Alter Ego and Still OG might just be the most cleverly conceived bar concept in the city. Small and…read moreintimate, yes -- but every inch of it is intentional. Let's start with the drinks. The cocktail menu is inspired by records, and you can feel the creativity in every sip. These aren't your standard bar pours -- they're clearly thought out and crafted with personality. If you're someone who appreciates a drink with a story behind it, you'll be in your element here. The live DJ on weekends takes the whole experience to another level. The music isn't background noise -- it's part of the atmosphere, and it hits right. What makes this place truly special is that you're getting two completely different vibes under one roof. Walk into Still OG up front and you get a casual, laid-back energy -- easy conversation, good company, no pretension. Then slip into the speakeasy in the back and the whole mood shifts. Alter Ego is a proper intimate lounge with their full bar, and it feels like a world away from the street outside. The transition between the two spaces is surprisingly seamless and genuinely fun to experience. And they're open late, which puts them in a rare category of places actually worth staying out for. Whether you're there for a chill night out or a proper evening, this place delivers both without making you choose.

Vibe: A Had to make…read morea quick pit stop before a show that night and wandered into OG. Haven't been to this location in a minute. Can still remember the gourmet dogs and duck fat fries back in the days... Awesome what they did to the place. The new set up with the dim lights and neon menu is noice. Ended up chilling at the front bar. Definitely will return to explore the back at a later time. Food: A We got to sample a variety of goodies and drinks from the menu, which definitely hit the spot. The skewers were cooked just right with a kiss of smoke from the grill. The takoyaki were good as expected--yum. We ended the excursion with the milk bread; it was surely a crowd-pleaser. It was fluffy goodness, topped with furikake, and served with a side of decadent house butter. Drinks were perfectly crafted and refreshing. Service: A We were chilling at the bar and got to hang with staff. Cool folks, will be back. - John

Service (Via Leo) was exceptional Burger plate was good…read moreI enjoyed spending time there

This lounge at the Aloft hotel in Sunnyvale is both classy and casual, the setup not as nice as the…read moreSanta Clara location which is my fave, but still an inviting space with its own perks. We came by on a Wednesday night and enjoyed some delicious cocktails along with amazing service. Not only did the bartenders help guests sitting at the bar, but they walked around checking on everyone in the lounge seating, and showed that they cared about the customer experience. They messed up on the first pair of drinks we ordered, but comped our second set of cocktails which they made ten times better. We really appreciated this. Adding to our lovely evening, the live music created just the right vibe. Mike Annuzzi, who plays here weekly, showcased some incredible talent on the guitar and vocals, performing great tunes including a jazzy rendition of Michael Jackson's Human Nature, Fly Me to the Moon, as well as some Richard Marx, Now and Forever. Sometimes we take good music for granted, but I don't want to forget the simple moments that create smiles. W XYZ in Sunnyvale features not just an awesome musician, but an excellent sound system too, with suitable volume and clarity, to go along with soothing melodies that ease your mind. Everything about my recent visit makes me wanna return to this spot. And you don't need to be staying at the hotel to take advantage of all this place has to offer.

Want whisky? This is your spot! Whisky flights available with four different tiers ranging from $25…read moreto $225. Lots of whisky based drink options as well as several beers on draft and select wines. Lots of specialty drinks too to tickle your fancy as yours truly isn't a big whisky drinker. Give me vodka or gin please. Anyway, ambiance is cool with several lounge tables to communal tables and bar seating. Bar bites from chicken karaage to agadashi tofu to burger! Can also order from the full menu of Adrestia, official restaurant of hotel. Service is friendly and efficient. Prices for drinks range from $14-20- going rate nowadays. Cheers to 2026! Let's go and make it epic and elite, friends!

This is a cool whiskey themed bar on tha AC Hotel. I came for a small wine tasting, then was…read moredirected to the bar if I wanted to get a full glass of wine or to buy a bottle. So of course after tasting some nice wine, I made my way over. After talking with the bartenders, I learned of the theme. I've never seen so many whiskeys in one place! Lots from Japan too! Had to try an Old Fashion. So, the bartender was making one for another customer. He added extra to the Shaker, and served me a sample from it to make sure I liked it. So nice! And, it was delicious. All the bartenders were very friendly & talkative. And, as it is in a hotel that caters to international travelers, there lots of customers from around the world. I met one guy from England, then had a pleasant conversation with a guy from Seattle. Good vibes in this place!

Outstanding service by Thomas G. Potato taquitos always best…read moreitem on menu, though we love the ceviche as well.

The tacos are good but expensive for the amount of protein. Service is quick but not necessarily…read moreattentive. Overall it was a good family dinner but not great.

