V Bar

Expensive drinks that are small. Not the place to come to turn up. More of a place to catch up with friends, go on a date, or get hit on by a hit-​or-​miss/​older crowd (changes pretty frequently since it is inside the third floor of a hotel). I like chilling in the balcony on a sunny day.

After some back & forth trying to pick the right venue within SR, I decided on this spot after hearing some positive feedback from my cousin. So flash forward to a Friday night last month in December.
The V Bar is cool as it has a lounge vibe to it with tables and seating for those who go with the BS. Granted we came here before it started getting busy so there appeared to be ample space. Lucky for us, we snagged a table that overlooks the street, it would have been nice if they had light out there because it was pretty dark.
Was fortunate to catch the end of Happy Hour and grabbed a few of the half priced apps. I like the selection of the different apps as they were suitable to my less than picky palette. The kobe sliders, herb fries and quesadillas were the selections for my date and myself to split.
Anytime a place says they serve kobe steak/​sliders, etc. I cast a lot of doubt and question whether it’s really true or not. The sliders, albeit were tasty, did not taste like kobe to me. The fries were probably the best selection: crispy and herby. I was pleasantly surprised that the amount of food for $ 6 apps were more than expected. The beer selection for an establishment of this caliber was very basic.

I’ve only ever come here for happy hour, so this review is exclusively for that.
To be honest, sometimes I feel out of place at Santana Row. I’m more laid back and I’m so indifferent about fine dining, so this location is definitely not somewhere I frequent. HOWEVER, they do have bomb happy hours, so I’m like, I’m down.
First things first, I’m a fry girl, and I absolutely love their fries. Garlicky and skinny (i LOVE skinny fries), so basically perfection. I’ve had their fries both times I’ve come here. The first time, they were hot; the second time, not so much. Disappointing, but still good. Their steak quesadilla is delicious. Chicken wings are good. I think you can pass on the sliders. The ahi tuna (I think?) with the nori chips are cool, but I wish they would give more. I think all the happy hour food is $ 6, I can’t recall.
Now let’s down to the drinks (I think $ 6). They had/​have (I don’t know if they change up their drinks) a dragon fruit Moscow mule, and oh my goodness, yes. I love Moscow mules, and this one made it fruity, and I’m a fruity drink kind of gal, so yes yes and yes. They had this watermelon cocktail (I think that’s seasonal… or no, I don’t really know), and that one is OMG YES. Once again, fruity drink kind of gal.
They’re definitely very Santana Row-​y, with the whole located inside the hotel and on the third floor thing, PLUS the balcony seating. It’s fancy but not too fancy, and the waitresses are nice. It doesn’t seem to get too packed for happy hour either. Better for me!

I’m the kinda girl that likes fancy schmancy things for not so fancy prices and the happy hour here totally fits the bill!
Of course, a bar on Santana Row in a hotel has got to look high class. With the red lights, the fire pits outside, and the beautiful view from the balcony, V Bar screams intimate ambience. I haven’t seen it on a weekend but to be completely honest, I’d probably only go here for happy hour anyways so I wouldn’t see it all party’d up. The price for happy hour is easy on the wallet for when you’re ballin’ on a budget too ($ 6)! AND they played the Warriors game (wsuuuup 16 – 0)!
It may not be the best bar around (it was kinda dead when we went), but I’d stop by again if I were bar hopping on Santana Row.

Went from Sino to VBar last night … Wish we stayed at Sino … No personalities with VBar bartenders… none the less it’s a pretty place.

The only cool thing about this place is the location, which is in a hotel and overlooking Santana Row. The bar have limited seating that fills up quickly. The bar is lit with red lighting, and the bar counter has comic drawings on it (pretty cool). There’s a patio outside, but it was too cold to go outside.
Drinks are pricey. I had a mango mojito, but I can barely taste the mango, which cost me $ 12 – 13.
Overall, it’s okay if you want to be fancy (it is Santana Row after all), but this would not be my drinking spot.

This is one of my wife’s favorite place to go for happy hour, they have happy hour between 4 to 7 pm every day, bartender here are are some of the nicest once on Santana Row. Love the balcony sitting during summer.

The bar in Hotel Valencia. This place can be your best friend, or your arch enemy returned from the grave seeking to destroy you life and kill all your loved ones.
It’s a pretty typical swanky bar. Lots of people acting like they own the world, but in reality they live in the garage of their siblings house. It’s that kind of spot. Sometimes, there are areas that are secured off because someone who thinks they are Drake believes this location is really the hot spot in town. However, their drinks are pretty good if you can get through the swarm of people at the bar.
It’s a nice spot for a Friday late night drink with buddies, but I wouldn’t call it a place that you often need to frequent. Worth a visit for sure though.

I came here on a weeknight because Cielo was booked for a private event and it was the only bar on Santana Row I hadn’t been to yet. Unilocal warned it wouldn’t be perfect, and yeah, it was far from it. The bartenders were lowkey rude and the other customers there were like straight out of a rich kids of beverly hills episode. It was a Wednesday and the group of guys next to me were doing jagerbombs The bartenders’ attitudes were definitely a huge turnoff. I don’t want to pay money to be treated unpleasantly. My drink was average too, so I think if I ever come back it would be during happy hour.

Classy place with a casual ambience to have a wonderful evening with friends … The staff is very friendly and courteous… Bar tenders are super efficient and friendly… Very classy and great looking crowd… Would be coming back again, cheers

Go into Hotel Valencia, take the elevator to the 3^rd floor, then turn right.
This is one of my favorite places to go to for happy hour! The bartenders here are some of the nicest ones on SR. Their HH goes from 4 – 7 every day, not just Sun to Wed. They have Guinness on tap, which makes me a happy girl :) the prices aren’t that bad either for the beers. I wouldn’t get a cocktail here unless it’s something from their HH menu.

