The latest venue from the Future Bars group in San Francisco (Bourbon & Branch, Rickhouse, Pagan Idol, etc.) is The Dawn Club.
As the website says, “The original Dawn Club existed in the same Monadnock Building on Market Street in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The Dawn Club became the epicenter of the Great Revival in San Francisco. Originally a speakeasy during prohibition, the club was located on Annie Street beside the Palace Hotel. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Hot Music Society of San Francisco organized concerts at the club, featuring a variety of bands and musicians.”
The new venue features live mostly jazz music with a music calendar available. It’s mostly a reservations venue for small groups – the open bar space for walk-ins is pretty small. There is a reservation fee, which is basically an advance cover charge to pay for the musicians.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of seating for large groups – this seems more of a date spot and for groups of four or less.
But you don’t come to me for advice on atmosphere – how are the drinks?
The drinks are hotel bar priced – $20 and up for the most part, and there is no food as is the general vibe with Future Bars spots.
The menu has 10 original cocktails plus 3 low-proof and 3 nonalcoholic, plus a small selection of classics that come with a fancy upgrade available for each. There are also lots of spirit flights.
The Pancho Lopez is a great Spicy Margarita variation. I like how they put a ring of jalapeno on the garnish stick to remind you of what’s in the drink.
The Town Club I thought would be like a Singapore Sling and maybe it is, minus the Benedictine.
The Lu Watters Special was my second favorite drink; a scotch highball.
The Wally Rose is a candied walnut-laced delicious crowd pleaser.
And the Three Easy Pieces is not the Vesper I thought it would be but a filthy, filthy Dirty Martini.
My favorite drink was the Sauternes Cobbler though. I’m a sucker for a cobbler and this one is delicious.
Here’s the menu: