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Party Earth Review Opened in 1965 by Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane, MatrixFillmore (formerly The Matrix) once featured some of the biggest bands of the flower-power generation, including The Grateful Dead, The Doors, and many other... ... read full review
3138 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
415-563-4180
Daily 8pm–2am
Marina / Cow Hollow, San Francisco –
Opened in 1965 by Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane, MatrixFillmore (formerly The Matrix) once featured some of the biggest bands of the flower-power generation, including The Grateful Dead, The Doors, and many other formative members of San Francisco’s rock scene.
After undergoing many incarnations since the original closed in 1972, the place is now an upscale Marina nightclub where patrons can still see someone special – though nowadays that someone is likely to be a dapper gent or lovely lady rather than a rockin’ band.
The varied roster of theme nights, which range from group salsa lessons to resident dubstep DJs, draw a diverse crowd of 20- and 30-somethings in the mood to lounge by the ample fireplace or shake it up on the small dance floor.
Once they’ve strutted past the smattering of leather couches and draping curtains, groups of dolled-up girls pose around the main bar sipping fresh cucumber gimlets or scoping the place for the Giants player rumored to be inside, while couples head past the second bar and into a narrow hallway decked out in bookshelf wallpaper, where small café tables provide a quieter spot for intimate conversation and specialty cocktails.
A private room even farther back gives VIPs a place to retreat when the club fills up – a virtual guarantee on Fridays and Saturdays – leaving everyone else to make do with wiggling their hips in whatever space they can find.
Luscious laid-back lounge and bumping DJ dance club all in one, MatrixFillmore is a model of high-end fun for affluent Marina regulars.
Replay Sundays always bring in an attractive crowd. As long as it’s the off-season, you may have the chance to mingle with a few Giants players – and not just the scrubs, either!
Upscale Marina locals, trendy ladies, local celebrities, moneyed college kids, and some older professionals, 20s to late 30s.
DJs spin a mix of Top 40, hipster-pop, house, progressive dance, electro, dubstep, techno, and breaks depending on the night. Salsa lessons on Tuesdays.
No food. Valet parking at the Balboa Cafe across the street.
No cover charge. Beer $5–$6, wine $7–$12, cocktails $10–$15, champagne $7–$50, bottle service $85–$300+. Salsa lessons $15. Valet $15.
Upscale and stylish: button-downs, designer jeans, cocktail dresses, heels.
Tuesday nights for the salsa dancing, Fridays and Saturdays for the highest-energy dance music, and Sundays for an attractive crowd lounging out the rest of the weekend.
Nectar Wine Lounge (3330 Steiner Street) is a chic wine bar and restaurant with nearly a thousand varietals of vino and paired small plates, perfect for fueling up before disappearing into the Matrix.
MatrixFillmore User Reviews