Perched high atop the Beacon Grand, Starlite offers an enchanting mix of stunning city views, inventive cocktails, and a vibrant atmosphere that sets the perfect backdrop for any occasion.
"Don’t go to Starlite for dinner. Instead, visit the 21st-floor rooftop bar in Union Square for the fantastic cocktails and gorgeous views of the city. (There are plenty of great dinner spots nearby once your eyeballs have had their fill.) Focus your attention on the sparkly chandeliers, flashy outfits, and luxurious green velvet couches that make the ideal setting for a birthday photoshoot against the downtown skyline. The best part is that this spot is mostly indoors, so you won’t have to worry about cocktail napkins flying off into the fog." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez
"For decades, San Franciscans knew Starlite more properly as Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, a gleaming bar overlooking Union Square. In more recent years, the bar was shuttered for five years — first for a renovation in 2019, but then it continued its closure during the onset of the pandemic. The bar roared back to life in January 2024 under the stead of the Beacon Grand Hotel, still with those inspired views, but now with a menu led by Scott Baird, formerly of Trick Dog, and bites by Washington, D.C.-based chef Johnny Spero. The porn star martini is a good place to start, drinks-wise, but for a touch of flair, order the Cable Car Redux with a special ingredient, Karl the Fog." - Dianne de Guzman
"Longtime San Francisco residents will know this place as Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, but in January 2024 the Beacon Grand unveiled a freshly remodeled space with updated cocktail and food menus, now rebranded as Starlite. What hasn’t changed: the gorgeous views of Union Square. Espresso martini fans will want to check out Starlite’s version, which brings a hint of orange flavor with the addition of marmalade; meanwhile, the Cable Car Redux is a sidecar zhuzhed up with five spice and a showy dose of smoke. For food, tuck into hot fried chicken buns served two per order, or a plate of furikake french fries." - Dianne de Guzman, Paolo Bicchieri
"The rebranded Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, featuring skyline views and a luxe interior designed by Alice Crumeyrolle with drinks from Trick Dog co-founder Scott Baird." - Dianne de Guzman
"It’s easy to see why Starlite is an easy slam dunk in terms of gorgeous private dining room spaces. With windows that look out onto Union Square from the 21st floor, paired with rooms swathed in luxe deep green velvet furniture to lounge on, it’s a win in a lot of ways. The Starlite team has managed to parse out four rentable spaces at the storied bar with different capacities, perfect for when you’re looking for a cocktail hour with bites, rather than a sit-down dinner. There are even fun add-ons, such as a Dirty 90s Martini Fountain. For more information, email events@starlitesf.com." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff
