15 Romolo Bar / Restaurant

North Beach / Telegraph Hill, San Francisco –

Only halfway up a small alley but worlds away from the neighboring North Beach strip clubs, 15 Romolo – inside the extended-stay Basque Hotel – is a hard-to-find bar that entices crowds with intricately crafted cocktails and a hipster vibe not exactly prevalent in this touristy part of town.

A dark saloon décor forms a stylish backdrop for the flannel-chic clientele that stops in to socialize and sip rounds of specialty drinks that actually take minutes – not seconds – to devise, and many patrons cluster around the warmly lit bar just to witness a concoction’s creation.

Latticed wall fixtures and subtle lamps cast soft light over the lovey-dovey couples cozying up on the old-fashioned leather banquettes, as girls in flowing tops join packs of mustachioed men in the high-backed booths for small plates like brisket sliders.

On quieter weekday nights, an easygoing casual crowd chats up the barkeeps over Pimm’s cups and bite-sized burgers, while Fridays and Saturdays often see a shoulder-to-shoulder scene of cocktail connoisseurs engaged in clamorous conversation or deep critiques of the latest tracks blasting from the retro jukebox.

15 Romolo is both the name and address of this artisanal hideaway; a hip underground haunt that can be hard for it’s cool cat patrons to find – and ever harder to leave.