Bix

Bix found a niche in the 1980s as a bar which represents old-school Great Gatsby glamour, and it hasn’t changed since.

The bar describes its interior with phrases such as: “fluted columns, plush banquettes, starched linens and polished flatware”. Everything evokes the glitz and sparkle of a cruise liner, and it’s accurate. The mahogany counter runs along a back wall, with a hand painted, dance-hall mural above it, and the tables are on both floors of the building. The drinks menu plays safe but the drinks are well made. Similarly, the dinner menu doesn’t stray far from a 1980s classic list of lobster, steak, creamed spinach and truffles.

During its thirty-year existence, Bix has featured in adverts, films and magazines as the quintessential San Francisco restaurant. It’s easy to see why its atmospheric interior has appealed to media types, but the city’s bar scene has moved on and Bix is perhaps an unfair representation now of the city’s cocktail prowess. All in all, a good, solid bar though.