Hotel Indigo San Diego - Phi Bar and Bistro

[stevewag23]

Anyone been here yet?

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/in/1...

From the site:

"Phi Bar
Location: In Hotel - Located on the hotel's main level. Savor a cocktail and the breathtaking views or just enjoy the firepit and reflective pool as you relax on the Phi Terrace at our Gaslamp Quarter hotel. Located on the ninth floor, this is the trendy spot to meet with friends for tapas and watch a sunset."

[honkman]

I just want to expand this post beyond the Phi Bar at the Indigo to other cocktail bars in downtown.
In LA my wife and I quite often go to the bar at the W Hotel in LA (Whiskey Blue) and we are wondering if the W Hotel in SD has a similar bar. We know it has a rooftop bar (too cold now) but nothing else according to their webpage. Some other webpages mentioned a bar called Magnet but I am not sure if it still exists. Does anybody has any information ?
Also are there any information/opinions (about the cocktails and ambience not so much about the food) about:
Sway (The Keating Hotel)
The Corner Restaurant & Bar
The Fleetwood
or any other good cocktail bar in this area

[stevewag23]

"Some other webpages mentioned a bar called Magnet but I am not sure if it still exists. Does anybody has any information ?"

Yes it does. You can enter it from the street on Columbia. If it is not a busy time, sometimes it is closed.

"Sway (The Keating Hotel) "

Been here a few times. It used to be called "Minus One Lounge" or something. The redesigned it then re named it "Sway". I couldn't tell the difference at all.

This place can be dead as a door nail on even thurs nights. Place is like being in a basement.

"The Fleetwood"

Went to a christmas party here like two years ago. I am amazed that this place is still open. Heard they have a crowd sometimes which borders on Stingaree/side bar Lite.

A watered down version of those places.

[honkman]

Last few weeks we went a few times to Roger Room in West Hollywood which is a relative new speakeasy bar. We really liked the cocktails but also the ambience. Are you aware of any speakeasy bars in SD ?

[stevewag23]

Possibly. What would fall under your definition of "speakeasy bars" and maybe I can come up with something?

[honkman]

Just typical speakeasy bars like The Varnish, Roger Room in LA or Milk & Honey in NY. Roger Room for example has some of the best cocktails I ever had.
In case you are not familiar with speakeasy bars:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/din...

[stevewag23]

I got you. The reason I ask is "speakeasy" means different things to different people.

From that article, I would conclude it means:

Non descript entrance
Secret password
Focus on cocktails

Only one place I know would hit those points in sd:

http://www.prohibitionsd.com/

[honkman]

Prohibition looks (at least on paper) quite promising. Have you ever been there ?

[stevewag23]

Yeah, a couple of times for short intervals.

Seemed cool.

Saw http://www.davidpatrone.com/ performing, which is good for the whole "speakeasy" vibe.

[RTee]

Prohibition is a cool little place located between two of the giant bars w/ outdoor patios, so people kind of stare at you as you try to go in to this nondescript door. They changed bartenders a few months back and the current guy (Tim) is good at making cocktails. The specialties he makes seem to focus on bold, strong flavors (that mask the alcohol flavor well), infusions, and sometimes untraditional choices of liquors/liqueurs.

The place is fairly small because it's actually the basement room of one of the big bars next to it. They have live jazz on most nights, and the musicians are very good. The music can get a bit loud, though, if you actually want to have a conversation. In general, the staff is friendly, the bartender is knowledgeable, the drinks are strong, and the prices are downtown prices. I've been there a lot and I like it.

[stevewag23]

"The place is fairly small because it's actually the basement room of one of the big bars next to it."

Yeah, there used to be a mexican place called Tesara there that was I think three floors.

The street level turned into Sloppy Joes (a terrible name for a place, even by gaslamp standards.)

The basement is now prohibition.

[TXGSD]

Layout and atmosphere of the Phi Bar are both nice. Service may be a bit inconsistent, but they are very nice and appear to be getting better. There are some good specialty cocktails and drink specials, although the food selection is just adequate for snacks (leaving something to be desired in both quantity and quality, especially if you're not having dinner afterwards). The upstairs terrace seems to draw a good early evening crowd, but the downstairs bar is rarely crowded.

[aloha925]

Went to the Phi Terrace a few Fridays ago for happy hour. Relaxed atmosphere - fire pits, lounge seating, nice views, etc. I don't recall having table service - I believe you had to go to the bar to get a drink, but that may have changed by now. Also, I don't recall seeing or being offered a food (or cocktail) menu, so I can't speak as to the quality of the tapas mentioned above or the drinks. We did enjoy plenty of cold beers, which was good enough for us.

Regardless, I think the Phi Terrace is worth checking out, at least for a drink. Nice change of pace from the usual downtown happy hour places.

[stevewag23]

Was it busy?

[aloha925]

No, it wasn't busy.

I've also heard that the Terrace doesn't open for service until 5 p.m., so don't count on starting your happy hour early!

[eatemup]

We stayed in the hotel a few weeks back. Pretty nice. You are correct that the Terrace did not open until 5:00. That was a Saturday and the Padres were not in town. Had a cocktail downstairs but walked to Cowboy Star for dinner. Excellent as usual.

[stevewag23]

"doesn't open for service until 5 p.m., so don't count on starting your happy hour early!"

Don't worry.

If it was up to me, happy hour would be at 10pm and dinner at 11:30pm.

[RB Hound]

It sounds like you'd be happy in Spain, stevewag.

[honkman]

These times are not typical for Spain alone. All over the southern part of Europe nobody will start eating dinner before 9-10 pm something I really miss in SD.

[stevewag23]

Good point.

Don't forget Argentina.

If you think about it there are not too many international cities where you can't do it.

I can think of one city in particular where it is not possible.

[honkman]

Actually if you travel/live in the southern parts of Europe you will see that in the bigger cities people eat often earlier (but still late compared to the US) than in smaller towns.

[RTee]

ooh ooh pick me! pick me! Is it Sacramento?

[stevewag23]

I am, in fact my personality even changes.

Freedom of choice will do that to a person.