Ambiance - Not too big dance floor. Pretty decent crowd to not so crowded I'd say. I am guessing there is potential to get a larger crowd in the future. Music is not too bad though a bit boring at first. Bar - Quick bartenders and pretty nice communication. I love their bar section though. Price - liquor is not so cheap as usual. Free to get in before 11pm ?!? After that, 20$ cover I believe. I'll come back to chill when I feel like I don't want to be crowded for the night. read more

A sad example of a club that has overestimated its value and purpose. How badly it can treat patrons without suffering the consequences? It feels like it's stuck in the 2009 mode of "fuck your that's why". - the men's restroom is upstairs, right next to some VIP tables. Enjoy smelling that while paying idiotic bottle service costs - they had the audacity to charge cover even though there was not a live act of playing - extremely rude bartenders who do not take credit card and make it seem like it's your fault for not having cash. - no coat check. Really? - extremely overpriced drinks with no justification - bartenders pretend to not take credit card when it's clear they do. The only redeeming quality is the sound system. If you have a good set of headphones, you'll get better audio quality. Crowd is mainly sad single guys without much common sense. Don't waste your time and money here. This is s classic example of worthless San Francisco excess. read more

Been here several times and I have always enjoyed my night. Good drinks, good vibe , good crowd. The bouncers really take care of you and are very friendly- well maybe because I'm a female;) May come back here again soon. read more

I attended two small mixers here. Harlot is perfect for hosting networking events, but I can't imagine wanting to come here on any other night. When this place gets packed, it's nearly impossible to move around unless people are nice enough to let you through. When you first walk in, there is a small window for coat check that is easy to miss, and it's stricly for coats. There is a side room for smoking, which is nice I guess. There are booths that line the wall opposite of the bar which is perfect for networking events. There is an upstairs VIP type area that I'm not sure how to access, but this adds a little more space to the cramped downstairs floor. Everyone who works here seems pretty chill but the vibe of course is defined by the crowd that Harlot attracts. Hit or miss, I suppose. I would definitely book this place for a private event (though it seems a little shabby) but not come here for a regular night on the town. read more

Please God, let this place still be around and still be this amazing by the time I get back to San Francisco in a month. (shelf life seems to be about 4 months on these places, but I can pray that Harlot will beat the odds) The bartenders are well trained (heavier drinks for girls) so it's overkill to get a table, especially with Harlot's minimum/maximum requirements and price, just have your girl friends "boob their way to the bar" (citing Kelly E's review) whenever you need a refill. What really makes this place amazing is that everyone is so damn relaxed and comfortable. Everyone's just happy, not posing, not people-watching, not wall-flying, not creepily staring at you from two tables over until you start worrying that they might have dropped something into your drink when you got up to dance that last time. Worth any wait. And don't bother waiting if you don't plan to dance. First rule of White-Boy-Dance-Club: "No one cares if you can dance, just get up and dance." read more

hah...hahha...hahahha.... The bouncers out front of this lounge act like they're guarding the doors of Pure or Jet in Las Vegas....at least, when I went. meh, but I guess that's not the most important thing. Friendly bartenders, plenty of couches to lounge/chill on, unique/disturbing? artwork to glance at..., and good drinks. Can't say too much about the mixed drinks cause I stuck to good ol' Guinness and .... beer.... but they did make a yummy sea breeze :) Only came for happy hr. so not sure how it is when they play music and when it's crowded. Nice atmosphere but I prefer John Collins for Happy Hr. read more

I went to Harlot for the first time last night, and found it to be pretty fun. The venue was all black, a decent sized dance floor. It has this mystifying-ness to it because of all the black walls, and there's a huge picture of a naked girl on the wall behind the DJ which was distracting me the whole night I was dancing. Not quite sure if I actually enjoyed that. The music on Sat. night was hip-hop, and the DJ was doing alright, until he started putting in his own commentary and playing this underground rap music; that was when we decided we had to leave. The crowd was decent. They were not scary, minded their own business, wasn't rowdy. The men all dressed up really nice in suits and everything. A diverse group of people. The security guards were considerate and let us girls in for free. The club was really packed when we arrived at 12:30, which was probably the best time to go if you like clubs that get packed. After 1:30 though the crowd definitely thinned, and there was almost no more people by 2. Overall experience here was pleasant and fun - 3 stars. read more

Harlot is alright. I have been here quite a few times for various events, open bars and for a friend's birthday. The times I've been here for a free event or open bar were great! I really like the decor. FREE Nights: "The Rumble" used to be held here one Wednesday a month before they moved locations. The vibe was chill and relaxed. I even won an ladybug ipod docking station one time, but that's more props to The Rumble than Harlot. During these parties, usually two bands would play and there'd be a DJ. It was never too crowded either. It was a really intimate spot to see a live band! I've also been to a Metrowize open bar party here. It was super crowded, and one (actually two) of my friends got way too trashed. The indoor club security were actually pretty cool, and helped me get her to the back area to chill out for a bit. One security guy offered to get her water, but forgot, so then one of the managers came by and gave us some trouble for being in the back. My friend was crazy drunk and making a scene, and the bouncers really didn't give us any trouble or hassles. Major props for that because honestly, at the time, she did kinda deserve what she could have had coming to her. Typical night: Now, the only time I've been here for a typical night, was on a Saturday for a friend's birthday. This was our last stop of the night, and we rolled in pretty deep. No cover charge. Everyone got in fine, but it was *way* too crowded. The layout of this place is weird. There's tons of big chairs and low tables in the middle of the floor, so there's not really any place to move. This is fine on weeknights, but on a weekend, when it's packed, this is really obnoxious. There's nowhere to move, nowhere to dance and you're tripping over people and furniture constantly. The DJ wasn't very good either. His transitions were awful, and halfway through a song, the music would just abruptly stop, there'd be a long pause, and then an entirely new tempo/genre would come on. Come on, it's all about beat-matching! Or at least, continuous music. My ipod can do a better job. I don't know. This place isn't bad considering it's got no cover charge, but I'd skip it on weekends. It's nice chill bar for weeknights or private events. The drinks are kinda pricey too, but it's the type of place where'd you'd expect that. read more

My last 2 visits to Harlot have been disappointing. Why? Bad DJs... Came here on a recent Saturday and the music kept turning OFF! The music would just go out intermittently. The DJ was terrible, both in music selection and with the random pauses. I don't think it was a sound system thing, but a DJ thing. Who knows... regardless, the music blew. Then came back on a Friday and this time, DJ kept playing the same beat over and over and over for the first 2 hours. Ruined all the good songs by mixing it with the same repetitive beat. Terrible. He later started playing straight up hip hop around 12 Midnight and this time, he just left the songs to play and didn't mix which was waaay better. Still though, pretty disappointing. Only salvation is no cover, no lines, generally nice staff. Crowd is okay. Parking can be tough. Bass is really really loud inside. read more

Good DJs, but the whole ticket thing can be weird. Will call guest list last minute? Maybe that's normal. The lower stars are for the "special occasion" non-smoking area that is suddenly smoking friendly??? Wtf?? read more

Harlot - Everyone was smoking in a obviously non-smoking area. - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

Damn sexy inside, but star five could be 'cause my awesome girlfriends kick ass to party with, or maybe because hiding out in a dark echoey bathroom with groups of friends and strangers is fun. Also love the giant paintings. Also love the white VIP loft-lounge overlooking the dark velvety musky decor. Was a great place to hang, drink, hide out in the bathroom, just swim through all the peeps and dance to the fun loud house-hiphop-80's dj-mixup. read more

Harlot - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Harlot is the one place downtown that seems to hold some sort of strange mystique for me. When I pass by, I always recall moments I spent inside, which really are hazy at best (they serve alcohol here). The most memorable moment was when a friend and I were fortunate enough to catch a free acoustic performance by Dido. If that's not an ambient memory, I don't know what is. But, given the lush crowd it attracts, I feel a bad experience here is overdue. Like the Airbus A380 or the Octomom, it's only a matter of time before someone builds a bigger plane or pops out more babies, respectively. Until then, I have to say my past three experiences at Harlot were nothing short of wonderful. With a beautiful interior and a convenient location, I really just can't complain. read more

JP, Here is a humble request. Whatever your opinion is about my review, please state them publicly. I do not appreciate receiving 'hate messages from you. I write my reviews on yelp to record my experience, and to share with my community what I have been through truthfully, and without prejudice. Do not be rude, and make an excuse that I botched up the facts. I do not receive any incentive in calling a business bad or sloppy, infact, it pains me when I give a bad rating to any business.I merely want to forewarn my fellow yelpers from having a similar experience. Remember, you are in business because a customer exists, not the other way around. If I did not get my facts right, why did 7 of us have to go back after having had to wait for nearly 40 mins trying out different negotiation techniques with you. You made a customer cry on her bday requesting you to let her friends in. That is totally unfair! You cannot undo what is done, but it takes courage to accept when you are wrong. You cannot force me to think that I am wrong when I am not in the wrong.I am not going to back off, just because you have an inflated ego and write messages. Even if you think that I did not get my facts right, logically, you are still in the wrong as you did not communicate effectively what your business permits and allows as terms and policies. I do not want to be mean, but want you to exercise the same empathy and restraint I have in holding back my anger against your stupidity in writing rudely to me. Rest assured, you will never see me again. read more

The first thing I thought when I saw the velvet rope and the sign with just an H on it was pre-tentious. The interior is black with high ceilings and paintings everywhere, I think they were trying to go for a high class brothel motiff. I did like the big aquarium where you can observe smokers in their natural habitat. In all seriousness this place is a little too hot, the music is a little too loud, and I thought it was low class the way they ignored us at the bar trying to order while they let clock run out on the happy hour specials. I had a good time here but mostly because it was full of meetup people, I don't think I'd like it on a normal night. read more

