The Mortimer - San Francisc

My wife and I always enjoy staying at the Hotel Adagio and beginning or ending our evening at The Mortimer. After our most recent experience, I can say we could spend our whole evening at The Mortimer. The drinks and service are absolutely amazing in large part due to the bartender Luis. His drinks are a true experience and a departure from standard hotel bar blandness. He's crafted drinks with butternut squash (and yes, it's really good) to themes from Harry Potter (the Goblet of Fire, a nod to the show playing at the Curran Theater a couple blocks away). He even gives a sneak peak at future concoctions like the Bananahattan, a bananas twist on the Manhattan that has a surprise ingredient you'd never guess. We not only enjoyed the amazing drinks, but the mixology lessons he also provided. He's a true treasure and talent. We look forward to our evening at The Mortimer, more amazing drinks and Luis.

I was staying at the hotel and my sister and I decided to grab a bite to eat. Overall, it wasn’t the best experience—the fries were undercooked and the pizza was just mediocre. However, the staff was really friendly, and honestly, I would consider dining there again if I stay at that hotel in the future. They do offer a wide variety of choices for a hotel restaurant!

The breakfast was delicious! The servers were friendly, and the food arrived quickly.

The first drink I ordered was the Bananahattan. To be honest, I’m not particularly fond of bananas, but I had heard that Luis makes all his own syrups and infusions, so I thought it would be a good way to gauge his skill. I discovered that his talent is remarkable, but what stood out even more was his passion for satisfying curious palates and his commitment to exceptional service. When Luis realized he didn’t have any bananas behind the bar and couldn't source any from Adagio's kitchen, he sent a busboy to a nearby tienda to fetch some. I only had to wait an additional five minutes for my cleverly crafted cocktail. I had never had caramelized banana before, but now I feel inspired to top a flan with them and serve it to royalty. Remarkably, the cocktail itself wasn’t banana-heavy at all; the Pinot Noir syrup tasted like a fine sherry, and the bigalet china china infused in the drink has now made its way onto my shopping list. Luis is a true cocktail artist (with that final 'e' standing for Excellence). He deserves a spot in the bartender hall of fame. In less than a year, he has created three cocktail menus and has shared his expertise and encouragement for creativity with his coworkers. As much as I’ve said, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. I’ve never encountered such an attentive bartender, and his exceptional service was generously extended to everyone at the bar.

I woke up late after a tiring day and discovered that there were very few good restaurants open after 8:30 PM in the Union Square area. Fortunately, The Mortimer was just down the street, and it did not disappoint! We had an amazing bartender who served us while we sat at the bar. I ordered a salad with New York steak, and my wife chose the salmon. Both of us were extremely pleased with our meals and the service we received.