Super cute bar! I'm a big fan of the house cocktails- very fun, creative and tasty. I ordered 2…read moredrinks and recommend both: - Good vibrations: very floral and strong guava flavors. It's sweet but not too sweet. - Almost paradise: very sweet, tasted like candy! You can't taste the alcohol at all and it comes with a gummy as a garnish. Both are worth the try! We (group of 4) went on a Saturday night and it wasn't too crowded - we were able to get a table. The bar staff were friendly.

Cute retro themed bar. We stopped in on a Saturday night for a cocktail, the bartenders were nice…read moreand knowledgeable. The cocktails were delicious, they had a DJ playing, and a menu of snacks you can order, but we were only there for a quick drink. I would definitely go back though, I was impressed with the drinks we had, I believe they change the menu seasonally but I had the Almost Paradise, and he had the Strawberry Fields Forever.

Thanks for waiving the cover for my birthday weekend…read more Vibes are great here, there's a chiller side where you can just sit down, enjoy drinks and play with the board games they provide. The other side is for when you're ready hit the dance floor. Tried their p martini and it was too citrusy and not enough passionfruit flavor for me. Water is very accessible on both sides which is great. Would come again for sure!

Charge you $5 cover and blast good music just to play no music inside…read more One of the worst bar experiences a man could ask for. Would not recommend to anyone of all ages

My favorite bar! Too cute n cool to pass on, came here about a year ago and just had to stop by,…read moreyou can make reservations which was my mistake the first time cus sometimes it can get PACKED but today was super chill.

This is a must visit for all the Harry Potter fans out there! They tweak their decorations and…read morewording just enough to skirt around the copyright infringement lol. There are a lot of decorations with references to the Harry Potter series. Even the restrooms have a dementor and a Ministry of Magic signage. They play a variety of music through the speakers but do add in Harry Potter songs here and there. I got the Wizard Brew which does taste similar to butterbeer. The Golden Arancini was beautifully presented and tasted great. And the Fireside Pot Pie had a crispy crust, freshly made. Staff was very friendly and checked back on us. The food came out in a decent amount of time. Depending on when you come, it may get a little crowded so make a reservation just in case.

Legendary but too Busy…read more Stepping through the doors of Balboa Cafe in San Francisco's Cow Hollow neighborhood feels like unlocking a timeless vault of classic California society and old-school saloon culture. Established in 1913 (though a superstitious original owner famously installed a plaque reading 1914 to escape the bad luck of the number 13), this legendary watering hole effortlessly bridges the gap between San Francisco's rich history and its bustling modern energy. With its striking dark wood paneling, crisp white tablecloths, and an iconic green neon sign cutting through the fog on Fillmore Street, the room practically whispers stories of the generations of local politicians, tech moguls, and high-society regulars who have rubbed elbows here. It's a beautifully multigenerational landmark where people-watching is a sport, the service is fast and familial, and the kitchen still masterfully turns out their cult-classic Balboa Burger served on a fresh baguette. Yet, as spectacular as the vintage vibe and the burgers are, the true heartbeat of the modern Balboa experience is their legendary, world-famous Espresso Martini. Affectionately dubbed the "Espressotini," this cocktail is absolute royalty in the SF bar scene, with the bartenders famously churning out upwards of 1,000 martinis a day to tables ordering them a dozen at a time. Shaken to an incredibly velvety, frothy perfection using vanilla vodka, Kahlúa, and a proprietary nitro cold brew blend, it pours with a signature dense cream foam that mimics a perfect pint of Guinness. Deceptively smooth and balanced without being overly sweet, it acts as both a sophisticated pick-me-up and a social catalyst. Sitting at that historic dark wood bar, watching the towers of coupe glasses catch the dim ambient light while a lively crowd buzzes around you, drinking an Espressotini isn't just ordering a cocktail--it's taking part in a mandatory San Francisco ritual. Thanks

