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Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
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I've always had a great experience at Orbit. No offense to other bartenders, but I only drink here when Robin is behind the bar. Her customer service is excelent, and she makes great drinks! (even if I AM still partial to PBRs and the occassional Fernet) you'll find me here every Sunday. It's a good place to watch the game. I also like it cause I can park my motorcycle on the sidewalk and the big windows provide me with great people watching on Market.
Only beef I have, the big stone tables are awful. If I can't sit at the bar, I'm going elsewhere. Also, some of the impatient customers can be rude. Which is very annoying when the bartender is just trying to do a job
great bar, and great bartender. Love ya Robin! you're the coolest ;)
This place is my new favorite place other than my bedroom.
The other weekend me and a few friends were completely hungover, wasted, and out of our minds. So we decided to go have drinks in my neighborhood. Robin's beautifully crafted elixirs fixed our heads and her company was wonderful.
They can mix like its no one business
Bloody good Bloody Marys (is how i'd say that if i were british...), other mixed drinks are solid as well.
OK, it's hip. Drinks are awesome. Location and huge windows make it feel very deluxe and romantic. My bone to pick: bartenders couldn't be more conceded. You can't ask for water without feeling like you've just offended them or publicly asked for toilet paper. Do I need to be hipper? cuter? gayish-er? Come on bartenders, try a little harder. This has been true of y'all for years...
the cocktails here are the best in the neighborhood. Truly.
THOSE TABLES THAT ARE SHAPED LIKE ICE CREAM CONES NEED TO GO!!
how relaxing to drink one of their perfectly crafted, delicious drinks, and how unrelaxing to have your knees banged up scraping against those cement makeshift tables.
This place could use a serious little makeover. The art-deco aspects are great... but it could use some comfy loungy couches, and it could use a better spacial organization. Maybe move those tables outside and make patio seating... that would be great!
This place will make my shortlist of best SF memories if I ever move away or get thrown in prison. I've been coming here for at least 15 years. During the day, the coffee bar to the left of the main door will serve up some solid espresso drinks and a cookie here and there. I've sat by the huge windows, read something, and sipped away many times. I love coming here at night because it's a "bar" but not really a bar. Very seldom packed, it's just a nice place to stroll into for a few drinks. A good place to go before heading up the street to someplace else.
This is the kind of place that I lust to be a regular at. If only it were closer to me...sigh. With a happy hour that goes past 8PM(!) and house made ginger ale from scratch you really can't go wrong here. This is a winner in more ways than one and I can't wait to come back at some point!
LOOOOOOOOVE this place! Oh, how I wish I were the only patron there! It takes time to make quality fancy cocktails, so I don't recommend coming here when you're like, "I need to be shitty ASAP." Not the right place for that kind of night. If you're like, "I want a fancy pretty drink that requires 7 ingredients and a blowtorch to make," this is a great place.
I've been here for many occasions, including my birthday this past year. They're quite a nice place for small fancy gatherings. I've also come here on random weeknights and had a hit-or-miss experience. It all depends on how many other people are here, if they are ordering fancy drinks or just beers, and if you're in the mood to pace. You will have to wait for your beverage, and you will be happy when it arrives.
Good times to come here: weekend afternoons. Early evenings. Sunday nights. Nights when you need an external force (like a long wait) to pace your drinking.
Not so good times to come here: most nights. Unless you like simple beverages, in which case you will get your drink on much faster. Also, beware sitting at the tall tables when you are drunk. Because, um, they don't really work for a drunk center of gravity. As I discovered last night. Ahem.
