Pick Three

What are three of the hottest restaurant/bar scenes in the Gaslamp Quarter?

• Sweetwater Saloon: The Hard Rock Hotel just opened, and they have a Rande Gerber bar called Sweetwater Saloon that’s definitely a hot spot. It’s on the ground floor right inside the Hard Rock, which is the hottest thing happening in the Gaslamp Quarter right now. Sweetwater Saloon is very modern, with cool touches like white faux crocodile skin bar stools and specially designed tables with individual beer taps, so guests tap their own beer. It looks out across to the convention center so the view is pretty amazing there. It’s more of a bar scene, but they also serve food and you can do great catered events there.
  
  
• Bondi: Bondi is an Australian-themed venue that has been open just under a year. It’s a very unique space, with big sliding glass doors, so one of walls is completely open to Fifth Avenue. Everything from the staff to the boomerangs embedded in the walls is imported from Australia; nearly every server has an Australian accent, which really adds to the ambience. They have a great bar area and the coldest beer I’ve ever had in my life; they freeze the interior of the glass before they pour the beer, which is common in Australia. The menu is authentic Australian, the food is very good, and it’s not too eclectic, so it’s very attractive to convention groups.
  
  
• Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge: Mister Tiki’s is a very fun kind of take on Trader Vic’s, but with much more of a modern twist. They have big drinks with smoke coming out of them, trendy music and big hand-blown, colored-glass blowfish lamps over the tables. It’s a very high-end, Polynesian tongue-in-cheek place that’s part of the Cohn Restaurant Group. The food is phenomenal, and they have a sushi bar and a dessert tower that’s fun for groups.