Visiting San Francisco

Skip Bamboo Hut unless you really have time to kill after seeing everything else. I highly recommend a visit to Whitechapel, the gin bar co-owned by the owners of Smuggler's Cove, and just a few blocks away. Whitechapel has the same amount of focus, immersion, and education for gin as Smuggler's Cove does for rum. They also have robust food options.

White chapel was honestly the highlight of my trip. It's the only place I made a point to revisit. Make sure to add it to your list. If I had another day I would have done Pagan Idol again as well. Those are the two that left the most lasting impressions on me.

Groovy!! Thanks so much for all the great recommendations! (And for letting me hijack your thread Mike!)

Yeah, the Bamboo Hut did not look very inviting and was really only on the list because it looked within our target area. Somebody offline told me that Bar Agricole had changed its format and is less "rum oriented" so it looks like that's off the itinerary as well. (Although one might say that they should consider changing the name of the bar if they are going to do that...)

I was already hip to both Whitechapel and Bourbon & Branch but since this trip was pretty "tiki specific" I was saving those for a longer, less targeted drinking excursion. (Also the missus is fairly gin-averse, so it might take some "talking into" if I want to go to Whitechapel, but you guys certainly do make a very persuasive case...) Li Po Lounge looks to be within stumbling distance from our hotel so that certainly might be in the cards and our hotel is right next to the Mark Hopkins so I am confidant there will be at least a quick, non-tiki visit to the Top of the Mark, even if it is just for hair-of-the-dog Mimosas or Bloody Marys.

Does anybody have an opinion on The Den? It's way out of bounds for our target area, but if folks think it is worth it enough we might be persuaded to make the extra effort.

Somebody also mentioned to me that The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building, while not a tiki location by any means, has some tasty tiki classics on its drink menu. Any thoughts?

[ Edited by: CosmoReverb 2017-03-17 16:18 ]

On 2017-03-17 16:17, CosmoReverb wrote:

I was already hip to both Whitechapel and Bourbon & Branch but since this trip was pretty "tiki specific" I was saving those for a longer, less targeted drinking excursion. (Also the missus is fairly gin-averse, so it might take some "talking into" if I want to go to Whitechapel, but you guys certainly do make a very persuasive case...)

[ Edited by: CosmoReverb 2017-03-17 16:18 ]

For many years I had an aversion to gin as I'd only ever tried gin and tonic which didn't appeal to me. But my wife had a Ramos Gin Fizz at a cajun-style restaurant here in Austin which got us hooked and prompted us buying our first bottle of gin. I started experimenting with Saturn's and other gin based tiki style drinks, fizzes, etc and developed an appreciation for the spirit. Anyway, Whitechapel wasn't a priority on our list as I was trying to stay tiki-specific like you, but it was literally on the same block as our hotel so we gave it a shot. So glad we did. The menu is vast and dare I say, daunting, but just tell the bartender what flavors y'all like and they'll make recommendations and whip up something you and the missus will love. I just think there's a terrific vibe and excellent staff at that bar and it would be silly to skip it.

I've heard excellent things about Bourbon & Branch but unfortunately didn't get to try it on my trip.

On 2017-03-17 16:17, CosmoReverb wrote:
Also the missus is fairly gin-averse,

Whitechapel likely has a few non-gin drinks on the menu if it's an actual allergy kinda thing, but with (I think) around 100 drinks on the menu, I'm sure they'll find something she likes. The bartenders there are really good about asking what flavors you like and recommending the right drink for you.

Somebody also mentioned to me that The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building, while not a tiki location by any means, has some tasty tiki classics on its drink menu. Any thoughts?

It has been quite some time since I've been to Slanted Door, but I do recall there being some very good tropical drinks on the menu. The bar also has terrific views. But you either need to get to the bar right at 4:30 on a weekday to get a seat, or make a lunch or dinner reservation weeks in advance. That place is super busy.

Had to revisit this thread to remind myself of something and realized Cosmo never gave a recap of his visit. Which bars did you end up hitting?

I’m really torn about making a trip to SF the first weekend in December to go back to Smuggler’s Cove, and experience Pagan Idol, Forbidden Island and the new Kon Tiki for the first time (in addition to the Dickens Fair and the Walt Disney Family Museum’s Christmas offerings). I can’t decide if it would be worth it, or whether I should save my dough for the TCM Classic Film Festival (plus Tiki-Ti and Disneyland) at the end of April next year....

Does anyone have any updated or additional suggestions for hotels? We have flights booked for a trip with friends in January but I'm having trouble finding convenient but more affordable rooms.

With tax, The Phoenix is close to $300 a night, which is more than we'd like to spend. Kabuki is close in price, plus about $50 a night to park.

We'll mostly be using BART/cabs/uber/etc, but unfortunately will have a car we'll need to park (I assure you, I didn't plan this trip.) I've never been to San Francisco, so am basically lost.

Would someplace like this be a terrible idea?

http://www.coventrymotorinn.com/index.html

Thanks!

Not terrible at all, depending on your (and fellow travelers’) expectations. When I’m visiting a city for sightseeing, ritzy accommodations are the least of my concerns, so I look for a decent, clean, inexpensive place to sleep. $125 per night is about the most I can bear to pay. Smaller “boutique” hotels seem to fit that bill (or Motel 6...).

When in SF a year and a half ago, I stayed at La Luna Inn, about six blocks west of Coventry Inn, which was about $115 per night. It was a convenient spot for walking to the Palace of Fine Arts and Presidio, and for bus rides to the Wharf, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Bridge (I never used Uber/taxis, but that shouldn’t be a problem). The only thing that might be of concern is traffic noise; Lombard is constantly busy, which might be an issue for light sleepers. But it’s a city, so you can’t really escape that; plan how to handle it and you should be fine.

[ Edited by: Hamo 2017-11-28 21:15 ]

Thanks, Hamo!

That's reassuring. I did hold a room at the Coventry Inn after doing some more research. We're also just looking for something safe & clean and it looks like it should do the trick.

But I can cancel without penalty, so I'll check La Luna Inn for comparison!

Cheers!

Far away from everything else in the city except the zoo and the beach and usually covered in fog, but http://www.oceanparkmotel.com/ is a bit of a treasure.

Definitely away from the tourists in the Wharf, the traffic on Lombard, the expense of Union Square, and the sketchiness of most of the other hotel locations. Just bear in mind it'll take 30 minutes to get to anything else in the City.

Hey bamalamalu, how did your trip go last January?

Hey, Hamo, thanks for the nudge! I meant to post a little trip review; I guess late is better than never.

I do want to give a big Thank You to everyone who provided such great tips here. You helped make for an easy and very enjoyable trip. Cheers!

We had a short trip, arriving Friday afternoon and flying back out mid-day Monday. We had a car and fortunately one in our group has spent a lot of time up there and knows his way around well, making things easier.

We did end up staying at Coventry Inn and it worked out fine. Not luxurious, but it was clean and safe, no extra charge for parking, and the price was right. Our room faced the side street and traffic noise really wasn't a problem. There are food & drink options nearby and it was a short walk over for a view of the Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz, Wave Organ, etc. I'd easily stay here again.

My 2 cents on the bars:

Pagan Idol - This was our first stop late Friday afternoon. Enjoyed the front room, though it was crowded & pretty loud (I think there was a company happy hour/meeting going on.) Drinks were good, staff were accommodating, & nice nautical decor. We headed into the back when it opened and also enjoyed that. The room felt a bit too open/warehousey to me in some areas, but I like that there are some different nooks & crannies (though some tables require reservations.) Drinks were good but not particularly memorable. The line at the bar got pretty deep but the wait times weren't too bad.

Smugglers Cove - Just great! Busy and loud during prime time with standing room only and potentially a wait in line, but still worth it. But even better when it's quiet. The drinks are top quality, staff friendly & knowledgeable, and the atmosphere really nice. I don't know what more is worth saying; we spent a bunch of hours there over a short few days. This is one of the ones.

Tonga Room - Glad I got to visit this classic. We arrived before opening after a quick visit with Tiki Bob and got a nice spot at a table in the lounge area. Love the room (how could you not?) Drinks weren't great but were actually better than expected. It's a shame they don't play appropriate music, but again we knew that'd be the case. Hung out for a while enjoying the room and then moved along. I'd make a repeat visit next time.

Saturday morning we hit Amoeba and walked around for a bit, then headed across the bridge.

Kona Club - we were the only customers mid-afternoon. Looks good. Unfortunately, that's about all. Music was bad, something in the gangster rap vein (to be fair it was early and we were the only customers, maybe the bartender just put on whatever he wanted.) Drink quality was also low (many are made with Captain Morgan, Sailor Jerry, Bacardi.) I picked the Navy Grog since it sounded the most promising, but unfortunately it was hard to finish. My friends just opted for beer. If I were short on time and couldn't go everywhere, this is probably the one I'd skip. Except...

Right down the block is the Chapel of the Chimes. And that place is amazing! Sure, you're probably thinking "what kind of nutjob goes to a crematorium on Vacation?" But I highly recommend it! The original columbarium building is spectacular. I could spend hours wandering around here (and wouldn't mind having what's left of me tucked away in the Sanctuary of Contentment someday.) Would have spent longer exploring but I wanted to make a quick visit to Trader Vic's final resting place down the block before that closed.

For that, walk just a bit further into Mountain View Cemetary at the end of the road. When you pass through the gate, there's a church building on your left and a masusoeum building just ahead on the right side of the road. Go through the door that's facing you and you'll find the tomb of Victor & Helen Bergeron on the opposite wall (look kind of lower left. Official location: Garden Terrace, Column 357, Tier 3.) After paying respects there, we headed over to toast him with a Mai Tai at...

