Post #422917 by quickiki on Tue, Dec 9, 2008 4:07 PM

The Tongo Room indeed, has a special place in Tikidom, especially considering its age and stature in San Francisco hotel history, but quite frankly the place is really rather depressing to visit. I've been going here off and on for 20 years, initially out of curiosity after hearing about it from my parents and grandparents. The only time I really go here now is if a family or friend from out of town asks me about it and wants to get a drink at an unusual place in the city. The last time I went was probably about a year ago, but it seems more dreary with each visit. The last time we were there, it was about 7:30 on a Saturday and you could shoot a canon through the place. The drinks were awful and expensive and the appetizers seemed like prefrozen Sysco stuff.

I think there is something worth preserving here, but not in its current state. From the photos I've seen of the good ol' days, I'm sure it was quite a novelty. Whether it needs to revert to the way it was in better days or be "reinvented" by someone like Bamboo Ben, the place needs a vision to restore its luster. I don't think this place was ever intended to the high water mark in terms of cocktail lounges, but it deserves better than the tourist trap status it's evolved into. BTW, I've seen this place with the lights way up, and believe me, there's a reason this place is as dimly lit as it is now - eeeeech!

[ Edited by: quickiki 2008-12-09 16:08 ]