I don't understand the appeal of Balboa Café. The food is mediocre and inconsistent, the prices are…read morehigh for what you get, and the service leaves a lot to be desired. It's also loud and crowded enough that it doesn't make for a particularly enjoyable meal. To me, the reputation seems to have more to do with the location, history, and social scene than the quality of the restaurant. There is another reason I wouldn't choose to spend my money there. Balboa Café has a long association with Gavin Newsom's PlumpJack group. Newsom's San Francisco business interests, including Balboa Café, changed hands when he became mayor, and his remaining PlumpJack interests were later placed in a blind trust when he became California governor. The business is still part of the PlumpJack operation and is run by his sister, Hilary Newsom. I know many people have strong opinions about Newsom and his time as governor, and I have my own. Given that connection, I personally don't want to support the business. That's my choice, but when the restaurant itself isn't giving me much reason to go in the first place, it's an easy decision. For me, Balboa Café is overpriced, overrated, and not worth the money or the association.

Initially left a bad review, but wanted to update it because there was a miscommunication between…read moresomeone in our group and the bar. However Ann from Westwood was super nice and accommodating and helped us resolve the situation afterward. She even welcomed us back, which we really appreciated, especially after us feeling bad for what had happened. Westwood was a fun bar and the rest of our group had a great time. It just sucked that one situation left a sour taste in our mouth that night, but Ann definitely helped make things right. Overall, we'd come back again! Great staff and nice ambiance and atmosphere! Thank you Ann

The bouncers here are incredibly rude and condescending. At 1:50 AM, when the bar was closing, they…read morestarted forcing people out in a very aggressive way, shining bright flashlights directly into people's eyes, yelling "Walk and talk!" repeatedly, and having large security guards push crowds toward the exit. With so many people trying to leave at once, it felt chaotic and unnecessary. What made it worse is that once you're outside, they don't even want you standing on the sidewalk in front of the bar. I was simply waiting for my ride, which is the safest way to get home, and they were still trying to move people along. The service was terrible from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. I've never felt so unwelcome at a venue. I'd recommend avoiding this place and spending your money somewhere that treats customers with basic respect.

Wow! The crew at Mistletoe really knows how to get you in the holiday spirit. Put this spot at the…read moretop of your list for Christmas celebrations, and order from their specialty cocktail menu. Do not miss ordering a shot of their Let it Snow... and sit at the bar so you can get the fun surprise. I savored their rum, hot cocoa and toasted marshmallow cocktail; the warmth and flavors really hit the spot. The Christmas decor here is on point; they nailed it! Must experience this place. I spoke with the owner directly; great guy who has put a lot of work into this place and it shows. He has three locations in SF (this is a review for the Sutter street iteration), and I'm going to visit them all. Try to go on a week night when it's less crowded. They host official Santa Con shenanigans, so it's gonna get crowded this weekend. For good reason.

Not like last year…read more Bestie and I were here last night for my birthday. The bartenders were not nice. The ambience was hostile, a bit aggressive. Definitely not Christmasy. The fluorescent lights were on bright so it drowned out the Christmas lights. This place did a snow show last year. I asked about it, got a lecture and no snow. Worst of all, they played extremely loud, annoying Hallmark movie, Lifetime channel basic white broad Christmas songs. With some skrillex mixed it. Weird. The other girlies started leaving. The drinks are delicious, especially Santa's Grog. But they ran out of it at 6pm. The Christmas decorations lacked spirit and soul. Hoping for better next year.

Poppin' spot in the Marina neighborhood!…read more Great vibes, ambiance, & service. Didn't try the food yet but, it looks great. My friends said their drinks are great because I don't drink alcohol but, I can def say their mocktails are great! If you're looking for a new hangout spot on Chestnut, this may just be it!

We were bar hopping and stopped by here for drinks. The place was very busy, and we probably waited…read moreabout 30 min before we could get to the counter to place our order. We ordered the Tam Tam and the Sparky. The Tam Tam is made with gin, carrot, saffron, honey, and lemon, while the Sparky features vodka, cold brew, coffee liqueur, and salted espresso. Both drinks were excellent, well-balanced, and full of flavor.

