Sofa

Although the drinks are pricey the service is warm and personable, and this place is classy. Worthy of being a lounge destination. Not sure if this is a dance venu but the downstairs does feature a dj set up and something of a dance floor.

My friend and I went in here to have drinks then eat at Bossa Nova — fortunately, our bartender, Kevin was really cool and told us the place is attached — read Same Kitchen different venue. We started with some craft cocktails — one in particular was an original from Kevin called ***Foxy Brown*** — must go to try it, the ingredients were truly unique, something he made himself — it had a touch of sweetness with a good heat kick yum.
We met one of the owners, John, a very well dressed and friendly man. We hit the jackpot that evening by going through and tasting different wines with John and Kevin — I personally recommend Root Cabernet and Kaiken Reserva Malbec. He has 3 Malbecs on the menu and they are all unique and tasty — but this Kaiken had bigger ripe berry flavors and oak that opened up more as you drank it — same with the Root 1 Cabernet Sauvignon. Both beautiful wines. I enjoyed the other wines — all of quality, but these 2 really stood out to me. And all of them are reasonably priced from $ 9-​$ 12 per glass.
We decided to have dinner at the bar instead of going back upstairs to the restaurant and ended up both eating the delicious Steak served with Potatoes, and it was tender and juicy.
Later on a couple Irish guys came in Aidan and his gay friend Damian. We all hung out and had a blast — such a great place, and smooth tunes — I hate it when I can’t talk to the people beside me and this is not one of those places. Also a lot of great looking people going in and out. You can get in thru the side door and it gives the speak easy feel — OR just walk down the steps from the restaurant part of it. This is a real find — 1000% better than Bourbon and Branch. That place is ok — but this place has everything and it’s not so dark that you can’t see the people in front of you. ;)

I absolutely love this place! I’ve been here twice. The first time on a Saturday and it was packed, and then the second time on a Monday and it was as if we rented out the bar! The speakeasy vibe is really fun, I love the dim lighting. This place has a lot of character, brick walls etc. The bartenders are great. Julie is awesome, and french.
I was just here for my 21^st birthday — shout out to the greatest bartender ever JOEL!!! He makes the most delicious drinks, just kind of wings them and does what he wants. Really creative and really yummy! He’s awesome! This place is awesome! Thanks for giving me a great 21^st.

I am giving two stars because i love the setting ! True lounge ambiance! However, the staff so? The girls behind the bar cute but don’t think professional bartender! At 11pm claim they ran put of mojitos, pleasure drink, most cocktails I was asking for! Keep want to sell me vodka water???

Great ambiance. They have DJs and a small dance floor. There are lots of intimate nooks with seating, beautiful details, and its dark.
Bar service was prompt even though it was kind of a busy Friday. I’m not sure if it is a San Francisco thing or if it is dependent on the place you go, but patrons were also very nice and talkative here. Making friends all over.
Worth checking out!

This place is small. Poor air ventilation in the basement and one bathroom. And oh, they ran out of Jameson at 11pm.
I will not be back.

After meeting a friend at Harry’s (Whenever I go there I remember I really like that place) we decided to be adventurous and head out of Pac Heights to somewhere I had never been before, Sofa.
After living in the city for quite some time, I find it a delightful surprise when someone takes a lead in showing me somewhere I have never been. Sofa is a great little hideaway in a bit of a creepy area. (Cab in, cab out, similar to Tradition)
For a Wednesday night the place is pretty empty and a great spot to get to know someone. Décor is nice and you feel like you are in a tucked away speakeasy. Our service was great too. Strong whiskey cocktails and good food. Since it is right underneath a restaurant it is nice to be able to order decent fare rather than bar bites.
The butterfish Tataki salad was my favorite. Another hit was a lamb stick.
I don’t think I would make this place a regular hang out spot, mainly because of its lack of proximity to my apartment, but I thought it was a really fun SF spot to find.

Love places where they do not charge cover, it does not get too full, and music is not too loud. When I was younger I loved pumping places but now that I’m older I want good ambiance and a place to sit. Sofa was perfect for me. It is kinda hidden, I wouldn’t have known about it if I didn’t eat at Bossa Nova which is located upstairs, when you go downstairs it is beautiful, small underground lounge bar.
Looks like a speakeasy bar Sofa feels like a 20s themed bar with a modern twist. Had couches and chairs for groups, so best to get there early and mark your territory! Only drawback, one bathroom for everyone to share both men and women. Drinks are a bit pricey too but then maybe I shouldn’t order so many anyway! Nice casual vibe.

This has been my fav dive bar for 15 years in SF. Its changed names a few times, but they have great tenders, great drinks, and they will serve you food in the bar anytime the kitchen is open upstairs. They sometimes only have 1 server so it can be slow. if you’re in a rush, go elsewhere. If your a dick, you should probably also go elsewhere. DJs are always great.

Nice atmosphere but really BAD service!
*** Check the reviews for Bossanova as well. Because they the same restaurant***
#1 UNDERSTAFFED!
We were shuffled to the lounge area for some drinks before the show (Saturday night). It was severely understaffed with 1 bartenderess. All of the filled with dirty dishes from the previous patrons and no one bothered to clean them up. She finally came over and took an arm full of plates and said she would come back to take our order… BUT SHE NEVER CAME BACK! Instead, she started taking orders from people at the bar. We also had to remind them about the missing silverware and plates. We weren’t the only customers feeling like the staff was crappy. There were several other groups that were sitting there in frustration.
#2 Drinks were MEH.
I’ve had better. I don’t even think there was any alcohol in my ciaperina. This is suppose to be a Brazillian restaurant and they can’t even get that right? yikes!
#3 Food was so-​so.
We ordered the Tuna Tartare and the Chicken Croquettes with the bartenderess… which to forgot about the croquettes and had to come back for us to remind her. Tuna tartare was nice… flavorful and tasty. The croquettes were a totally different story. They were little balls filled with something that looked like cat food/​tuna… and FLAVORLESS. We had to slather the aioli sauce it came with just to make it taste like something.
***Overall***
I think this place has potential (décor wise) but it needs some major changes to the staff and food.

first walk down the stairs to this underground bar and you feel cosy. The set of a good old movie. Sofas are surrounding the place. There is still space to dance. the perfect place to meet someone or bring a date.
This venue is the definition of what I call comfort-​party. the atmosphere is enjoyable, the sound is good, the service is good.
more popular on the weekend and more quiet in the week.

Cool hidden underground little lounge.
We recently had a birthday party at Sofa. A bunch of us had dinner upstairs at Bossa Nova and then were joined by several others downstairs to continue the celebration. They reserved a area for us. The DJ that night played some sweet mash-​up sets that night and he had the place hopp’n. Our super friendly server took very good care of us.
Good times!

SoMa’s seXy little secret…
Nestled in an unmarked alleyway is Sofa, an underground lounge in a former speakeasy space.
As you walk down the dark mysterious stairway, it feels like you’ve stepped back in time to the Prohibition era.
From the bronze illuminated bar, candle lights, faux fireplace, exposed red bricks, and drinking dens with vintage leather furnishings and scarlet red ottomans, Sofa oozes seXy!
A perfect place for a low-​key night with friends or a sensuous night with your hot date, Sofa’s ambiance will get you in THE mood.
On the weekends, the DJ spins 90s Throwbacks and R&B so you can get your groove on.
Sofa has 5 star potential except for two things:
(1) The Staff
(2) Whoreable Cocktails
Oh dear gawd, where do I begin?
Our waitress was sweet but is a brunette Kelly Bundy. If you cant remember something, write it down! I swear she came back to our table asking what we had ordered MORE times than actually bringing our drinks. Remember «The Newwww Allanteeee»!!! Hey, it helped Kelly during her audition.
The nose up in the airee bartenders were completely clueless.
Do NOT order any of their specialty cocktails ($ 12). I made the mistake of ordering The Miss which was suppose to be basil, gin, and watermelon. What I got was a disgustingly bitter Screwdriver.
It was so bad, I had to order a Hendrick’s Tonic just to chase down my cocktail. And for the love of gawd, do NOT request a drink that has more than two ingredients because it’s like solving a quadratic equation to them. Stick with their simple ABCs: Absolut Vodka, Beer, and Captain Morgan otherwise you’ll get blank stares from the bartenders.
Ahhhh such a waste of a beautiful F (SP)ACE…
OTHER NOTES:
*Underneath Bossa Nova (
) with a nondescript entrance on Minna.
*No cover.
*No dresscode.
*Mixed crowd in their late 20s-​late 30s.
*Full Bossa Nova menu available till 9:30 PM (don’t bother because the Elmer’s Glue cheese bread for example was as bad as the cocktails).
*One bar with a limited liquor selection. No Jäger. No Redbull. WTF?
*Drinks are $ 11-​$ 12 for top shelf liquor and signature cocktails (no HH specials).
*6−7 Sofa den areas.
*No designated dance floor (people made their own).
*Poor ventilation.
*One bathroom.
*Street parking (beware of midnight street cleaning).

Well, I should have known better, after reading the other reviews here, but I needed a meet up spot for a large group of theater going friends and this was close and had food. I warned the bartender than I would have 35 people meeting there and we would have to leave sharply by 7:45 and was assured it would not be a problem. Everyone ended up in several smaller groups and every single tab was wrong. Most people were over charged; somehow my bill was $ 60 for a HH drink, a beer and two vodkas. Food from upstairs was extremely slow, some people had to inhale the dishes in order to get out on time, and they really should hire people based on ability, not just looks. The bartender had to ask several of my friends what they ordered when they asked for the tab. I wish I had time to argue my exorbitant bill, but the curtain was lifting.
I liked the look of the place and the skewers that I had were good, but the service was very off putting.
I’d hope they would pay attention to the plethora of complaints here and fix some stuff.

