The Velvet Room on the first floor of The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel in San Francisco has an amazing and diligent chef, and you can't modify things that he doesn't approve of, which I actually appreciate. I know it is somewhat strange to actually recommend going to a hotel restaurant for breakfast, but it's really busy that good. Just make sure to get there by 10:45am because they stop serving breakfast at 11am. I didn't get a chance to try the coffee but I am curious to know if it's at the same quality level of the food. I love the atmosphere and overall decor, and there really isn't a bad seat. They have a few different somewhat-connected areas where you can dine in, all with different-yet-connected vibes. They have an area that's black and white, another that's dark greens, and then the largest area where we chose to sit both days. With green subway tile, white exposed ceilings, comfortable booth options, black and white marble flooring, mid-century modern tables, and multiple styles of light fixtures. The cashier made us feel very welcomed and remembered us when we returned for breakfast a second day in a row, which made me feel special. The only thing that could have made the experience better was if they were playing "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton. My top recommendations: The egg white scramble ($23) with avocado ($4) and a side of chicken sausage ($8) is the best way to order this breakfast item. The egg white scramble comes with savory umami mushrooms, fresh tomato, onion, and spinach, as well as a side of roasted tomato, flavorful breakfast potatoes with grilled onions, and bread of your choice. Since it's San Francisco, I do recommend going with the sourdough and enjoying the jams. The Shakshuka ($21) with two poached eggs, thinly sliced red onions, bread, and fresh herbs is full of flavor, and it's the only dish that Chef allows the lamb sausage ($7) to be added to. If you eat meat, I strongly recommend adding the lamb. The orange juice is $7 for 12oz but it's very refreshing and delicious. read more

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Date & Time: Sunday May 9, 2010 @ 6pm Location: The Clift Hotel former Asia de Cuba Space Dining Companions: Mommy & Jin A Scene: Well-Heeled International Crowd in Groups: 20-40 Somethings- Ladies in Little Herve Leger Dresses or Top w/ Hudson Jeans & Gentlemen in Brioni Suits Sans Tie or Obscured Fitted Tee's & Jeans Ambiance: Opulent Music: Techno & Dance Decor: Asia de Cuba- Luxe, Murano Glass Lighting, Red Velvet Curtains, Venetian Mirrored Communal Table& Leather Banquettes Service: Polished & Professional Imbibe: Mojitos Devour: Amuse Bouche: Clam & Mussel. Apps: Rock Shrimp, Asparagus, Split Pea Soup. Entrees: Scallops & Chicken. Dessert: Panna Cotta & Chocolate Pot de Creme Limo Ride: $75 Cocktails: $70 Meal: $150.30 Note: Happy Mother's Day to All The Wonderful Mom's Out There read more

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Bought a Groupon for a Chef's tasting menu for two, to give the Velvet Room a try. I've had great experiences in the Clift hotel bar, but never for dining. Why is it called the Velvet Room, you may ask? Well, my inquisitive reader, here's the scoop- it's a room, covered in velvet. Now you know. Friendly hostess led us to our table, which elicited a pout from me because I wanted to be seated in the tilt a wheel cupped throne chairs in every corner, but alas, we were relegated to the sea of tables like every other ordinary diner. The waitress was peculiar, either bored or high (maybe both), but would randomly drift over between bites and stare at us emptily until she voiced a breezy statement or inflection absent question. Menu was full of items that sounded quite appetizing, our Groupon included a starter, two entrees, a side dish, and one dessert. Adding a steak entrée was an additional $15 surcharge, but we didn't miss much without it. We began with drinks, I ordered the Pineapple Express ($12), a refreshing rendition of a cocktail pina colada, with burbon infused vanilla, and he had the Cucumber Cooler ($13) with freshly muddled cukes and elderflower, both refreshing starts to our dining experience. We began the meal with the Truffled Wagyu Steak Tartare ($16), with wholegrain mustard and olive oil brushed sourdough points. The steak was perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy, and very rich, complimented perfectly with the spicy mustard, and sour/tangy capers. Darling man felt the call of the cow, and was satiated with the Clift Burger ($18), on a pretzel bun with perfectly caramelized onions, and well-seasoned fries. I opted for the Oven Roasted Mary's Chicken ($24), which had a crispy, buttery skin, over juicy meat, and softly cooked garlic spinach. Our side was the wild Foraged Mushrooms ($10), complimented by rosemary and drizzled with garlic butter. For dessert we chose the Meyer Lemon Steamed Pudding ($8), whose micro flowers delighted us, and whose flavors wowed us with its multitude of fresh essences of ginger, basil, berries, and tangy citrus. We paired this with a Clift Manhattan to end the meal ($13), which was a little heavy for my tastes, but well-mixed. I would recommend this dining experience for those looking to make a statement, because the ambiance is moody, romantic, and sultry, with heavy, dark paneling, ceiling to floor drapery, and ambient lighting. Perfect date spot, or intimate dining for a few. Not a place for loud parties, bringing the kids, or anyone with low light challenges. Beautiful, elegant, delicious, and delightful, The Velvet Room will wrap you up with its soft caress, and leave you feeling warm and content. read more