Now this is, as they say, a classy establishment (oops, nope, I just learned that that phrase is heavily laden with sarcasm, and means quite the opposite of what I intend. The never-ending complexity of what kids these days say!). Moving on, this place reminds me a bit of Bourbon and Branch, if B&B were the sort of place you stop by for a casual drink on the way home from work, and not the password-protected speakeasy it actually is. To my philistine, rum-and-Dr. Pepper-drinking self, any drink menu that involves floral notes and fruit accents is awe-inspiring. I mean, what? Alcohol tastes really, really, REALLY good and each sip is to be savored and not shot? I got the Van Dyke cocktail, and a lesson in gin to boot (from the bartender on the right in the picture here, in fact).
Drink Strength - 5/5
Service - 5/5
Price - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Really great drink menu, great bartenders who actually craft drinks not just pour them and great date atmosphere. I dig it.
Good place to start the night off.
Needing a place to get a drink while waiting for dinner, my sister and i spent an hour here over Thanksgiving weekend.
I cannot remember the exact names of our drinks, but mine involved champagne over a bitter-soaked sugar cube. Amazing!! My sister's also included bitters and was off their menu, but I have no idea what was in it. Basically, they serve very tasty cocktails that are STRONG.
I appreciated the atmosphere - low lighting, mood music in the background, delightful chatter from fellow drinkers.
I am in agreement that this is a perfect place to start off a night on the town!
can't go wrong ordering from their seasonal cocktail menu
(don't come asking for wine)
expect a chill atmosphere with interesting, tasty libation creations ($10)
no fast turnaround of drinks here, each one crafted from multiple ingredients
This used to be one my favorite places in SF for unique cocktails - 5 stars without a doubt. But when i went back after a few months away last week I discovered that they've ditched their old cocktail menu in favor of new selections that can't touch the old drinks for creativity and pizazz.
Why??? This is still a nice spot, but the magic is gone.
The Orbit Room makes my list of "Best SF Cocktail Establishments" because of the fruit drinks. Amazing! They have a couple of different menus - one that's focused on classics like mint juleps, bloody marys, & pimm's cups, and one that's more about the bar's own creations, mostly fruit-centered in general. Will have to go back and / or try to figure out what all we had, but I know I had two drinks centered around cucumbers that were fantastic, and I generally despise cucumber. I also had a pear drink, which seemed to also come garnished with a sugar cookie (actually a star-shaped slice of apple covered in sugar sprinkles). I wish I could remember what all my friends had - I know we tried a huge number of things between the five of us. Sadly, I can't anymore, but I will say that they were all fantastic & no one was disappointed.
Just a few cons to be aware of -
- Cash only, so come prepared. Or I think there's an ATM around the corner. You pay for your drink when you get it; pretty sure you can't start a tab.
- Usually one, very detail-oriented bartender, so be prepared to wait for your drinks.
- Don't try their patience by asking for a bunch of substitutions for special creations. It makes them surly.
- The concrete tables are attached to the floor & very weird & cone-shaped. Be prepared to bump your knees on it all afternoon / night.
So yeah. I think that's about it. If you luuuuvs u some fruit cocktails, check it out. :)
I live in Atlanta, but I frequent The Orbit Room everytime I make it out to San FRan to visit my brother. All in all, I have been three times and, man, it's hard to find a comprable place like this in Atlanta. I dig the ambiance, the huge wait time on the drinks, and the music that usually accompanies. It is what it is, and that's why I like it. Yes, you have to wait for your drinks. Yes, the bartenders can be snotty. That's why I like it!
As for the drinks themselves, my favorite by far is the Pim's Cup. The Bloody Mary is great as well. It can be hotter than shit, but that's how I like it. If you go, hang at the bar while they make your drink. It will make you appreciate the time it takes to get it.
Before Bourbon & Branch or the Alembic were even an idea in someone's head, the Orbit Room was cranking out hand crafted cocktails for both purists and girl drink drunks alike. It's like the love child of Frank Sinatra and some scrapbook making sorority girl.
Want a bright and spacious place that still has style? They got that. Want the best Sazerac in the city, but need something cucumber/melon/sweet for your friend that normally only drinks wine? Stop by on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon when Robin is tending bar. Want to watch interesting street scene roll by? Come by any time.