Came here for a private party.
The style and furniture are classic 20s. Nice vibe and its got a super nice feel. Almost like a cigar bar.
Serving staff was awesome. Catering from the Bossa Nova restaurant upstairs was really good. GREAT DJ.
The entrance in on Minna street, look for the red door.
I had to tell the bartender how to make a skinny margarita, and she needed the recipe for other drinks. I find that to be pretty lame. For such a cool bar, you need cool bartenders that can make you anything.
Either way, I would highly suggest this place for a private party.

My coworkers and I went out for one of our former co-worker’s farewell, after having some drinks at Oola we decided to go to this hole-​in-​the-​wall place. This place does not have a sign and is in an alley, which makes it look very ghetto. I guess it is a Speak-​Easy.
The place looks cute, although the toilet does stink up the whole place.
It was a Saturday night and not overly packed (at 11pm), but nicely filled with people. At 1am another of our coworkers joined us, after which he was denied to order anymore drinks. At 1am on a Saturday the bartenders decided to close down the bar, but we could «still hang out.» We decided to find another place and tried to pay for our bill. This is where this place went from 3 to 1 (actually 0) stars.
I had put my credit card down just to open a tab (as that was easier at that point since we were with 10 people), when we tried to pay the bill and split it between 2 credit cards the bartender said she couldn’t split the bill and then went ahead and charged everything to my credit card, although I had never given her authorization for doing so. I told her again that we wanted to split the bill and she asked if I wanted to speak with her manager, I did, but the manager never came. The bartender came back and said the manager told her she cannot split bills. We are all employees in the hospitality industry and know damn-​well that a bill can be split into multiple payments, but this bartender was just too damn lazy to split it between 2 credit cards (we weren’t asking her to do open-​heart chirurgy).
We will most likely not be going back, just because of the lazy bartenders with attitude. Thank you

If I could give it no stars, I definitely would.
I ordered drinks from a girl wearing a white dress. I asked her if they had a full bar, she said yes. So I proceeded to order a blueberry stoli with sprite and a beer. She never came back. I waited 2 hours. A friend summoned her again. I told her I never received the drinks. Expressionless, she asked what I wanted. No apology or anything. I ordered again. Twenty minutes later, she comes with the beer, and Acai Stoli with Tonic. She said, «we don’t have blueberry.» –but didn’t you say it was a full bar? At least mix it with Sprite? Paid $ 17 for these two drinks. Was not buzzed, did not taste good at all. I don’t even think it had an ounce of alcohol in it! She gave me the bill without a receipt of what I ordered. I was definitely over charged.

Sofa bills itself as a speakeasy (no, it’s not a furniture store) but other than not being able to easily find the front entrance and a «speak softly» sign posted on the door, the place is in no way shape or form a speakeasy. Let’s get real, it’s a bar located in a basement, folks.
Speak softly is kind of a joke, because once the DJ started blaring music, it was impossible to speak softly and be heard. Loud music is definitely not a trait of a speakeasy.
We tried to order from the menu from the restaurant upstairs, Bossa Nova, however they were out of most of their appetizer items. And I should mention, this was at about 8 p.m.
Our waitress kept us well hydrated, but as the place grew increasingly busy, we noticed that she was very overwhelmed. Clearly one person working an entire bar isn’t enough. We waited quite a while for our waitress to bring our tab after asking for it, and finally we gave up, tallied up what we ordered and left cash at our table. Not recommended, but I had to get to the BART station to get myself back over to the East Bay before I turned into a pumpkin, or worse, missed the last train.
My companions and I reached the next block when we heard screaming, yes screaming. We turned around and there was our overworked waitress running after us in high heels with our bill (the one we asked for and never received) screaming that we owed her $ 130. I’m no mathematician, but I can tell you that six drinks and two appetizers does not add up to $ 130. She was visibly upset and we gladly followed her back to the bar, where it turns out we owed her a bit more money (not $ 130!). Again, I don’t make a habit of walking out without paying my bill, but we thoroughly tallied what we thought we owed.
She was a bit, shall I say, snippy with us and yes, admittedly we should have just stayed there and waited another half hour for our bill, but if she was so busy and was unable to tend to her customers, how did she have time to leave the bar and chase us down the street?
Customer service aside, the food was mediocre and the owners/​managers or whomever is trying to market the place as a speakeasy needs to consult wikipedia on the concept/​history.

New spot so bound to be higher ratings since it isn’t as well known and has a pretty hidden entrance.
That being said, I went before they had some aspect of their liquor license so they weren’t serving alcohol during the late hours (and if you know me, I need alcohol to stay up past midnight) which made for an early exit. I really want to check out the place again soon though now that they are up and running!

Boy, this place sure is hip! So much leather, it’s bound to give Folsom Street Fair a run for its money!