For immediate and corrective referencial sourcing of this omnifactual review, please see: http://youtube.com/watch?v=n1sZLSO9va0 I've got the power. Or so I thought. On Thursday night, at Harlot, like the crack of the whip I snap attacked in my vest/tie/pinstripe combo outfit. And I came to realize what? Harlot got the power. Harlot got the power to make me spend TWO HOURS working away at the cutest guy ever: flirting, batting my lashes, pursing my lips, demurely touching my neck, his shoulders, his powerful arms, stare coyly at his beautiful face. And like seven to fourteen wise divine, I was all, "OMG, he seems to be okay with this, and heavens, could he actually be interested back? Maybe? Sort of? Potentially!" Karen K (in all her gay glory, while drunkenly whipping about her Infamous Purse of Innocence and Purity Gone The Whitney Crack-Is-Whack Route) was all, "YEAH, MAN, TOTALLY GO FOR HIM! GO! GO! GO! I'M GAY FOR MYSELF, ETC. AND SO ON!" (She's the lyrical Jesse James, FYI) and I was all "Okey dokey, Karen K. I will!" And then, a little while later, I casually make a comment with the ever-divine Shatangi O. present: "This is totally the gay corner." And the man of my dreams? "Oh, I'm actually straight. [Wait for it] and married." OUCH. He's gonna break my heart. He's gonna break my heart of hearts. Imagine my mystifed molgertation. It was mollifyingly mortifying. Do you dig what I am saying like a shovel rhyme devil??? On a heavenly level????? If so, please hand me said shovel so I can bury myself 4eva. Harlot got the power. Snap. read more

I had no idea prostitutes had such huge egos and senses of entitlement (and I am not just talking about the clientelle, as the employees are competing for the prize, too). One extra star for the drinks and the decor, its pretty swank and they make some tasty cocktails. I guess this place was going for the high class prostitute thing. read more

OMG look, there's Moby outside of Harlot. Oh, wait, that's just the bald douchebag of a bouncer. We get it, you want to maintain Harlot as a hip and swanky club as it once was. But here's a reality check - you are NOT that anymore. And you'll never get there if you continue employing such deploring behavior at the door. You are not a Marquee or an XS in Vegas. You are in front of a parking lot on a dingy street. So what was my experience? Our party of about 15 people, almost even number of girls:guys, all dressed to the nines, wanted to go out dancing on a Friday nite. We were all in a good mood after spending a few hours at the District. So for whatever reason we chose Harlot (I've been a here a couple of times before). As with any large party, we got to Harlot within 10 minutes of each other. The "privileged" few entered the club, while the other people got stuck outside around 11. Ok, so there was no cover, and not a soul in sight outside, and the inside of the club was empty (according to my peeps who were inside). So Mr.Moby tells us that he can't let us enter because were 3 guys and 1 girl. We were like, we already have our group inside full of girls and guys. Apparently, that did not help, instead Mr Moby recommended to get a table service. SERIOUSLY? REALLY? Do you think this is the first club we are ever going to in our lives? Buddy, first off there's nobody inside, there are 15 people about to give you a shitload of business but you decide to hold us up? Charge us a cover for god's sake if that works for you. And if that wasn't enough, he happily let some other people inside. I hate, hate, hate to pull the R card especially in SF, but man, this was pretty close. Especially after seeing the way he was letting other people inside. And of course, I'm not even going to start with the rude attitude issues. Again, you are not in Vegas or NY where there;s a line around the block to get inside. Anyway, we tried to be nice and negotiate and it did not work, so we called our party out and went to 111 Minna - paid a $5 cover and had a blast! In the mean time, Mr Moby and his bunch at Harlot lost at least $1000 worth of immediate business, a really bad yelp review, and a permanent boycott of Harlot by 15 people. So awesome job Mr Moby, way to go! read more

Harlot ruined (part of) my birthday!! :( It was so awful that we actually left and went to 5a5 instead. After an hour of frustration (despite having bought bottle service, signing up for the guestlist, and showing up well-dressed with the appropriate male/female ratio), we actually gave up and left to go elsewhere. Here are some of the reasons why we will probably never come back (and will continue telling all our friends the same): -Harlot decided to give away our pre-reserved table after making us wait outside for an hour: We had pre-reserved bottle service and a table, yet when we got there, they actually made us wait in line for an hour and then said "Oops, sorry... we're out of tables now" even though we had payment ready up front. What's the point of reserving bottle service if the club is just going to give away your table? Also, if they're going to give away your table, why not say so immediately, instead of making the birthday girl + all of her friends wait outside in the freezing code for an hour?? Finally, we gave up and went to 5a5 (a much better / more upscale venue with better drinks, better looking people, and no drama) instead, where we were well taken care of. -Harlot promised our group we were on the guestlist but then we weren't: We were promised free entry for our group of 80+ people and had emailed our list (and received confirmation that everyone was on the list). However, while still at dinner, I started getting calls from many of my friends saying they were there and apparently weren't on the list (although we had received supposed "confirmation")..... -Incredibly non-helpful /rude staff: The staff was rude, even though we arrived dressed to the nines (girls decked out in cocktail dresses, and we had some guys in suits even) with the appropriate guy/girl ratio AND had bought a table (until they gave it away). I was literally near tears and about to cry from dealing with the rude staff (who were NOT helpful nor even apologetic about their screw-ups)... seriously the worst experience I've had on a birthday or ever in SF. If not for our entire group moving to the classier 5a5 a, it would have been a complete disaster / failed birthday. (Thank you 5a5.) Even so, it was hard rounding up our rather large group to inform everyone of a last-minute venue change, since there were over 80 people in our party and not everyone arrived at the same time. I've never had to wait in line like this at a lounge (and especially not with bottle service)....I've decided that I'll probably go back to sticking with venues whose owners I know or promoters that I know will take care of me from now on. Summary: BOYCOTT Harlot (unless you want to encourage places like this). I'm telling all of my friends / fellow Yelpers (including the 80+ of us that dealt with this awful treatment that night) to post reviews and avoid giving this place our business! read more