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This is the restaurant inside the Clift Hotel, a Morgans Group property. I have said in many other reviews of their properties, that I am a huge fan of their hotels. The décor, the ambiance and the service are all excellent. The breakfast service is a very relaxed experience and the room, with its dark wood and curtains, create a nice way to ease into the day - very calming and peaceful. The staff are very good as well - there when you need them, but never hovering. I ordered the continental buffet. It was the usual mixture of breads, fruits, granola, eggs, bacon, etc. Although the spread wasn't massive, the quality of the food was excellent. In addition, there was an a la carte breakfast menu as well if you absolutely have to have pancakes in the morning. Although I was staying in another hotel nearby, I came here for breakfast (and tranquility) each morning to avoid the zoo in my hotel restaurant. read more

Velvet Room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was a bit on the fence concerning my experience with Velvet Room. In the end though, I asked myself if I had any desire to eat there again. The answer is no. First issue is the lighting. I do not mind mood lighting. However, it was so dark that, at times, I literally could not see what I was eating. I know this also to be true of others at the table. My heirloom tomato salad was actually quite good. However, I only know most of the ingredients by taste.:) My chicken main course tasted quite good. However, the chef had chosen to cut the chicken into cylinders. This attempt at clever presentation actually backfires somewhat. By cutting the chicken in this way, it actually gave the chicken a "processed" look and feel. It removed the identity of being chicken. One of the desserts was simply inedible. It was a dry and grainy shortcake with berries. read more

Velvet Room - Chicken Dish - The Velvet Room - Downtown - San Francisco - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had breakfast there, ordered eggs( any style ), house potatoes, Bacon and rie bread. Eggs were good, perfect texture. Bacon was nice . Potatoes were different ( good different) . Over all I enjoyed the breakfast/ brunch. People are really good here, service was nice . Ambiance of this place is awesome, it is definitely a very romantic place. read more

Velvet Room - Eggs, Bacon and potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Nice place. Sweet spot to just hang out. Great food and service. Well made drinks from the bar. A place to revisit for sure. read more

Velvet Room - Nice quiet place. Not packed for this area at all. Just a sit and chill with a cold brew. Great service. Nice Jazz - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Walking in to the Clift Hotel makes me feel like a high roller and seeing the Velvet Room gives off the same impression. Basically Asia De Cuba got shut down and Velvet Room was put in its place. Considering they only had 2 weeks or so to nail down a menu the food was fantastic (from the time when Asia De Cuba closed and Velvet Room opened). For appetizers you've got to try the flat bread and the asparagus. At a place like this, you'd think your portions would be measly, but BOY were we wrong! For entrees get the scallops, the beef tenderloin or the chicken and mushrooms. Their lamb was exceptional as well although, I kind of wished the pea polenta sauce was on the beef tenderloin instead of on the lamb.... MmMmm... Pea Polenta.... DESSERT: Get the strawberry panna cotta!! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! Whenever I think goat's milk, I get grossed out a little bit, but the panna cotta was just fan-frea-kin-tastic! Prices: Appetizers are around $8-12, Entrees were around $25-32... Considering Asia De Cuba's lamb was $82, Velvet Room's is cheaper AND tastes betterrrrr! Since they JUST opened, they're still working on things, but a few managers came to our table and explained the lack of menu choices (there are like 5 entrees) is because "we wanted to do few things exceptionally well, instead of more things that aren't as good." Oh by the way... I usually judge service based on how fast my water glass gets filled. After chugging down my water (for the third or so time) it was refilled in UNDER TWENTY SECONDS! YAYY!! Good Job Velvet Room! You've got a successful future ahead of ya! read more

Velvet Room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

*3.5 stars* I came here and used a Gilt Group voucher for a 3 course meal. They use Open Table for reservations so it was easy and it seems like they're hardly ever booked up since all times were open for a Friday & Saturday. Having said that, I didn't have high expectations since it seems as all the great restaurants in the city are booked up for weeks unless you want dinner at 9:30pm. Anyway, the restaurant has a dramatic feel to it with its ridiculous high ceilings, massive corner booths lined with red leather, dark wood, dim lighting and of course, the loud music & bass from the bar next door. The host was friendly and approachable making the place not as "uppity" as it could have been. Onto the food... Appetizer - green salad with apple slices, pomegranate seed and bacon(!) with a light vinegrette. Salad is best with bacon. True story. Main - butternut squash risotto, the rice wasn't cooked thoroughly making it chewy & hard. I'd pass on this next time. The husband got the petit poulet coq au vin which was tasty (the skin was apparently delicious, of course) that came with pearl onions & mushrooms. It was the better option. Side - we got the fries which came with a what seemed like mayo+sriracha sauce. Fries were good, nothing spectacular but good. If you want ketchup, they give you a small glass bottle Heinz. It's pretty cute. Dessert - chocolate cake, which was served warm (yes!) with olive oil ice cream. I wasn't a huge fan of the ice cream but the cake was divine. Overall, service was great and the food was good. read more

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I have never eaten here out of their a la carte menus but, have eaten here three times at a function. Unfortunately, the food is below average and, I assume expensive for what it is. I was here for a function yesterday and the food was once again average and lacked flavour. On a positive note the dessert was nice and, I loved the multi layer slice with a chocolate top. I cannot understand why they serve food like this. A bit of creativity would go a long way in improving catering quality and unfortunately, in the last three years, it has not. Maybe it's just my luck that, every time I end up here for a meal, I end up leaving disappointed. This is also an opinion shared by many of my clients and colleagues. read more

Velvet Room - a large group of people standing in front of a bar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Yes it is dark. One could also say it makes it more romantic because people will notice you snogging with your boo when it's dark. It also means you don't have a spotlight on you eating while the people partying it up in the Redwood Room are drinking. It is a beautiful hotel restaurant and the clientele are dressed very classy and upscale. The women wandering in an out of the adjacent Redwood Room are dressed to the nines and everyone is lookin' good. The service is acceptable but nothing to win any awards. The food itself was standard New American. Nothing awe inspiring but it was all done very well. My fish was cooked perfectly and I had my choice of sauce, of which I chose a light citrus. The braised short ribs had a nice red wine sauce and were super tender. The creamed spinach was fresh and surprisingly light tasting. The swiss chard was peppery and flavorful. Overall I really enjoyed my food and ambiance, but for the prices I feel like it was overall pretty standard in it's class. read more

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Great ambience. Feels like it should be amazing. The high ceilings with velvet curtained walls and dark lighting are great. They also have a number of corner tables that are very cool. The burrata with very very fresh heirloom tomatoes was excellent. The Marasca cocktail was also great--a nice combination of flavors. I had the fish with a mild red sauce for dinner. It was fine but not amazing. The staff wasn't very attentive and did not know the menu well. read more

This restaurant was pretty good! Plusses: - Located in Clift next to Redwood Room, which is convenient for nightlife after dinner - Very cool decor - Mostly excellent food - Inexpensive wines for a nicer restaurant in a city Minuses: - Our server was not great - he had not concept of proper decorum and made us feel rushed. He actually interrupted and asked us if we were ready to order in the middle of a toast to our bachelorette. Um, no. Duh. Make sure you order: the flatbread. It was a amazing! Definitely th best thing I had here. The lamb loin with morels was also very good as well. Pass on: scallops. The scallops themselves were good, the bean mixture they were served with was moderately disgusting. The six of us that dined here were pretty much in agreement on that. read more

