Starlite: a legendary bar on the 21st floor, above Union Square
Heir to the Starlite Room
Opened in 1928 as the Sir Francis Drake, the hotel at 450 Powell Street was renamed the Beacon Grand when it reopened in 2022. In the 1940s, its top-floor private apartments were turned into the Starlite Room, a nightclub with views over the entire city and for years a fixture of San Francisco nightlife. Starlite now occupies the same space on the 21st floor: an almost entirely indoor lounge with green velvet banquettes, mustard armchairs and patterned rugs, ringed by windows that let your gaze drift over the downtown towers and, in the distance, the bay. A plus on foggy nights: up here, neither wind nor cold can spoil the evening.
City-inspired cocktails and vinyl nights
The menu pays tribute to local icons: gold, fog and cable cars. The Cable Car Redux ($22), the house take on the sidecar, arrives shrouded in a scented mist added at the table; the classics are $18 and the signature creations go up to $24. To go with them: oysters, steamed buns with spicy fried chicken, furikake fries or beignets. DJs spin vinyl only every night, and the calendar lines up album listening sessions, a record fair and special events; bottle service is also available.
Practical information
Open Thursday through Sunday: Thursday and Sunday from 4pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 2am. 21+ only; reservations are strongly recommended, online or by phone. The Powell Street & Sutter Street cable car stop (Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines) is right in front of the hotel; Union Square/Market Street station (Muni Metro T line) is about 300 meters away, and Powell Street (BART) is 500 meters away.
Starlite: frequently asked questions
Starlite: what is the address?
Starlite is located at the following address: 450 Powell Street 21e étage – Beacon Grand (Union Square), CA 94102 San Francisco.
Starlite: how expensive is it?
On our scale, Starlite has a price level of 4 out of 5 ($$$$).