Alright alright, lemme speak right now after gettin' home from this place. I'm still a bit tipsy but lemme write this out before i forget...... I have never seen a surplus of Marina chodes all congregatin' in one spot until TONIGHT. Accompanying the Marina chodes are the titty girls servin' up they shit like it's on a hoisted whores d'ouevres platter.... and i saw this private party with a hoochie havin' her poon wavin' up in the air like it just don't care! I'm all about the flashing of your proverbial ( | ) coz that's empowering and hot.... but... uh.... with the weather bein' how it is lately... shoooooot..... i'd recommend random chickenhead ho to use up more layerin' up in that bitch. I KNOW it's humid and shiett up in that club, but DAYNGGG!! DO YOU REALLY NEED TO FLASH ERRRBODY YOUR FLIMSILY COVERED POON? And wassup wid yo homeboy with the thin ass V-neck undershirt and gold necklace? Muthafucka had more cleavage than me... I started to get jelly. Seriously... NO... srsly... is that even hot? *I dunno* And what the hell was that random dude tryin' to be his boy's wingman outside talkin' to the bouncers telling him, "HAVE YOU READ THIS GUY'S YELP REVIEWS?" muthafucka WHO GIVES A SHIT! You ain't Keane L. nor NOBOO K. nor Ed to the M., bitch! I ask you this,.... How many fans DO YOU HAVE muthafucka! And to that random ho who bumped into me, spillin' my drank all over my damn clothes.... yes, you with the pinkish flesh tight long sleeved, v-neck shirt, long, blonde curly hair... oooh... you're lucky i didn't get Stockton on your ass and KNOCKED YOU THE FUCK OUT! The bartenders made my Jameson/Ginger Ale hella Jameson and not much Ginger Ale..... the bouncers are super nice and were making sure the ladies watched their step and didn't fall on they'z hoochified selves nor walk into the sketchy alley up ahead. The space itself is pretty, and even the bathrooms come with a lady sitting in the corner who hands you paper towels and a tip jar next to her so the whole scene was to suggest that you tip her... uhm.. it's all good, i got no money to tip you lady, so thanks for the paper towel. Music was bumpin'.... but srsly.... SRSLY.... wassup with these chodes (Asians and White boys alike) going up on these girls by just thrusting theyz hips, thankin' that shit is dancin'? WHAT THE SHIT IS THAT? shit ain't cute. so you need to stop. EPIL STOP. read more

Fast bartenders, strong drinks, good old-time music. What was it? 80s? This is half an office building in one big room with a balcony overlooking the floor. The famous painting on the back wall was OK, but I was much more impressed with the pictures in the table tops. Now, when a living legend declared the end of one of the most famous happy hour gatherings in America, the DYL, whose name is known coast to coast, I decided to show up. I felt like I might be attending the last Monday Night Class with Steven Gaskin, or something like that. It turned out the room was spacious enough that we could all walk around, and the music was just turned up to a point where we could still hear each other. I also found that in the glass smoking cage the music was shut out well enough that we could hold conversations at normal voice levels. What was nice about walking into this spacious lounge was that I immediately recognized about 1/3 of the people. It was great to have a starting point of kind of knowing each other; that broke the ice really quickly. Social comfort led to honest dialogue, and I found my inner child talking directly to other persons' inner children. At times I was brought up to a more intellectual conversation, sometimes about multiple relationships and sometimes about the value of honesty in all interpersonal communication. Along that line, I got a lesson or two in how jokes can be misinterpreted, and how when I don't get the joke my perception of reality is seriously distorted. I'm one of those people who can dish it out, but can't take it. The crowd was reserved, for the most part, and there wasn't much for the bouncers to do except repeatedly ask the ladies to stop making out with each other. As the happy hour wound down and we drifted to other bars, I thought this was a very nice bar to have right downtown. The insights into other Yelpers' lives were more than worth the $5 price of the well drinks. P.S. This bar is cash only, and their ATM was out of order. read more