Meat, shrimp, drinks absolutely delicious! Decor very urban, dim, and romantic! which I loved especially on date night. Waiter's service very slow and not at all forgiving! Thank god for the suburb margarita it was keeping me busy. Lol read more

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Going to a restaurant under professional circumstances usually detracts from the actual experience and atmosphere of the restaurant. Even so, it was still obviously clear when I visited this establishment that it was extremely lackluster. First, the service was just not all that great. Drinks were pretty attentively refilled, but when it came to ordering food our waiter was nowhere to be found. Even after beckoning to some others who were passing by, we still waited a while for him to show up. Being vegan, I didn't have too many choices on the menu. Though when I asked to confirm whether one of the entrees was in fact vegan, the waiter was very easily able to tell me so. Aside from the vegetable sides, I was really only left with the choice of this tomato bean dish. It was okay, but considering it was $18 for beans, artichokes, and hearts of palm, I would have been pretty unhappy had I been paying for it myself. And I also have to mention that as it got later in the evening, the awful house music being played on the speakers kept getting louder and louder. The ambiance of the decor was okay but coupled with the atrocious soundtrack I felt very displeased sitting there. If you're looking for a somewhat nicer restaurant, you can certainly find better than this. read more

Went here on a date on a Wednesday at 6pm for dinner. Had a bloomspot for $70 expiring next week so wanted to take advantage. Arrived early at 5:30p (because I eat dinner so early, most think i'm in my 80s and call is 'supper.' Big dining room with sky-high ceilings. Two other tables were already seated...the rest was empty, although there was a lot of chatter coming from nextdoor's Redwood Room. We asked for the big corner booth with the dramatic high-backed cushions. no problem. Now, when i read the bloomspot, it says the $70 can go to anything but I could likely get 2 drinks and maybe 2 apps...so i'm thinking it will be pricey. Damn, I'm good. Their signature cocktails were $15 each. Most apps were between $9-$15. Decent Wine list though - glasses on the $10-$20 range. Entrees varied from $15 to $39 so I opted right in the middle for the Skirt Steak at $26. Also got a side of the ripped potatoes for $6. My date got the exact thing so some quick math already put me at $64 before tax, tip and DRINKS. no matter - i had a feeling the steak would be great. We got a $15 glass of pinot and an $8 hoegarten (it is a hotel) to wash down our steaks. And BOY was it! perfect size, juicy and tender and came with blue cheese and mushrooms with a small bed of greens. But the steak was the star, far and away. Funny though, the other star of the table was the FREE pesto, parsley, cilantro & mint dipping sauce they brought with the bread. It was so good I almost asked for the recipe --- and i can barely cook toast. ;) overall, nice place and decent food but I definitely would only come back if either a) there's an important event or b) someone's expense account is paying. But definitely worth a shot for a nice, indulgent evening. read more

Food: Was okay. Probably never go back. Tried duck, portobello raviolis, fried chicken, rib eye steak, pork loin, scallops, caprese salad, s'more dessert, chocolate brioche, and vanilla ice cream, and truffle fries. We all enjoyed the duck, pork, s'more, and vanilla ice cream. Service: Excellent. Atmosphere: Dark and clubby. Shares a wall with a club/lounge where you can hear the live band. Kinda loud. read more

