10/25/08

Pan Latin Vibe With Wonderful Tapas

by cotatijoan

Great tapas, great ambiance and design, great staff- friendly, prompt, knowledgeable. No reason to pay downtown prices and put up with downtown attitude when our nuevo latino maestro James Schenk from Destino, is the passion behind this new spot on Upper Market- only 12 minute streetcar ride from major hotels, shopping,etc. No wonder it's been busy every time I go by.

Oh- and also great for groups. They have really comfy leather couches up front beneath a spectacular blown glass chandalier that is a great conversation starter and in the back there is the really interesting "floating island pagoda" that you can reserve and seats around 12-15. I recently brought my cousin who lives in Spain and she thought it was as hip as the coolest places in Barcelona.

Finally- there's the whole Pisco thing. Several really tasty conconctions- I've tried different ones each time I've been in. Some latin flavored, some classic and the Pisco sours were perfect and not too sweet. All in all a great hang out, date spot or place to party with friends.

• Pros: Right on the F Line at the Guerrero street stop,
• Cons: Parking can be a bit hard, but not ridiculous. Lot on Duboce

This Upper Market lounge pays homage to a formerly legendary SF libation--pisco punch--with plenty of the Peruvian brandy and small plates from neighbor Destino.

by Patrick Heig

The long black-lacquered bar, red walls and swirling-tendril Chihuly light fixture give this lounge a downtown boutique bar feel--think Bar Bambino or Bossa Nova--with Peru-centric cocktail and bar bites menu and an after-work, creative-professional crowd. Pisco shares a kitchen with local favorite Destino, from which come tapas-size ceviche, ropa vieja, and quinoa risotto balls, all meant to pair with the Latin and classic cocktail list, New World wines and casual-hip ambiance. In the back there's a "floating island"--a slightly raised platform partially enclosed by a trellis--while the low-slung black couches facing the street make a good spot for a happy hour rendezvous.

10/12/08

Beautiful Place, Hand Crafted Pisco Cocktails, Great tasting Tapas!

by yramssay

I fell in love with this place the moment we walked in. This place is really really pretty! Love the theme of old bank exchange and the breath taking light fixture in the front!

Great cocktail and wine list. I love these new world wines and it's great that they have the standard 6oz serving and also 3oz serving for exact half of the price of the 6oz! This is great when you want to try many wines to match the food here.

Great little tapas menu that's very very original. We had the sardine and the yellowtail roll with quinoa. Food here is refreshing and feel that it's sort of good for your body maybe?

Beautiful bathroom for ladies and that always gets a huge plus for me. So yes we will be back for sure!

• Pros: Food, Drinks, Service, Vibe, Drinks again!
• Cons: Hmm, maybe parking? But there's always cabs!