Yesterday night, I attended the Check Please Taste & Sip event, a fundraiser for our local public broadcasting station KQED. What a fabulous event at the San Francisco Design Center! The restaurants, wineries etc were spread out over 4 floors so patrons were not confined to one level of space. They were the ones reviewed on the KQED Check Please show. Leslie Sbraco was there. You could get a photo with her. Some people were brave to try auditioning for a future episode. What a fabulous event where we were able to chat with Check Please restaurateurs and sample their creations. Some places I've never been to. Some were about to open a brick & mortar place! A few table displays were elaborate (Farmhouse Thai you knocked it out of the park!). A popular bakery, One House Bakery (Benicia), had such a variety of desserts that the line was quite long but people were chatting next to their neighbor about the favorites discovered at the event. I enjoyed this event so much. The event benefits KQED! A plus plus! read more

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Growing up in San Francisco meant watching KQED's "Check, Please! Bay Area" & wishing you were one of the food reviewers. Since I have yet to be picked to grace your tv screen (lol), the next best thing is attending the show's Taste & Sip event held at the Design Center. Attendees enjoyed four floors of hors-d'oeuvres, & generous food & wine samples from local establishments; music from a lively jazz band; & the opportunity to meet host Leslie Sbracco. Memorable samples include: Gerard's Paella; mango sticky rice from Farmhouse Kitchen; both garlic & Cajun noodles from Smelly's Creole; Z. Cioccolato fudge; and cashew & chocolate-stuffed dates from a vendor whose name we didn't take note of. We left absolutely stuffed & with a fair amount of swag. I'd be remiss if I didn't commend the event organizers for their efficient & swift check-in process. Though the line snaked around the building, it moved at a fast clip & we were inside within 10 minutes of the event's start time. Much appreciated! read more

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The SF Design Center is a gorgeous space with tons of amazing stores to look at or to enjoy a lovely meal with good company. The staff here are excellent and provide detailed service. Loved the food and cocktails here that highlight the magic of San Francisco cuisine. They also are a great space to host events! Truly beautiful to celebrate or support a group here. Highly recommend if you are looking for a unique and beautiful space in San Francisco. read more

I attended the SABA gala that was held at the SF Design Center a couple of weeks back on a Friday. SABA has hosted galas here in previous years and it seems to be there go to event center and for good reason. First, coming from the South Bay, it is much closer to get to than actually going into the City, the last mile or so to the exit is always where there is a bottleneck, at all times of day, but in general, it is an easier commute. There is plenty of parking and if you are attending an event there, in the evening, the parking is free. One of my pet peeves about going to the City is the parking and how much it costs and there is no hassle about that here. The lot is right across from the entrance of the Design Centre. It also feels safe and there are plenty of security guards around, even after 10pm. The Design Center itself is large, with 2 levels. The lower level is open space with a large bar and the top level is just around the outer edges and not a full second level. We have drinks and pre reception on the second floor and the actual event on the first floor. The space easily accommodates around 250+ people without feeling crowded and with space in the center for dancing! There are elevators and stairs and the large restrooms are discreetly set off in the space near the elevators. If I had to attend an event in the City, this is the place I would recommend. read more

Went to couple of events here and it was a great experience! I like how spacious the inside is and how you can rent it out. read more

San Francisco Design Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My company had a holiday party in January and we started planning in late October. We worked with Julia Wagner, Director of Special Events and she made the process super easy. She went over the contract in detail and provided a list of vendors they work with. We used Fraiche for catering, McCalls for beverages and serving, Illuminate Events for lighting (their in house lighting company), DJ TwinSpin for music and Joseph Victoriano for photography. When we needed to view the venue to see where everything should go, she would accommodate our request. The contract came with tables and chairs included, so we didn't need to buy furniture. The only things we had to bring on our own were linens for the tables and centerpieces. On the day of, they had an event manager on-site and everything went super smoothly! Our company never had such an extravagant party like this before and they had the time of their lives! My CEO said he loved the venue and would use it again in the future. Highly recommend this place for corporate events! read more

