Bar 888

Grappa drinks are fantastic! However, food options are pricey and limited. Service is also surprisingly not all that attentive or friendly considering how much you are paying.

Ah, no! When you pay near $ 18 for a burger you would expect service to be attentive. Not the case here. Maybe because it was Christmas Day, the workers don’t seem like they wanted to be there and I totally get that. So, don’t go on Christmas Day!

Each time I stopped in a had the LES HALLES [$ 13 Hanger One Buddha’s Hand Lemon Vodka and Saint Germain Elderflower Liqueur with muddled cucumber &
fresh lime juice, served up] clearly I enjoyed it to have 3 nights in a row!!!
Cute bar gets a nice pre-​crowd that clams down as the evening comes to a close.

Ask for Ron… great bartender! Definitely knows how to make a great fresh margarita. Very tasty appetizers especially the steak frites! The steak was very tender & huge portion for it to be an appetizer. On another visit I tried the grilled cheese & soup of the day (potato with green garlic) which was very good as well. Definitely would come back.

Bar fits roughly 14. Very small dinner items (3) and 8 snack items. Had the Luce Burger and fries. It was perfectly good.

This bar has an extensive menu so large that it requires a table of contents. If you are looking for variety this place has it. It also has a unique option, grappa. It is essentially an italian liquor made from grapes but also another ingredient that shapes the flavor profile of each unique grappa. I got a grappa flight to taste what they had. They had an herb one which was rosemary or thyme or something like that. That was my favorite. They also had a honey one which they use in their grappa mojito which was very popular that night and they also had another fruit flavored grappa that I can’t recall but I remember it was my least favorite of the night. Since we were eating at Luce soon we only stopped off for one drink but it’s a nice bar but the stool height and the height of the bar is a little disproportionate if you want to eat at the bar. It was difficult to sit and enjoy the drink as well. Something they should look into. Overall service was fine and they explained the grappas to me who is a novice at best so I had a good experience at this bar.

I give this place 3 stars! –1 for the slooooooooooow service.
We came here to get a snack before our massage at the iSpa. Everyone was friendly and the food/​drinks are delicious. The only thing is, i had to look for my server and when i couldn’t flag her down, and i just said what i needed out loud (normal voice, not yelling) someone came. Dang, the workers here are ear hustlers, how did she hear me from way over yonder. Whatever. It worked. Thats how we flagged them down instead of the usual Eye contact, slight hand wave thing that people usually do.
They give a whole new meaning to closed mouths dont get fed.
Still enjoyed my dining experience here tho!

Around 8 p.m. I walked back to the hotel and got a craving for dessert. I stopped by the bar and ordered a to go order. The bartender was nice but seemed really confused as to why I would want to take my dessert to go. I’m not sure why I had to convince him. It took about 30 minutes for a nearly $ 15 dessert that ended up being a dollop of ice cream and a couple sprinkles of chocolate on a cracker. It finally came out on a plate with napkin and silverware like I was staying. Which was fine, tried to take it and run, but the waiter acted oddly, like it had to be in a to go container. So then I had to wait for that. He ended up not remembering the silverware and had to go back. The ice cream had melted at this point. All in all it was an odd experience and I felt like I was inconveniencing everyone there even though both the bar and restaurant weren’t too busy. I just can’t imagine this was their first to go order, but they acted like it was.

It was my first time here for a meal after a recommendation from a friend and I really enjoyed it! I had their Burger, which was great — juicy and full of flavor… one of the best! It arrived with Garlic French Fries, which were also very good — garlicy with some nice saltiness from the nice addition of Parmesan cheese. Along with this fantastic burger I had a Gingery-​Doo — a nice Vodka cocktail with great ginger flavor.
Overall, this is a great spot for cocktails and bar food. The burger is fantastic and I definitely recommend it.

Came here for a quick bite to eat after landing and checking into the hotel. Had a glass of Malbec and tried a few of the bar bites (Aquerello Rice Risotto Croquettes with Fior di Latte and Tomato Marmalade, and Cured Sonoma Foie Gras w/​Brioche, Medjool Dates). The rice risotto croquettes were just okay — didn’t like the lemon-​y taste or the tomato marmalade. The foie gras was also just OK, it was a bit too rich with the brioche.
Despite not loving the bar bites I ordered, the menu has a lot of variety. The service is friendly. The bar ambience is great, very low-​key, with 2 TVs as well.

It’s a nice place with good food for a hotel lobby bar. The prices are a bit higher but the food is not compromised. I had Pan Roasted Artic Char and it was pretty outstanding for $ 17. They have a nice wine list but pricey and I didn’t get to experience the grappas for which they are known for.

