Are you planning social events for your corporate clients in San Francisco? Socializing outside of work fosters team bonding amongst colleagues and even enhances the company culture. And the right venue can make all the difference. But what are the best venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco?
No matter the size of the group or the type of business they are engaged in, there’s a venue that’s just right for your client’s happy hour event. Let us help you find it, with these top venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco.
1. Harborview Restaurant & Bar
Looking for a venue that offers delicious food, great views, cocktails, and a Happy Hour package? Consider the Harborview Restaurant & Bar at the Embarcadero Center in downtown San Francisco. Â
Seven event spaces are available. But for corporate happy hours, you may want to check out the Bar & Lounge, which has room for 80 seated or 100 standing. For those warmer evenings, there’s the outdoor Patio area, with space for 180 seated or 250 standing guests.
What the Harborview Restaurant & Bar Venue is Great For
This is not only one of the best venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco. It is also one of the best for authentic Cantonese-style Chinese Cuisine. Panoramic views of the San Francisco Ferry Building and Bay Bridge provide the perfect backdrop to unwind after a hard day at the office.
2. The Barrel Room
The Barrel Room on Sansome Street is a versatile venue with four event spaces that can be booked for private parties and intimate gatherings. And it’s also one of the best venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco.Â
We recommend the Wine Cellar which seats 14 for small businesses going for drinks after work. Planning slightly larger, livelier happy hours? We recommend the Wine Room, with space for 25 seated or 40 standing, or the Underground Lounge, with room for 20 seated or 50 standing guests.Â
What the Barrel Room Venue is Great For
The Underground Lounge is especially well-suited to happy hour or cocktail parties and even themed events. It has a piano, chess table, renovated bank vault with bench seating, and upholstered lounge seating.
3. Sacred Taco
Do you need the perfect venue for more casual and laid-back happy hours? The Sacred Taco is one of the best venues in this category.Â
A Full Buyout provides you with space for up to 150 seated or 200 standing guests and is thus perfect for larger corporate happy hours and other corporate events like end-of-year parties. Outdoor seating is available.
What the Sacred Taco Venue is Great For
The Sacred Taco offers its patrons the ultimate convenience, with ample street and garage parking close by. Menus feature easy-use QR codes and guests enjoy free Wi-Fi. But that’s not all. The venue also has wheelchair-accessible seating, and all guests are welcome thanks to gender-neutral restrooms. Â
4. House of Shields
As one of San Fran’s oldest bars, House of Shields is one of the most interesting venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco. Situated on New Montgomery Street, this venue was a speakeasy during the Prohibition era and is even rumored to have a secret passageway dating back to that era.
Whether or not the rumor is true, we cannot say. But at House of Shields, time stands still while patrons enjoy their favorite alcoholic beverage. Indeed, since it opened in 1908, it has not had a clock on its premises. So your corporate happy hour guests can forget about the time, and just have a good time.
Arrange your after-work happy hour event on the Mezzanine which seats 50, or at the Grand Bar which seats up to 175 people.
What the House of Shields Venue is Great For
With its welcoming atmosphere and gorgeous old-world decor, House of Shields is one of the most charming venues in San Francisco. It could also be ideal for your business clients’ retirement or farewell events.
5. Clock Bar
From a venue with no clocks, we move on to a venue full of them! It’s called Clock Bar.Â
Guests will immediately notice the ticker clocks set on San Francisco, Paris, and New York City time. This elegantly furnished venue situated on Powell Street seats 55 people. It is therefore one of the top happy hour venues in San Francisco for small businesses.Â
What the Clock Bar Venue is Great For
Clock Bar’s modern twist on classic cocktails and stylish interiors make this an ideal venue for corporate cocktail party events. Â
6. The Press Club
Do you need to find a venue that’s just right for your high-end corporate happy hours and other corporate events? You may have just found it. The Press Club on Yerba Buena Lane offers the world’s finest wines and beers in 13 event spaces, all with sophisticated interiors.
For smaller happy hour events, we recommend the Small Bar Table option with room for 10 seated or 15 standing guests. Need a bit more room? The Large Bar Table option with space for 16 seated or 30 standing guests.Â
Need something a lot roomier for larger corporate happy hour events? A Bar Buyout accommodates up to 85 standing people. The Bar Buyout Plus option accommodates up to 115 standing guests comfortably. It also offers plush lounge seating.
What the Press Club Venue is Great For
The Press Club is not only a great place for corporate happy hours. It’s also the ideal venue for all types of corporate, social, and private events. With 13 event spaces to choose from, including a Full Venue + Tent Buyout, you’ll find it useful for many of your upcoming events.
7. Harlequin
Historical buildings often house San Francisco’s greatest treasures. And so it is with the Harlequin venue on 4th Street. This 1920s Revival-style restaurant and bar can be found in one of these historic buildings, with a history dating back to 1913.
Harlequin offers two event spaces suitable for corporate happy hours and other corporate events, as well as private celebrations. Seat up to 25 in the Gold Bar area for a memorable happy hour event. Or book the The Aviary with space for 30 seated or 50 standing guests, for great food and drinks with colleagues.
What the Harlequin Venue is Great For
The extensive list of craft beer on draft, expertly crafted cocktails, and range of Happy Hour products make the Harlequin a winner. And the vintage-look decor adds to the ambiance at this stylish venue.Â
8. The Cigar Bar & Grill
If your business clients are looking to relax and socialize with colleagues in unpretentious surroundings, they may enjoy the Cigar Bar & Grill. This venue on Montgomery Street offers tasty food and a selection of spirits, wine, and cigars for the perfect corporate happy hour event.
