Greetings all, I’m back with this week’s installment of the weekend recap club review. Spring is upon us, and that is clearly reflected in the changes in attire (or lack there of) out on the scene, but hey I’m not hating :). This week I got to check out a spot I’ve never been to, it’s not really new, but it’s part of a growing segment - restaurants that turn into clubs once the sun goes down. I present to you, my review of Sens:
Positives: Out of all the positives that come to mind, one charges to the front of the line - the incredible scenery. Something about parting right on the Embarcadero with views of the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, the Ferry Building, etc. makes you feel like you’ve arrived. It’s so nice going to a place that’s not an ultra dark sweat pit. Because it’s on the top floor of 4 Embercadero Center, there’s a nice flow of air, so it never gets too hot and stuffy like more traditional clubs. Like other places aiming to be in the upscale category, the diversity here seems to be pretty good. Dress code is also geared more towards the trendy (*they do however have some strictly formal events). The space is pretty well laid out, I never felt overly cramped, or the need to use my snow plow moves to get by people. The decor is somewhat Greek/Mediterranean inspired, and I find this pretty unique for an SF venue. Usually, I hate places that are restaurants first and clubs second, because the designers obviously miss out on things that clubbers expect to see - i.e. a decent sized dance floor, but Sens does a good job of utilizing their space.
Negatives: Because Sens is located on the top floor of the building it’s kind of hard to find for the first timer. You have to navigate around certain stores, take a few escalators upstairs, and walk around some shrubbery until you get to your destination. Once there the line is artificially long. I understand some of the reasoning here for most clubs 1) it makes the club look more happening to passerbys and 2) there just might be issues with capacity. Neither of these reasons applies to Sens. 1) it’s on the top floor of a multi-purpose building, so no passerbys will even see what’s going on and 2) the place is big enough that it won’t hit capacity by 11 (unless there’s some kind of hit party there). The one consolation is that the line does move somewhat fast, I managed to move 20 feet in about 40 minutes. There’s also a weird rule about not going too far over to the right side, one of the security guards barked at me and told me it’s technically the Hyatt Regency’s space and I guess they get all butt hurt for people standing there. So you end up being forced to literally stand in a single file line. I ended up going with a large group of friends, and we got tired of waiting in line and just decided to get table service. The problem is they stuck us in the room adjacent to the room with the dancing floor and DJ, so the audio was lacking, it would have been great if we wanted more of a bar or lounge like experience, but we all wanted to dance. Make sure if you get a table you get to choose your pick of the litter.
- Location/Transportation: Located in the Financial District, not too far from the Broadway clubs. Cabbing it might be somewhat steep for some city dwellers depending on how far out you live, but if you are coming from Soma, North Beach, Nob Hill, or Russian Hill it’s not too bad. Because it’s in the Financial District there’s ample parking this late at night, so drivers should be fine. Trying to find a cab home on the other hand was a major task, cabs usually frequent this area during the daytime and evening, but not at 2 in the morning. Grade: 3/5
- Line: I really don’t get why they stall the line here, it’s like they take pleasure in doing it. When I arrived the line was probably about 30 - 40 feet long. Yes, it did move at a good pace, but I don’t see why it should have been that long from the start Grade: 2/5
- Interior: Lots of Greek and Mediterranean inspired themes inside. I also like the openness, you can also go out on a patio area (they use this as the smoking area). There’s lots of light too, which helps in avoiding those questionable hookups and dreaded walk of shames Grade 4/5
- Exterior: Since it’s on the top floor of a mall/multi-purpose building the exterior is nicely manicured, not to mention the exceptional views from within. The main issue is just locating the venue. I don’t really like the concrete look that much, but that aside, I give it a thumbs up Grade 4/5
- Drinks: Drinks are average going from $7 - $10 for a mixed drink and $4 - $5 for a beer. There are two bars, a large one with a couple of bar tenders and one smaller one with only a single bar tender located near the smoking patio. Grade: 3/5
- Services: There’s a lot of security guards here for some reason, and even a few cops showed up when I was there. The security team was pretty competent and was able to answer all of my questions. Coat check was $3 and that’s about average. Bottle service is average as well at $200 for cheapest bottle of Vodka. Lastly, It was somewhat lame seeing them construct impromptu tables as the night went on. I’d seriously be pissed if they stuck me at a fold out card table with a fancy white sheet over it (ok, it’s not that bad…but still). Grade 2/5
- Sound system: There’s only one DJ booth, and the sound system is fine for most of the club, but in the large room adjacent to the dance floor there needs to be more speakers. Like I said earlier, if you want more of a chill area to talk and mingle that’s fine and you will enjoy this space, but if you want an extension the of dance floor, it’s not happening over there. Grade 2/5
- Overall: Sens is a venue worth visiting again, I really can see myself going here a few times a month, the vibe was that good. I might have to put this place into my favorites rotation Grade 20/35
Here’s the link for Sens’ yelp review
