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Categories: Restaurants, Bars, Jazz & Blues
Neighborhood: Nob Hill4-course menu, Moet Champagne Rose, live music and raffles to benefit "La Casa de las Madres"
Visit http://topofthemark.com for more information
Mon-Thu. 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
"I attended Peter Grunberg's solo piano program last night at the Hotel Rex, part of San Francisco Performances series 'Salons at the Rex.' …" read more »
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My San Francisco friend and I have a tradition to come here for drinks every Wednesday night right before Thanksgiving. The bar is awesome, and a great place to take out-of-towners (like myself) to. Come here at night, and see the entire city below you. The view is amazing. This place has a ton of class. A perfect place to bring that special someone on a date. Very romantic.
In terms of drinks, this is basically a martini bar. There is a huge selection of them too - all very interesting. And all of them are rather strong too.
The last couple of years we came here, they had live music. Last year, in particular, they had a jazz band playing standard jazz music. The music was great, and the dance floor was very lively.
Very expensive, but worth it for an occasional treat (or when I am in town in San Francisco).
I kept thinking of "Top of the Rock" when I heard this name. I guess I always expect the food at these restaurants equate to the view... spectacular. But this wasn't quite it.
I ate here two days at a lunch buffet.
First day - Mexican
Included: enchiladas, tortilla soup, salad, tamales, seasoned corn, black beans, white fish, flan, rice pudding, mini cheesecakes with fruit
Second day - American Italian
Included: Baked chicken, mushroom ravioli, tomato bisque, grilled vegetables
The best items were by far the mushroom ravioli, tomato bisque, and the desserts. But even being "good," they were definitely nothing special. If it wasn't for the linen cloth, fancy silverware, and dressed up servers... I would think this was a cafeteria in disguise. I mean you are serving food at a hotel that costs BIG BUCKS to stay in and that's all you've got??
For Bilal - Their ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS manager
You make this place such an experience. You're such an awesome guy and has totally made the Top of the Mark a MUST when family comes into town. My aunt asks how you're doing and still talks about how the Top was the highlight of her month long trip to California. Thank you for not making me feel like an absolute mooch when I come up. :)
... sad.
BOTH times I've come here (intervals of 2 years) I've felt almost as welcomed as a 3rd…
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I rarely to never give establishments 1 to 2 stars, but this time it's necessary.
I've been to TOTM on several occasions over the past couple years. Each time, I leave frustrated by the poor service and wanna-be-classy-we-serve-royalty-only attitude. While I've only been for drinks in the evening, I'd expect service to be top-knotch - or atleast pleasant and prompt. It is not and am comforted knowing that I am not the only one who feels extremely turned off by TOTM's service.
I don't want to go on and on about why I'm disgusted with TOTM's service so will share just a few details:
- The Food and Beverage manager Mark Oza is extremely rude, anti-service oriented and from my perspective should not be interacting with clientale even at a Chevy's. On numerous occasions my colleagues and I have interacted with this man and left frustrated and offended. Cold, unhelpful attitude with a twist of a power trip. Most recently, he reprimanded my boyfriend and I for "crashing a private party." Long story short, we did not crash any party and for him to make accusations like that is terribly offensive and inappropriate. Secondly, he tore a $15 drink that my bf bought out of his hands. Why? Offended again by this same man (who had provided terrible service during previous visits), I noted his name tag. He responds by saying "My name is Mark Oza. And don't forget it!" Seriously?
To find out that he is the F&B is surprising. Is this really the man the hotel wants interfacing with clientale? Perhaps hotel guest and noticably obvious tourist are treated differently but from my perspective and many others (on Yelp), service is lacking big time and a bad attitude has taken over.
Please treat your local SF residents like guests. Please treat all your patrons like guests. With a manager like that, I understand why the views and drinks are the main draw for this spot. Hopefully, this changes.
DRINK REVIEW
You'd think with over 100 cocktails on the menu, I'd eventually find something appealing. Me thinks not. This cocktail menu is a joke. All sorts of puckers, sour mixes, and even a "caipirinha" NOT MADE WITH CACHACA. I didn't appreciate the hostess looking at my friend and I (both in our mid 20's), pointing at me, and saying to my friend Karen C, "she needs to be out of here in a half hour", implying that I wasn't over 21 (under 21 aren't allowed in at a certain time). Bad service, lacking menu... I guess come for the view.