Word of Advice: DON'T COME HERE EVER. I made the mistake of coming here last night, and NEVER AGAIN will I deal with the hassle of coming to this spot. My friends and I came here for a birthday party, and we had reserved a table on the bottom level - we were promised by a Sara on the phone that we would be given a spot on the dance floor - as opposed to the upstairs area which is less lively. We also emailed the club the names of our guests, so to make for an easy experience.. or so I thought. We get to the club at a decent time, 10:15 - only to be told by Jeremy the apparent professional "manager" that they overbooked for the night of Harlot, and our reserved table space had been given to someone else (even though we had already been charged for the expense) - we were told that we would be given an upstairs "VIP" table which normally goes for $1000, at the cost of a table downstairs. We agreed to that - as we didn't want to waste time, and awaited the birthday boy - even though our names were all on guest list - we were told we had to pay cover or we could wait until the birthday boy showed. When he showed - Jeremy looked at him, and the three guys with him and said "No, you are now paying full price - there are guys with him". Mind you - we had mentioned this to him already and had provided him with a guest list - in addition to this, the professionals that they are - Jeremy said "you can take it or leave it, but i'm not letting them in" - when I spoke up, about how it made no sense and how unprofessional the entire situation was - Jeremy said "You are not coming in no matter what". Agreed, clubs have the right to reserve entry - however I didn't realize that a club manager's ego and pathetic unprofessionalism was going to be the reason I was told I was not going to be allowed in. Anywho - my friends talked to the other bouncers, and all ended up well - we were guaranteed to go back in, the entire situation had resolved and then Jeremy (clearly lacking excitement in his life) - stated that he wanted a public apology for me. AN APOLOGY. FOR WHAT?! For calling him out on his unprofessionalism? You'd have more luck convincing a boy scout to litter than you would convince me to apologize. I did NOT apologize, and my friend told Jeremy to simmer down - which he ended up doing - and we all walked in. Sounds like a bad episode of Jersey Shore huh? Except I'm no Snookie, and Jeremy is definitely no Pauly D. Frankly, I'm shocked by the unprofessionalism, and utmost rude behavior displayed by the bar manager. It's one thing to be overbooked, and another to be underintelligent. As for the club - the music was normal, the alcohol was flowing, the crowd was a bit eh, and it's a smaller spot. My advice? Skip this spot and go to The Grand, Infusion, John Collins, Ruby Skye before you waste your time here. read more

I'm debating if I should give this place 2 or 3 stars but since I'm willing to give this place another chance I'll keep it at 2 stars. Went on a Sunday night and I don't think I'll ever be back on a Sunday night during a holiday weekend. Holiday weekends tend to bring a crowd that I'm not too crazy about (more ratchets than usual) but for the most part it was a good mix of regular people there. This place is small and about 80% bottle service, leaving us regular folks trying to find space to dance, let alone breath. The upstairs was cool but again it is the same problem. The dj that night was trash, and since the crowd was mostly ratchet, he was playing songs that only catered to them. (I'm talking about the songs you don't hear on the radio, that gets the crowd hella hyped...sometimes too hyped like a riot is gonna break out lol.) Drinks were ok, about $10+. The bartender that helped me was nice and attentive. Overall I wish I went somewhere else but again I'll give this place another chance. read more

I'm usually least interested in marina bars, or even slightly marina'esque bars. Seriously. I heard harlot was one of those punks, until I found five reasons why I loved it: 1. Decor. swanky, but classy. Wall colors are great. Cellophane translucent cube at mezzanine bar is attractive. 2. Within five minutes of jaunting in, I found a Marc Jacobs, a Gucci and one semi-exclusive D&G flaunting. Not the cheapo Marc by Marc Jacobs I remind you, but the real shebang. 3. No bullshit rock music, or "sit on me" rap music - but real good breaks with a lounge tone on the turntables. Good feet and shoulder exercise. 4. Good looking bartenders with charming service. This is no fucking Toronado or Zeitgeist. No snake tattoos or zombie industrial pants, or crazy people with deranged ear piercings, but friendly hotties serving you with youthful haircuts. 5. Excellent crowd. No hipsters, and very few dumb marina people. Also very few bridge & tunnel'ers. Good amount of eye candy. A lot of people are here you want to be seen with. But why give 4 stars with all above said? -- The drinks need to get stronger for the price. Friday evenings and weekends are probably the best times to go. read more

