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Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Fri. 3:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 3:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Just mention YELP on Valentine's weekend Sat 13th & Sun 14th and receive a complimentary glass of champagne. http://www.cosmopolitansf.com
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Not sure why I never reviewed this place. This was like the second bar I went to when I moved here in 1997 after the Elbo Room and Cassanova. Er, I guess that makes it the third.
Anyhow, my favorite things about Noc Noc are that it's got all these crazy nooks that you can chill in. Some on the floor, some with seating and it's like a little cave/crashed airplane vibe inside.
They don't have a huge selection of alcoholic options, but what they do have is pretty good. A great place for a clandestine rendevous!
This was my first time going out in the Lower Haight and Noc Noc was our suggested destination. I arrived at least 15 minutes before the rest of my friends did and so I had quite a bit of time to take everything in. My first thought was that it was like nowhere I had ever been before. It had a dark, hippie, rave vibe to it which to me seemed like one giant oxymoron. Some how it kinda worked for them, though...
I walked up to the bar and realized quickly that they didn't serve anything outside of beer and wine. The couple next to me weren't quite as quick to catch on and kept asking for a vodka Red Bull. The bartender repeatedly screamed at them that they they didn't serve vodka Red Bulls which went way over their heads. "What do you mean? Just pour some vodka and Red Bull together and accept this cash!"
That was more entertaining than anything else but the reeealllly annoying thing about this bar were these giant, built in, wood backed stools that were ridiculously inconvenient. If you weren't sitting in them they were like a monumental obstacle standing in the way of you and your future beer. Bah!
It's been said that Noc Noc looks like what happened when the Flintstones met the Jetsons. That sounds about right. This is NOT your typical bar. Doesn't look like it, doesn't feel like it. And those ubiquitous domestic lagers are conspicuously absent ("No Bud, No Miller, No PBR" announces the tap list). Instead, you will find umpteen imported and domestic beers, ales and ciders on tap, and a nice selection in the bottle, including a number of Belgian and Belgian-style ales. Wine and sake are also available, but no hard liquor.
The furniture, the bar, and just about everything else are works of art and craft created by various folk from the original Japanese fellow who opened the place, to friends and family of the present owner. Noc Noc is a work in progress.
The vibe here varies depending on the night of the week. On weekend evenings it can get quite crowded and the crowd is mostly young and hip. During the week, the regulars dominate, but for the most part, they don't bite. If you are open to a new adventure, come on in. Then again, if you are the sort who gets nervous in a place that doesn't resemble anyplace you've been before, maybe you're not ready for Noc Noc.
There is a live DJ every evening (from 9-ish, but the starting time may vary, as does the type of music).
Caveats: Art as furniture may not be comfortable for people with back problems or other physical limitations. The place is accessible, but accessible and comfortable are two different things. Street parking in this neighborhood is extremely challenging (see my reviews of other local businesses for more), but it's well served by the Muni.
DISCLOSURE: I am not and have never been employed here, nor do I have an interest in the business. But I am a long-time regular and a neighbor, and over the years I've become friends with the owner and some of the employees.
Nice! I was there last night with a friend. Been there before, back when I lived in the hood. It's small, not much room to sit, but still artsy in that hipster way. My belgian beer with 10% alcohol "Paate" something was $7. A bevy of young girls came in, none of them had ID, the guy working turned them away, and I was so happy to not be that young anymore... and thanks to the week-old stubble/beard. Now all I need is to look rich.
I can't believe i havn't reviewed Noc Noc yet. I remember when i first moved to SF, walking down Height St. passing this little door with the freakiest things in the window. I was a little intimidated to see what i would find inside. i can't remember when i first went into Noc Noc, probably with Kentardo some random night. But it was like walking into some Tim Burton/Road Warrior mash-up nightmare. I loved it instantly.
I still don't go to Noc Noc too frequently, but I'm never dissappointed when i do. i don't mind that they don't have booze, they have a good selection of draft and bottled beer. It's never too crowded in there like Toranado or Molotov. And the seats are all different and wierdin their own little way. Just on Friday night me and Coxy were lounging low on one of the floor cushions, with some persons butt almost in my face, great night.
And a little known fact: On Thanksgiving 2007 I found my karaoke power glove on the floor in the Noc Noc bathroom, now i can't sing without it.
