Nightlife:
Brighter touches at S.F. Art Deck spot
San Francisco’s historic Redwood Room bar reopened in January after a fourmonth renovation. Good news for longtime fans: It looks more or less the same.
Open since 1933, the day after Prohibition ended, the Redwood Room is renowned for its Art Deco interior and redwood paneling. The bar, which is inside the Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel at 495 Geary St., was last renovated in 2001 by designer Philippe Starck. New owners brought sweeping changes throughout the hotel, which is also adding a new allday restaurant due to open in April called Frederick’s.
This time around, Gensler redesigned the space. The firm was also responsible for Chase Center, Moscone Center, Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters and other major Bay Area projects.
The key change was making the Redwood Room feel brighter, which is achieved subtly through a fresh coat of ceiling paint and new furniture. While chairs in the past seemed to blend into the redwood walls, the new ones feature a grayongray palette.
The new bartop features wood from an 800yearold redwood tree.
The digital artwork is gone. Instead, the hotel will soon hang up newly restored Gustav Klimt paintings that were discovered during the renovation.
Most importantly, the redwood panels remain untouched. The sconces are original. The chandeliers still channel the Art Deco era.
A new chef is also in place: Daniel Corey, who spent 10 years at Michelinstarred Luce in the InterContinental Hotel. He plans to overhaul the Redwood Room food menu by the end of the week with a focus on shareable small plates. He’s thinking about a beef tartare with egg yolk confit and black garlic; blue prawns
with browned butter and Sherry; and a revamped burger.
Coming to the Clift, Corey was struck by the Redwood Room’s history as the preferred hangout spot of legends like The Chronicle’s Herb Caen.
“The idea is to bring more of that back as opposed to the club atmosphere,” he said, explaining his culinary vision as “modern, fun and San Franciscan.”
Beyond the Redwood Room, which is open 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Corey is busy planning for the hotel’s upcoming restaurant Frederick’s. It will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. He wants it to feel approachable and energetic, with contemporary American fare.