So if you're a serious cocktail drinker that got over the whole dark and dank speakeasy thing two years ago - welcome to the promised land.
I dare you to make a list of bars in San Francisco where you can walk in and ask for a Gibson martini and not have to explain what it is.
Then, when you come up with a very short list, edit that list to include the places that actually carry cocktail onions.
Then, with that tiny little list in hand, I defy you to tell me that any place makes one as delicious as The Orbit Room can.
It doesn't stop there, either. For my money this place makes the best Bloody Mary in the city. The Eos cocktail is my other standby, but it's so spicy I can't do more than one. The prices are a little higher than surrounding bars, but you can't beat the creativity and effort involved in crafting the Orbit Room's cocktails. Plus, it's rarely that crowded, at least not relative to similar bars like Alembic and Bourbon and Branch.
Martini: Straight up and muddled please. That is their mantra there. Ok not every drink comes in a martini glass, actually most of it doesn't but almost everything comes muddled. If you know what muddling is then you know it takes time. I read the reviews, people complain because it takes too long to get a drink. I say, who cares, do you want a good drink, a drink prepared with love, or do you want some quick, pre-made mix that is half as good. I really loved the Orbit Room. These are quite possibly the hardest working bartenders in the city so back off people!! For all those people who can't seem to chill, take a deep breath of fresh air and wait for their drink I say go to McD's, order one of their fabulously quick iced coffees and pour in some Jamieson you bought from the corner store.
Rant aside, seriously, this place is for the patient and people who have time. Order your drink, sit down at the table with your friends, start chatting and before you know it one of the best drinks ever will be ready for your consumption. The Manhattan was perfectly mixed and will put hair on your chest. The Dark and Foggy, whew, I was tipsy after one sip. The garnishes alone are pretty cool. Finally, for the prices, strength of the drink and the blood, sweat and tears that go into each cocktail, its worth it. $8 for a delicious Coquette. What is that you ask? Go in and find out.
To quote my friend: "The place looks like something out of the old Batman: the Animated Series cartoon."
And it does. Therefore, it receives five stars.
Plus, they're hot chocolate was super tasty. Can't go wrong with Ghirardelli chocolate.
I could watch the bartender muddle drinks for days at this place. Not quite as fancy as some of the other high-end cocktail bars in the city but boy do they make an amazing Pimm's Cup.
They craft a lot of amazing drinks and I've sampled quite a few but their Pimm's Cup is an architectural work of genius. They squeeze their own cucumber juice and layer razor thin slices of cucumber between ice cubes before pouring the remaining ingredients into the glass. Garnished with a sprig of cucumber peel, it's almost too pretty to drink (for about a second or two or three).
Very laid back and mellow, the Orbit Room is a great place to grab a drink and visit. Their drink menu is special and I've found that their staff is always willing to talk. They get the extra 5 star rating because they're in my hood.
The Orbit Room has great ambience. The cafe is excellent with the best cappuccino and home made cookies. The drinks are off the chain. Robin, the bartender, makes a wicked martini.
Def recommend this venue.
Birthday Happy Hour - April 23rd @ 6PM onwards.
GOOD drinks and a central location played a role in selecting the Orbit Room. I invited about 20 people or so to join me for a causal but fun gathering.
Luke M's review says it all. But, here is mine...
Here is where Orbit Room can improve if they so choose to read this review and make some small changes.
# 1. Be nice gosh darn it! A smile won't kill ya. People are willing to wait for a drink if it's freakin good and if you aren't shelling out uber attitude. We work all day for our hard earned bucks and the last thing we need is a bartender who is rude and obnoxious.
# 2. When someone warns you at like 6PM that there could be a crowd of people for a birthday gathering don't get all snippy and say "Yeah, we get those a lot and then complain an hour later that we should have said something about a possible crowd" ...we warned you.
# 3. We ordered some cheese breads and two sandwiches and that took about 45 minutes to prep. Seriously?
# 4. Orbit Room should consider changing it's name to "Slow Room", just saying....
All that said, I had a FABULOUS time on my birthday. The place did not damper my birthday spirit and we headed off to other places to continue the festivities.
I will likely be back to give Orbit Room another try but, I will come prepared to wait 45 minutes for my drink and I will order at least two at a time!
I know Im in the minority on this place but I REALLY thought it was bad. Perhaps my bartender was just having a bad night, but he was rude and the drinks were terrible. Seriously, after paying 15 bucks per drink, they should have been fantastic and I wanted to cry with every sip.
I know they have had good reviews in the past so I am hoping my experience was just a fluke, but you have all been warned.
Orbit Room is an unfortunate bust. Unfortunate because their drinks really are creative and delicious, a bust because there are no other redeeming qualities about the place. There was ONE bartender serving the whole place at 10pm on a Saturday. One bartender! We sat down and realized there was no table service. So we got up to order from the bar, and literally stood there for 15 minutes before the bartender took our order, and another 5+ minutes to make the two drinks. Not that he was absurdly slow, (in fact he definitely knew what he was doing) but the drinks they offer are certainly creatively complicated (and $8-12) and there were far too many people for a single bartender to accommodate.
Maybe I wouldn't have minded as much if there was table service, and we could munch and chat while we waited for our drinks. But standing and hudling awkwardly around the bar for 20 minutes? No thanks.
Needless to say, after we finished the our drink we weren't ready to wait 20 minutes for another drink. Between no table service, no food, and the enormously long wait time, I don't think we'll be coming back... except maybe with a book.
I'm not a cocktail snob.
I don't know the names of lots of cool drinks. And even if I did, I tend to draw a blank when I actually have to order...
So I do enjoy being educated by creative drink menus at bars that know how to make good drinks. The Orbit Room used to be my absolute favorite for that. Interesting, cool drinks made by surly hipster bartenders. They were never the friendliest, but they had serious skills.
Unfortunately, my last visit tipped me over the edge and now I have to say I detest this place and will never return. One asshole bartender can completely ruin a bar...
I walked in with some friends and asked the bartender for the drink menu.
"We don't have a drink menu" he said and turned away.
When he came back I said, "You used to have a drink menu"
"Well we don't anymore" and he turned away to go tidy up his bar.
So I walked back to our table to consult with my friends on what to order and mention how the "surly hipster" schtick had edged over into "grumpy jackass". A moment later, a man in a leather jacket walks in, goes to the bar, speaks with the bartender for a moment and then the bartender hands him... a drink menu!
Now "grumpy jackass" has turned into "complete prick"
I suppose if I had a few more tattoos. Or was wearing my black leather jacket I might have gotten a menu, but instead I got to experience the shittiest bartender attitude I've ever had in my life. Which is too bad, because he probably makes a really good drink. I don't think I've ever been to a bar that made me genuinely angry.
We did go to pisco across the street, which had a much friendlier staff and some decent drinks. And I'll take decent drinks with a nice experience any day over pretentious dicks who think they're too cool to hand over their drink menu in a bar that has so many esoteric liquors that only a handful people know how to make use of them.
Wait wasn't this space a coffee shop with like natural juices and pastries just recently? I was confused when my friend new to San Francisco wanted to meet here. I did not know it was a full service bar you know with a more than beer and wine liquor license. I am still trying to figure out those blue-capped seltzer bottles. I guess I need to get out more and explore. Things change.
I liked the candlelit muted light and the large windows. Those conical tables are interesting. I remarked on the large wall maps of South and North America on the walls.
The music was good and low enough so we could get into our conversation. I am going to have to make a visit during the day to quench my curiosity.
Our bartender was a delight!
Great cocktail. Super laid back place.
No complaints.