Dark, trendy, fun vibe. Little nooks all about to sit. A place I like to stop by when I'm in the 'hood.
Cool, chill bar with trippy decor that makes you feel like you're in a spaceship in a star trek movie. They only serve beer/wine/sake. Super cool bartender, but I forgot her name unfortunately. They even let us bring in pizza from next door to eat because we were hungry.
Place is a crazy ass Space ship, I feel like I'll have to learn Klingon from just stepping in. Don't be fooled or scared, this place is really fun, with lots of tables and good beer selection. A great place to listen to some dub-step, synth pop music and have a drink with friends on a table that looks like the motherboard on star trek
I've been coming here on and off for almost 20 years. I'd put this first on the list of bars to check out on your Lower Haight bar crawl. The decor is right out of the Flinstones, and they have an excellent draft beer selection. Pull up a rock and have a seat.
This is a decent little hole-in-the-wall bar. The decor is pretty cool--it makes you feel like you're in a Tim Burton movie.
I think you have to make sure you get here at the right time, although I'm not necessarily sure when that "right time" is. 4 friends arrived around 10:20 on a Thursday night, and they didn't have to wait for drinks. I arrived around 10:35, and was waiting 3,4 minutes for a beer before I got sick of waiting, and decided to come back up after I finished my naan wrap. (I think they do let you bring outside food in--I saw another group with pizza boxes--so that's pretty cool.)
After the drink line thinned out 15 minutes later, I ordered a snake bite--apple cider & beer--that was pretty decent.
I wasn't completely blown away by this bar or anything, especially having to wait so long for a drink, but it's a fun little place for the thirsty Thursday kick start to your weekend.
Ah, the Noc Noc. What a great little hole in the wall establishment this is. Good beer selection with an ample amount of tasty Belgian's on tap and in the bottle. Check their website out for details of what exactly is on tap and in the bottle. Sake and beer as well, but no hard stuff can be found here. Often the Toronado is just way too crowded and if you don't have the patience to put up with the crap service there, you can usually find a seat at the Noc Noc.
They have a small DJ cave and I have spun records in it. Really small, but there's a couple dusty technic 1200s and an older mixer. What else do you need? The range of music I've heard in here is quite vast, encompassing just about everything. The quality control on the DJs is minimal as if you are friends with the owner's son, Sampson or drink and talk with him in there, you could get invited to spin there. The sound in the place is ambient - it is not a place you go to focus on the music, really more to socialize and drink.
The decor is wacky and a bit psychedelic. A unique place to say the least. The bar stools are really different - see the pictures to see what I'm talking about.
I got a few things to say about this place:
Firstly, GREAT alternative to Toronados a few doors down. There were plenty of places to sit, but more to the point, there are a bunch of nooks and crannies to sit in, kinda making this a nice and private place to bring a date to. I knew this place stood for qualify looking at the imported beers in the refrigerator then glanced over a the printed menu to the right to see the words "No Bud, No Coors, No PBR" printed across the top, love it! The patrons of Noc Noc appeared to be more mellow and interesting than those at Tornados; they came to have a drink or few and have a conversation. Thought the music was a taaad too loud, but a forgivable offence since it they were at least good tunes. The decor has clearly taken someone or a team of people years to work on.
Given the choice between going to Toronados or Noc Noc to meet some new friends, there is no choice really, of course I'd go to Noc Noc to see who's there.
I came upon this place while hopping around new years eve. When you walk in, you'll feel like you've walked into a cave! Looks like a bar but they only serve beer and sake.
I was in here with 3 of my friends and we got first a bottle of hot sake (8 bucks) then a bottle of cold sake (10 bucks). The bartenders were nice because when 2 of my friends were....a bit tipsy...they offered water and everything.
Lastly, for a bar, they have a really clean restroom (i know its a pet peeve). So overall, this place is a nice place to chill but not the best to get drunk (being that they have no hard liquor).
Great decor! Everything's all zany and crazy and wild.
Plus they let you bring outside food in!
And they are able to accommodate big groups like whenever the couch-surfers want to hold their weekly meetings there (http://couchsurfing.org).
But it can get a little tight.
I didn't drink anything so therefore I can't give (or take away) a star.
Dutch doors! Love it!
Didn't like getting hit on and feeling uncomfortable as a group of guy (who did not come from the bar) followed me to the bus stop.