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I've had the privilege of attending to several events at the San Francisco Design Center. In my teen years, I had proms at this venue and more recently, I attended a wedding. The venue itself is gorgeous. It is spacious with several floors and with plenty of natural lighting. It gives off an industrial yet modern vibe, but with additional space and opportunity for creativity. Last but not least, there is street parking available, along with a parking lot across the street during scheduled events. read more

An event's success can largely be heightened by the space that it's hosted in. I've been to a number of fashion events at San Francisco Design Center now, and each time I've been impressed. The open multi-leveleled space, lined with glass, is an exciting space. It has a natural edge about it, with it's unique layout - that separates itself from the dark, concrete venues - which so many other events are housed in. Being able to see the outside sky - in daylight and in the evening, while you are admiring a riveting fashion show, or local crafts show on an overlooking balcony in San Francisco is a stirring experience. I don't think I'd want to catch a show here or watch a live music experience here. I don't this space lends itself well to live acoustics, but as a bumpin' chic party venue - it holds it's own. read more

had a holiday party hosted here and it was nicely decorated. big open space for food, tables, and a dance floor. plenty of room with their bars as well. then you can go upstairs. theres 3 floors that were available for us to explore. bathrooms on each floor. had stairs and 2 elevators. the second and third floor were just going around the venue because the first floor you can look straight up to the ceiling. just enough space for tables and walking paths. best part was free parking across the street. i wonder what they use this for outside of hosting parties. read more

San Francisco Design Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I think its important to remember that this is an event rental space -- so the thing to review isn't how some douche bag can't throw a party, its how good the space/staff itself is. Its about how good the party COULD be. And let me say, the party could be pretty damn good. So this space is a huge 4 story getup with an atrium feel (the entire center is hollow, with balconies that go all the way around on each floor). The lighting/sound/tech capabilities of any good event planner with enough cash could be pretty much limitless. Other huge positives include great parking, easy freeway access, an event manager by the name of Jil that is one of the sweetest to work with, and a completely rearrangeable main floor bar/fixture setup. From fashion shows (I was there for a runway show), to weddings, to galas, to concerts, this place is flexible enough to accommodate it. The space can be a bit pricy, but at the end of the day what major event space isn't. The Galleria is a phenomenal party/event venue, planners just need to execute inside of it accordingly. read more

This is a long overdue review - we held an Indian wedding reception for 300 guests at the Galleria at SF Design Center in March 2015, and were incredibly pleased. The space is beautiful, unique, and flexible, the staff is excellent, and the rental fees are reasonable for the city. We loved the Galleria for many reasons - highlights are below: (1) The multiple levels, gorgeous atrium, and exposed brick really make this venue stand out from the rest - it has a wow factor and we were able to do without a decorator altogether! We received many compliments on the venue. (2) Street parking is free, easy, and plentiful - something unusual for SF! (3) We could use a caterer of our choice (we used Indian caterer Raja Sweets) (4) The space holds up to 700 guests, and we needed the flexibility to scale, since we had an extensive guest list (5) They have a very "South Asian friendly" bar policy - the Galleria's exclusive beverage company - Perry's - offers separately priced packages for drinkers and non-drinkers. We had guests indicate on their RSVPs if any adults in their party would not be drinking alcohol, and then were allowed to pay for non-alcoholic drink packages for that portion of the headcount. This was very helpful, since many of our South Asian guests were non-drinkers. Partly because we didn't have to pay for alcohol for the non-drinkers, we were able to spring for premium alcohol packages for everyone else! (6) The rental fees are fixed, with no per person charges incurred outside of bar service, and include tables and chairs for up to 300 guests (7) They have built-in up-lighting and gobo projection capabilities, so you can have both at no additional charge (8) Julia Wagner, their event / sales manager, is extremely organized, knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and responsive I highly recommend the Galleria at SF Design Center as a wedding / large event venue! read more