Five event spaces are available, suitable for different-sized groups. For example, the Courtyard Lounge seats 20, the Parlor seats 22, and The Hall seats up to 80 guests.Â
But we highly recommend the Pool Room for those small, informal after-work social events. Besides a pool table, this space also features a few small tables for eating and drinking. The Pool Room can accommodate up to 15 standing guests.
What the Cigar Bar & Grill Venue is Great For
The Pool Room offers colleagues the chance to bond over a game of pool, while their teammates enjoy the camaraderie around them. It is therefore also ideal for any businesses looking for an event venue including a team-bonding activity.
9. Toy Soldier
Toy Soldier on Belden Place continues the military theme of its name, in the names of its four event spaces. Choose between the Canteen for small business groups, the Officer’s Club for slightly larger groups, and The Whole Mess when you need enough standing room for 250 people.Â
The smart-casual interiors lend themselves well to all types of events. The Whole Mess or Canteen with its full bar are great choices for corporate happy hours. And for those outdoor, casual get-togethers, small business clients will love The Deck.
What the Toy Soldier Venue is Great For
The Toy Soldier is in San Fran’s famous Belden Alley in the financial district, perfectly located for your corporate clients. Both metered and hourly parking are available nearby. But traveling to this venue is easy too, with several Muni lines & the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) system just a few blocks away.Â
10. Jasper’s Corner Tap & KitchenÂ
Corporate happy hour events take many forms. Some are best accommodated in luxe surroundings, while others demand a more casual approach. If you’re looking for a sports bar with great beer and a great vibe, do a Full Restaurant Buyout at Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen.
This venue on Union Square has room for 150 seated or up to 250 standing guests. Your clients and their colleagues can enjoy classic American dishes and the best Bay Area beers on tap. All the while, checking out the latest sports matches on one of 12 large, flat-screen televisions.
What the Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen Venue is Great For
Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen has a down-to-earth and fun vibe ideal for casual corporate get-togethers and happy hour events. Sports bars are also fantastic party venues. Read our guide on how to turn a sports bar into the ultimate party venue for your clients.Â
11. Woodbury
Your hunt for the perfect venue for happy hours, holiday parties, and more may be over. At Woodbury on 3rd Street, you’ll find a versatile event space for all your corporate, social, and private events.Â
The Event Space has room for 150 standing people and is ideal for all types of events. Or do a Full Buyout (Woodbury & its upstairs sister bar, Alchemist Combined) to seat up to 400 for your corporate clients’ large-scale happy hour events.Â
What the Woodbury Venue is Great For
Choosing the perfect venue is just one of the ways that event planners can enhance the client experience. With its spacious interiors and rustic lodge-style decor, this is one of the top venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco. And it’s one we’re sure you’ll come back to again and again.
12. The Alchemist Bar & Lounge
Alchemy is the stuff of legend. In ancient times, alchemists were said to be able to transmute ordinary materials into gold. Whether that is true or the realm of fiction, who can say? But at the Alchemist Bar & Lounge, seemingly ordinary ingredients are turned into extraordinary craft cocktails.Â
This unique venue has a magical quality that sets it apart from other venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco. Your clients will love the industrial-chic style, with its exposed brick and vintage decor accents.Â
The Alchemist Bar & Lounge offers two event options, a Full Venue hire for 80 seated or 200 standing guests, and the Upstairs Loft with seating for 10.
What the Alchemist Bar & Lounge is Great For
This venue offers a unique and utterly memorable experience, away from the noise and bustle of the city. It offers a range of signature craft cocktails, wines, craft beers, wine, and bar bites with daily happy hour specials.Â
Tips for Planning a Corporate Happy Hour in San Francisco
With so many choices, planning a corporate happy hour can be easy and fun. But how can you know for sure which is the perfect venue for your clients?
Choose the Perfect Venue
The first and most crucial step in planning a corporate happy hour in San Francisco is to choose the perfect venue. The above list contains our top picks of ideal venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco. You’ll find even more venues to choose from, on the Perfect Venue Marketplace.Â
But take note that for corporate clients and events, the ones with nearby parking or easier access to transport will always be more convenient.
Consider the Company Culture
The San Francisco work culture is typified by diversity and progressive values. However, high-end corporate clients will have different needs than more casual small businesses and startups. And you may find yourself planning events for all of them.Â
So, consider their unique work environment and company culture when selecting a venue. There are all sorts of venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco. Think outside the box. It doesn’t have to be a bar or pub. Restaurants and other venues also offer event spaces with happy hour options.Â
Ask About Special Needs
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III requires that any existing building that operates as a place of public accommodation or commercial facility must remove barriers to accessibility. And the Accessible Business Entrance program is dedicated to making San Fran venues accessible for all.Â
However, this does not mean that privately owned venues in San Fran have done so. Are there people in the group you’re planning the happy hour event for, that have special needs? Perhaps they need wheelchair access and nearby parking with a ramp. Check if the venue will have this before booking.
If the corporate happy hour event must include meals or snacks, and one of the group has special dietary needs, check whether the venue can accommodate them.
Don’t Be Afraid to Upsell the Happy Hour Event
San Fran workplaces encourage creativity and technological advancements, yet also support a healthy work–life balance. Some of the top venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco are ideal for team bonding activities. Your client may be open to incorporating team-building with the happy hour event.Â
For example, you could suggest a team activity or even some bar games, culminating in a happy hour. Need some inspiration? Check out our creative team-building event ideas.Â
Planning Corporate Happy Hours is a Breeze on the Perfect Venue Marketplace
From sports and vintage-style bars to cozy restaurants with happy hour packages, these are the top venues for corporate happy hours in San Francisco. But there are many venues in San Fran offering good food and wine for corporate events. And you can find all of them on the Perfect Venue Marketplace.Â
We don’t just help you find venues in San Fran. Searching for any venue in the US is easy, with search filters that help you find the right venue in just a few clicks. No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll always find the perfect venue.Â
