662787 Tue Oct 27 15:26:40 -0700 2009 22 3 California 0 5135582 Anyone been here yet? http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/in/1/en/hotel/SANIS/dining?start=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." Tue Oct 27 15:26:40 -0700 2009 155341 stevewag23 1 5135753 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. Tue Oct 27 16:36:11 -0700 2009 5135582 205574 aloha925 2 5135991 Was it busy? Tue Oct 27 18:10:21 -0700 2009 5135753 155341 stevewag23 3 5136052 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! Tue Oct 27 18:31:52 -0700 2009 5135991 205574 aloha925 4 5138158 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. Wed Oct 28 13:35:40 -0700 2009 5136052 15277 eatemup 4 5138645 "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. Wed Oct 28 16:17:11 -0700 2009 5136052 155341 stevewag23 5 5138710 It sounds like you'd be happy in Spain, stevewag. Wed Oct 28 16:39:45 -0700 2009 5138645 10969 RB Hound 6 5138757 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. Wed Oct 28 16:54:27 -0700 2009 5138710 13239 honkman 7 5139012 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. Wed Oct 28 18:39:57 -0700 2009 5138757 155341 stevewag23 8 5139170 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. Wed Oct 28 19:40:34 -0700 2009 5139012 13239 honkman 8 5142185 ooh ooh pick me! pick me! Is it Sacramento? Fri Oct 30 00:44:56 -0700 2009 5139012 1098507 RTee 6 5139008 I am, in fact my personality even changes. Freedom of choice will do that to a person. Wed Oct 28 18:37:55 -0700 2009 5138710 155341 stevewag23 1 5138800 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. Wed Oct 28 17:11:17 -0700 2009 5135582 72034 TXGSD 1 5195306 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 Thu Nov 19 18:44:58 -0800 2009 5135582 13239 honkman 2 5195386 "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. Thu Nov 19 19:25:01 -0800 2009 5195306 155341 stevewag23 3 5195670 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 ? Thu Nov 19 22:25:47 -0800 2009 5195386 13239 honkman 4 5195714 Possibly. What would fall under your definition of "speakeasy bars" and maybe I can come up with something? Thu Nov 19 23:04:10 -0800 2009 5195670 155341 stevewag23 5 5195719 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/dining/03speak.html Thu Nov 19 23:12:13 -0800 2009 5195714 13239 honkman 6 5196443 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/ Fri Nov 20 09:38:40 -0800 2009 5195719 155341 stevewag23 7 5196568 Prohibition looks (at least on paper) quite promising. Have you ever been there ? Fri Nov 20 10:46:07 -0800 2009 5196443 13239 honkman 8 5196773 Yeah, a couple of times for short intervals. Seemed cool. Saw http://www.davidpatrone.com/ performing, which is good for the whole "speakeasy" vibe. Fri Nov 20 12:11:59 -0800 2009 5196568 155341 stevewag23 9 5200161 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. Sun Nov 22 10:44:41 -0800 2009 5196773 1098507 RTee 10 5200629 "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. Sun Nov 22 14:49:53 -0800 2009 5200161 155341 stevewag23