We came here for pregame drinks on my birthday, it was spectacular! The band was great, the older couples were dancing together and looking so in love. It was inspiring as I drank my tequila on the rocks and watched as my friends joined in on the love bird trot. It's the kind of place a young professional takes his girlfriend to propose. My only complaints.. where the hell is the tequila selection!
Since we were staying here and had 2 free drink vouchers we decided to come up and check it out. If you aren't a guest then the cover is $5 and I would say that it's probably worth it if you want to see the view.
I found that the man at the front desk was an arrogant prick. It didn't bother me too much though because our older Phillipino waiter was quite pleasant. We sat down near the window and perused the 100 or so martinis they have to offer. We ended up with a razzmatazz and then some California something or other. Both were tasty and $13 (but we had coupons).
The view is great, but we happened to have a corner room on the 12th floor so it wasn't too different. Ambiance is nice as it's dim and the jazz music is chill.
I think this is one of those places that is worth visiting once, check it off your list of places to see in SF and move on.
It is the Christmas season and this place has an extra special feel. It is a San Francisco institution - you see it in passing on the big screen in Vertigo - a Hitchcock classic.
You enter the beautiful lobby of the hotel with its soaring ceilings and period detailing from the early 1900's. A huge decorated Christmas tree is set in the lobby. As you enter the elevator and hit the "top of the mark" button, you zoom to the top of one of the most beautiful spots in the 7x7.
The Eastern view is the best in my book, you see the skyline of the financial district. The martini is the drink of choice here. Go with the classic Top of Mark - a classic vodka martini.
Parking is tough in the immediate area. Stockon/Sutter garage is not too far and is reasonably priced, otherwise just take a cab.
If you just want to check out the view, you can go during the day and look around when the place is totally empty. But it is a cold San Francisco night, that sets the perfect scene for a cocktail at the Top of the Mark.
This is a must-go-to-spot. At least once. Bring out of town guests here. Bring a girl you are trying to impress here for an after-dinner drink. Bring your mom for afternoon tea or (if she is that kind of mom) cocktails. I have been here for drinks a few times at night (with out of town guests, and they always love the view). I came here today for coffee after lunch and it was so pretty. The service is sketchy but this place is worth a visit. The view! So city classic!
Classy place + gorgeous 360-degree view of San Francisco + extensive cocktail menu + prices that'll make you wish you brought your flask + mediocre service = a night at Top of the Mark.
We came here to celebrate a friend's big 3-0, and, him being 30 and all, we wanted to do something non-fratty and somewhat adult. There was a live "jazz" band advertised that night, but in reality, they did their own piano versions of songs from the '70s. Enjoyable, but odd, and decidedly NOT jazz. There's a small dance floor if that's how you like to get your kicks, and a drink menu that'll make your head spin. The waitress we had, however, forgot my order. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind, but she brought everyone else's order at my table...Minus a star for her.
This is definitely a special occasion place because it'll cost you an arm and leg, and, if you go with cheap ass friends such as myself, maybe your firstborn. But if you're not the one stuck with the bill, you'll love it!
Best view in the city. Service didn't quite follow what we were trying to order.
S.S. saw this legendary game get run here last week, on a relatively slow night: jazz band is playing, 70-something guy pivots around S.S. to the 2 50-something girls on his other side, assigns heads to one of them, tails to the other, flips a coin, it's heads, he tells the heads girl that she is the winner, whisks her off to the dance floor, all in the span of 15 seconds.
This place has a 5-star view and for dates it would be four or five star material. The night we went, the band was playing 50's tunes and the clientele were of the same era. Not exactly lively. Beautiful place but long gone are the days when the sailors used to come here to party it up (as the many historic photos on the wall show).
Go to the top and have a look at the city. Perhaps bring your gal and swing dance the arthritis away! But the place really is beautiful.
4.5 stars
It's a perfect place to indulge yourself (and your date) for a fantastic brunch. The views are breathtaking, especially facing Alcatraz.
So what do you get for $70/person? Free reign to their buffet, and bottomless champagne. There's something for everyone here. I came here at noon, and I have a feeling that the food had been sitting for some time. It was still good, don't get me wrong, but some of the food--namely the potatoes--were getting a little...crusty. The highlight was the omelette and prime rib station. The cook made it to order, and adding as many ingredients as I wanted.
