Can you feel that? The weekend is just around the corner. For Swig City, our new weekly nightlife column, we’ll point you toward don’t-miss bars, restaurants and clubs in the city. Cheers!
San Francisco nightlife is dead. At least, that’s what some Reddit critics like to whinge about.
But the naysayers obviously haven’t stepped foot inside Zhuzh, the new Nob Hill cocktail bar that transports you to a neon-soaked fever dream.
Inside, disco balls spin endlessly, scattering light like confetti as thumping music pumps over the speakers. On weekends, the long, narrow space is packed with partygoers who push past the tables to the small dance floor in back. Zhuzh hosts a full calendar of dance parties with themes like Sea Hunt, when the setlist is “so deep you’ll feel like you’re underwater,” and Too Gay to Function, featuring music by DJ Bootie Juice.
On a recent Thursday night, a respectable crew was perched on plush stools in front of the copper-topped bar enjoying one of the six relatively simple cocktails, which are conveniently all on tap. There’s a hazelnut-infused espresso martini riff and a spicy mezcal-based margarita spiked with strawberry, basil and serrano chile.
But for maximum dance-floor energy, I’d suggest the Genmaicha Matchatini, made with matcha powder and genmaicha—a blend of green tea and roasted popped rice—along with vodka and oat milk (a win for the lactose-sensitive, like me). The roasted rice gives the genmaicha a mild nuttiness that sails well over the drink’s creamy texture. It might sound healthy, but trust me—it is plenty stiff.
💰 Genmaicha Matchatini ($15)
📍Zhuzh, 1548 California St., Nob Hill