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My company held our holiday party here and I LOVED the space. I didn't organize it so I can't comment on the staff, but the layout, vibe, and setup are great. The open galleria/court makes it fun to walk around the different levels without ever being too far from the main floor. We had food and drink stations set up all around which made it super easy to get a bite or a drink, with plenty of room for other activities/displays set up on each floor. As others mentioned, parking is also easy (HUGE plus) and it's close to the freeways. Plus I love the Potrero Hill area. There's not much else you can walk to from here though, so if you wanted to continue the party, you might need to grab a cab and head elsewhere, but that's actually why I loved the space. It's tucked away. read more

Absolutely gorgeous venue! My significant other's company hosted their Holiday Party here. It had a whimsy, fun circus theme. The place was huge: 4 floors high, a big stage, and a great dance floor. Bathrooms on every floor, which is such a nice touch. The center is truly beautiful and if I had any grand event to host, this venue would be at the top of my list. read more

In love with this venue! When first entering the space, we felt it was a odd venue for an Indian Wedding, with its multiple levels and architecture. But upon decorating this venue for an Indian Wedding Reception, we fell in LOVE. The slick white walls, market lights, over-sized stage, pillars, brick details, multi levels and so much more - there is not one negative comment that can be made. The loading and uploading area was a breeze, which is a huge plus in our book. The staff was friendly and responsive when emailing/finalizing details before the event. We didn't have one issue on the day of the event itself. Overall, we were extremely impressed and cannot wait to decorate another event at this venue. read more

I agree with another reviewers who reminds folks that this is an event venue--you cannot hold the establishment responsible for a poorly planned partaay. With that said, my experience was just dandy. Went earlier this morning for the tail-end of an interior design conference. The employees working the front desk were helpful and concise with information. It has a very cool interior layout and a bar in the lobby to boot, (though I couldn't dare grab a drink at 10 a.m. for a social media lecture--damn)! I recommend the Design Center for conferences, but certainly not for a wedding, prom or musical-like function. Looking forward to stopping by for other writer/blogger/design-related conferences tho.... read more

San Francisco Design Center - Design Center Galleria - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had occasion to attend a cocktail party here. I can't say very much for the center itself, but it definitely has an odd mix of architecture. Some of it's interesting, and some weird like putting the elevators at the back of the building. The place I went to had some ridiculously priced stuff (so I'm told, there were no tags), and was a San Francisco society climber do. I didn't feel out of place, but it did seem slightly silly. Still, free cocktails. The snacks, however, were not vegan. read more

San Francisco Design Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Francisco, California

Most of (if not all) the negative reviews for the SFDC are not referring to the venue itself but to people who rented the venue. Moral of the story: don't buy tickets to a concert held at this location because it will apparently suck and you won't be able to see anything, etc. The venue itself, however, is beautiful. It is basically a 4 story building with a hollowed out center with balconies on each level and a skylight for a ceiling. There are christmas lights strung along all the architectural lines which is definitely a cool sight at night. The interior has some beautiful brick walls and the venue as a whole is really bright and full of natural light (when the sun is out, of course).There is a lot of space to do whatever you want within your budget. I have had 2 proms and a wedding reception here and all of them were amazing to say the least. There is a stage area in front of the dance floor. There is plenty of room to dance and tables can be set up on the entry level and even the floors higher up as well. There is a glass elevator as well as stairs to get you up. There are bathrooms at every level. The bathrooms are nice, clean, but nothing too extravagant. It's in a nicer, businessy part of town so it tends to be pretty quiet in the evenings/weekends, so nothing huge to disturb your party. Close to the freeway. Somewhat easy to miss if you're not looking out for it! This is a good sized venue for a party of anywhere between 200-400 people. It is pretty pricey but definitely worth it if you have the cash to spend. read more

