by bella h. on Damn what happened to this venue. Definitely "a bootleg version of tao." This place was the business when they first opened. Dont know what happened, but I definitely wont be coming back. Not to keen on the music or the crowd.
by Ayako Mcloone on Atmosphere was one of the more memorable stops on a recent impromptu Friday party-until-you-can't-pronounce-your-own-name night in SF. In a 9 1/2 hour span I found myself at Grand Café, Press Club, Palio's, Giordano Bros, Rosewood, Atmosphere, and Sip. At 2am I was on my knees in the bathroom at my friend's brand new Embarcadero bachelor pad claiming the "first ever to barf" prize. And at 9am he woke to find a shopping cart in his living room and couldn't remember how it got there. The long line outside Atmosphere is not a lie, it's equally as crowded inside. The upscale feel is instantly lost or inadvertently ignored as your eyes are first drawn to the raised platforms with the dancing girls, and then to the mass of writhing bodies on the main dance floor. Looking for the single 20s and 30s crowd? This is your spot. There are many pockets of seemingly single ladies here. My friend quickly picked out an attractive girl in a group of three and started talking to her. Shortly he came back to report that "her breath stank". lol. Lesson here is, always pack gum when you go drinking. The bar is crowded but the bartenders are efficient, you'll get your turn to order within 5 minutes. The alcohol was flowing as we took turns buying each other rounds of gin & tonic, raging bulls, and Grey Goose shots. At some point the bartender, while pouring an order of Grey Goose shots for another group, slid me a shot glass and pours me a freebie. I realized how messed up I was when I looked down at the clear liquid swirling in the shot glass and felt both happy and sad at the same time. It was like Sweet Free Shot! ...but Ugh...I'm staring down the barrel of drink 12, or was it 13, or 14? Nevertheless, to show my appreciation I downed it like a champ and melted back into the crowd. Great vibe, great club, great times.
