Lion's Den Lounge and Bar

Lion’s Den Will Be Chinatown’s First New Nightclub and Live Music Venue in Decades | Eater SF

"Set at 57 Wentworth Place, the new Lion’s Den revives a 1940s Chinatown nightclub as a cocktail bar that aims to grow into a full-fledged live performance venue; initially it will operate as a cocktail bar (with food provided in partnership with RM 212) and later host a house band covering artists like Beyoncé and Earth, Wind & Fire, jazz nights, and live-band karaoke. The project pays deliberate homage to the site’s past: the original Lion’s Den billed itself as “America’s Only Under-Ground Chinese Nite Club Featuring an All-Chinese Floor Show,” and the new design—by Anna Lee Jew of Soon and Soon Studio—uses gold mirrors at the entrance, velvet wallpaper, vintage bar stools and light fixtures, and a classic dark-wood bar with leather elbow rests to evoke that vintage Chinatown club feeling. The space will occupy both an upstairs, more upscale cocktail area (with a bartender consultant from nearby Moongate Lounge) and a downstairs nightclub; Perry Tom will manage day-to-day operations. The opening has been postponed because of the pandemic, with limited outdoor alley seating as a temporary measure, and the owners hope the club will help draw visitors back to Chinatown and reenergize the neighborhood." - Luke Tsai