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I am trying to become an interior designer, so I am doing a school project. I decided to come here after searching on Yelp. There are so many stores and this building is huge. I decided to walk into the stores on first and second floors. I needed upholstery/draperies and wallpaper. The store reps let me get a whole bunch of samples for my project. This place is very clean and impressive. There's a restaurant/eatery in the first floor and I could see all kinds of nice people that were probably designers..well definitely the ones who were talking over floorplans. I'll be back! read more

The company I work for threw a huge event here one evening. This is such a nice event space. It was a private event for invited guests only. The main lobby was dedicated to people coming in and getting their name badges. As you walked in the center ground floor was for seating and a large stage was set up for a presentation of something or other my company was unveiling. I broke away from the main event and took a look around some of the stores. I would suggest anyone who is at the beginning of their home or office design journey, come here. Couches and wrought iron and wall sconces and paint swatches to blow your mind. Our event was catered with a buffet and the caterers set up outside in a little fenced in area. There's a bar near the lobby that's in the rear of where the event is going on in front. There's a really diviner elevator but you can take stairs. All the bathrooms are located on the upper levels which if you're at almost exploding pregnant, it's a little bit of a hike. I think the space is great for an event and also there's so many great design ideas for those of us interested in that kind of stuff. read more

My friends had their reception at this venue. I thought it was pretty frickin' awesome. The happy hour was offered on the second floor and dinner and dancing took place mostly on the bottom floor. The wedding party was up on the stage and we were able to see everyone enjoying themselves. It was very chic and the perfect size for the 300 or so guests. Highly recommend! read more

Okay, I've been here both for a NYE event for '08-'09 and the furniture showrooms for my interior design program... 3.5 stars for the NYE event: MOANY. They were playing different music upstairs on the top floor VS. the 1st floor... and I hated how the sound blurred by the time you got your party on upstairs. It was nicely spaced out, and not once did I feel crowded or groped. Very large space. Now the furniture showrooms blow this place out of the water... I didn't think I could salivate so much over so many inanimate objects in one place, but I guess I was wrong. A few colleagues and I decided to take a little day-trip there to familiarize ourselves with the layout, and just as a warning to potential shoppers: it's a FULL-DAY excursion. It's open to the public, but you will be charged retail prices w/o the presence of a professional... [uh, that's why you hire an interior designer, =P] Even with that, I don't think we could finish it all in the 4 hours we gave ourselves. We only explored the top floor... and I don't even think we did a thorough job of it either. A second rescheduled trip is in the near future, and I'll remember to write down all of the showrooms that are absolute MUSTS to visit for your home/office/commercial/hospitality needs. Some stores were absolutely uppity - not giving us the time of day because they knew we weren't buying... but other stores were wonderful - gracious - and very informative when it came to answering our questions and filling us in on products. I'm not going to bash this place because there were just a few rotten eggs in the batch, here and there... but I'll tell you one thing: I will remember the kindness shown to me by the outstanding staff of those stores that did take the time of day, and those people will be the first people I contact when it is time for me to place some orders. Don't wait till I am a professional to butter me up - because I have a keen memory that holds good grudges against snobbery and arrogance. =P I also saw many people w/ dogs on leashes, walking around the place - which I found extremely odd w/ all the high priced items in store. =P read more

Meh. I came here for a corporate holiday party, and had a flashback to senior prom (also at the same venue). The acoustics still suck, and they really need to set up some kind of containment area for the cold air blowing in the front and the back (catering entrance, propped open). Double sucked that the coat check refused to accept any bags at all (even a plastic bag that had my "after party" shoes in it). Final note: The space for a dance floor is super small relative to the capacity of the venue. The venue spans 4 floors, 3 are strictly for lounging because they overlook the central atrium where the dance floor is, so that means that when the dance floor is packed, it's jam packed. read more

Found myself here several times during Fashion Week last year and I must say, it was really a step up from that Palace of Fine Arts theatre they used as the last location. I'm not sure what it looks like normally, but the SFDC is a very versatile space. read more

