Sugar

Sugar Lounge is a nice addition to the recently transformed "hip" neighborhood of Hayes Valley. I remember only a few years ago that Hayes Valley was considered an OK neighborhood with emphasis on the close proximity of the ghetto down the street. Anyway, now In Style magazine is writing about Madonna and Courtney Cox shopping at the boutiques on Hayes. Boy have things changed! G and I stopped in for a quick drink at Sugar before the Laker game started and were pleasantly surprised. The decor is cute, girly with mauve walls and velvet pillows along the window seats near the bar entrance. G liked the creative, glass-blown lighting fixtures which were prominent on the walls.

We scored a place at the bar and each ordered a drink. G ordered the "009" Gin Martini while I opted for a nice glass of cab. The bar had a good amount of people, but was not too crowded to enjoy a nice chat with the person you are with or the people sitting near you. Oh wait, this is San Francisco and you are not supposed to talk with people unless you know them. This is what I have found to be my experience and I think most east coasters, especially Dean would agree with that statement.

A nice touch at the bar was that they had some free h'our derves for patrons which included brie and crackers, vegetables and dip and a few hot plates that were of an unknown origin(we didn't care to check). The bartender was friendly and attentive, but not too attentive, just the way I like service to be. There was a live DJ playing some vinyl in the corner-mostly ambient/downtempo beats which fit the mood and personality of the bar perfectly. There is a small room in the back of the bar, behind the bathrooms which could hold around 6 people and is very private. This spot would be great to play a board game or even just relax with a bunch of friends you have not seen in a while knowing that you will continue to get louder as the night goes on.

Overall I would rate this bar 4.5 stars out of 5. It's a nice place to grab a drink after work, on a date or a pre-dinner drink. The drink menu was creative and they had a nice "by-glass" wine selection that was classy yet not overwhelming to even the most uneducated wine connoisseur. Enjoy!

Sugar Lounge: 377 Hayes St.(cross is Gough) San Francisco, CA 94102