Preview

Hiding in Plain Sight: Secret Romance in Union Square | Presented by the Burritt Room

San Francisco, CA
  • La Europa: French gin, cinchona, cocchi americano, peat, bitters. Photo: Benjamin Cooper.
  • The back wall behind the bar at Benjamin Cooper. Photo: Benjamin Cooper.
  • "Two Trees Heart" in Union Square. Photo credit: Trey Ratcliff.
  • A heart by Hilary Pecis.
  • Josh mixes an elixir behind the bar. Photo: Burritt Room.
  • The scene at the Burritt Room. Photo: Burritt Room.
  • Inside Cafe Claude. The metal supports in the middle are retroactive earthquake proofing. Photo: Michael Bauer.
  • Dining al fresco at Cafe Claude. Photo: Cafe Claude.
  • The lights strung up along Maiden Lane. Photo: Eddie H.
  • Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral ramp at 146 Maiden Lane was an earlier exploration for the ramp at the Guggenheim Museum. Photo: Chris Stewart.
1 hour and 30 minutes
1.4 mi
Guided by Chris
Chris Wright

Overview

A handful of little-known intimate hideouts are cloaked behind the touristy veneer of Union Square. Go on the perfect date with someone as you together discover hidden speakeasies, pop art, a secluded artisanal kitchen and French champagne. Whether it is your first date or your five hundredth, this cosmopolitan escape is the flawless way to get closer to a (potentially) special someone.

Provided by

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About Your Guide

I am the head of the bar at Charlie Palmer’s Burritt Room + Tavern. I have spent my whole life in food and beverages - from pairing wines to creating new cocktails - so I know where to go for culinary experiences. When I'm not in my kitchen, you can find me exploring San Francisco cocktail lounges and Chinese food joints, shaping ice sculptures with a chain saw, reading about local history, or distilling small-batch whiskey.

Go on this Sidewalk

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Guide Points

  1. Benjamin Cooper

    What better way to start a date than with a hidden cocktail den? Pull up a seat at the bar, or at one of the side tables in view of the sho…

  2. Hearts in Union Square

    Since 2004, San Francisco General Hospital has sponsored an annual series of public art installations around the city - all in the shape of…

  3. Burritt Room + Tavern

    At the top of the stairs, you will be transported to 1940s San Francisco, when jazz and film noir portrayed the city, and gangsters and fem…

  4. Cafe Claude

    We slow the tempo down with an escape to this Parisian bistro tucked away in Claude Lane.

  5. Maiden Lane

    Take your time strolling back towards Union Square under the lights and enjoy the evening.

About Sidewalk

Sidewalk is an app that provides free, guided walk experiences that can be created by anyone with stories to share about places they know and love.

The app navigates people through a neighborhood walk using GPS turn-by-turn directions, rich imagery and storytelling.