Service was lacking. Our waitress was punctual when it came to refilling our champagne glasses, but it took several minutes for her to bring our check and even longer to bring back my credit card. Now, I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and think that she wasn't taking a smoke break or anything, but still. If I'm paying that much for brunch, I expect impeccable service. All in all, a great splurge experience, which I enjoyed.
I guess you can pony up and actually eat here but I rather just go up there and have a drink. The view is stunning and is best on the left side of the restaurant.
These days they add a $5 'cover' to each person at the table to the check. And on top of that, drinks are at a premium price. Think $10-$15 per drink.
You can usually find great parking just on the street downstairs. Beware to not park in the garages nearby since they will rape you with $3 per 15 minutes.
I am a FAN and PROUD OF IT!
I love the Top of The Mark, it is in my 'hood and a great place to go for
MY FAVORITE BREAKFAST in the City. Cocktails are also special for gazing at the beauty of San Francisco. Just seeing the reflection of the Golden Gate Bridge at night is a thrill.
Breakfast is truly delicious here. The food is very good, beautifully presented, delicious and a broad variety with fresh fruits, eggs cooked to order and the usual spuds, sausage, bacon, etc. Beware the corned beef hash!. Having a choice of three kinds of cured salmon is amazing ~ gravlaks, nova and one other kind are fresh and tasty. With the incredible views of beautifully manicured Huntington Park, Iconic French Gothic Grace Cathedral and The Golden Gate to the West and the financial district, Alcatraz, Bay Bridge and South Bay you get a snap shot of San Francisco that is priceless.
EVENING cocktails are a fave because you see fabulous sunsets, watch the moon rise over Grace and see ships cruising into port. Plus listening to Ricardo Scales on Tuesday and Saturday is a treat in itself. He tickles the ivories in such a gorgeous way that the music seduces the heart and ears, plus he is very cool looking.
People dance here and there are some great ones who really twirl the floor. One woman has the body of a teenager, 0 body fat and can
dance up a storm and she is in her late 70s! I love watching her as she is always beautifully dressed.
There is a great mix of people who enjoy the Top from the funkily jean clad crowd to elegant men and women. Sure there are tourists and I am glad they come to San Francisco. Even I am a tourist in my home town!
If you have to, save up the cash, have a great cocktail and enjoy a true treasure that is SWANK, SOPHISTICATED and EMBRACES who ever walks up to the podium to be greeted! YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!
'Cause places like this are hard to find!
Great view, pretty boring otherwise. If you're visiting San Francisco, it's worth a stop. The view is quite amazing and it gives you a real feel for the town overall. Grab a table by the window and enjoy. But, if you live here... there are a thousand other place that evoke "the City", and there's no need to buy the $13 martini.
I understand that it's got to suck as a server when you're continually pummeled with out-of-town tourists and assorted gawkers. But service was slow and really rather cold. Decor is evocative of the 1980s with a lot of gold railing and pastel peach furnishing.
Love the bar! Love the bartender who's been a classic figure of the Top of the Mark for decades (so I've heard) and who knows how to swing his cocktails and martinis right. Love the classy and historic air and feel in this place minus the musty stuffiness characteristic in other older hotels. They know how to clean up a historic gem right and keep it well maintained. The lighting was soft so that the city lights weren't overpowered. The scenery is gorgeous! Especially at night! ABSOLUTELY stunning all around. I believe I got a Strawberry martini and it rocked my socks. I got a very nice buzz for a long time but didn't get sick from it. They used the good stuff. AHHHHH! :) I would totally come here again!
I love the view at the top, beautiful view of the lobby as well. Great music going on during events, what I paid for the dinner date wasn't overly pricey, I thought the atmosphere, the ambiance and the music was fair.
I spell DOUCHEY... T-O-P-O-F-T-H-E-M-A-R-K
I'm from the city and love to bring my LA friends to the greatest city on earth. Yelpers raved so I had to go... A Band, Great View, and Martini's, what could go wrong?
EVERYTHING!
The lounge band was alright, but no one was dancing or having fun. The crowd was so business-yuppy-stuffy that I felt amazingly awkward for wanting to have a great view, fun conversation, and good times.
The patrons were mostly staying at the hotel and I guess they want to kept it that way because it was 8pm on a Saturday and not packed at all. Yet your still getting charged to enter!?! I'm going to buy a bunch of drinks and the place is dead, how does that make sense?