Go to spot when starting a new project. I'm an interior designer who works on hospitality focused projects. This is a go to place to develop our creatively and get inspired for our projects. The showrooms are well organized and always have quality goods. The staff is really friendly and willing to help you find the showroom you're looking for. read more

We held our wedding and reception here this year and our guests loved the venue. The space is huge leaving a lot of room for big creativity. Julia and Chuck are very professional, thoughtful, and helpful. They sought to aid in any way they could to ensure our event was a success. In many instances, Julia tackled issues which should have been handled or prevented by our sub par wedding planner. read more

I'd been here before for lunch but, wow, this is an excellent space for a party. Three floors worth of meandering, refreshing one's drinks, lounging, and a very large open space on the bottom for dancing along to the must from the band or DJ on stage. Whatever pictures that you find of this space will do it way more justice than any of my words. read more

Cafe in the SFDC "annex" Kitty Korner to the main SFDC building. BABY COMFORT LEVEL: Excellent on the mezzanine level above the ground floor. We sat on the edge overlooking the people standing in line to order. I plunked the baby on my lap and she was happy as a bee looking at all of the people and enjoying the moderate buzz of noise. Additional bonus - they have french bread for the baby to chew on. She was absolutely fine gnawing on the stub for a good 20 minutes, which made for very easy conversation between the adults. FOOD: Really good for a cafe. My absolutely-no-fat-eating friend ordered the turkey sandwich without mayo or cheese and was thoroughly happy. I had the side salad, which turned out to be quite large, fresh and very satisfying. The greek plate was a bonus. It's a much sunnier place to eat than in the cafe kitty corner on the central floor of the main SFDC buidling. We were very happy here after an afternoon spent getting juicy details on a custom corner curio display case that will be shipped from Illonois to Florida. read more

Came here for the GenArts Shop SF fashion expo and party. Cool venue for a party, although they should have had more going on on the top floors instead of cramming everything on the entry level. Cool stuff though, comp drinks all night and great shopping. This party was much better than its after party at Fluid, whoops. read more

A good place for a venue. It's in a safe part of the city, lots of parking...big open area for a great venue. There's a big dance floor in the middle...3 floors above to view the drunkards dancing and laugh!!! hee hee... it's a great venue! read more

The moment I stepped into the galleria, I knew this was where we wanted to hold our reception. It's just a beautiful venue where you get both a glam and modern look all in one. Not much decorating is needed as the lighting and the venue itself pretty much speaks for itself. There is plenty of parking across the street and along the streets. Our wedding was on a Sunday, so parking was also free, which was a definite plus. Julia was awesome! She was so easy to communicate and work with. I couldn't have loved SFDC more! It was everything I ever hoped for our wedding! read more

I wish I could rate the SFDC 5 stars because it has everything amazing that designers love but the people who work here deserve a -5 stars for being douche bag idiots. I come here all the time for school/work and I have to say I now dread coming here because the people who are supposed to help you have sticks up their ass and are pissed that they sell $4,000.00 sofas and only make minimum wage. First off...the building itself is pretty simple and easy to navigate through. Once you walk through the first floor the rest of the floors are pretty easy to get around. The bathrooms here are really nice too which makes it even better because scary bathrooms are just not cool. There are only two elevators in this building besides the oversized elevators for furniture which the public cannot access. The good part about this place is that there is everything you need in this one building. From floors to lighting, kitchens, fabric, you name it-its here. If only the staff running these places could be as handy as the furniture. Not all of the showrooms are like this but here are some shitty customer service ones: -DeSousa Hughes...this one guy named Dan is the only nice one here so if you have to go in here go to Dan...you will figure out the asshole eventually. -Robert Allen Beacon Hill (which is actually the Design Pavillion but since we are in the same location why not)...the textile guy seriously needs an attitude adjustment. He is the rudest fudge packer out there. -Baker...the receptionist guy is pissed at life and hates himself. -Donghia...they are actually pretty helpful here but this one blonde bitch ruined the experience. And they wont give out samples. the good thing about here is that they have a bar. I always notice this one guy who is younger and makes really good strong drinks. Plus, if you crash a party here (which you should) you can basically get drunk for free. I highly recommend doing this because if you dress appropriately you can get by. The food served here isnt bad either. Its kinda pricey though. ...ok I cannot really think of anymore to hate on but these are the worst ones. Just make sure you know what you are talking about when you go in these places. If you dont have a client, fucking make one up. basically, if you do come here make sure that you are dressed nice and not looking like a teenager and make sure you are quick with some good comebacks to these fucking douches that work here. read more