Harumph. I've been here several times, and it was always sort of a nondescript experience, so I never bothered to review . . . however, I believe recent events need to be brought to light. Last month, I was at Harlot, and I decided to check 2 items: one s.w.o.r.d. leather jacket, and a marciano blazer. These were 2 of my wardrobe favourites, so I specifically asked them to put each one on a separate hanger and give me 1 tag per piece, or 2 total. they seemed fine with that, no complaints or odd looks. Lo and behold, this little piggy overindulged, and went home with coat check tags still in her wallet, but sadly lacking in outerwear! I was traveling out of the town the next day, but the following week I called up the place and told them I wanted to see if they still had my items. The gentleman who answered the phone was incredibly rude! (I called on a Wednesday early in the evening, so I doubt they were ridiculously busy at the time). Before I even finished my inquiry, he cut me off and said "we have an entire BOX of stuff that's been left in coat check, you have to come and look through it yourself." O-KAYYYYY sorry mr. high & mighty! sheesh. so, i schlep myself over to the H-lot . . . . when I asked the nearest bartender where I should go if I were looking for some lost & found items, she asked me to describe them, then said she'd go look for them! ???? What happened to having to look through it myself? at first i was pleasantly surprised that i'd been saved the trouble of looking for it. until she came back up and said, "no, sorry, we don't have anything." {insert incredulous piggy stare here} "ummm . . . . but i still have the coat check tags and everything . . . so what happened to them, i know someone else didn't claim them?" at which point she gives an exasperated sigh and says, here, why don't you just come take a look? so, we trundle down the stairs and she leads me into a room which looks like the office, and on one side of the room there's one of those wires people hang laundry from, and it's got some hangers with jackets hanging from it. there, hanging right on the end, was my marciano blazer. one down. btw . . . . where's this big box of stuff the guy on the phone was talking about?? once again i reiterated that there was also a leather jacket . . . . at which point the girl says "ok wait, let me check one other place . . . " WTF IS GOING ON HERE?!?!? how difficult is it to gather up all the stuff that was left in coat check at the end of the evening and chuck it into a box?!? if the bellagio security can rescue my clothing which i only remember 2 weeks after i checked out, sure the much smaller harlot can deal with a single lost & found box?!? oh yea, and they couldn't find the leather jacket. when i asked them what could have happened to it, given that i still had the claim ticket in my possession, i just got a sort of shrug and a blank stare. um. not acceptable. i don't really care so much about the jacket, i can buy another one, but there was a pair of gloves in the jacket pockets that i'm devastated about losing. so, if you happen to see a female with hand size ~6.5, wearing the most exquisite pair of black suede driving gloves with *lightly perforated fingers *an opening in the back of the hand *silver hardware (a long flat bar with one rectangular link on each end) on the back of the wrist *silk lining *and a single black metal snap on the inside of each wrist ask her if she works at harlot, or if the person who gave her the gloves works there! and when she goes "hey, how did you know?" you can tell her it's because you know she (or her friend who gave them to her) EFFING STOLE THIS LITTLE PIGGY'S $800 LEATHER JACKET AS WELL AS HER GLOVES, WHICH WERE SPECIALLY AIRMAILED TO HER ALL THE WAY FROM NORWAY. then you should avoid coming in close proximity to her if at all possible, as karma's a bitch and you don't want to become collateral damage when something horrific inevitably happens to her as a result of her shady, underhanded thieving ways. places that hire dishonest employees with bad attitudes who don't have a set policy for anything, it seems, do not get good ratings in my book. read more

"Intelligence arises when you realize you are fallible" - J. Krishnamurthy In the past, I had a tendency to label any Bars in SOMA as "LA type" and give it a low rating. However, over the past 9 months I am realizing that our judgements are clouded by our perceptions and in order to be truly objective, we need to eliminate as much of our mental biases as possible. Hence, even though Harlot is not my kind of place(as I don't like Bars in SOMA) I will still rate it 5 stars due to the following: Star 1: The name Harlot conjures an era of hoary whoriness; brings a touch of elegance to our basic instincts. Star 2: For the harmony in the layout of the space; subtle touches like the mysterious staircase to the upstairs bar abound. I was stoked by my experience of being shown the iron pillars embossed with turn of the century "Carnegie steel" by Jeremy, the Carnegie of cyberspace. Star 3: The elegant decor from the cowhide chairs to the pictures of Harlots from different cultures, subtly appealing to the archetype of Harlot embedded in our collective unconsciousness. Star 4: For the choice of drinks and for the choice of those who provide the drinks a.k.a hot bartenders and staff. I casually complimented a staff on the taste of a piece of chocolate and lo and behold, she tracked me down after half an hour and gave me another piece. Star 5: Harlot is located at 46 Minna(which, along with Jessie St, is also named after turn of the century harlots). So basically, Harlot within Harlot is a metaphor for mankind as most of us have an inner Harlot as we are selling our services for money. Nish, in his State of the Union address, pronounced that Harlot is going to be THE place for Happy Hour from Wed to Friday. For those wanting to let their inner Harlots come out and play after a hard days work, Harlot's proximity to the FIDI will surely make it the watering hole of choice for the after work party animals. read more

Harlot is dark. I look good in the dark. You probably look good in the dark also. That's the reason I am going to stop going to Harlot. And drinking vodka. read more

In a town hardly known for great nightclubs, Harlot holds the distinction of being the worst. Despite having a young, affluent and cool population, San Francisco lags far behind most cities of it's caliber of nightlife. If a nightclub is supposed to be full of attractive, young, cool people who can dance, with a balance between men and women, then San Francisco is a tough. But, most of those reasons for why this is the case are most exquisitely demonstrated in Harlot. Firstly, Harlot is a total dump. I would imagine that the place is a serious cash cow, none of it has been reinvested in the club itself.The entire place has a cheap, dated feeling that tries to cover the poverty of the surroundings with low light. The VIP area provides some respite from the overcrowded bar area and dance floor, but it provides no direct access to the dance floor. Service is reasonably good, but nothing special, as it's the worst club in San Francisco. The bathrooms are disgusting, and poorly maintained throughout the night. (There's staff there, so I think that's a problem of management.) The prices are as expensive as any club in the city. The crowd is overwhelmingly single males, without any sense of style. At Origin, they'd be denied at the door.. The ratio is probably 60% single males dressed in dress shirts, jeans and loafers. It's mostly guys who work in tech, who clearly have just gotten off work, who believe that the best way to attract a girl is to apparently hang out on the edges of the very crowded dance floor, creepily dancing by themselves and avoiding eye contact with anyone. It's the sort of look that suicide bombers must have when they're attempting to blend in at a nightclub as they move to the center. There are a lot of fights and tense encounters. Most of the guys are harmless, but what makes Harlot special is that there's a frustrated thirstiness to the crowd that gets worse and worse as the night progresses as the decidedly unsexy crowd and atmosphere prevents any kind of romantic encounters. While virtually every club in San Francisco is full of this type, Harlot actually seems to be more prone to fights and rude behavior than any other club I've been to. I've seen fights break out here virtually every time I've been there. Virtually every time I've been to Harlot, I've seen some guy freaking out on a girl. It's a bizarre atmosphere after midnight. Security is fairly light handed, so it's a good place to check yourself. After around 1am, the place can get pretty tense as most the guys in the club realize that they're not going to meet anyone that night (and their best hope is likely to be an arranged marriage) and tensions flare. Convenient to mass transit, though. read more

