Set Your Location >>

Smuggler's Cove

Map

http://www.voiceplaces.com/locations/directions/locationId:2601711/ View on Large Map
Get Directions

Be the first of your friends to review this location.
http://media.voiceplaces.com/5426698.1.jpg

00000 - 00000 of 00000

00,000 of 00,000

650 Gough San Francisco CA 94102

advertisement

  • Daily 5pm-2am
Description

You don't need a treasure map to get to Smuggler's Cove, but you might feel like you're in The Goonies or Pirates of the Caribbean once you arrive: this Hayes Valley rum emporium is decorated with enough insta-kitsch pirate style to make you wonder if Captain Jack Sparrow were the interior designer. The specialty cocktail menu comes in leather-bound book form and the bar boasts a selection of over 200 rums, so it would take many return voyages to try them all; with specialty drink prices starting around $10, however, you'll need to bring a few extra gold doubloons as well. And even with its upper mezzanine level and a basement cave, Smuggler's Cove fills up fast, so be prepared to cut through crowds - a cutlass might come in handy on those cramped, steamy weekend nights, but allow a frosty, sweet tropical drink to calm your overheated buccaneer spirit instead.








  • 2013 | Best Cure-All Cocktail

    We all need a drink sometimes. When a day serves up more than a reasonable amount of grief verging on the comedic there is only one tried and true elixir that has the power to restore and dispel bad voodoo: the Port Au Prince ($10, Rhum Barbancourt 5-Star, lime, pineapple juice, Velvet Falernum, grenadine, Angostura Bitters) at tiki temple Smuggler's Cove. Don the Beachcomber created the cocktail in the 1930s as a potion to showcase Haitian rum, and while the original recipe contained a... More »

  • 2013 | Best Flaming Drinks

    By Tamara PalmerCocktails are on fire all over town. It may often be a cheap gimmick to hide the quality of the concoction, but the true showstoppers are the ones that still dazzle long after they're poured and set aflame. At Smuggler's Cove (650 Gough St., 869-1900, SmugglersCoveSF.com), a paradise for Tiki nerds, the icy sweet Top Notch Volcano (pineapple, lime, passion fruit, Maraschino liqueur, and private reserve rum) is intended for four to share, but two often attempt to sink the... More »

  • 2011 | Best Flaming Drink

    While the future of the Tonga Room remains in question (at least in its current location in the Fairmont Hotel), the 2-year-old and comparatively nondescript Smuggler's Cove offers a more potent alternative to the Tonga's tipples. The Top-Notch Volcano blends pineapple, lime, and passionfruit juices with maraschino plus a private reserve rum, the origins of which aren't made public. The drink is served in a bowl anchored by four tiki gods, whose heads are set aflame in a garish display.... More »

  • 2010 | Best New Tiki Bar

    As the fate of the Tonga Room, San Francisco's classic tiki bar, hangs in the balance, one of the most vocal advocates for saving it is Martin Cate, cofounder of Alameda's Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge and now proprietor of Smuggler's Cove. While there are no simulated thunderstorms at Cate's new hot spot, he's definitely shaking up the city's cocktail scene with his geeky dedication to premium rums, tropical juices, and other tiki-era ingredients. The Hayes Valley hideway has an immersive... More »

Back to TopSF Weekly Critic News & Reviews | Write a Review
  • Cozy Up With Some Hot Booze This Winter

    Cozy Up With Some Hot Booze This Winter

    Recently, a British friend lamented to me about the lack of places in San Francisco to get what is apparently an English staple this time of year: mulled wine. I didn't apologize for our country mostl... More »

  • Smuggler\'s Cove: Find Safe Harbor in a Rum Cocktail

    Smuggler's Cove: Find Safe Harbor in a Rum Cocktail

    There I was, a full hour into my drive from the northeast Bay to San Francisco, and I wasn't even on the Bay Bridge yet. I was sitting in traffic purgatory, having forgotten that 49ers were playing at Candlestick for Monday Night Football, and... More »

  •  Drink of the Week: The Port Au Prince at Smuggler\'s Cove

    Drink of the Week: The Port Au Prince at Smuggler's Cove

    There I was, a full hour into my drive from the North-East Bay to San Francisco, and I wasn't even on the Bay Bridge yet. I was sitting in traffic purgatory for having forgotten that 49ers were playin... More »

  • Cocktail Week Events for Tuesday, Sept. 18

    Cocktail Week Events for Tuesday, Sept. 18

    Tonight's festivities include a fantastic sounding food truck event (bring warms clothes!), a vodka dinner, classic Cuban cocktails, and sexy secretaries making cocktails. No, it doesn't get better th... More »

  • The Week in Cocktails: Doing Good, Tequila, Pride, and Bourbon

    The Week in Cocktails: Doing Good, Tequila, Pride, and Bourbon

    With the weather in a teasingly typical San Francisco pattern, plus vacations and visitors and Pride month, there's a lot to do this week. Here's our pick's for cocktail focused events around town. L... More »

  • Loading More Critics Reviews
Loading...