The service is terrible and the business type ol' boy douche nozzles stare like you mugged their daughters and slapped their wives. Plus, the girls that were with us felt the silver foxes where "undressing us with their eyes".
It's not diverse, not inviting, nor a good time out. THIS AIN'T SF, and as a city kid I'm ashamed it exists.
It's clear that the recession has even reached the Top of the Mark. The buffet was still grand, but it lacked the polish and splendor of years past. Dishes were left un-replenished, service was spotty, and the buffet wasn't kept very tidy. The oysters looked OK, but were bland and tasteless. The cheeses were disheveled, the hot dishes alternated between gloppy and dry, and the dessert buffet was just a mess. Our server rarely visited us, and we had to flag someone down to remove our growing pile of dishes.
Overall, we enjoyed our experience, the view, tasting the variety of dishes and people-watching. But for nearly $300 (holiday-inflated pricing!) for the 3 of us, I can't say we'd return anytime soon.
My friend, who lived in San Fran for 7 years, said that when I visit... I should definitely go to Top of the Mark. It's a nice stop for tourists so you can get a 360 view of the city and get a stiff martini at the same time.
My boyfriend and I decided to go there for drinks before dinner and a show. We hiked up from Sutter to California, and boy... was it a hike. 45 degrees of non-stop incline. I think we were panting and sweating by the time we were at the elevator. It was hilarious.
Once we finally got up to the top the vibe of the joint was very mellow and low key even though it was really swanky at the same time. We were immediately seated, which was nice. I ordered a Blue Velvet (couldn't resist a David Lynch reference) and was glad that they didn't skimp of the vodlka and blue curacao. It was pretty cool to just chill and watch the fog roll in as the day turned to night.
Things to note:
1. Strong martinis. Limited in selection despite their vast menu. I asked the waiter if they had absinthe so that they could make an absinthe martini. He didn't even know what the hell that was. I would think for a $$$ bar... you would have EVERYTHING.
2. Service. We were seated quickly, but once we noticed a free table next to the window we asked for it. He kinda shrugged it off and didn't even try to get the table.
3. Snacks. We got a complimentary oriental style chex mix. Wow... I guess it's a step up from stale popcorn. But still... chex mix? At a fancy place like this? You could try a little harder.
4. Take a cab up there. Or... make sure you take a muni that'll drop you off at a point where you can walk downhill to it. Or... just enjoy the hike! It'll make ya feel like you earned that martini!
5. Come before 7:30 PM and you can avoid the $10 cover charge.
6. Definitely cool to do this once, but it's not an everyday thing. I'd rather stick to a dive bar.
I have been here several times to enjoy a nice cocktail, however it was my man's surprise destination for a special dinner to celebrate our 6 years of togetherness that really knocked my socks off.
I don't believe Top of the Market is typically a restaurant (they do have a great app menu though)- however they currently offer a Sunset Dinner prix-fixe menu that is absolutely phenomenal.
Two mouth-watering selections each for appetizer/entrees, but only 1 option for dessert- pumpkin cheesecake. As there is nothing I dislike more on this planet than pumpkin, our waiter was able to make me an excpetion and brought me with the best creme brulee I've ever had.
Perfect way to celebrate a momentous occasion!
it's hard to say anything bad about this place. The views, the drinks, food and service is all top notch. The random groups of tourists walking through to take pictures while you're trying to enjoy your very expensive meal is a bit irritating... and the prices are steep.... but the food is worth it and a great place to celebrate a special occasion.
I can see this place as a very romantic place to go with a date. I found out about this place since I stayed at the hotel and saw a flier that said Jazz band playing at the top of the mark so why not check it out.
Take the elevator to the top, and once arrived, we immediately get to see the view of SF. The hostess told us we wouldn't get charged cover since we were guests at the hotel. The jazz band kept playing lots of wonderful tunes and people started dancing on the floor. The only complaint was that the waitress took forever to come to our table. Once we ordered we told her that we were guests and she still managed to charge us cover. On top of that, our drinks took like 20-30 mins to arrive.
I think it's a great spot to enjoy the view of SF and some wonderful music with a date, but I was out with my boss, who is also a guy, so the only romance we shared was a dirty martini.