Fresh juices and homemade syrups not with standing, I can't call this place A-OK, because at anytime you would actually want to go to bar it can take 45 minutes to get a drink.
The decor is lovely but a total exercise in function following form. The tables are uncomfortable to sit at.
I work 3 business doors down Market from the Orbit. I stopped in last week for a coffee, double mocha and a pastry. Not a tough order. Maybe a 100ft between our businesses. Not a long walk. I'm 2 bites into my pastry, when I take a sip of the Mocha. It WAS supposed to be hot. Tasted like it just came out of the fridge. That's when I looked down at the pastry and noticed the green spots of mold like polka dots all over the thing. So I go back, with the whole order. I was very polite when I showed the guy the pastry and mentioned the cold coffee and the even colder mocha. He only offered to replace the moldy pastry. I declined. I guess he expected that I would be happy with my cold beverages and the refund of $4.95 moldy pastry.
Date & Time: Saturday January 17, 2009 @ 3:30pm
Company: Michael & Jack
Crowd: Cool Mix of Gay & Straight Neighborhood Peeps
Vibe: Chill
Decor: Bar & Espresso Bar. Cone-Shaped Cocktail Tables & Tables for Groups
Service: Nice & Slow
Imbibe: Cocktails- The Maryanne w/ Ginger & The Barcelounger
Total: $18
So on Labor day evening, Kevin and I decided to go for a drink and came to The Orbit Room. Apparently he'd been here before and really liked it so I figured I probably would as well. The place itself was pretty cool looking. It wasn't quite upscale but it definitely wasn't a dive bar so appearance-wise I approved. it definitely looked to be on the nicer side so you can imagine my surprise when I found out that they did not accept credit cards. Are you serious? I expect this from a small, crappy dive bar, not a place like this. This was disappointment #1. Disappointment #2 came when I realized that there was only one bartender making all the drinks and we had to wait for her to make at least 5 before she got to take our order. Really? You don't take credit cards *and* you only have one bartender working? That's crazy. Think of how much more money they could make if they hired another bartender and took plastic.
The drinks themselves were very pretty and obviously take time to make, but if you're pressed for time, this is definitely not the place to go. I never carry cash so if I lived in the area, I'd most likely go elsewhere unless I had 2 hours to kill.
You want your Starbuck coffee s within 3 minutes of walking into the shop.
McDonald's drive-thrus attempt to get you your bag of greasy french fries in 60 seconds
You let out a groan when your cabbie takes the "long way home" which really added an extra 30 seconds to your ride.
Must we live by this "Give it to me now!" mentality when it comes to our drinks?
Sure, in a frenetic bar with dancing and boys and sweat, we want our drinks poured quick; more time at the bar means less time finding a co-habitant for your bed that night.
But the Orbit Room isn't that. Sit down at the bar or table, place your order, RELAX and enjoy your drink (which is masterfully crafted with fresh fruits, vegetables and syrups) when it comes to you. (and don't you dare complain when they don't take your credit card-- cash only!)
My dearest Orbiteers,
I am no longer working at the Orbit Room muddeling up the freshest ingredients to make you a fabulous cocktail off of the cocktail menu which I designed with my love of mixology, cocktails and my customers in mind. It has certainly been my pleasure meeting new friends and serving you all cocktails over the last 5 years.
Cheers,
Ronn
A girlfriend who was home for the holidays went to Unnamed Mission Bar the other night, then decided that she'd prefer something a little less tragically hip for our night out. Can't say I blame her.
I haven't been here in ages and kind of forgot it existed. But pluses include central location, the related quality of being easy to get to, and a lack of any definable bar "type" infesting it. It's not exactly hip, not exactly douchey, not exactly young and not exactly old. Perfect.
A highly inefficient use of pretty Art Deco space and a lengthy wait for pricey cocktails makes me wonder why it's such a popular DYL/Friday night spot. Seems like a perfect girls-night-out spot, or a spot for an after-date nightcap, but I shudder to think of what the place looks like when people are already drunk and throwing their drinks back like water.