What is an old fart like me, doing in a place like this? Um, yes, there are days when I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you of the places I'm visiting. It's a good thing the shameless hussy in me ends up Yelping about it anyway. The Decor = GOOD! I like the decor in this place! It reminds me of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion! Staff = Cool Beans I got in quick. I got my drinks quick. Quick-quick-quick! I LOVE that! The Music = WTF? What in hell is up with the music at clubs and bars these days? Are you freaking kidding me?? Songs come in with no rhyme or reason. One second I'm dancing to ghetto hip hop, the next Madonna, then house, followed by Heavy Metal... WTF? You are confusing me, Mr. DJ. I mean, you are displaying a massive case of music-genre-schitzophrenia. You are causing my body to twitch out of rhythm -- perplexed at the music going from E-40 to Depeche Mode. "WTF?! PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE!" The Dance floor - Aggravating Oh, you know the feeling of being excessively pushed and shoved and backed into by an off-beat shaking butt? Yeah, I'm not so sure that I wanted to dance after a few minutes on the dancefloor...however, "BAR FIGHT!" kept echoing through my head and clenched fist. Of course, old farts have no business getting into bar fights -- lucky bastards! lol Overall, the place was okay. If you like random music and crowded places where the space is so tight you can rub your back and front package on strangers, definitely check it out. read more

I haven't been here since the Yelp Event, and it was an amazing time. It was definitely fun catching up with everyone and celebrating the last DYL with Todd and the gang. It seems like those drinking days are over for me. It is the perfect place to get drinks after work especially with their happy hour prices. They got live dj's, plenty of room to sit, dance, and mingle. They have a top floor if you want to get intimate, by that, I mean, you don't have to rent a cheap motel and hotel room. I Kidd....OK? By all means, come here, it's the only place to be. read more

This review is strictly for their venue space Came to Harlot to see Her Rebel Highness & couldn't have been more impressed w/ the venue setup Taking their small limited space & turning it into an interactive, cozy & fun stage setting for the story about rebellious princesses from 1775 Started out in the bar / lounge area where there are bar stools & leather / cow skin couches for us to linger, enjoy some hors d'oveurs & wait for the royal court to be called to session. The bar itself has dark walls, dark wooden furniture & dark couches - makes for a fun venue setting As court was about to start, we migrated our way over to the "stage" area & there were seats or more couches from which to choose, the stage was nice & high so we could see all the actresses & the music was loud but nowhere near overwhelming & this was highly appreciated Nice intimate evening in a relaxing, comfy, funky, fun setting! And that equals a big A-OK in my book! read more

I've been here a few times after work for a quick drink, but some of my friends and I decided to come here on a Friday night out on the town. It was busy, and it was funny to see a coat check and "VIP" sections.... But, then again, the whole club scene in SF is a little bizarre to me. At any rate, I went to the bar to buy a round of drinks. I ordered a Kettle One gimlet, a Kettle One and soda, and a Makers on the rocks. The gimlet is where we really started having problems. She gave me a Kettle soda, and a Kettle tonic instead.... so I asked her again for a Kettle One gimlet. I watched her make it, and there was no basil, no lime juice, no mixing. After TWO times of asking her to remake it, I gave up and just took whatever she served me. It was a fun night out, and the venue is pretty cool.... it's really dark with provocative art, and antler chandeliers. The music was pretty good too, but I was just so turned off by the bar tender. It's not like I was asking for a specialty cocktail. Maybe if you're going to put new bartenders to man the bar, try it for a Monday or Tuesday night, when there is room for error. read more

Me: "What do you want to do tonight?" Friends: "Let's go clubbing" Me: "Well it's 15 min to 11pm, and even though we're on the guest list for Temple and Roe, I doubt we'll make it in time! I don't want to pay $20 to party" Naoko: "What about Harlot? We'll get in for free" FREE?! You said the magic words. The venue got changed to Harlot in a heartbeat! So we cut through the back area behind Temple and head on over to Harlot! The bouncer had no problem checking out my booty as he let me in. When my friend gave him a weird look he said "What? Us black men love booty!" Little did he know my brown friend has mad jungle fever and was cursing her petite frame. I almost slapped a ho. What I would do to be as skinny as she was once again! We walk right in and walk up to the bar and Kris helps us out. She was so great! I went to her all night and she gave us strong drinks. Drinks were pretty well priced there and we had a blast with the crowd. Then we realized "Holy crap. There's a bachelorette party going on over here. ARE THOSE STRIPPERS?!" Man, did we get a free show or what! Talk about interesting. The DJ was on point, couples were making out everywhere, bathrooms were clean, and drinks were slammin. Two of my friends then got kicked out for intoxication around 1AM! We stayed for another half hour so that our friend could hit on the bouncer Justin, and then bounced out to end the night. Overall, Harlot was full of hilarity, harlots and high times. Great night you guys, thanks to everyone who attended on Saturday night for the fun! read more

