Novela

"At Novela, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, its menu of punches, which changes frequently, often features an intoxicating blend of blood orange, chai, strawberry and fresh tarragon."

"The popular, library-themed SoMa booze hall Novela has since the start featured multiple punches on tap. There are always four, and a typical selection includes bourbon, rum, gin, and pisco options with seasonal flavor variations. Some are sweeter than others, and all come in either tasting or full-glass pours, or in a 32-ounce pitcher for a group – and since they’re on tap, wait times tend to be short. ike traditional 19th Century punches, there’s often tea in the mix, like the current bourbon punch offering made with blueberry, apricot, green tea, and grapefruit. Also unique to Novela is a punch-to-go program, too, with bottles of punch mixer that you can take home, and “just add booze and water.”" - Jay C. Barmann

"As much as your friend thinks that all the jobs out here are in Silicon Valley, it’s mostly houses, and odds are, they’ll end up working close to the FiDi/SoMa instead. Set the stage and have them meet you there after work one day, so they can see where they’ll actually be spending their time. Novela makes nice cocktails based on literary characters, and gets crowded after work with people wearing company-branded vests with matching backpacks. Go network and show them that they could meet people whose cousin’s boyfriend’s sister’s best friend is your mom’s book club organizer’s kid. It’s a small world, and look, they’re already making connections in SF. If they like the idea of checking out places close to where they’ll work, show them our FiDi Lunch Guide and our guide to Where To Get A Drink Near Your FiDi/SoMa BART Stop." - will kamensky

"John Park, managing partner of San Francisco-based Brick x Brick Hospitality Group, runs a diverse portfolio of restaurants and bars in the city including Novela." - Lauren Saria

"Contemporary in feel and literary in ambition (cocktails are named for characters in novels like Leopold Bloom and Jay Gatsby) Novela has drinks and small bites for after work get-togethers or weekend jaunts downtown. For your best bet, get the punch on tap by the bowl." - Caleb Pershan