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I usually don't rate many places under 3 stars, but this really did it for me this time. Our group was staying at the hotel for a celebrations and had 2 huge tables booked for dinner. After ordering drinks the real story begun. The four of us at the end of the table ordered appetizers before all of our friends. After waiting patiently 20 minutes we see our appetizers going to someone else. We asked the waiter if maybe they made a mistake-no mistake he said. So we kept waiting. We saw another set of the same appetizers going to our other friends again because they ordered more...but where are our appetizers? Still not there. At the end after a long wait we finally got our food and quickly ordered the main courses. We have ordered the Grilled Flatbread, Heirloom Beet Salad and the Grilled Octopus. All of the appetizers were very delicious and were up to a decent par so far.... For the main course we ordered: Alaskan Halibut, 2 Prather Ranch New York Steaks and their famous Truffle Poached Egg Pasta. The Halibut, the Pasta and one of the Steaks arrived at the same time. I started digging into the Halibut and couldn't believe how salty it was. It was almost impossible to eat. Then I started to eat something really chewy that tasted like rubber. I didn't touch it the rest of the meal. I found later it was pork...great. The gnocchi was the only edible part of this meal. My friend started to eat their pasta and also stopped very quickly. I after I took a bite I realized why...it tasted like cardboard. I couldn't believe how anyone could mess up a simple pasta! The steak looked like a fish. it was huge and was put on the plate literally looking like a fish in intense sauce. Where they got grilled is news to me. Of course it was also well done, which is not what my friend ordered so he just sent it back and decided to stop eating. The real story comes to the fourth missing steak that my boyfriend never got. People returned their food and got new steaks and he still didn't ever get his original steak. The waiter just kept saying oh I'm sorry it will be right out. By this time people were moving into dessert. Still NO STEAK. Then the waiter comes over and tries to give him a Halibut that he didn't even order and says here you can eat this and we will comp it. I have never ever seen anyone ever do that. First of all nobody ordered a Halibut and why did they give the other people two steaks and he still never got his! Let's just say we tried to leave this place as quickly as we could. At the end the waiter told the four of us that they wanted to apologize for their service and send us a gift to the room. OK. After going out we came back to our rooms and we see...drumroll.....a plate with 3 plums and a bottle of water. I have nothing more to say. read more

I unfortunately had a terrible dining experience at the Velvet Room in the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. My boyfriend and I arrive to the Velvet Room at 9:30pm on a Friday evening. We were seated right in the middle of the divide between the Redwood Room and the Velvet Room with very loud music playing and our table was very close to the table next to us. I felt as though I was interrupting the table next to me every time I attempted to speak to my boyfriend at the table because it was so difficult to speak and hear over the loud music in the other room. Our server arrives and I ordered a glass of Pinot and my boyfriend ordered a glass of the Syrah. Someone other than our server brought us our wine and set them down without identifying the type of wine he was giving us or asking which wine we ordered. We sipped our wines and realized that they were switched, he had given us the wrong drink. He should have asked us what wine we ordered before placing them down. Then received our entrees. I ordered the homemade pasta and it seemed like there was hardly any pasta at all and it was quite undercooked and hard. My boyfriend ordered the skirt steak. First of all, he was not given a steak knife and he even asked for steak knife but received another butter knife. He found that steak was fatty and chewy and hard to cut. Our server never asked how we were doing and the manager on staff went to multiple tables several times to see how they were doing but never approached our table. I feel like all the issues we encountered could be easily fixed and are basic things that restaurants should have no trouble providing providing to their guests. Overall we were very dissatisfied with the service, food and atmosphere of the establishment. We had hoped for an intimate and romantic evening at The Velet Room, but it turned into us rushing through our dinner anxious to leave so that we could actually recover the rest of our night. I will never recommend this place to anyone. I have already tried contacting a manager of the Velvet room, but no one has returned my phone call or responded to an email I sent the very next morning after my terrible dining experience. ***It's been over a week and still no one has contacted me regarding my experience. I sent three emails and left voicemails for the manager. read more

I was very disappointed with this dinning experience. As a long time lover of the Clift Hotel, I think they neglected the potential of the Velvet Room. If this were my restaurant, it would SHINE. As I said, I love the Clift Hotel. So I enjoyed the ambiance. But other than that the only other thing I can compliment is the hostess who graciously granted our request to be seated at a booth instead of a table. I seriously think the Velvet Room should consider a complete menu renovation. The food was very sub-par. The booth seat was not wiped clean of crumbs from the previous diners and the food took 1 hour to arrive. My boyfriend ordered the skirt steak and I the soft shell crab. Sounds easy enough to make delicious, yet we both agree that it was barely edible. A big disappointment. Dear Clift Hotel, please revamp the menu?? read more

If I wanted to go to a techno party, I would have gone to one. But I didn't. I would expect that if we are being charged this much for dinner for two, I would have a warning that at some point the entire venue is going to be extremely loud and the dinning/bar areas would not be separated at all. A partly business partly personal dinner pretty much ruined. If you are looking for a classy place where you can have a conversation ( a conversation, not a shouting match leading to a horrible headache) - this place is not the right one for you. Most certainly not coming back, maybe just to the lobby bar area which I still love dearly. read more