You know the video for "Lovesong" by the Cure? Where Robert Smith, looking an awful lot like Edward Scissorshands, sits in the cave, among the stalagtites and stalagmites, and stares at his fingers while singing the melancholy lyrics? Noc Noc is pretty much that video in bar form.
Also, great selection of beers.
What an odd, yet cool little little place in the Lower Haight. The interior of this place looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Overgrown chairs, funny little nooks and crannies, and bizarre music playing in the background. Makes for a fun little detour when hopping along ho-hum dive bar after ho-hum dive bar.
They only do beer and wine, but I love how they mix it up and do things different than other liquor-less bars (the Squirt and sake concoction, for instance). When life hands you lemons, make some Mike's Hard Lemonade, ya dig?
It's pretty small, so seating is at a premium. Being that the Haight (more upper than lower) is pretty well known for their deep-seeded quirkiness, it's completely expected that a place like this would exist in this neighborhood.
It's really not at all right that Noc Noc is on the very same block as the Toronado. Someone wants my liver to DIE. I used to be jealous of my friends on Page Street but now I know that if I lived around here, I'd be broke and a low-functioning alcoholic.
I normally dislike anything Yelp classifies as a "Lounge," but Noc Noc is more of a funky little bar. I'm primarily a beer drinker, and they had enough of a selection to keep me happy, which kind of surprised me. Their 5-7 happy hour is generous, both in going until 7pm and in offering both the $4 and $5 draft beers for $3. 18 taps, several ciders, beer, wine and sake. Whatever, no hard stuff, but there is enough variety that anyone who complains about the booze choice is a whiner. Live a little and try a sake cocktail, fool!
Speaking of whiners: credit cards are accepted, so at least when you go to the next Yelp review of this place you don't have to hear WAH WAH CASH ONLY WAH WAH WAH. There is also no dress code and no cover, and, like all great bars, you're allowed to bring in outside food.
The decor, according to my friend who lived in San Francisco in the 80s, is pretty much unchanged. Rock the fuck on.
What really put the icing on the cake for me was the DJ hidden away in a little booth next to the bathrooms. I don't know why they had a DJ there at like 5:15 when the place was almost empty, but I'm so glad they did. Dead Can Dance? Wall of Voodoo covering Johnny Cash? You had me at "hello."
The decor was already outdated and not cool anymore in 1995 and it smells. The patrons are either 17 (not kidding, I've been in there maybe five times in the last 14 years and every time it's full of high school students) or still upset because they didn't get into that gallery show back in '97.
Yet for no explicable reason, they think they are the cat's meow.
Feeling lonely for home, we wandered into this bar with the same name as the lovely Noc Noc in downtown Seattle. Instead of tator tots we found cider & sake specials, $3 beers, and a kick-ass bartender named Liz.
I suppose the decor is pyschadelic because of the neon, darkness, and trippy furniture. A little silly, but we here for business. We were here to drink.
Excellent deals, and Liz was just awesome. In an empty bar we chatted up the bartender, then got to know the usual clinetile that drifted in on a Wed afternoon. The outline of the bar is set in the sign which states "No PBR, MGD.." & such. Love that.
We had the best time & went back the next day, but sadly missed Liz. Don't know if everyone would have fun...but we did!
This bar is on my list of most lame bars in The City. The myspace crowd seems to swarm to this place, if that gives you any inclination of where I am going with this. People bring their own sparks and hide in the corner drinking it out of a brown bag and no one seems to care. Lame. The "theme" of this bar is some bad hodgepodge of fantasy and suck. I'm not sure if it supposed to look psychedelic or just terrible, but I think the decorator succeeded at both in some weird way. Oh yeah, it usually smells like piss inside too...enjoy!!
The only thing saving this place from one star is the beer selection. But do yourself a favor and walk down three doors to Toronado.
Honestly, I can't remember when I was here. I think it was sometime around spring break of this past year, just back from the effing frigid temperatures and Obama-mania of D.C.
And honestly, I looked the place up on yelp. After BARTing in from the East Bay and determining what Muni we'd have to catch to get back and not get stranded in SF, we dragged our asses into Noc Noc.
I loved it. It looked like some sci fi bar with serious Blade Runner or Mad Max vibes. I kept expecting David Bowie to pop out from one of the dark cave corners and thrust his lycra-clad crotch in my direction while singing "dance magic dance." And to me, this is always an excellent vibe to get from a bar.
