Laszlo Bar / Lounge

Mission, San Francisco –

San Franciscans expect to find everything from gritty dives to upscale lounges in The Mission, but Laszlo – at least for now – is the neighborhood’s only communist-themed drinking den.

Granted, the commie vibe is subtle, mostly represented by a mix of Cold War-era propaganda on the otherwise bare walls, red and black banquettes and couches, and cocktails with names like Russia House (vodka and ginger liqueur).

Happy Hour caters to a mix of casually hip penny pinchers in the mood for Trumer Pils on the cheap and trendier types waiting for a table at Foreign Cinema – Laszlo’s upscale adjoining sister restaurant – although anyone can enjoy Foreign’s signature oyster appetizers or anything else off the menu without leaving their seat.

Nightly DJs spinning old-school hip-hop and R&B draw bigger crowds later on, but given the industrial venue’s size it doesn’t take much for the place to become shoulder-to-shoulder with a mélange of plaid-clad artists and post-dinner foodies talking loudly or shimmying in the limited space.

A mezzanine level provides somewhat of a reprieve from the masses, as well as a cozy lounge area for the bottle service set that frequently rents out the upstairs, all the better to stare over the wrought-iron railing at the common man below.

Marrying modern hip with industrial cool, Laszlo makes it easy for the proletariat and bourgeois classes to get along – at least until last call.