The Occidental Cigar Club

I went here for a drink with a co-​worker. They have a good selection of whisky and cigars.
The staff was friendly and eager to advice you on whats new and interesting. Plus any place were you can smoke a cigar and have a drink in lefty SF is a 5 star place.

Do not smoke there they charge 5 dollar per cigar. They are also rude and disrespectful

Was chill until the lady at the bar freaked out over something very small. But whatever

I’ve always wanted to go to Occidental, but the timing has always been off. I’d be with people who didn’t like cigars, but be close by. Or I’d be with people who loved cigars and be no where near the Financial district. Finally, the stars aligned and I made it to Occidental last Saturday, March 5^th around 8pm.
It was a super rainy night, so there weren’t that many people in the cigar club. The atmosphere was super chill. Our group of three managed to snag three seats at the end of the bar.
I’m not much of a cigar smoker, but the roommate loves cigars, so I always default to him when picking one. He wasn’t with us, so I texted him the cigar menu. He suggested the Arturo fuente, My father, Padron and Rocky patel. Between the three of us, we ended up getting a Rocky patel and a smaller Padron. I don’t know much about cigars, but I enjoyed the Rocky patel more.
Drinks wise, we got: Tomatin, highlands: 18 yr ($ 20); Glenmorangie, highland: extra rare 18 yr ($ 24); and Occidental cigar club’s single barrel eagle rare ($ 15 per measure). I preferred the Glenmorangie over the Tomatin. It was a lot smoother. Although the Tomatin did pair well when smoking the Rocky patel.
When I checked into Occidental, I noted, «Scotch and cigars. The perfect combination.» So true!

My profile picture says it all… I do qualify to write this review.
Single malt whisky in my right hand, a nice Arturo Fuente in my left hand, my boys sitting around the table watching whatever game is on TV or just talking smack. I like sitting in the table up front, where you can open the window and get some ventilation.
One of my favorite places to blow off some steam, but make sure you bring enough $$ with you They carry top shelf smokes and drinks but hey… chilling out does have a price.

This cigar bar is by far the best I’ve had in the city. The club offers a nice range of prestigious cigars that can be costly but totally worth it as well as huge amount of imported alcohol. The list goes on. This club is neighborhood friendly and is well known to San Franciscans.
I truly felt comfortable here. The seating is well spread out and the level of intimacy is spot on. There is also dim lighting which is a plus. Some men are talking politics, some sports, and some actually on their laptops talking business. It’s pretty much diverse.
The owner is kind and approachable. He makes you feel at home and also gives great advice on drinks to pair with whatever cigar. Today I had an Arture Fuente with Venezuelan rum that is rare. It was a sweet vanilla taste with my light and medium smoke cigar. Together it was perfect. My totally came to be $ 35! Not bad! especially with watching sports and catching up on my emails on my phone.
I’ve got to come back for more. I want to start pairing different cigars with different kinds of alcohol. It’s fun, inviting, and many options to choose from. I don’t think theres another cigar joint like this in the city. I def recommend this spot!

I misunderstood what happened that evening. I take back my original post. All good at Occidental. Love this place. Curt is so knowledgeable about everything in his establishment. Go here!

A relaxing spot for a nice cigar and apéritif. Peruse through the menu for some clever quips from great historical figures.

Occidental can be fairly hit or miss with the crowds; it is a cigar lounge (you can smoke cigarettes as well inside), so you have to appreciate that smoky atmosphere. That being said, this bar has some of the best whisky, scotch, bourbon, and cognac you can find (which you can hardly ever buy from an importer). The bartender/​owners have been there forever, and as a consequence becoming a regular is totally an option. They keep your spirit of choice filled without question and have spot-​on recommendations. The older jovial crowd can also be found here, so even while you’re young you can pop in for some old-​fashioned advice and soak in the olden days. Ask for a single barrel brandy or possibly their house bourbon barreled stout! Cheers!
(P.S. Read the menu, it has character to boot)

Everything about this place screams «old boys network», while making me (neither one of the «old boys» or one of the «network») feel like I belong. I’ve been here twice while visiting from out of town. The first time (3 years ago) was so outstanding that when I met up with a friend who was also visiting, about 2 months ago, I knew we needed to make a stop here even though it was out of the way.
This is a good old fashioned cigar bar. No frills. Great cigars at a reasonable price. Great bourbon selection. Eagle Rare distilled just for them was a real stand out. Kurt was a fantastic bartender. Knowledgeable, friendly and attentive, in spite of the growing crowd as the night wore on.
We thoroughly enjoyed our cigars and our visit. Looking forward to coming back again on my next trip to SF.

What Marc C. from West Hollywood isn’t telling you is that he came in with some friends, sat in a corner, didn’t buy any drinks or cigars, and got butt-​hurt when they got kicked out for not buying anything. THEN instead of just going somewhere else, he came back and started silently taking pictures from the doorway.
I know this. I was there. I saw it all go down.
The reality is that Occidental is a relaxed, unpretentious place to stop by after work for a cigar and a stiff drink with some very friendly actual-​locals… Just don’t be a Dick… or a Marc C.

I consider The Occidental to be a staple of downtown San Francisco. When it comes to cigar selection, atmosphere, the friendly and knowledgeable owner/​bartender, and great selection of whiskey, The Occidental is about as good as it gets. There’s really no sense in belaboring the point… you need to try this place.

This place is hands down the best cigar lounge I have ever been to. Kurt is the man. I don’t really know what else to say. Cigar prices are more than fair and the drink selection is top tier. If you come here, you won’t want to leave. If you treat him with respect, he more than reciprocates. I’ve been to all the cigar shops in the la/​OC area, and this place takes the cake.
Fair prices, great selection, and impeccable service; what more could you ask for?
Thanks Occidental! I can safely say I’ve found my go to spot in the Bay Area!

Went back last night and had another great experience. I ordered a Bulleit bourbon and they were out, so I was poured the Eagle Rare that they distill in their own barrels! A treat!
Also had a Fuente and some great conversation at the bar.
Perfect way to end any day when you’re in SF!

Yvette just runs a damn good business.
I cant say enough about this place. I used to go all the time but recently my schedule has not permitted a frequent visits. Even though there may be patrons that go more than i do Yvette always remembers me and makes me feel right at home.
Dont let the size of the lounge fool you, there is a great selection of cigars accompanied by an equally impressive stock of scotch, bourbon, and whiskey. This is not your chic modern cigar lounge, this is the old school leather wrapped, scotch neat, take your time and converse sort of cigar lounge. Always a great pour which is something you rarely see these days. you definitely get your money’s worth.
One of the things i love most is there is RARELY any drama. There are so many places with drama these days. I can always go here and have a peace of mind and relax. The patrons are very friendly. i dont think i have ever gone in and not had a conversation with at least 1 person and for less than 15 minutes. (of course you could keep to yourself and no one would bug you but wheres the fun in that).
If youre looking for that old school cigar lounge feel, a superb scotch & cigar pairing, as well as a chill environment to enjoy those in, then make the time everytime to stop in.

Great place to have a nice cigar and some good whisky. It is a bit cramped and crowded and the ventilation could be better. Overall it was a good place to go and the owner/​bartender was nice plus very welcoming.
I’ll have to go again in the day time when there is less people.
Update: Great during the day!

This place is one of 2 places where you can smoke in SF area.
Please expect SF and California taxes when purchasing cigars here. Alternatively, you are welcome to bring your own cigar for a $ 5 cutting fee. Very good cigars to be had here for $ 20, and the better ones will be around $ 30.
Its a smallish kinda place, with seating for 20 max. There aren’t any lounging chairs, and you’ll find what you typically see in a bar setting. There is a full bar with a lot of whiskies.
This is more of a bar than a cigar lounge. It just happens that you can smoke here.

I stopped by this cigar bar while in SF last month. The owner was behind the bar. Place was fairly packed, 12 or so people which is almost full considering its small size. They have a small humidor next to the bar. Limited choices and overpriced. I’d recommend bringing your own sticks.
The owner had some friends at one end of the bar she was providing with great service. She was nice to me and the others but something really rubbed me wrong. She was serving a foursome of Russian foreigners several shots. She then poured some back into different shot glasses and gave them to her friends. How do you over pour a shot glass? Full is full. Apparently, not so here. Shots are ¾ shots. It was also fishy that she did this while then patrons backs were turned. They saw full glasses, turned around, and took their ¾ full glasses to their table.
This isn’t good business. I won’t be back. Owner needs to learn how to treat people properly. She bragged about her number of years being a bartender. Well that’s splendid but it doesn’t mean you’re gracious. Shocked she did this right in front of me, a total stranger.
I found this place as a recommendation in Cigar & Spirits Magazine. I’ll have to keep looking for better places to have a cigar and drink in town. Cheers.

Contrary to the positive reviews for this place I didn’t enjoy myself here. This place needs a much better ventilation system than the one they have here as the place just left me gasping as it was way crowded. Decent selection of beer and liquors. The cigars on offer cover a decent range though we brought our own and didn’t mind paying the 5 $ cutting fee. I did revisit and with a light crowd the place was bearable.

Nice selection with decent prices on high end cigars considering California taxes.
Unlike my last visit, Friday night was energetic but not so noisy. So so ventilation, with front door open. Otherwise, basically a couple ceiling fans and an open front door. All bar stools, no sofas or lounge chairs.
Bar tender does a good job for a one man band despite a large crowd. Good cocktails. The old fashioned could use more bitters and less sugar but the Manhattan was excellent.
I’d say it’s not really a cigar bar, but rather a bar with cigars. But, a good spot for San Fran as long as you are not expecting a quiet cigar and comfortable seating.
Big plus is that it is open on Saturday afternoons! I came in again and it was peaceful. The bartender was great. Music was great. I think it was the Pandora David Bowie channel. They were out of the brandy I wanted and she gave me tastes of two high end brandies and a bas Armagnac. They have a great selection of whiskey, port, and cordials. Several very good wines from boutique vineyards. Small beer list but mostly local breweries.
Came back again Sat night and it was very pleasant. Busy but nice, quiet crowd and still great service.
Highly recommended place for a cigar in San Fran.

Bonne ambiance, bons cigares, superbe carte de bourbons et de rhum, une adresse réservée aux aficionados !