We had time to kill before our reservation at Luce so we decided to grab cocktails from Bar 888. Bar 888 is known for their Grappa cocktails. I tried two of them. The Chamomile Crush, which featured their chamomile grappa with orange blossom water, lemon juice, and agave, tasted strong at first but had a good tart tangy flavor to it. I also tried the Moscone Pear which was really delicious! It was a grappa with fresh pear purée in it along with fresh lemon and lime juice. Refreshing and flavorful. I would definitely come back to try other grappa cocktails. The bar is small and dark in the front of Luce. There is also seating on the side too.

Grappa, anyone? Anyone? Um, no. I will have a Goose and soda, please. I am of Italian heritage and I would not touch the stuff with a 10 foot pole.
That said, this bar inside the Intercontinental is fantastic. It may be a hotel lobby bar, and yes, it may focus on Grappa, which is weird, IMO, but I liked the place.
The service was excellent, the drinks were good, the bar was packed for a random Thursday night, the crowd was upscale, in short it was all good. I doubt many San Franciscans will come here as a Friday night destination, but if you are in town for business and either staying at an area hotel or the Intercontinental itself, this is a great place to unwind for a few drinks.

*********************** REVIEW 438 ************************
Located inside the New InterContinental Hotel, adjacent to the lobby lounge and Luce resto, nice open space, but not cozy, a good place to have a cocktail, if you are waiting for someone staying here; but they are well-​known for their Grappa.
My parents tried it for the first time, and it was explained tot hem that most Grappa is made by distilling pomace, grape residue (mainly the skins, but also stems and seeds), left over from winemaking after pressing. It was originally made to prevent waste by using leferover at the end of wine season; and so the alchohol is high between 38−80%. My parents tried out the Blueberry Grappa serving in the cute little flute about 1.5 OZ for $ 14, my dad turned red in 2 minutes, haha! My mon finished her glass, they went up to the room and passed out 15 minutes later!
In the mean time, I was down here with my friend Priscilla & a few others, we had a few drinks:
— Cosmopolitan –smooth,
— Raspberry lemondrop with Chamobord — good,
— Eau de Vin — nice, but too sweet for me, although my other GF loves it!
— Smash-​up fresh strawberry with Italian Soda & Lemonade, off the menu — pretty good!
All cocktail are between $ 12-​$ 14, service was slow at the lounge. So you are better off if seat by the bar, only 12 seats bar!

Came in on a Monday night after our spa treatment thinking it’d be completely empty, but there was a conference/​meeting group here and the entrance was just crazy! Fortunately, we found a table at the bar pretty quickly.
Overall, the food is really good, but the service is a little lacking. For a place that was not very busy, they were slow to catch on that 2 people joined our table and needed drinks, and we had to repeat our orders a few times to a rather pompous guy (he looked like the manager and not the regular server?). No smiles…
Food:
Grilled Cheese: Very good. small and elegant and yummy
Fries: Awesome with the parmesean sprinkled on it
Tuna Tartare: not the best dish of the night but pretty good
Vietnamese Pork Sliders: my fave of the night. Absolutely yummy

Small bar adjacent to Luce with a square U-​shaped bar area with a towering display of bottles on the fourth side and a few lounge tables. Hip retro décor.
It wasn’t too loud, but the bartender had a hard time understanding our orders. I felt like a silly tourist in a foreign country shouting in slow motion when the other person obviously doesn’t understand English («MAYY-​KERS MARRKK MANN-​HAA-​TTAN!!»). Even pointing at the sommelier’s choice wine in the menu didn’t have better results («GRRAAA-​NNAASHH»).
Once we got our drinks it was a nice place to hang for half an hour before getting seated at Luce for dinner. Complimentary almonds were provided.
WARNING: The beautiful black granite bar top is beveled slightly downwards the last ~5 inches. One of our party found out the hard way as her drink started slipping and spilled a bit on her lap. In the ½ hr we were there we saw this happen to another person except their drink fell completely on the floor. Cool look, bad design.

Serves a mean Basil Gimlet.
Honestly a beautiful serene way to start off the night.
Caution: the bar counter slopes slightly, watch for the dip or you’ll have a wet lap.
SITTING room only: the tvs are angled so that you have to sit down to see what’s on.