We showed up at V Bar a little after midnight on a Friday after Straits closed. We were asked for our ID’s and made our way up to the 2^nd floor of Hotel Valencia.
The bar itself is a good size, a little crowded because most places nearby are closed around midnight so everyone ends up here, already drunk before they even get their first drink.
I don’t recall the music, but we made our way to the bar area and the bartender gets us our drinks. I opted for water while my sister ordered a shot of Hennessy and Adrian grabs a bottle of Amstel.
While we were standing at the bar drinking, a drunk lady comes up to Adrian and tries to make a pass at him so I told him that he should talk to her because she seemed really desperately in need of his attention.
She ends up spilling her cocktail on his shirt & he turns to me to gesture «WTH», but my sister & I decided to play it off like we didn’t see. Lol
One of her girlfriends came up to us & asked for our permission for her friend to take Adrian off of our hands & we said «he’s available!» After my sister and I finished our drinks, we decided it was time to leave so we walked off and Adrian decides to run after us like a lost puppy.
I guess you can’t make a guy go for someone if he’s not interested in her, even if she’s throwing herself at him. That poor girl!
The 20 – 25 minutes we spent at V Bar was probably one of the most awkward moment of my life. Definitely one I will remember for a long time to come…

Happy Hour is a must!!!
Came here for the first time yesterday to meet a couple friends. $ 6 apps and signature drinks? Ummm… yes.
My friend had the fish tacos before I got there and he told me they were his absolute favorite.
I ordered a plate of hummus for us to share and it was amazing as well!
I’ll most definitely be coming back here to grab a couple drinks!

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It can get rough in here on Thursday-​Saturday nights when it gets late and the Row is packed. They are strict with dress code, unless you are hotel guests. However, I come here for the Happy Hour from 4 – 7 PM, no one here on week days. Love the balcony and courtyard, quite, beautiful and relaxing.
$ 6 food and wine, I like to come here for a quick bite. Marcella at the bar is nice too, he works there WED-​SAT, be nice and he takes good care of you!
— Mini slider
— Fish tacos
— Fries
Life on The Row!

The Good:
— In a relatively secluded upstairs hotel lobby.
— Ample seating area.
— No cover.
The Bad:
— Layout is piss poor for socializing. There are support beams everywhere, which make the area segmented and take up valuable real estate. Bar is incredibly difficult to get to since it is tucked away in the rear corner.
— They have outdoor areas, which are sometimes closed and sometimes open? In any case, there isn’t a dedicated smoking section so your smoking friends will have to take the elevator downstairs to ground level.
— Crowd is interesting. An eclectic mix of people ranging from thug looking ones, to business casual, to silicon valley.

V Bar $ 6 Happy Hour is a win in my eyes!
Located in the beautiful Santana Row, this lounge is great to relax in a post-​work HH with friends over the weekdays. It doesn’t get terribly crowded and there is plenty of seating around. All the cocktails on their $ 6 menu are very good :) Appetizers are limited but alright. Pork Sliders are probably my favorite — all the appetizers are super share-​able which makes the deal even better.
Oh ya, will be back, for sanity sake :)

I guess this is the place Hotel Valencia guests take their $ 250/​hr upscale call girls to impress them.
Our hero was less than impressed with the cocktails here, which are all $ 10+ and not quite up to par with with mixology bars. The décor is nice and hip with a wide open patio and a balcony overlooking Santana Row, so it’s got that going for it. If you’re 35+ years old, drive a Tesla, want to show off your fresh hair transplant, and own several tie clips… this might be the spot for you!
PROS:
— No cover.
— They have a happy hour 4−7PM every day of the week with a lot of $ 5 drinks and food items.
CONS:
— The noise level kind of ruins the lounge-​like ambiance.
— Fairly pricey, but hey it’s Santana Row.
— No dancing.

I really enjoy getting a drink at the bar and sitting on their balcony that looks over santana row. If you get there before 10:00 you will mostly likely be able to grab a table.
After 10, it’s way more busy. You’ll find a mix of hotel guests, older people and a handful of mid-​twenties hanging around in groups.
The drinks are okay, like most bars/​lounges the quality decreases as it gets busier. It can also take forever to order a drink.
P.S– Don’t order a mojito unless you want lemon-​lime juice.

Probably I was expecting this place to be more upscale that I found it to be, but still had a good time with 2 girlfriends from San Diego that just relocated here. Both of them have heard good reviews, so we did not hesitate to try it out after one shopping tour to Santana Row. The place was pretty empty, but it was like a Wed night (maybe not the peak day).
Atmosphere was so so, too dark, too red and black, couldn’t barely see anyone and had to put the flashlight on the phone to see the appetizers that came to the table. Seating was not very comfortable, and I would go next time to the patio where there were more people and ambiance looked more relaxed and you could actually talk to people without having to elevate your voice.
Appetizers were very good, I liked the curry fries the best and then the quesadilla. Not amazing but edible. Did not have any drink, so no comment on that.

Mary is wonderful. After a long long shift I love to sit back in the comfiest leather stools ever at the glowing red VBar bartop. I always get the Santana 75 and the artisan cheese plate (both available for happy hour) and it’s perfect everytime. I frequent this place, and I always leave happy.
As a note it is very dark! But awesome and large.