Trader Vic's Emeryville. It was really nice to finally visit this place in person. It was pretty much what I expected and not sure I can offer any new insight. Had a '44 Mai Tai, naturally, and loved walking around seeing all the decor - we got there early so the dining rooms were empty and we could easily wander around. It's strange to have bright sunlight in a place like this, but obviously they're going to take advantage of the view (I thought the interior looked better after it started to get dark out). We sat in the lounge and didn't eat this visit but I'd love to go back and have dinner & stay longer next time. We bought some of the mini Mai Tai glasses that I absolutely love (I broke one a few days ago, so a return trip is more urgent.)

Kon Tiki - I really liked this place. The decor was decent. Drinks were really good and the staff made us feel very welcome. We didn't eat here but it's nice that they have some food available. There was appropriate exotic music playing, and a quiet, relaxing atmosphere overall. Would have liked to stay here longer, too. The only negative memory of Kon Tiki was the extensive broken glass from previous break-ins littering the few blocks between our parking space & the bar.

Forbidden Island - Another fine spot. As others have said, this place has much more of neighborhood dive bar kind of atmosphere. Which is fine, but I wasn't crazy about the graffiti. Crowded and loud during our Saturday night visit, but we were lucky to get one of the nicely thatch-covered booths. Drinks were good as I recall, and they have some snacky food that did the trick.

(Then we spent an eternity in traffic trying to get back across the bridge. )

My friends wanted to go full tourist so we visited Fisherman's Wharf area on Sunday (not my thing, but I don't have to repeat it.) Stopped in at Luau Lounge at Player's Sports Bar pier 39 since we were there. Decor wasn't bad - I expected more Party City - and they had a couple really nice old Hawaii paintings/posters. Obviously there are lots of windows with the bay view and sports on TV, and you walk through a big loud arcade to get there. They had a surprisingly decent rum selection, but the mixed drinks weren't anything to seek out. Pro: the bartender squeezed fresh lime for the Mai Tai. Con: it tasted like that's all that was in it. Food was edible.

Rum & Sugar. Liked this place. Good "crafty" drinks. We were there early and had the place mostly to ourselves, so it was quiet, but they did set up football on a big screen. Staff here were great to us - we mistakenly arrived before they opened but they let us in and served us anyway.

Unfortunately ran out of time for Trad'r Sams, Whitechapel, and other spots, but will be happy to make another trip. It really wasn't much more time consuming than going to Vegas for us, so am hoping to head back for another visit before too long.

Thanks again to all for the advice!

Cool. Thanks for reporting back. Your Saturday sounds almost exactly like my plan for the first day of my trip at the end of November/beginning of December.

Thanks for the trip report. Funny, after our trip I felt like I accomplished what I set out to do and didn't need a return visit to SF for a long while but lately I've been craving it again. Especially now that a few new spots have popped up.

Thanks, guys. I didn't have any new insight, but glad it was somewhat helpful.

More places just keep coming! Will probably have to plan a longer trip next time.

I'm headed to San Francisco November 29-December 3. My plan was to spend the day I arrive in Oakland visiting Trader Vic's, Kona Club, the Kon-Tiki, and Forbidden Island (plus a stop at Vic's grave to pay my respects), the Walt Disney Family Museum on Saturday, and the Dickens Fair on Sunday, with yet-to-be-scheduled stops at Smuggler's Cove, Pagan Idol, Tonga Room, Trad'r Sam's and Whitechapel. However, Wendy just threw in a monkey wrench by announcing that she and Dan will be having a tiki garage sale that Saturday, so I may have to road trip to Sacramento....

Anyhow, if any TCers in the area would like to meet up, let me know. I'll be happy to buy you a drink.

Nice report @bamalamalu

Luau Lounge was making good drinks in late 2017 but this year the quality has nose-dived. Sad to hear another patron had a poor experience.

Well, I just returned from the Bay Area. My Thursday morning flight was delayed due to visibility at SFO, which altered some plans for that day. No stop at Kona Club or Vic's gravesite, but I did make it to Trader Vic's for happy hour and Forbidden Island later on. Then Friday was a day trip to Sacramento in part to meet Wendy and Dan, including a tour of their home and dinner with them at Jungle Bird. When I got back to Oakland, I made my way to the Kon-Tiki. Saturday evening after the WDFM, I tried to go to Pagan Idol, but it was closed for a private party. The Fairmont was overrun with conference attendees when I arrived, so I skipped Tonga Room and went to the Wharf to the Musee Mecanique instead (but totally forgot about Luau Lounge). Sunday morning I hugged Tiki Bob, and after the Dickens Fair, I spend all evening at Smuggler's Cove.

So looks like I need still another trip back to Frisco to visit the all places I didn't hit this time around....