Openings

First Look at The Armory Club, Opening Tuesday in the Mission

http://sanfrancisco.grubstreet.com/upload/2012/09/first_look_at_the_armory_club/20120914_armory_190x190.jpg
It’s more nice than naughty, at least what we saw…

The official opening date of Kink.com’s across-the-street bar, The Armory Club (Mission and 14th), has been set for September 18, but you’re likely to see a lot of activity at the swank new space this weekend since they’ve got several private parties going on. Grub Street got in last night just as they were having a shindig for Kink staff, and the place is really a beauty — fetish porn still makes money, folks, and they spared no expense on the décor. There are framed plasma screens intermixed with semi-tasteful erotic art on the walls. There’s red, velvety wallpaper. And there’s an under-lit amber onyx bar that is pretty goddamn gorgeous, and unlike anything you’ve seen outside of, like, Vegas and certain big-city hotels.

The overall vibe is a kind of modern take on Victorian, with a men’s clubby feel, complete with leather furniture and two fireplaces. The fun, red back bar and lounge can be rented out for events, and has its own side entrance on 14th Street.

The cocktail program promises to be sophisticated, too, from bar manager Kristopher Ramirez, but we haven’t yet had a chance to sample from it. (We did note, though, that they’re already stocking a lot of the good stuff we like, like St. George gins and Fever Tree tonic water and such.)

Suffice it to say, this is going to be a hot spot from day one, and it’s way nicer than most of the bars within a twenty-block radius. Behold, our slideshow.

Earlier: The Armory Club, Kink.com’s Across-the-Street Bar, to Open By Late September

As part of last night’s festivities, there was an old Rolls Royce parked out front.
One of several framed plasma screens displaying photos.
The bar is amber onyx and the light coming from below isn’t colored in any way — that’s just the stone.
This room is available for parties and will become the kickoff point for Kink.com Armory tours.
First Look at The Armory Club, Opening Tuesday in the Mission