Sunday brunch...eh...it's okay. Yes it's a lovely location overlooking SF but food was not as high class as the joint looked. Service was great and the presentation of the buffet table was nice but for the most part it tasted ordinary. Some items, actually, were not that great and lacked freshness (after sitting on the buffet). I suppose I'm also super critical b/c I'm not into buffet style eating but I have been to other fancy buffets internationally that outdo this place. It's $70/per person for a beautiful view. I would definitely recommend the rest. if you don't go for Sun. brunch. Oh and another thing PARKING!! It cost me $32 or was it $36 to park my car in a lot nearby. So really that was a $100 brunch....
Not impressed. Band was hella loud - like crazy stupid loud. The crowd was Cougar city. And the service was pretty bad. Didn't help matters that my $13 martini wasn't very tasty. Seriously... the views were not even THAT great, too. I feel bad for the people that had to pay cover charges to get in. We were guests at the hotel so we didn't have to. Woop woop.
The only bright spot was the company I was with and watching the old people dance to horrendous covers of Fleetwood Mac and KC and the Sunshine Band. Hysterical...
Tony Bennett left it right here.
High among the glow of San Francisco's towers, and the reflecting bay, you know it fell right here.
Top of the Mark is a SF Institution, and while history has flickered by, the remnants of a classic era of multi piece bands and midnight serenades still roam this enchanting floor.
Life has a funny way of placing you at the right place at the right time, and last night's detour from original plans ended up bringing us to the perfect Thursday evening cocktail loft.
We were able to snag a gorgeous table looking out over the TransAmerica building and the sweeping bay view stretching from the Bay Bridge onwards.
With a martini menu that had a life of it's own, picking one's poison turned into a choose your own adventure complete with a $ sign.
The blue velvet went down nicely, but the Lychee Martini she had will most likely be the one I travel with next time around.
San Francisco has a way of pulling you in, and when overlooking the splendor of the city complete with building height stars spread across a limitless horizon, you know why Tony left it right here.
The view across the table was pretty spectacular as well... ;)
Help Those in HAITI: http://www.redcross.or...
Nice 360 view of the bay and SF, cool Cocktails, Live music!
Two years (or, rather, 23 months) is a long time, and I figured Top of the Mark deserved another chance. That's me: burned and burned again, and yet willing to try, try again. It had been a beautiful day in SF: bright sunshine, slight, cooling breeze. Wifey and I had gone for a stroll at the Zoo (we're members, so it's free, and yet we hardly ever go. Plus, it's great birth control, being at least 33% populated with screaming children), had a nice dinner out at our favorite Indian restaurant, and were in the mood for drinks. Typically, this would involve the Tonga Room, or Elixir, but we were feeling experimentative, so we thought we'd give Top o' the Mark a try. After a de minimus wait (10 minutes), we were seated at a window table with a view stretching from almost Potrero Hill to North Beach.
We sat down at about 7:30, on the second-longest day of the year, and proceeded to drink until after 11:00. In that time, the sun slowly set over the Golden Gate, as I sucked up a few bourbon drinks that weren't really martinis, but were really good. By 9:30, darkness had enveloped the City, and the lights outlined the hills on the southern horizon. Wifey had moved from champagne to something that looked like Smurf juice but packed enough of a wallop to make my company tolerable.
We ordered a cheese plate right before the kitchen closed, and were pleasantly surprised. A Mt. Tam, a Point Reyes, and a third that I sadly can't recall, served with candied pecans and two large dollops of some kind of pureed fruit (two dollops of different kinds). It was around this time that I made my one mistake of the evening and ordered a mint julep. What I got resembled a mojito, poorly-done. The waitress admitted that the bar staff doesn't do so well with drinks that aren't on the menu. That's okay, but maybe tell me that before you muck up my drink.
By the time Wifey and I stumbled out shortly before the stroke of midnight, a large quantity of alcohol had been offset by a decent quantity of cheese, and a good time was had by all. I'll definitely come back, and I won't wait another 2 years. BUT, I think I'll work on my timing, and not tempt fate when there are a number of other people waiting.
This review needs to begin with several caveats. I'm not homeless. I bathe regularly. I am… Read more »
Situated on the 18th or was it the 19th floor of the Mark Hopkins Hotel. The view is definetely Top of the Mark! Spectacular!
I had 3 martinis that really did the job, the wife had her usually Merlot. Ordered some food as well, I had the short rib platter which was served in 4 portions, very very tender and just fell off the bones. Wife had an alaskan king crab with avacado dish presented in 4 portions also, sort of like a crab cake. For dessert a chocolate cake with a granola topping, with blueberrys, raspberrys, blackberrys and 1 strawberry sliced in half with a cream sauce streamed decoratively on the rectangular plate.