Very lovely atmosphere and food is good, not great. To me it's a difficult climb because there's so…read moremany high end restaurants to compete with in the area. Pricing would be fine, but it needs to be a little better to fit into this higher end category.

It lives up to its low rating. If you want to get trashed and don't care about the taste of your…read moredrink. Come here. Good music.

A little underwhelming…read more My friends and I stumbled across White Rabbit on St. Patrick's Day when the neighboring place was too busy. We should have known that this wasn't the most popping spot considering the holiday and how we pranced in without too much of a fight. It was rather empty when we were there. It felt like more of an empty room that just so happened to be a bar. Things just seemed spaced out awkwardly with furniture that didn't go well together. It was rather quiet too. I could not even tell you what music was playing because I could not even hear it. I do appreciate that the place was festively decorated though. It was perfectly on theme for St. Patrick's Day. The bartenders were super friendly here. My friends and I were trying to take a picture together and the bartender kindly snapped some shots of us (both horizontal and vertical pics...chef's kiss). We ordered a round of their Jameson Jell-O shots and they were super good. I'd be curious to come back on a typical weekend night to get a sense of their atmosphere in a different setting.

Extremely disappointing and unacceptable experience…read more We walked into the bar, ordered our drinks, were served without any issue, and my brother-in-law even left a generous $30 tip. Immediately afterward, security approached us and kicked our entire group out, claiming my brother-in-law was "too intoxicated." This was only our second bar of the night, and nothing about the way the situation was handled made sense to us. If he was supposedly too intoxicated to be there, why were we served drinks in the first place? I immediately asked to speak with a manager because I wanted an explanation. I was told the manager was coming out, so I waited--and nobody ever came. No manager spoke with us, no one properly explained what had happened, and we were given no opportunity to have a reasonable conversation about the situation. Later, I approached another security guard trying to understand what was going on. He directed me to someone else, who told me they had been dealing with people drinking all day and were kicking people out because they had been having issues with other patrons. That made the experience even more frustrating. Whatever problems the establishment had with other customers earlier in the day had absolutely nothing to do with our group. We walked in, purchased drinks, tipped $30, and were then immediately removed based on an accusation that was never properly explained to us. I haven't been to the marina since 2021, and this experience is the reason why. The new staff members, security guards, and bar workers displayed a lack of professionalism and treated customers disrespectfully. The biggest issue wasn't simply being asked to leave--it was the complete lack of professionalism and communication. If there was a legitimate concern, someone could have explained it respectfully. Instead, we were served, took care of the staff with a generous tip, were immediately kicked out, and then left waiting for a manager who never bothered to come speak with us. Completely unacceptable and disrespectful way to treat paying customers. What should have been a fun night turned into an unnecessarily frustrating and horrible experience.

Went here for a casual brunch with one friend. We showed up late for our reservation (messaged them…read morewe would be late ahead of time ) and were sat immediately. Our servers name was Matt, and he was AMAZING! He was so kind and very attentive, will be requesting him everytime I go from here on out! I ordered the eggs Benedict and it was amazing, along with the hashbrowns.

I had high expectations. But I also knew it was a Saturday night and moreover Valentine's Day. It…read morewas extraordinarily loud. We asked for a quiet table and they found us one. But it was still hard to hear each other across the table. My husband had a drink at the bar. He ordered a second at the table and they brought him a third. We ordered wontons that never arrived. He ordered a salad with his hamburger and they brought him fries. The food was delicious. Dessert was disappointed. We ordered an apple pie but it was more like a pop tart. All pastry and only a tiny bit of apples. Our server was very helpful and accommodating. I understand that the kitchen was slammed. But I always wonder when the wait staff who takes your order is not the one delivering your food. That's where the mistakes happen. My scallops were delicious. All four tiny ones. Next time we'll come when it's hopefully quieter.