a buzz feels like! Thank you Martunis!! :)
Great place for cocktails. Really great.
It's basically a gay establishment, but they have the class to welcome everyone. The drinks are out of this world. Martini glasses poised, and icing on the bar. The music is strangely amusing all the time- with a mix of 80's, 90's and whatever. All servers are attentive and have a sense of humor.
No food, but a serious happy hour w/ snacks on Friday. I have brought in cheese and french bread to share, and no one complained. Diana (a bartender) is a delight, and can hold an interesting conversation about almost any subject.......a "vault of SF knowledge", of sorts.
There's a back room w/ a piano where you can have small parties. Again- bring the food. No problem.
If it is NOT your party, however........hang in the front section, as you will be discovered and reprimanded. I did make the mistake of just flowing into that area without intention, and well.......
Don't get too drunk, or you might walk out the front door and see a sign that says, "Massage" when your shoulders are aching. I actually went in and had one..........declining a "happy ending".
Seriously, though. It's classy, yet laid back. An outdoor area where you can sit w/ your drink and watch the world go by. Mirrors and fixtures clean and shiny.
And they think it's OK if you're straight.
A big treat is on Sunday when the sponsored softball team comes in.........what a show, kids! Everyone has fun on Sunday.
Try it.
Sunday night at Martuni's was one of those magical accidental extended moments of bliss that make life worth living. We were visiting SF from Seattle for a set of performances and Folsom and wanted to have one last night out in the bay. Friends sold us on Martuni's as a "Lesbian Piano Bar," which it is not, but it was the single friendliest most lovely little bar I have ever walked into. We happened to be there for Katie's birthday-she took a break from playing piano to eat cupcakes with the entire bar and staff. Brett served us like a pro and adopted us immediately into the family. Regulars bought us drinks. And though I switched to water after my first cocktail, I was pleasantly smashed for the whole night. They don't pour that heavy where we come from!
Thanks Brett, thanks Katie, thanks Martuni's, we'll be back again soon, and we LOOOOOOOOVE you!
I hadn't been here in a while and we ended up going for a friend's birthday with 8 people or so.
It wasn't as fun as I remember. The bathroom was not very clean and no one was singing last night.
Will try again sometime....
Dim and busy with people just hanging out and a unisex bathroom with a toilet AND a urinal. I didn't check out the other room but you can hear people singing.
Drinks at Martuni's were awesome.. It wasn't too much of anything. Sometimes you get drinks that have alcohol overpowering the taste or not enough and it was a perfect blend here. Nikki had a watermelon martini and it was garnished with a slice of watermelon. It's a lot of effort to personalize drinks like that.. So, i'm greatly impressed.
I just don't think Nick liked the server invading his personal space by rubbing his back while he was taking his order..
This is a local gem. The entertainment is great (although I really miss Houston on Friday nights), the drinks are superb, and the service is excellent. The amateur talent in the open-mic piano bar in the back is always great. Try the Sidecar and the Metropolitan martinis!
Stiff drinks at a piano bar...how can you go wrong?!!
I've never actually planned on being at Martunis. Maybe it's because of the location, which is quasi-no-man's-land on Market Street; but, somehow I've managed to wander in on several occasions.
It's a fun place. Dark, mysterious, candlelit-cozy. Love the loungy, semi-privado area in back with the piano. Get ready to be entertained. Or maybe be the one to do the entertaining :)
Be careful though...those drinks are deceptively strong!
Coming here is an experience, definitively. A place where martinis are the "main course" are especial. I have only come once and I got, let's see:
- A gay guy rubbing my back when I was rubbing my girlfriends back....
- Two girls going to the bathroom together and only spending 1min. Guess what they did ???
- Great bartenders. Friendly even when bar is packed.
- Karaoke DJ!! Horrible but adorable.
- Great drinks. I tried all of my friends' selections. SSSSTRONG!
Good place.
I had forgotten how much I love this bar until I went there again after a good 5 year hiatus. This is not your typical bar - this is a PROPER bar, with PROPER waiters, PROPER bartenders, and PROPER drinks. A pleasure, from beginning to end. Going to Martuni's is like going to a spa: you feel pampered.
I'm not a fruity drink kind of person, but I had a passion fruit cosmo and it was FABULOUS.
I like this place for it's back room of piano crooners who belch out melancholy classics in often stunning, and sometimes tragically terrible, fashion.
It's the kind of place you wanna go to on an off-night.
Martuni's is the closest you can get to a New York musical theatre piano bar in SF.
I love being able to sit around the piano, and the drinks are great.
The singing area, however, is cramped (as well as the pianist)...I wish there was a real stage...even a very small one....the mic/sound system isn't great either.
otherwise...yay Martuni's! It's a fun night.
It's fun for drinks. I don't think the food is the thing here.
There is a piano bar towards the back (eek, show tunes when we were there).
Good old fashioned piano bar...reminds me of NYC. I am a beer/wine drinker so I can't speak for the drinks. I always have a good time and there are first rate pianists/singers who come through. Front bar is for chatting and pretending your in an episode of Sex & the City. Back room is where the piano and fun really is! Bring charts if your serious.
As with every beautiful love affair, there will come a time when the fires of passion wane. The coals may still smolder, and in most cases, just throwing some more kindle in will stoke the flames again. But there are also times when more fuel is still not enough.
This is the sad truth I've been avoiding with my relationship with "My Most Favorite Bar In The Whole World (That's In San Francisco)" - Martuni's.
It seemed that the time for me to go there most often were late Friday nights, at which time the pianist (who I would have to say makes up 50% of what makes this place wonderful; the other half being the amazing Martini's, especially the Cherry Blossom!) was someone akin to an ancient mummified Pharaoh (not the museum kind, but maybe the musical-set-in-Egypt kind) with perhaps the personality, at best, of one of the cats that Ancient Egypt loved to worship. He plays the same 10 songs every time I've been there, and is not very nice, to tell the sad and honest truth.
The sparkle in my eye was starting to be clouded by disillusion.
Was My Most Favorite Bar In The Whole World (That's In San Francisco) starting to slip??
But the last two times I've been back, I've had the fortune to catch Ben Prince in the act (who's there from around 5-9 pm) and if there was any one person who was kindle, it would be him.
Twice-soaked in gasoline and covered in that miraculous combustible material that you find in the head of matchsticks, Ben has rekindled the fires of my love affair with Martuni's and the ensuing rip-roaring blaze has flames enough to warm up even the coldest of San Francisco days.
5 Stars for Friday nights from 5-9 pm.
My CrAzY Chinese-Filipino parents vehemently believe so much that everything that happens to you on… Read more »
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