As one of the newest additions to the Downtown lounge scene, Sugar Café has taken a lot of neighbors by surprise. With their detailed, mouthwatering menu of small meals, desserts, and cocktails, Sugar has emerged as one of the top places to visit at anytime of day!

Sugar Café, owned by the same team that operates The Cellar (which happens to be right next door!) and designed by Craige Walters, is an intimate and modern space. Complete with a wall-length fireplace and walls standing from thirteen to twenty feet tall, Sugar is decked out with modern furniture, cool blue and brown details, and plenty of comfortable seating areas. The space is equipped with free wireless Internet and a number of computer terminals for public use. The wall of windows facing Sutter Street allows for enjoyable rays of sunlight to peek in during the day, but also make it easy to people watch in the evening. Above the windows is a mysterious frosted panel, which is actually where they project movies in the evening! Starting at about 9pm each night, the bartenders choose movies, new and old, to play for the patrons. The movie selection runs the gamut – everything from Hitchcock films to Finding Nemo!
The menu is comprised of wonderful little snacks, sweet treats, and medium-sized lunch meals. Organized by Executive Chef Alexis Donahue, previously employed by the Cayman Island’s Ritz Carlton Resort, the menu of lunch items is available until 5pm everyday, while the appetizers, cheese plates, and scrumptious desserts are available until 11pm each night. The strongest recommendation for a sugary delight was the Campfire Special, which includes chocolate pot de crème and house-made marshmallows!
With a heavy collection of various liquor choices, beer and wine drinkers should know that their offerings in those departments are quite restricted. Beer lovers are limited to a small assortment of American brews, except for the usual foreign suspects – Stella and Red Stripe. The wine selection is also somewhat narrow, as there were only three choices of red wine, although the white list is a bit more extensive. If you prefer a sweet cocktail, the bartender recommended the Espresso Butterscotch Martini, although the Forbidden Fruit cocktail seemed to be the most popular of the night. For a delicious caffeinated beverage, be sure to try their house coffee served in a monogrammed mug.
Sugar Café is a great addition to the Tender Nob lounge scene, doubling as a quaint neighborhood café for mornings and afternoons. A swanky little hangout for after work or on the weekends, Sugar’s luxurious details and cozy vibe are welcoming to all, although be aware that they do enforce a semi-strict dress code on weekend nights (which has been said to include the forbidding of hats!).

Sugar Café
679 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 441-5678
www.sugarcafesf.com