Martini's- $13
Provinance Merlot- $12
Short ribs- $22
Crab dish- $21
Dessert - $ don't remember
Service - Excellent
Food- Loved it
Dinks- Fantasticly strong
View- TOP OF THE MARK!
The view is absolutely beautiful. Oh yeah, Alcatraz and Transamerica was cool too but I'm talkin' about the buffet table. Now that's a sight for hungry eyes. Every dish had a gorgeous gold lid on it so for me it was like unwrapping a present on Christmas morning anticipating what goodies lie beneath. And goodies there were! I wouldn't call myself a foodie or a woman with a refined pretentious palate but I went back numerous times for the caviar. Dad whispers, "Skip the potatoes and dim sum. Eat the expensive stuff!" Shakes head, "Oh Dad." You can take the Chinaman out of cheap, but you can't take the cheap of out a Chinaman. Wait, that doesn't quite flow so well.
Anyway, thank god I didn't eat dinner the night before which allowed myself to go back for a 5th and 6th plate. I knew my Sphincter muscle was gonna hate me later but it wouldn't be the first time and we've known each other what seems like forever, good ol' Sphincter and I. It's more of a love/hate relationship, really. But we've forgiven each other in the past so I wasn't too worried about it.
Champagne, orange juice, coffee, water. How many drinks can one drink at once? At times it felt a little indulgent but hey, this is America and that's what we do. I walked by the piano lady who was singing and there were wads of $10 bills in her tip jar. The piano lady! I was tempted to take a couple walking by the pate table and leave it for our waiter because he was like Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men but I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt that he was just having a rough morning.
Top of the Mark hit the mark. I actually may have downplayed the view of the city in the beginning. It was breathtaking :)
Went there for lunch this past weekend. The weather was absolutely beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. The view from the Top of the Mark was absolutely remarkable. You could see alcatraz, the golden gate bridge, the transamerica building, everything all at the same time.
The lunch menu wasn't overly impressive and was really limited. We were looking for an appetizer but they don't have any on their lunch menu. I asked the waiter and he said that they don't have it because the kitchen is closed?? Well then how are they making the rest of my food I wondered?
Anyways, we both fared well with our selections. I had the prawn wrap thingy ($19) and he had the turkey club ($17). We both had the soup of the day which was tomato bisque with goat cheese. Each cup was $9. When the tiny cup of soup arrived I told the waiter that this was the most expensive soup I've ever had. He laughed and remarked that everything at Top of the Mark is expensive. He wasn't kidding. I must say though, that the soup and the food was quite tasty.
Overall, this is a great place to bring a date or someone you are trying to impress.
This review is a long time coming. I took my BF here for his 39th birthday, we were on vacation in the City and he really wanted to go... so on a lark we headed out, no reservations....
when I told the lady at the front table it was my BF's birthday they promptly took us to a fantastic seat overlooking the bay. You could see the GG bridge on the left and the bay on the right, it was beautiful.
our waiter, I wish I remembered his name was amazing and the bar to which I set my own personal standard of service since this experience. He treated us (and his other tables that I could overhear) as though we were the only people in the whole world he had to attend to. He was unobtrusive, incredibly observant, and just the most incredible waitperson I'd ever met.
When we ordered caviar (we came late, the kitchen was closed so no dinner, only some menu items available) he went so far as to come back and say that it was "not excellent tonight" and he "could not recommend it". Like we ever would have known! He recommended the much less expensive (!) oysters on the half shell and even arranged a fruit plate for us not on the menu because we had not had dinner.
This place treats you like class. And it's not overdone, where they are fawning over you like they can't wait for a big tip...but class, like you are just as important as any celebrity or old money millionaire that happens to be there.
My BF and I still talk about that night, and I am so grateful to the Top of the Mark for turning what could have been a simple drink with a view into an experience to remember for a lifetime.
Patty at Top of the mark was great! We went there Saturday night and my honey proposed to me. She made the experience wonderful. Her and the manager were very accommodating and made us feel great! It is beautiful there with a very friendly staff.
"Wait? Why the fuck am I being treated like a prostitute? "
That's what was going through my head the whole time I was at Top of the Mark. Yes, I'm young. Yes, I was wearing a super cute dress that the old men were drooling over.