How it started: traumatized a few staff with my #interrogator and accidentally insulted the owner…read more How it evolved: Kelly the owner recognizes me kindly as "Tina" out of the sea of generic basic azns. New staff hazing = sent to my table to get grilled on the menu Now: Basically my second home at this point. I think Kelly finally knows my name is Tian and not Tina. My go to spot for almost every occasion. The closest in terms of a total package with great food, amazing lattes, and beautiful setting for all the IG basics. FAVE ORDERS: - All the specialty lattes: black sesame latte, matcha latte, ube latte, panda latte, biscoff latte - Pistachio Prociutto Sandwich: my brain couldn't process the pistachio cream & prosciutto & burrata & rosemary garlic oil combination but my tastebuds understood the mouthgasm - Truffle Honey Egg Sando: too many of my fave keywords in one description - Rosé Tteokbokki: one of the best versions of this semi-rare to find dish - Fried Calamari: most distinctly calamari fried calamari I've tasted compared to the generic fried battered from every other happy hour menu - Mushroom Confit Salad SERVICE: - Incredibly busy for obvious reasons and the owner themselves work like a horse, expect slower service esp during peak hours and depending on how many IG models want their pics taken - Ash is the most capable service staff I've encountered in a long while, and I think he finally stopped trying to ignore my glares for attention half the time Misc: If they give you fireworks for your bday don't try to blow it out like a candle Instagram: TianTianEats

Date of Visit: 6/13/2026…read more GIWA is one of the most popular fancy brunch place in Santa Clara area. The restaurant is decorated with flowers, and you can actually purchase flowers from the menu for your loved one. On the menu there is a blend of Californian cooking style with Korean cuisine, including kalbi, bibimbap, mixing with uni and seafood. We made a reservation about 2 weeks before our visit, and were seated right away. The server was quite attentive. However, during our visit, there were two waiter and waitress drop the plates nearby our table. The first waiter dropped a plate with lobster shell and red sauce just next to out table. The other waitress later dropped a plate and an empty beer bottle, while the bottle was bouncing on the floor and broke during the third collision. Uji Matcha Violet Cream Latte $8 I got the matcha and creamy lavender latte. Grilled Corn Ribs $11 For our appetizer, we ordered the grilled corn ribs with gochujang butter and mayonnaise. The sauce was too much so the corn was mixed with plenty of sauce and too wet. Korean Pork Cutlet $27 Crispy pork cutlet served with cabbage salad and macaroni. On the side there was steamed rice and a separate bowl of house-made tonkatsu sauce. Seoul Seafood Pasta $38 One of my favorite dishes of the day was the spaghetti tossed in spicy tomato sauce with a mixture of seafood, including lobster tail, clams, mussels, scallop and shrimp. And a piece of a crispy garlic bread. Creamy Uni Pasta $34 The creamy uni pasta is a blend of fresh sea urchin and white wine, on top there was fresh sea urchin and crispy seaweed.

My friend and I were in the mood for a good martini. Happened to be Super Bowl Sunday, so finding…read morean open spot was interning. We decided on AC Lounge and Gin Bar, and we were so happy we did!! Our martinis were so so delicious, my only complain was there were no bleu cheese stuffed olives haha. The amount of seating was amazing both indoors and outdoors! The service was perfect. As mentioned it was Super Bowl Sunday so there were plenty of happy fans, even still service was fast and friendly AND my friend and I could hear each other perfectly due to the amount of space and seating. This would be a good date spot.

Everything about the lounge is elegant. The only issue i had was 15$ for parking, wagyu burger was…read moregreat.

A co-worker and I were waiting for dinner with our team, so we decided to stop by Murdoch's Bar to…read morewait. The staff there was very kind. A few different restaurants occupies the space here as well. We met up with another person from our team, as he was out with his wife and baby and was going to stop by to say hi, as he couldn't make it to dinner with us. We ordered and he ended up paying for our drinks, which was so thoughtful of him. My co-worker and I sat and talked for a bit and drank. I couldn't quite remember what I ordered but it was definitely delicious! Will definitely be back here if we're in the area to get something to drink. The atmosphere was amazing and the staff was super kind.

I like the small-town, rusty vibe. Drinks are decent…read more Bartenders are friendly and fast.

Our waiter was amazing. He explained the menu perfectly and gave us some really good…read morerecommendations. He didn't miss! Everything we ate was AMAZING! I didn't think we'd be full at the end but we were. The restaurant itself is gorgeous!! I'll definitely be back! Parking: you have to park in a structure of walk super far. I think it was free for the 90mins.

Date of Visit: 6/13/2026…read more We visited the Eos & Nyx located in downtown San Jose on a Saturday early afternoon for brunch. Eos & Nyx is a vibrant dining destination with outdoor patio and loft style indoor dining room and open bar and kitchen. The menu includes locally sourced produce and seafood, mixed with Mediterranean cooking techniques. Eos & Nyx has also a fascinating cocktail menu, with brunch focused cocktails. Trix Aren't For Kids $18 Two husbands ordered the brunch cocktail, made with gin, trix, rice milk, ginger, passionfruit, cream, lemon, and egg white. A bit too sweet. Strawberry Spumoni $17 I got the strawberry brunch cocktail with bitter aperitivo, strawberry, fluffy grapefruit, and tonic. Cute but not memorable. Filipino Grand Slam $24 We ordered the amazing grand slam with Filipino longanisa, on the side there was garlic rice, fried eggs, and decorated with spiced vinegar. Pipikaula Ribs $32 The other main course we got the smoked pipikaula ribs, with kimchi fried rice, sunny eggs, and sprinkled scallion on the top. Chilaquiles $29 Another main course we had was the confit duck leg, mole rojo on the side. And on top there were feta and cilantro sauce dressing and a sunny side up egg on top. Caesar with trout $26 We also got a Caesar salad made with bibb & gem, Parmigiano Reggiano, herbed crouton, and boquerones. There was an option to include chicken or trout as the protein. We chose the trout and it was great with crispy skin and tender meat.