My friend and I sat on the ground, drank what I remember was some pretty decent beer, and watched (from what i remember, once again) fish swim by on a giant screen.
I figure I had a great time because both my friend and I blacked out and have no clue how we got back to BART. I may have very well paid a homeless man to piggyback me the whole way, as far as I'm concerned. Regardless of missing hours of my life, the hours I do remember from Noc Noc I enjoyed, even if Bowie never did serenade me or buy me a beer.
noc noc.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad you came to this awesome bar in the Haight?
The Noc Noc is weird. I LOVE weird. It's like walking into one of Jim Morrison's mind trips. You're drinking cheap beer in a cave and staring at all the colorful art installations on the wall. This is a "dream" you'll want to always remember.
Live weird. Die weird. Embrace the weird.
After eating, drinking and socializing at a restaurant our group gathered ourselves to this small dark bar, which I had avoided before because I could never really see inside, but I'm glad I finally went in. I liked it, the music was cool, the crowd was fun, no annoying, pretentious human beings and my drink was strong enough, can't really ask for much more.
This is my default place to bring dates, because this place has gluten-free beer, which means I can linger over drinks if the date is going well; and this place is loud with trippy interior design, which means I can stop listening and paying attention if the date is going poorly.
I'd love to see a wider selection of GF beers, but they do also have cider, wine, and sake in case I tire of Redbridge.
What a cool bar. One of the trippiest places i have ever been inside. With seating like you have never seen. They also have alot of great beers on tap and a DJ. Tin on the Roof and an aquarium in the corner. No Hard A....
Nice bar, Nice people, and awesome beer! people who really like beer should go there and try "la fin du monde" = "then end of the world" beer... it is a really really tasty beer ! one of the best you can find :)
I felt like I was back on the playa at Camp Noc Noc. Nice getaway from the real world!
The decor leaves little to be desired, but it's what makes this place what it is. And while their beer selection is dwafted by Voronado, this is a good option when seating is unavailable there.
So, when I was a kid my Mom never liked me eating candy, or watching rated R movies, or staying up late. She cooked "really healthy", which meant I ate twigs and berries.
So one day, my buddy Jeff calls and asks if I could spend the night, I asked my mom if I could have a night off from our little prison camp.
Surprisingly she said "OK".
She took the heavy chains off and instantly felt liberated.
I grab my sleeping bag and tooth brush and hit the mean streets of Poway and walked a few blocks to his house.
His house was awesome, his parents shopped at a place called "Price Club". Which meant they had 500 of every kind of food ever made. And if that ran out, there was more stored in the garage.
Anyway, his parents went to sleep, we stayed up all night long eating Airheads and Sour Skittles, watching all sorts of horror movies, with aliens, blood, guts, you know the good stuff.
We planned on staying up all night, but eventually the sugar high wares off and all those frozen pizzas we ate start making me heavy, as well as my eyelids.
That night I had the worst nightmares I have ever had. Gnarly shit, like aliens, blood, weird fucking places.
A lot of years later I enter Noc Noc, and it all came rushing back to me.
Its like a really bad dream, but fun and they serve beer and wine.
I'll admit, the bars on this strip of Haight do not jibe well with me. While Molotov's holds the distinction of being the first place I've ever seen cocaine, I've found most of the establishments in this area very forgettable. However, Noc Noc seems to be at least trying to be memorable.
You've probably heard people coming up with ways to describe their interior. My favorite: A spaceship crashed into a cave. It is unique and is likely the main draw of the place. They claim it is an art installation and in one of the corners you can read a placard about what the artist was going for. Oddly enough, the phrase "Fraggle Rock" is not mentioned.
The selection of beer is actually pretty good, emphasizing some Belgian bottles. I have always found the staff working the tiny bar area to be really friendly, so that's a plus. Space is tight and seating sporadic, which can make it difficult to sit back and enjoy a drink with friends.
So, while I try to avoid going out in this area, sometimes my friends insist. In those instances, I try to make the best of the situation and go to Noc Noc.
If you're into Belgium and German brews, Noc Noc has you covered.
This place is really dark, so it's not always easy to appreciate the awesome one-of-a-kind decor.
The movies they show sometimes are really cool, almost as cool as the crowd - the Haight is becoming one of my favorite hangouts in San Fran.