*sigh*
Ho hum. Another Monday night hanging with the guys.
A friend of mine was visiting from out of town and wanted to meet up since I have not seen his navy blue suited arse in about half a year. Not to mention, I rarely hit up bars in hotels unless it is for the following:
1. Conference (the conference is so bad one is compelled to seek refuge elsewhere)
2. Date (the date is so bad one is compelled to seek refuge elsewhere)
3. Corporate event (the party is so bad one is compelled to seek refuge elsewhere)
It was only upon my meek acceptance of this that he hit me with a double whammy at the entrance after giving me one of his awesome hugs. «My coworkers are joining us.»
After I was seated his coworkers came down from their rooms and lo and behold, consisted of four other men, in suits. Was he trying to kill me? I kicked him on the shin under the table. Good thing I was somewhat appropriately dressed for this occasion in my standard black shift dress and patent black slingbacks. His supervisor and three other associates. I ordered my usual, Grey Goose on the rocks while Alex proceeded to do a round of Glenlivet for the boys. Ah, the consequences of a well meaning friend ;o)
Bar 888 has a very sleek and sophisticated modern interior. I think it would have been a bit more grounding to have darker espresso colored furniture, because the white contrast gave it a little space agey interior. But I’m not complaining. The staff person assigned to our little table was consistent and kept coming back at intervals to insure we were always full or at the very least, topped off.
I personally adore the Intercontinental Hotel Group. When I was in Boston for work, I stayed at one and fell in love, immediately. Everything was to my liking and specifications. No King Bed? They fixed me up with a Queen promptly. The men here held the doors open for me. I had one of the best views along the waterfront. So, I confess to being a bit biased.
In addition to our drinks the guys decided to order a little something as a prep prior to going out for dinner. Bar 888 hosts a decent Bar Bites menu. Not too fancy. Just perfect. The charcuterie plate was typical, a decent amount of cured meats, cheeses to slow down the absorption of alcohol. The dishes here are of decent pricing and not too expensive. I personally wanted to try the hamburger but since I got conned into going to dinner with them, thought I’d hold back my meaty inclinations.
Our conversation went somewhere along the lines of the men bantering about the current proposals all the way up to what their next stop was this week. Then it came upon the subject of golf, which basically ate up the rest of the evening. The GG was getting to me and I could already feel the blush creeping slowly across my cheeks.
Decent drinks, lovely bar, good location. I may be back just to see my friends and try their Grappa, their signature drink.

GIVE ME AN EIGHT!
GIVE ME ANOTHER EIGHT!
GIVE ME ANOTHER EIGHT!
WHAT DOES IT SPELL… ummm, huh?
So where does a Unilocaler go for his 888^th review? Hmmm… perhaps Bar 888. Nobu actually gave me the brilliant idea of coming here on the occasion of this arguable milestone. I seem to be moving up in class…500 Club for my 500^th review…800 Larkin for my 800^th… and now Bar 888 for #888. It’s all in the numbers, y’know.
I kinda knew what to expect since by coincidence, I dined at Luce — also in the spanking new InterContinental Hotel — earlier this month. I didn’t realize I walked right by Bar 888 then because the open space goes from lobby to bar to restaurant in a seamless fashion. Normally I like an open floor plan, but I have to say Bar 888 reminds me of an airport lounge. I kept trying to look for a sign to see if my flight had been delayed. The bar still has that tinge of retro-70’s about it like Luce, though they seem to have gone to a fire sale at West Elm since everything wooden was chocolate brown.
Cocktails were priced for the hotel guests… that’s for sure. A fancy selection with plenty of fru-​fru. I had a $ 11 Pimms Spritz ’cause I was going for something refreshing. It was. I didn’t realize I was supposed to order one of their vintage grappas, but I wasn’t in a particularly high-​octane mood for a weeknight. Speaking of which, Jamie W. had a virgin mojito for $ 6, which had an especially puckery– minty flavor without the rum. We shared a $ 4 plate of their sweet pickles which tasted like they came right out of a Vlassic jar.
Actually my favorite eats were the freebies, especially those wasabi-​flavored crunch nuts. Tasty. The seats in the lounge area have the same shiny faux-​leather as the restaurant, and you certainly have room to spread out since the more hardcore drinkers were at the bar itself. I just wish it felt cozier and the service less brisk. Especially for my 888^th review… where was the cake… where were the streamers… could someone blow me a kazoo?
COCKTAILS — 3.5 stars… the drink was almost as brisk as the service… pass me the wasabi nuts
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… Flight 782 is ready for boarding… passengers with disabilities and small children will be seated first… and thank you for flying InterContinental Airlines
SERVICE — 3 stars… brrrr…
TOTAL — 3 stars… I think a dive will do me next time

It’s hard to get a full gauge on how Bar 888 will settle into itself but as dedicated follower of hotel bars, I had to go opening night. The Hotel Intercontinental, itself just opened, was already alive right at five.
The bar is situated between the main lobby and Luce, the hotel’s restaurant, allowing an easy flow between them both. There’s some plush seating — good for groups of four or five — and the bar has seating all around it. It’s top shelf liquor displayed impeccably, but the main attraction, at least for now, is the extensive grappa menu.
If you’re used to thinking of grappa as tasting like rocket fuel, you’re still somewhat correct but they also do stock a wider range of more accessible (read: flavored) grappas. We didn’t really get a chance to try the higher-​end «firewater» (that said, our grappas were still $ 10 a piece), but if you’re interested in acquiring a taste for the stuff, this is the place to do it.
The crowd promises to be a mix of suits and well-​heeled travelers, so take it or leave it for what it is, or just add more grappa.