333 O’Farrell St./Mason St., 2 blks. from Union Square. 46 stories; 1,919 rooms+151 suites. Outdoor heated pool; hot tub; full-service spa; fitness room. 2 restaurants; room service. Self-parking & valet.
Occupying a full block and incorporating three buildings, Hilton San Francisco Union Square is the largest hotel on the West Coast. It features a dramatic sunken marble lobby and is always buzzing.
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| rooftop pool at Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California |
B&D daily; $$-$$$.
The Urban Tavern restaurant operates on the ground level just off the lobby.
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entrance to Urban Tavern at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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An inviting, spacious venue, Urban Tavern offers a variety of seating arrangements--booths, tables and chairs, banquettes, counter seats, long communal table. Decor includes a dramatic full-size horse sculpture made with recycled metal and rustic ceiling beams made from reclaimed wood.
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dining room at Urban Tavern at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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Living up to its name, the drink menu highlights 50 wines from wineries within 50 miles, plus Bay Area beers and indigenous spirits. I chose a tart Melon Ball Margarita cocktail that combines Tequila, Midori melon liqueur, and honeydew puree. My dining partner had a Stormy Weather made with Blackwell Jamaican black rum, fresh lime, and ginger beer.
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cocktails and spicy cucumbers at Urban Tavern
at Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California |
Another delicious, sweetish drink is The Improved Whiskey Cocktail, prepared with fruit-infused bourbon made in house.
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The Improved Whiskey Cocktail at Urban Tavern
at Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California |
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fruit infuser at Urban Tavern at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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Appealing Mocktails are an option for those who don’t drink alcohol. The kitchen makes good use of San Francisco’s bounty of seasonal ingredients. We started with a light appetizer of spiced cucumbers accented with sesame and peanuts. I chose well--a flavorful skirt steak served as a mound with wonderful wee baby potatoes, wild mushrooms, blistered cherry tomatoes, and balsamic onion marmalade.
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skirt steak at Urban Tavern at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California |
My partner had a thick lightly-smoked pork chop with chunks of garnet yam, Brussels sprouts, and cracklings.
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smoked pork chop at Urban Tavern at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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On another visit I tried the Garganelli bolognese which was divine--a penne pasta topped with a large portion of long-cooked “melted” short ribs mixed with aged goat cheese.
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Garganelli bolognese at Urban Tavern at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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The gigantic house burger arrives stabbed together with a steak knife.
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house burger plate held by James Lovaas at Urban Tavern
at Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California | |
I was intrigued by the wine-bottle roasted chicken which was described as roasted on a full wine bottle, with the fumes permeating the meat and the remaining wine used in a sauce. Next time. It is unusual nowadays to find a menu with so many enticing mains. For dessert we chose the TCHO Sea Salt Brownie Skillet, which was served attractively in a cute little 6-inch cast iron skillet that was hot from the oven. It had a molten center and was topped with brandied cherries, honeycomb candy pieces, and orange-whiskey jellies.
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brownie skillet dessert at Urban Tavern at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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The kitchen seems to hit the perfect note on almost everything, so order fearlessly. A doorway leads from the back of the restaurant into the lobby of the Hilton hotel, which is a great place to sit for a while and people-watch.
Cityscape Lounge
On the 46th floor,
Cityscape Lounge features 360-degree views through 14-foot floor-to-ceiling windows. It is open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight with a menu of small plates and appetizers along with signature cocktails, wines by the glass, and a variety of beers on tap. My favorite tidbit is the positively addictive house-made Kennebec potato crisps with garlic aioli sauce, and my favorite drinks are the Noe Valley Old Fashioned made with rum and orange bitters and the Berkeley Bramble made with The Botanist Gin, blackberries, lemon, and club soda. “No two days look the same from Cityscape, where San Francisco weather flows over the ever-changing skyline,” says General Manager Lenny Gumm. A nice feature is that you can freely walk all around the venue, being on one side for a
while and then moving to the other side perhaps for sunset.
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view from Cityscape Lounge in the Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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cocktails at Cityscape Lounge in the Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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potato crisps at Cityscape Lounge in the Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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avocado hummus at Cityscape Lounge in the Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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sunset seen from Cityscape Lounge in the Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California
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night view from Cityscape Lounge in the Hilton San Francisco Union Square
in San Francisco, California |
More things to do around Union Square.
More things to do in San Francisco.
Way more things to do in San Francisco.
More ideas for exploring Northern California.
images ©2017 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
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