The View in SF

No, I'm not talking about the TV show. San Francisco has no shortage of places with stunning views of the city. It helps that the city is so picturesque, that plenty of windows out of homes or commercial establishments would have a sight for sore eyes. But I'm talking high-rise views coupled with pleasing munchies. Among others, there's the Top of the Mark in Nob Hill, and then there 'was' the Grandviews Hyatt lounge in Union Square. I say 'was' for the latter, because I was told by the doorman about a month ago that it would close soon. Too bad. I wasn't crazy about the bland menu, which hadn't been updated in a while, but the 36th floor views made up for it. It may still be open, so it's worth checking out.

Enter the Marriott Marquis in downtown SF. We only found this place because of a management course my husband attended for his work. We visited on a Saturday night during the World Series (go Giants!), AND there was some sort of a conference on sexuality ( I kid you not), so the place was hopping!! Not sure if it would be buzzing on a regular night, but given its location, probably.

Anyway, this place is called 'The View', and it's on the 39th floor. The views are even better than the Grandviews lounge in my opinion, owing to the larger floor to ceiling windows. Seating is spacious and the decor more contemporary compared to the Grandviews Lounge. Worth bringing out of town guests to. Check out the menu and prices at the website www.sfviewlounge.com.

BARTing or Caltraining it are the best options if your a suburbanite and want to (as we Brits say) get hammered at the View, but otherwise, try the parking lot at Ellis and O'Farrell. They are pretty inexpensive.

A mansion in San Francisco

All photos courtesy of EKphoto.com http://www.ekphoto.com/hamlin/

I was awestruck from the moment I walked in, both as an educator, and as a wedding guest.

The Hamlin School, an all-girls' independent school in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco is also known as Hamlin Mansion, a much sought-after special occasion venue in the city.
The building, which has its beginnings in the early 20th century, entraps your senses with its intricately carved wooden beams and paneling, captivating mosaic walls, and high ceiling with skylight. It is charming how the school hides its bookcases and student artwork behind the deep red curtains as it transforms itself from a haven of education into a centerpiece of decadent celebration. Keep walking through the library and into the solarium, and you are completely bowled over by the sweeping vistas of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge through its large bay windows. Walk up the stairs, and imagine yourself being transported back in time, looking down upon the hallway being attended to by uniformed staff.

The Hamlin School/Mansion is located on 2120 Broadway, San Francisco.

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Hamlin Mansion

Eight Wineries in One?

Photo courtesy of the Press Club website


At the bottom of the Four Seasons in San Francisco lies an unique concept. As we settled down for drinks at the lounge bar of the nearby Amber India restaurant (I'll blog about this later), friends told us about the Press Club.

Apparently this trendy venue, which opened on Sept 10 this year, has eight Californian vineyards rolled into one. You walk into a spacious and stylish tasting room which allows you to acquaint yourself with several wines. This seems like a wonderful alternative for both connoisseurs and amateurs to have the 'Napa experience' minus the long drive out there.

I think I'll pay a visit, but I like long drives and basking in the authentic milieu of wine country. Have you been to the Press Club? What did you think? Drop me a line here if you have or perhaps somewhere similar elsewhere.

The Press Club

Bar with a view in San Francisco

p.s. This image is courtesy of the Grand Hyatt website.

Apparently there are lots of swanky high-rise bars in the city of San Francisco, such as the famed Harry Denton's Starlight Room, or the Top of the Mark for instance. While I planned to research other similar swanky hot spots and visit the aforementioned, my discovery of the Grandviews Lounge atop the Grand Hyatt near Union Square was quite accidental.

After having a reasonably nice dinner in Chinatown one Friday evening, and with plans of having a drink before we left for the suburbs, we gasped at the sight of a very chic lounge bar steps from Chinatown, only to be politely turned away because it had just closed. It was 9:50 pm! While why most eateries and bars close so early in SF is an intriguing myster, and fodder for another post at some future time, this disappointment spurred us on to a most wonderful discovery.

In a much earlier post, I had reminisced about discovering a wonderful lounge serving late night desserts and wine at the five star rated Peninsula Hotel in Chicago. I hoped to discover the same in San Francisco, and there it was - at the Grand Hyatt, on Stockton at Sutter.

The night was indeed very young, and we were very glad to find out that the Grandviews Lounge was open till about 2 am. Perched up on the 36th floor, the elevators opened up into a hallway, and then muted lights, marble, house music, cacophony, and oh..grand views.

We walked towards the bar and found a table with a view. Service was very fast, given how busy it was. Clientele were a mix of hotel guests, and people like us who were simply looking for something decent open past 10 pm. The age group was 25-40.

We ordered a Bailey's Irish Cream Creme Brulee at $12. Beautifully presented, it was heaven melting on your taste buds. Coupled with the fantastic views, it became a night to remember.

Another tip: If you're driving into the city, do use the Sutter-Stockton garage, which also happens to be across the street from the Grand Hyatt. After 6 pm, it only charges a maximum of $7.50.

The Grand Hyatt and Grandviews Lounge

Lime restaurant in San Francisco

Hidden among bookstores with outrageous shopfronts, quirky delis and ethnic restaurants on Market Street in Castro is the cute Austin Powers-esque restaurant 'Lime'. A hit with the locals, this late night (well for SF standards anyway) serves tapas sized portions of delectable goodies. Try the amazingly popular deviled eggs, or the shitake mushrooms dripping in melted parmesan.
The halibut fish tacos are amazing too. The menu allows you to order $5 - $11 plates, so giving you an idea of the portion size. It's pretty cleverly done, because the plates usually have an odd number of bites, so you do end up ordering two plates if you want to have an equal amount of food shared within your group. Portions are tasty but tiny, so you will end up ordering more than you thought you would. But it tastes and looks good, so who cares?

Low lighting, pumping house music, and cozy booths set the scene here. Given it's in Castro, you have to be comfortable with the pretty boy, and slightly overtly gay crowd. But everyone is friendly and just out to have a good time. I was once here in 2006, and back last week for the second time, and glad to see that it was still pretty rocking in two years. Lime do a Sunday brunch with all 'All you Can Drink' mimosas for $6. Their mojitos are great by the way. Drop me a line if you've tried their brunch. Oh, and they have bar seating as well.

All in all, a cool local SF nightspot, whether you want to just grab a drink or a bite, well hidden from the tourists.

Lime