Movida seamlessly blends Persian and Mexican cuisines in a chic SoMa lounge, offering inventive dishes, signature cocktails, and a lively vibe that’s perfect for both dinner and late-night revelry.
"Before settling into the plastic seats at the stadium, give your butt a break in Movida's appropriately orange velvet booths. The spot is one part lounge with loud music and the occasional DJ and one part Persian-Mexican restaurant serving solid pomegranate adobo chicken taquitos and short rib birria tostada. If you show up before a game with your ticket, you'll get 15% off your bill." - lani conway, julia chen 1, patrick wong
"Faloodeh and baklava aren’t the first dishes that spring to mind when one thinks of Mexican cuisine for pretty obvious reasons. But Movida in SoMa writes menus weaving Persian fare into the mix, with dishes like agua chile with Persian cucumbers and pomegranate chicken tostadas as the result. Co-owner Bobby Marhamat grew up in Nebraska as a Persian American working in his parents' Mexican restaurants; maybe serving chile relleno with basmati rice and lamb koobideh tacos someday was inevitable." - Paolo Bicchieri, Eater Staff
"SoMa’s swanky new restaurant and lounge Movida deftly blends Mexican and Persian cuisines. At brunch that means dishes such as a Persian tomato omelet made with chorizo and queso Oaxaca or a breakfast tahdig tostada made with refried garbanzo beans, crispy chorizo, and labneh. There’s a full cocktail menu as well, with brunch-specific options including a zesty tomatillo mary, pomegranate mimosas, and the Frescal, a blend of tequila, mezcal, strawberry bitters, and Giffard rhubarb." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff
"You can certainly have a full dinner of Mexican and Persian fusion fare at this dark and moody SoMa lounge, but the swanky atmosphere also makes it a great destination for happy hour or post-dinner drinks. The cocktail list includes drinks such as the Chilosa, which blends St. George green chile vodka, cilantro, lime, coconut, and gol gav zaban, a purple flower used in Persian teas. Pair a drink with sharable plates including chips and dips or mini skewers." - Lauren Saria, Dianne de Guzman
"Movida is a swanky, nightclub-like restaurant and lounge in South Beach—no, not in Miami—by Oracle Park where you’ll want to show off your silkiest, fanciest top. With extended hours until 12:30am on Friday and Saturday, a DJ that cranks the volume, and an audience that occasionally includes someone dressed in a suit, this spot feels totally out of place in San Francisco in the best way possible. While you could get a full dinner, the move is to stop by on the later side, grab a drink, enjoy a few light bites, and indulge in the fact that you can dig up that once-a-year nice outfit out of your closet. " - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez
