Persona takes corporate parties, team happy hours, holiday gatherings and birthdays, from a booth for a few guests to a full buyout for more than 300 people. The cocktail bar sits below street level at 685 Sutter Street in Lower Nob Hill, San Francisco. Groups can book a single section or the whole venue.
Seminars and company events
Persona is a venue for evening events rather than daytime meetings. Companies use it for receptions after a conference, team celebrations, launch parties and end-of-year events. The bar states that it can host a large corporate event with more than 300 guests when the full venue is booked. For smaller teams, the Nob Hill Grotto takes up to 100 guests behind a sliding partition, with its own bar and a pool table, and the Sutter Cinema room takes up to 75. Bands or DJs can play in several areas at once, and the dance floor can be cleared on request. Simple table bookings go through the reservations system, while custom events are handled through a separate event inquiry, so a team can start small and scale up to a buyout.
Rooms and capacities
The venue divides into four areas. The Nob Hill Grotto holds up to 100 guests, has its own bar and pool table, and closes off with a sliding partition. The Sutter Cinema room, framed by red velvet curtains, holds up to 75. The Starlet's Way and the Blade Runner Booth are smaller areas for intimate groups. The main bar is partly screened by wooden slats, which keeps a private party visually apart from the rest of the room. A full buyout covers all spaces for 300 guests or more.
Catering
Drinks come from the bar's themed cocktail list, with names borrowed from films of the period. Persona does not run a dining menu: food for private events is supplied by its catering partner, Peninsula Catering, from a dedicated catering menu. Popcorn is served at the bar until closing, a nod to the cinema theme.
History and setting
The bar pays tribute to San Francisco's 1970s adult film movement and to the theaters that once lined Sutter Street, drawing on Arlene Elster's Sutter Cinema. Its tagline asks guests who they are, and the rooms play on the idea of taking on a new identity for the night. Persona opens daily from 5 pm to 2 am, entry is for guests aged 21 and over, and there is no cover charge. A band plays live on Wednesday evenings, and DJs mix vinyl and digital tracks on other nights. The website also links to Vinyl Room and Barrel House Burlingame, two sister bars.
Getting there
Persona is at 685 Sutter Street in Lower Nob Hill, a few blocks north of Union Square. Powell Street station, served by BART and Muni Metro, is within walking distance, and San Francisco International Airport is about 30 minutes away by BART or car.