We were recently here for a wedding this past weekend. This venue is fabulous and beautiful. Its very accommodating for a large wedding. The ceremony took place downstairs on the the main floor, followed by cocktails on the 3rd floor while the set up for dinner was being prepared. Which made perfect sense and was not chaotic whatsoever. I loved the layout of the SF Design Center. The multiple floors and the huge opened space makes for a fantastic effect. The only con of the whole day/night was how stuffy it had seemed to be. Even with the large sky light open it was a bit uncomfortable. read more

SFDC is an incredible complex of furniture and design showrooms. We went last night to the opening of eco 21 which is in suite 366. It focuses on high end award winning brazilian furniture design. Beautiful cutting edge furniture that will turn heads as well as satisfy your tired ass. On the way in and out we walked by a high school prom in the SFDC ballroom. Tempted by the chance to relive our past, we snuck by the security and ventured out into the dance floor amongst the sweating and gyrating youngsters. We must of stood out because some of them stopped dancing all together or stepped a few feet back to give the old timers a disapproving glare while we "backed that ass up!" Soon enough security caught up with us and we were off into the night, but not before we stole dessert from the buffet. read more

What a venue and event space! I've been here for a Microsoft launch party, a few art fundraisers and exhibits, and most recently a prom! There are also some really amazing high-end design and furniture boutiques housed on the upper levels. read more

I attended the 25th anniversary of a nonprofit celebration. The event was not only designed to celebrate their work but also to raise funds to promote HIV prevention. Special guests included the current mayor, Ed Lee as well as the former mayor, Willie Brown and dancers from Asia SF. My main complaint is that I was directed to the wrong event space by the SF design center reception staff. I ended up at an interior design magazine event that was very formal. Needless to say, I looked like a fish out of water. I finally found someone (a random guy walking down the street) to help me find the event. My second complaint is the restrooms are located in the back of the building so you have to navigate through tons of party-goers just to take a tinkle. I mean what is this world coming too?! The building itself is huge with multiple floors and stairs...wow!! The outdoor space was inconvenient and with a city like sf I think it would be wise to invest in outdoor spaces but that's just my opinion folks so settle down. Overall, the venue was exceptional, very spacious with an open concept floor plan, a free-standing bar, large stage and projector, and the ramps appeared to be ADA accessible as an fyi. read more

We are a large design firm in the East Bay and work with/are stocking dealers of hundreds of manufactures, with that being said the SFDC is a great place for us to go with clients to see more options and sit in furniture and see the quality of the product first hand. It's a great option when we simply cannot find what we are looking for in our showroom alone. The staff is great and always very helpful. It is a great tool for the trade. Kudos to the SFDC! read more

This is a great place to rent the space out for a large party. If you need a venue for a large event for a corporation, school, etc you should definitely check this place out. I am drunk after going here for an event! WOOT! read more

Love the design of the center, Had three to four levels of flooring. It's a nice place to have company functions.

If you like high quality, you will love shopping here. this is one of my favorite places to shop for furniture, rugs, etc. The little cafe is also a nice place to grab a bite after shopping. read more

The Showplace and The Galleria are important historical buildings, but the Design Center is the best in the west. All ranges, tones, styles of furnishings. So glad it didn't go to office space. read more