Went for a dine about town and was not impressed. Definite waste of money and a Friday night. Huge Morgan's Hotels fan so loved the CLIFT and overall ambiance. However, the food and service was completely sub par. Also their Dine About Town menu online and the one they had in the restaurant was completely different. We wouldn't have chosen to go if we had seen the correct menu before. MENU: First of all a glass of wine was $15 which I definitely needed to make the food better. Cocktails were $16. RIP OFF We had the whitebean soup to start which was the best part of the entire meal. I had the seared tuna and reiterated in my ordering that I wanted the fist very rare and just barley seared. It came completely cooked through. The waiter did make up for this with comping a glass of wine. My boyfriend had the pork which was poorly cooked with grits I could have made out of a box. For desert we had the lava cake which was comparable to a brownie bite from Safeway only larger and more dry. We even joked, "where's the lava?" SERVICE: Mediocre. Asked us if we wanted bread and never brought it. Not too attentive. Brought a steak knife that was basically a regular knife with a different tip and he even acknowledged that. He did comp my glass of wine though. Not horrible, but I think they would have a more professional staff given the venue and $$$$. Bottom line is I'll never go back and I'll never recommend it. The Redwood Room, however, I will try. read more

Been in the hotel numerous of times for jobs. This time my friend treated me to dinner for doing her photoshoot that night. First, the dark lighting is made to set the mood and ambiance in the entrance to the hotel, but it always freaks me out how dark it is. It was probably around 8pm and of course the bar is full so we just went to the dining area. The salad and steak I had was good. This place just makes me sleepy, especially when it's always darker than the outside, even at night. Though that means it's a good place for privacy. read more

terrible food. Steak was over cooked twice, my filet steak was tough, bland and grey looking. Bread was stale. The Stergeon was disgusting, barely warm and bland, service was bad, our waiter left on break right after food was served and we had to chase someone down to help us. Very small portion, although presented beautiful, unedible. The chocolate dessert was microwaved and rubbery, the mocha was from a package. Really unbeleavable. They only charged us for our two drinks and appitizers, it was still $65, my boyrfiend added a tip on $15 and so our final bill was $80! We planned on spending a couple hundred based on what we thought it was going to be, but we ended up leaving grossed out. The Rose Picante drink was supper great, atmosphere was posh, so that is the only upside. read more

Great food and atmosphere. People at the table had lamb, steak, salmon and pasta and they all raved about their meals. Great selection of martini's and a good place to have a business meeting. read more

My girlfriend and I were impressed with the Velvet Room, simply because the reviews on Yelp were not as favorable. We had arrived at the Clift Hotel that day, so we took a nap and found ourselves hungry once we woke. We didn't know where to go and just decided to go downstairs at the Velvet room. My girlfriend had the rib eye and I had the filet mignon, both were perfectly fine. Not the best steaks but delicious nonetheless. The real winner was the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese! So good! I would just order that as an entree if I came back. It was big enough to share between two people. Two steaks, one side, a bit over $100, kind of pricey, but no regrets! read more

Posh valentine dinner date with my financé. I loooove the ambiance, their friendly staff and their Valentine set menu. Memorable heart's day experience for me. It made me more in love with my beau. read more

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Crispy Ripped Potatoes! If you LOVE anything fried, especially potatoes, this is a "Not to Miss" on the menu. They serve it with a Bearnaise sauce, which does it no justice....it was best plain or with ketchup (which my date asked for, hesitantly!). The wait staff is knowledgeable and very friendly...they take their cue from your mood, but are pleasant, even if you're not. Try to get one of the 4 booths, which is quite cozy and romantic as well as gives you a great view of entire restaurant. You'll feel like a movie star while sipping on your $15 cocktail. Ceviche of the day was Black Tiger Prawns. It was the equivalent of one jumbo sized shrimp. The marinade was just a tad bit too acidic at the end. The shrimp was fresh and delicious. We also ordered a Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, which came with 4 large shrimp, grilled Meyer lemon, cocktail sauce with fresh horseradish, and an asparagus confit salad. Refreshing. I ordered the Crispy Sonoma Duck with the Red Wine Sauce and a side of broccolini (without Parmesan cheese) along with a glass of Pinot Noir. The pepper on the broccolini interfered with my taste buds and the wine and left me with a bad aftertaste. The waiter asked if everything was good, I told him of my issue, he suggested a Merlot and replaced the Pinot without charging me. But again, because of the use of pepper on the veggies, it interfered with the duck and wine and was not complementary. My date ordered the beef special of the day: New York Strip with a Bearnaise sauce, but was better with the Red Wine Sauce. Both the duck and the steak were cooked to perfection and both were tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Decided not to do dessert, but the list was a nice selection to please just about everyone. I tried the Velvet Room because I had a voucher bought from TravelZoo, but I'm sure other places will have an offer that is similar. Would I go here again? Most definitely...with or without a voucher. Bon Apetit! read more

