Moongate Lounge
Cocktail bar · Chinatown ·
Cal-Chinese bites & natural wines in a swanky salon
Cal-Chinese bites & natural wines in a swanky salon
"You want a cocktail and you have Miranda Priestly-levels of taste. Head to Chinatown’s Moongate Lounge. The spot above Mister Jiu’s looks like a Bond lair, but with an illuminated bar, red velvet everywhere, and elegant lotus chandeliers. It’s all very swank and a night here tends to add up. So dig in, vibe under the fluorescent blue and pink lights next to someone who’s probably cooler than you, and drink a frothy cocktail inspired by the Chinese lunar calendar." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, lani conway, ricky rodriguez
"You want a cocktail and you have Miranda Priestly-levels of taste. Head to Chinatown’s Moongate Lounge. The spot above Mister Jiu’s is straight up sexy, looking like a Bond lair, but with an illuminated bar, red velvet everywhere, and elegant lotus chandeliers. It’s all very swank, but a night here tends to add up. So dig in, vibe under the fluorescent blue and pink lights next to someone who’s probably cooler than you, and drink a frothy cocktail inspired by the Chinese lunar calendar. The glowing skylight beckons." - lani conway, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez
"The hallmark of a great listening bar is one that’s so marvelously conducive to conversation that time just disappears. Moongate Lounge (above Chinatown scion Mister Jiu’s) is one of those places. Sitting in red velvet booths, or underneath the glorious color-changing moongate skylight, tunes from Slum Village to Hiatus Kaiyote come thru cleanly, complementing a jujubee infused negroni or the “Clear and Bright” cocktail with duck fat-washed rye and lapsang tea. Bar honcho Garrett Marks scours Chinatown markets and tea shops for ingredients that he and the excellent staff of mostly female bartenders mix up. Don’t sleep on memorable snacks like a crab rangoon dip, Sichuan smoked olives, and one of the best prawn cocktails in town. Reservations are available via Tock." - Adrian Spinelli
"It should come as no surprise that the bar nestled above Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s has its own high-octane cocktail menu mixing technique and specialty ingredients with flair. The bar opened in 2019, and bar director Garrett Marks is the mind behind the bar’s drinks, which include rotating, seasonal cocktails, such as the current Clear and Bright, which mixes duck fat-washed rye with single malt, apricot, and lapsang souchong tea. If the bar isn’t already reserved for a private event — which happens often, so be sure to check the bar’s website ahead of time — order a drink and either settle into a velvet-lined booth or head to the windows for a view of Grant Street’s lanterns and, if you’re lucky, a peek of the Bay Bridge down Commercial Street. — Dianne de Guzman"
"On Wednesday, February 12 two prominent chefs will collaborate for a Year of the Snake Party at a local lounge: Danny Bowien will join Brandon Jew for an evening featuring bites from the New York outpost of Bowien's restaurant and bread made by Jules chef Max Blachman-Gentile. The event runs 6–9 p.m. with drinks until 10 p.m.; tickets are available via Tock." - Dianne de Guzman