Dahlia Lounge: There’s a Sexy New Cocktail Bar From a Team of Industry Pros Now Open in The Mission | Eater SF

"Housed in the former Armory Club space across from that infamous San Francisco landmark, I find Dahlia Lounge — led by Paul Volfovski and Kingston Wu — aims to up the ante on cocktails while also positioning itself as a true neighborhood destination. General manager Nic Callahan wrote a tight, ever-changing menu that includes the Reggae (a rum-based, tiki-style cocktail made with orgeat, lime, and pineapple), the Grunge (a smoky rye creation with earthy Bonal and apricot and elderflower liqueurs), and the casual Punk option of a shot and beer for $12; wine and Champagne are available, plus beer on tap from neighborhood favorite Standard Deviant and more bottle options. The space retains recognizable Armory Club features — tin ceiling tiles, glowing bar tops, and damask wallpaper — but is refreshed for the Instagram era with a wax-dripping mantle, a semi-circle booth under a neon “hola papi” sign framed by faux flowers, and a skull-stacked wall finished with the cheeky “till death do us party” sign. Backed by a braintrust including Arash Ghanadan, Trung Tran, Randy Guila, Matthew Tuffuor and Warren Jones, with Gio Robles managing VIP experiences, the team plans diverse programming (comedy, live DJs, networking, jazz and hip hop nights), offers happy hour five days a week, and is open 5 p.m.–2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday; the name nods to the Mission neighborhood, though it’s not intended to be a Mexican bar or tequila lounge." - Lauren Saria