When dinning in San Francisco you must try the Clift Hotels restaurant the Velvet Room. To my mind, one of the best dining experience to be had. I recently had the pleasure. The surroundings were exquisite, the service exceptional (at this point I would like to thank my waiter Tashi) and the food divine, mouth watering, diverse and a taste sensation. The Meal started with an amuse of Beef tartar served with point toast, which gave an indication of the quality of the food to be served. Whilst the menu offers a diverse range of tastes and flavours, I chose for my starter the Potted Santa Barbara Rock Shrimp served with Fromage Blanc, Truffle Butter & Grilled Flatbread. The flavour's and textures blend together eloquently, eaten slowly to enjoy. The next dish was the mid course, was a dish of seared scallop with black summer truffle risotto and celery which melted in the mouth and complemented the previous dish. My Choice of Entrée was the Pozzi Ranch Loin of Lamb served with spring pea polenta, morel mushrooms and a red wine jus. The Lamb was tender and the knife just sliced through it like butter. Blending the lamb with the other plated ingredients or by its self did not matter as both were sensational. To finish I chose a Dessert of Dark chocolate lavender pot de crème, served with ginger shortbread. This I chose to enjoy like all good chocolate dishes, eaten very slowly and savouring each bite. For the above celebrations of the glories of food I would like to thank the sous chef Tony Ferrari, for taking the time to make it exceptional and visit our table. Whilst in San Francisco I also dined at Michael Mina's, Postrio and many other restaurants but the Velvet Room will be the one remembered. Christopher Grant Potts Point NSW Australia read more

We had the chefs tasting menu for 2 and I must say the food was pretty solid! We started with the Lobster Cobb, which had special morsels of bacon. Oh yes! Then a delectable Seabass, and Massive Burger on a pretzel bun... Just blew our mind!! And the side if squash helped us feel a bit healthier. On to the dessert of Lemon cake with fresh berries. It wasn't my favorite and a bit too sweet. But can't complain. Then we headed over to the Redwood room for drinks. It freaks me out every time that I see the live face portraits staring back at us. read more

Enclosed space in the basement. The speaker quality wan't great, dark lighting, and the dj is not very inventive in churning out inspiring tunes. read more

If this place was half the price, I'd give it 4 stars. Drinks are $12 minimum and a burger is something around $21! Luckily, we had bought TravelZoo vouchers for $35 which allowed you $70 worth of food and drinks, which is why we even came here in the first place. For location and ambience, they get 4 stars for sure - you can't go wrong hanging out at the Clift Hotel! read more

I don't normally like spots this fancy. But my homegirl was celebrating her bachelorette party and another one of the ladies in the group saw a Groupon for this spot and snatched it up. I'd come back here for the Don Pisto. Was that what it was called? Not sure - probably cause I had thrown back a couple. Haha. But, the lemony limey coolness made it travel down fast. Didn't have the burning sensation of cheap liquor and was a nice precursor to a night of dancing. Wouldn't make this spot a regular, but I have a soft spot in my heart for a yummy cocktail. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience here. A friend and I made reservations to dine here on a Saturday evening. We tried the shrimp and salad appetizers and chicken and sirloin entree's with a side of corn and green, and tasted the croissant pudding cake dessert with a couple of glasses of red wine. Everything was delicious and melted in the mouth. The only item I wasn't to hip too was the beer corn side order - the taste was just a little too authentic for me. I would def. come back here again - SOON! Staff and servers was very pleasant and warm. I would recommend reservations for a dinner in the later evening. There was plenty of tables at 7pm when we arrived but it got progressively busy as the night went on. Ps. the Redwood room seemed to be happening by 7pm as well. read more

