Persona, SF’s New Subterranean Party Hideout Inspired by Erotic Cinema, is Now Open | Eater SF

"Located below Matador in Lower Nob Hill at 685 Sutter Street, I see Persona as a subterranean, moody, theatrical hideout reborn from the Cellar into a space of dark textures, metallic accents and neon touches inspired by the erotic cinemas that lined Sutter Street in the 1960s and 1970s. The rebranding — led by partners Juan Loredo and Jose Natividad with Matador owner Keith Goodman and designer Craige Walters — deliberately moves away from the Cellar’s bottle-service, private-party, DJ-focused past and leans into playful, gimmicky design and conversation-starter elements. Oscar Sinisterra, an alum of Cold Drinks and Hello Stranger, crafted the cocktail program, which includes inventive techniques like force carbonation and dry ice, and the team plans to add a number of draft cocktails to pursue an after-work crowd. Opened at the end of July, Persona is currently open Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. with plans to expand to daily hours, and the partners say they’re rolling with pandemic-related mandates while hoping people can come downstairs, take on a new persona, and let go." - Clair Lorell