But give me a fucking break. I didn't bat an eyelash when I was told about the $10 cover (which I didn't have to pay for because I was a hotel guest, but of course no one assumed I was) or when I saw that the drinks were no less than $15.
So blah blah blah, long story short: I got a little drunk and ended up leaving my coat at Top of the Mark. This is the conversation I had the following night with that fucker at the rope:
Me: "Hi, I left my jacket here last night...."
Fucker at the rope: *Condescending smile + stupid accent* "Are you sure?"
Me: "Am I sure? What? Yes, I'm sure!"
Fucker at the rope: "Ok."
The guy told me how he had worked that night and no one found a jacket. The jacket mysterious was found once my friend pointed out that we were hotel guests.
I never want to spend another second at Top of the Mark. I don't deserve that shit. And I told my rich parents to tell all their rich friends how lame this place is.
I celebrated my first anniversary with my husband here last night. We let them know we were celebrating, and they were sure to put us in a romantic nook with a great view. We even had a lovely note commemorating our visit to this historical restaurant.
Our server, Robert, helped make our experience the best. We couldn't have asked for a better server. His friendliness and attentiveness on our special night was much appreciated. And The food he brought us was delicious.
Dinner service at Top of the Mark is a set menu choice ($59/$79 with wine pairing) and we choose to enjoy the zucchini bisque, followed by the salmon on a bed of seaweed rice. The soup hit the spot, it was creamy and rich in flavor.
After reading through the 8 page martini menu I decided to sip on a Mambo King and champage, finishing off the evening with an espresso and a few spins on the dance floor. The band (starts at 9pm) was fantastic. Throughout the evening we enjoyed views of the San Francisco skyline, and seeing the sunset beyond the Golden Gate. The experience was fantastic, and I am lucky to have such wonderful memories of my first anniversary.
Note, if walking: Walking north on Mason you will encounter a long, steep climb. Take a cab, or a different route.
After seeing "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Nightman COmmeth" live we trotted over here for after drinks. Of course the day I decide to go here and I'm in the area, it's foggy as all hell (and certainly not always sunny in SF). That however did change the coolness factor of a trio playing some Louis Prima plus some old time jazz standards. Can't go wrong with the old school bar menu either even if they are on the hefty priced side. If Snob Hill wasn't such a pain to park in I'd probably explore more of it but there are some other places I want to see in the area and hopefully will be back on a sunnier day.
love Sunday brunch here, a little on the expensive side but well worth it. You get an amazing view of the city, all you can eat, and the champagne just keeps on coming. I celebrated 2 of my birthdays here and I had a blast. I would def come again.
The couple in front of me walks up, "Are you a guest in the hotel?" the greeter asks... No, they aren't. "I'm sorry, there will be a 15 minute wait."
I walk up and hear the same question asked to me. "Would it get me in faster if I were?" He gives me a wink. "Very good sir, right this way."
You have to love service like that. And the view is the second best in town. Overpriced champagne never tasted so good.
This is a review for the Holiday's Buffet Brunch Only.....
Golly for the last 5 or so years we go as a family for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day.... We always go for the brunch and honestly I was getting a little tired of it... However my mother remembers the Top of the Mark when she was in the Navy during WWII and she and my dad who was also in the Navy use to go there for drinks and dancing. So I sucked it up and go to keep her happy. Sometimes I could talk her in to going to the Crown Room at the Fairmont, but she just loves the Mark.
Yesterday was Mother's day so I guess you know where we were for brunch. I have to tell you that it was the best buffet brunch I have had in years. We did a later seating and I was worried cause you know how brunch food can get when it is being served later in the day. Not this at this place. It was fantastic and well the views and service were spot on!!!
The selection of food from a wonderful caviar station, sushi, salads, curry sea bass, prime rib of course, the list goes on and on.... something for everyone.... it isn't cheap $95 per person... but when we go we plan on taking our time and enjoying the people, food, music and we stay at least 2 - 2 1/2 hours.
If you haven't tried it before... I hope you have a chance to. Treat yourself to something special.. And don't eat for at least 12 hours before your reservations... Make certain you are very very very famished!!!
Happy belated Mother's Day to all of you Mothers on Yelp.
Pickup Special
Neighborhood: Mission
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Neighborhood: Civic…
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Nightlife
San Francisco, CA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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