Great service with attentive servers. Really nice vibe and ambiance, business casual place. The art that was decorating the walls were really unique, digital frames that changed pictures/portraits. This is a great place for drinks after work or to talk business. Came here with some co-workers to get drinks and appetizers. Drinks were really nice, they weren't shiesty with the alcohol for the mixed drinks. Cocktails ran around $12 and beers were $6-7. I ordered the kobe beef sliders for apps, very juicy and flavorful, thanks to fatty meat. Friend ordered the grilled cheese which was also great. read more

I was there on the last night before they closed their doors. The food was good some very overpriced for the portion etc. But I loved the appetizers. The lobster Mac wasn't good though. But otherwise no complaints. read more

Ultra fancy! Came here with my girlfriends after we'd bought a Travelzoo deal. The deal they offered was $70 worth of drinks and appetizers for only $35! We read reviews ahead of time and knew to get all dolled up in our fancy clothes! Be sure you make a reservation; we were able to get a table at 7:30 on a Saturday night when we called just a few days ahead. The restaurant is inside of the Clift Hotel. The hotel's lobby was super fancy and it only got fancier inside the Velvet Room. The atmosphere is very dark and romantic with vaulted ceilings and tall backed booths. The booths make you feel like you are shrunken Alice in Alice in Wonderland. I loved the whole ambiance of the place. The staff was great, very attentive and helpful. Our waiter provided great suggestions for drinks and appetizers. We ordered 4 different appetizers and loved them all. I highly recommend the flat bread with egg and crab meat. It was fabulous! They have a wide variety of cocktails, beers, wines, and champagnes. There were three of us drinking and we each had three drinks. We all ordered a different drink each round and still had more drinks to choose from. Their cocktails are $15/each, but they do not skimp on the alcohol or yummy flavor. There are two drinks with ginger beer in them and I recommend them both! I would love to come back to this place, but only if I can get another deal because it's expensive. It was a great experience with great drinks and yummy, fancy food. read more

My fiancé will not stop raving about the duck entree!!! My albacore tuna was perfectly cooked and so delicious. Our server, Max, was the sweetest/most helpful server ever; he was so attentive it made for a lovely dining experience. Added bonus - the redwood room (right next door) plays some great jams :) read more

Velvet Room - S'more dessert so yummy!!!!!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Don't expect cheap drinks at the Velvet Room. Their fare is strictly upper drawer with prices to match. Designed for the theater, after work crowd - it's a cool place to hang (literally read other reviews), people watch in the bar or just check out the collection of chairs at the Clift while sipping a $15 drink. The cocktails are very yummy. They do not skip on the alcohol or flavors. Get your wait person to provide you with suggestions. This is a meat eaters place so prepare for well developed proteins complete with a choice of seasonal sauces. Similar to many European rest. veggies are a separate selection and price point. The staff is very experienced and patient. They appreciate what even they call a 'younger' crowd. So don't be shy about asking how a dish is prepared or what that wait person really likes to eat or drink. Trust me, most of the staff have tasted the fare and can sugggest based on your tastes. I had a delightful fish with a spring medley sauce. Brocollini was well prepared without becoming too buttery and retained its crunch. Dining companion enjoyed a fresh monk fish dish with seasonal veggies. Also delightful. The Velvet Room is not afraid of using salt - so if you are sensitive, ask for no prepared salt dishes and put your own on. I personally appreciated the tang of the salt on the fish and on the bread and butter plate. Would I go again? Yes. With coupon for budgetary reasons. read more

Vibe- I wish it was still Asia de Cuba Price- expensive Service- nonexistent Bathroom: hotel bathroom. Not good Greeting: right away / smile Parking: street or garage Table Bread- OK Food: beef sliders tasted funky Lobster tacos were very good Vegetable samosas were spicy Bean soup was tasteless Grilled calamari salad had four small rings of squid. Are you kidding me?! Scallops were very good but only three to an order! Risotto was mushy Chocolate lava cake was tasteless WIGB- No read more