But come here for the cocktails. Just like Top of the Mark and Aziza, Orbit Room has a wide assortment of tip-top drinks for tip-top dollar ($8-9-ish each), and each is handcrafted and made with fresh ingredients. It's somewhere between intimate and fun, allowing our group of 6 to chat it up and reminisce over beautiful drinks made with everything from fresh fruit to mint to dried rose petals to rose-infused vodka.
The Pearody and The Piedmont were my faves, go now.
They serve my favorite cocktail here - The Eos. Last time it was so spicy I had to cool off with an ice cube - that's right - they muddle up a jalapeno pepper in it.
They use fresh juices, take their time muddling and do a taste test for perfection before it hits your precious lips. I have never had a bad drink here - it is hands down the best BEST place for mixed drinks in SF.
Possibly my favorite casual cocktail spot in the city!
Super nice bartenders and a harmless crowd. By harmless, I guess I mean that it's a really neutral scene - not sure I could pin any specific stereotypes on the clientele and you could easily come here with your girlfriends or yo' man to blahblahblahchatchatchat over swank cocktails without having to deal with any DBs creeping up on you (and without dropping mad $$$). The bar is cute and cozy, day or night, but when it's busy it can take a while to get one of their *phenomenal* drinks. Their menu is magical and each of their tasty-and-still-strong libations is compiled of about a gajillion ingredients, muddled together and garnished with somethin' pretty. The bathroom could use a coat of paint but heck, I can't really complain about Orbit Room. Hoo-ray.
I've never had such an amazingly tasty and fun drink. The Lunar Lemonade with a multi-color candy sugared rim gives me little fuzzy tingles of childhood.
The drinks are quality and CHEAP! My friend ended up paying 24 for three drinks when the night before I spent 60 for 4 shots. I wouldn't have gone here if it wasn't for my friend, as this isn't really my crowd, but it's a chill place with a nice ambiance about it. They could seriously do something about the wait though, it takes like 40 min (no joke) to get a drink here, but I guess quality takes time.
**Edit** i came back here and Lunar Lemonade is def my fav! I had this other drink with lavender and hibiscus in it and had MAJOR stomach issues the next day..so..I'm going to stick to what I know..ALSO they are cash only...which SUCKS!
I really have to hand it to the bartenders here. The first time I came here I was sitting at a table and wasn't able to witness the work they put into my drink. I thought the drink was good but left my opinions at that. Last weekend, my boyfriend and I sat at the bar here and were able to watch them make drinks for a long period of time. I had a Dark and Stormy which involved home-made ginger beer and general deliciousness. Obviously I am not saying anything new, but I believe that good things, like these drinks, are definitely worth waiting for.
I came here for an afternoon drink with my mother after getting our hair done up the street. She had a Mai Ti and I had the High Flier (Bourbon with grapefruit juice). The drinks came out and my mother's was in a tall glass with a fresh cherry perched right on top, while mine was in a rather small one with a cucumber star floating inside of it. She exclaimed, "I am not going to be able to finish all of that." A few seconds later I hear her slurping at the ice cubes at the bottom of the glass, while I am only half way done with my petite drink. Needless to say, the drinks at The Orbit Room are really really good. The attention to detail, the quality ingredients, and definitely the muddled fruit all add to the success of their mixed drinks.
one of my all-time favorite bars in the city. i'll happily wait for a freshly made cocktail with muddling/fruit/infused whatnots, anytime.
not the place for quick cocktails as there's often just one bartender making cocktails with more than two ingredients. but again, it's worth the wait. perhaps not the best place for primetime on a weekend night, but it's often not crowded like a lot of bars. thankfully, i haven't run into the rude bartender some reviewers mention! the gal there on sunday afternoons is fantastic.
if a great cocktail is what you're after, then this is the place for you.
note: cash only.
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