BTW, I was here onetime when one of these speed dating crews had a gig going on. God knows why, with the music blasting and the limited space (they over booked the event, those greedy bastards!) - this is a great space, but not for 70+ people who are trying to make intros to each other in under 3 minutes flat, going hoarse over the blaring music, tripping over the stools, over each other, etc. I felt sorry for the suckers who dropped $$ on this, especially the guys, but I digress.
My friends and I went there after being at the Toronado. It was still light out so we were the only people in there. I really liked the interior, it is almost like being in a cave. The gluten-free beer they had was really good too.
Beer, wine and sake only though...
I spent several years of my life in this cavern sucking down chimays and smoking camels. Wait, that's grad school I'm thinking of. In any case, if you find yourself in the lower haight and would like to step into a post modern art nightmare complete with a bomb hanging in the middle of the room with a gas mask on its nose then Noc Noc is up your alley.
This is the kind of bar that takes all kinds. Seriously, all kinds, from practicing magicians, to dog lovers who bring their four legged friends along, to aliens with antennae that stick up off their heads, and yes aspiring writers and grad students. The menu is filled with good beer and sake. They don't serve the harder stuff, just beer, wine and sake. I'd say get here early, park yourself in that great cubby hole where the neon sign for the bar hangs and then stay a while, a long while because in a single night I've heard William Cargo, The Incredible Bongo Band and Carl Orf come floating out the speakers. The bar's music is as eclectic as the scenery on the walls, lights and friendly staff.
Who am I kidding with 4*'s - I live here!
Hot sake, chimay, and a cave-like feel. I can't get enough of this spot.
Not very fancy, but walking distance from my house and they have hot sake. The lighting is nice and… Read more »
If you like cougars and people under 21 with really loud music, go here. For bars, I go elsewhere. I know there are those who go out to have a bad time, so I am glad places like this is a good Tool shed for the community.
Love their gluten-free beer! Super tasty and rad that they have one! :)
Yes. Awesome! Love the idea of drinking in a funky, artsy cave. Love the lights, the "cave art",… Read more »
I haven't reviewed this place yet because for some reason I can never think of what to say about it. I love this bar but Is that enough of a review? Would "I love this bar" as a review in anyway do the awesomeness of Noc Noc any credit?
This is the first bar I ever had a Belgian beer; Chimay in '88 or '89. They used to be only half the size they are now, the area in front of the bar all the way out to the door. I can't remember exactly when they expanded into the space to the right of the bar but I was suspicious that things would change.
I've always thought Noc Noc looked like what people think a cool bar should look like, more like a Hollywood set for an SF bar scene. This is my favorite place to take people from out of town, they always get a kick out of it.
I'm no where near trendy enough to comment on all the decor here and how it is post-apocalyptic cool or whatever.
But this bar is awesome, again not necessarily because of the decorations/lighting/etc - but because of an awesome drink/beer selection and because of the owner/son that tend the bar, teach you all sorts of interesting facts about life, and share drinks with you. I've never felt more at home at a bar before.
Now if i could somehow just wedge a bed in the cockpit of the plane i'd be set.
Great bar with just great beer on tap and in the bottle.
I'm so glad I have Noc Noc so close to me to be able to call it one of the local haunts for me...it is also nice to take my out of town guests too. If it original by SF standards imagine what my friends from AZ or the midwest think...so far they've all loved it.
Seriously, a great place to chill and get away from the Toronado scene (which I also love but totally different mood) and embrace your inner mole-man self.
This would be the type of bar the Morlocks would frequent from Wells's classic "The Time Machine."
I have to say it is my second best cave bar experience. The first being a real cave, with a bar, in Prague, that was once used as a bomb shelter, and now as a jazz bar...and randomly seeing Branford Marsalis play a set.
This is going to be my new favorite hangout in the Lower Haight. ONe of my good friends just moved to the Haight, so we thought we'd venture over to this hood for a couple beers after work. Started off at Toronado and then used the trusty iPhone to find this place next door...
WOW! the artwork is INCREDIBLE. I felt like I was in some sort of fantasy movie. It was pretty chill and the music was outstanding. It's definitely got some world beats and electronica going on. I loved how it wasn't too crowded either and pretty easy to talk to the people you're with.
We also ended up meeting two really great guys who we chatted it up with for a bit. One is a DJ there, so that was cool.
I'll definitely be frequenting this place more often!
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
Category: Pubs
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