Weirdest thing. We came here tonight, Wednesday pre-Thanksgiving, there was a huge line and no one was allowed in. I walked up to the bouncer and asked him how long the line was taking. His friend looked at us and said, "they're next. let them through. they shouldn't be waiting in line." WTF? Then, we went to the bar and the bartender removed the rope and ushered us upstairs, apologizing for the wait. WTF? Then we stood alone in the upstairs area, watching pumas learn to be cougars. WTF? Then my friend decided it was time for us to leave. WTF? Great time was had by all. I'm not sure I'll be back here, because I'm not a..well... harlot. read more

Shatangi thinks Harlot has a lot of potential!!! Great decor and sexy staff. Fill it with a bunch of sexy Yelpers and it could make for a great Happy Hour spot as well as a club. I'm down for a try whenever jay h is ready. Shatangi told you... read more

Harlot is a sort of fancy club/bar. They vibe that that least. A friend insisted on bottle service while trying to impress some girls wear little more than what you'd expect. I didn't want this which somehow resulted in my horny friend paying for my drinks that night so I don't know what cost what sorry. I guess the clientele was cool and I guess they were horrible and I guess they were normal. So . . . . I give this a wash so bored . . . read more

Let's talk about whoring for a minute, kids. It is really hard to be single in San Francisco and not get your harlot on every now and again. This place did NOT inspire me to hush my inner whore. No, in fact, it made me want to unleash that hussy all over the place. And boy did I ever. Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday! Top that, Divine Brown! I hold Harlot responsible for all questionable behavior in the past three days. Never mind that they named this bar after me, the place is hot. It's happening. And the bartenders (boys) were so incredibly delicious. The lady bartenders wear adorable burlesquey outfits and were kind enough to tell me where I could purchase one of my very own! Hot asses abound! Drinks were strong and reasonable, the upstairs area is very, very white. And very, very sexy. Or maybe it's just me. There's also a smoking cage and well, we all know how much I like a cage. All the staff here are great- no attitude at this venue. If you're me, anyway. Plenty of space and seating means you can do your pimping, hoing, and drinking comfortably and spacious, clean bathrooms mean you don't have to leave to get your nasty on. Not that I would know. I'm not that kind of girl. read more

Decided to give this place one more chance. Should have known better. Actually called ahead and reserved bottle service. Arrived at the club and they had messed our reservation up - same jerk bouncer in the deuche glasses said our table would be $500 now instead of the original $250 which we had agreed upon earlier in the day. Told him no way and that were canceling it then. Gave me this strange look like I was crazy for canceling on Harlot, the greatest place in the world in his eyes. He said with a smirk that even though I was canceling they would still charge my card the full amount. He was definitely upset when I told him I never put my card down (how dumb does he think I am?) and that we were leaving. To hell with them. read more

Walking into Harlot feels like walking into the parlor of a goth beauty queen from a Tim Burton movie. The walls are black and hung with lush naked velvet bodies in lustrous wooden frames. The chairs have been covered with cow hide and paired with dark leather love seats. Moody lights hang from above at provocative angles and cast a glow on strange fronds and flowers. Going to Harlot makes me want to wear my corset. Three reasons I don't: 1. The crowd is unpredictably fickle. You never know whether you're going to get corporate or indie types. 2. Upon arrival, you will quite possibly realize it's closed. 3. There is a slight chance the bartender will look better in her corset than you do. read more

Extremely pretentious management and staff, who are inexperienced at operating a lounge/bar/club. Uniquely and well decorated, very cool in that aspect. Patrons are not permitted to sit in any seats unless they purchase bottle service. Staff is rude. Would not recommend. read more

UPDATE: 5/11/07: OM party last night was so so good. I'm appreciating the decor more every time I go. The attention to detail to everything from the cocktail waitress outfits to the art to the sound system is outstanding. ____________________________________________________ UPDATE from 4/25/07: Music improved. I'm sure they will continue to have proper DJs on most nights. The bartenders are so damn nice, drinks stiff, decor sumptuous down to the red-lit bathroom. Upstairs couches and low white stools perfect for catching up with your peeps. _____________________________________________________ If Martel & Nabiel were a publicly-traded entity, I would be the largest stockholder. I have been supporting their businesses in this City almost as long as I've been old enough to go out, and will surely be frequenting this newest iteration, Harlot. It's dark in a sexy way, with corsetted bartendresses and a lot of black. The layout, with couches, small dance area, bar stools, and a second level that overlooks it all, lends itself to mingling and lingering for a couple five or six cocktails. I assume the DJs will improve when they officially open--last night was an eclectic mix of top-40s type songs that I didn't expect to hear there. I'll be back next weekend and will report back on the music front. Nice job, Martel! If it weren't for you, I would have had to move to NYC years ago! read more