Moongate Lounge

Dianne Namgung

We both ordered very spirit forward cocktails but they were excellent. Fun cool vibes inside. The oysters were delicious. We also did the salt and pepper squid. It was a bit on salty side which got me drinking the cocktail a bit faster than I should have

Sonya Hu

Fun and vibey cocktail bar in the heart of Chinatown. The space is beautiful, perfect for either a small friend hang-out or a date. They have several cute little couches scattered throughout, as well as cozy booths for a more intimate, walled off ambiance. For walk-ins, they also have a number of standing cocktail tables around the bar and in the back by the live DJ. What really makes the ambiance special, though, is the giant moon gate in the back of the bar. It's absolutely beautiful and perfectly combines traditional Asian elements with the modern neon lighting, DJ set, and disco ball. The music is upbeat and just loud enough to set the mood, but the space is also open / quiet enough that it's easy to hold a good conversation without straining your ears. The drinks are also fantastic, with a great mix of classic cocktails and house specials. Their old fashioned was tasty, as well as their house grain rain, which was delightfully fruity and bubbly, but well-balanced and not overly sweet.

Cynthia

Stunning and spacious interior, great espresso martini, and loved the DJs they brought in the night I went! Wasn’t super busy on a Thursday night. Love that it’s more of a cushy/chill vibe.

Charlie Te

A nice and sleek place to enjoy a cocktail or two and enjoy a nice conversation. The interior is nice and seating area are distanced from each other allowing for a private conversation and social distancing. The cocktails were unique and tasty. The Frost's Decent (bourbon, green walnut, honey-sesame foam) had this nice taste from the foam, but you can definitely taste the alcohol in it. The White Dew (rum, pear brandy, pandan, coconut, citrus) was very refreshing. This one can definitely creep on you after a few. Overall, cool place to get a drink or two.

R Butler

A wonderful start of the birthday 🎂 month! The moment I stepped inside everyone was so warm, welcoming and cheerful. Additionally, they each took the time to ask who was celebrating and provided a Happy Birthday! We made reservations ( highly recommended) and scored high back chairs with a view facing the bar. Highly recommend the negroni and the house cocktail vernal equinox with the house made potato chips. The background music provided a nice vibe while still able to have a conversation with your party. 😉

Therese Bataclan

I’ve popped in here over the years, and on different types of occasions: birthday party with a large group, a date, and grabbing food downstairs with a friend. Each time has been a vibe. Each time it’s always been incredibly busy, and I understand why: it’s one of the only modern cocktail bars in this part of SF, and offers a really good selection of food and music/DJs. The drinks are interesting and well balanced, and the staff have always been super accommodating and friendly. If I still lived in Chinatown I’d come here weekly to start the night or for a nightcap.

Billie M

We went for drinks. It was lovely, we each had something different and all were great. One gal was pregnant so had a shrimp cocktail, which was also amazing, and not expensive.

Ross Ahya

Cocktail menu is quality over quantity with Asian influences. Charming location on top of mister jius. Ambiance is trendy and Asia-inspired. They take reservations and have these red velvet booths. It’s rated on Eater for a reason!

Mathu Sundaramoorthy

Absolutely beautiful decor and ambiance, fantastic vibe. The bartender was awesome, and the drinks were legit top notch. This place exuded a comfortable yet modern and fashionable environment. An absolutely precious gem in China Town, highly recommend, easily one of the best bars in the Bay area.

Ann Kang

Had drinks with a couple of friends here. This is a bar to go for the decor and for your "instagram pics", but not for intimacy. There are limited seats available and the music is quite loud. That's not a negative comment for a bar, but just wanted to give a heads up if anyone is thinking of heading here for a good conversation (there will have to be a bit of yelling). For a fun night with friends, this is a good place to go. One thing to note is - the food is shockingly expensive for what they offer. I forgot how much we paid for think this "cheese plate" that literally just had chunks of cheese. The drinks are very pretty.

Elliott Tso

Akia came by often to check on us. She was so informal of the drinks and how they're made. I'll gladly come back again to enjoy drinks I've never known existed. The surroundings were great and the music wasn't too loud. A must visit.

I googled “swankiest spot in the city” and this popped up. I figured, I got paid this week, what the heck, sure! I made my way upstairs and secured a booth seat, instantly greeted by some lustful tunes and silky mood lighting. The cocktails are absolutely divine! They didn’t even ask me to leave when I clearly had one too many. Can’t a woman crank that soulja boy on the dance floor anymore?! Huge fan of this establishment and the gorgeous staff (hello muscles!), will be returning with more members from my dance team.

Paul Solis

Was delighted to wait here until our table was ready downstairs at Mister Jius'. Great service, ample space, nice music. Will be back soon to get the full service!

Super cool ambiance with DJ & Ambient lighting. Our service was great & drinks were super unique. Still thinking about the sesame foam. I would definitely come back here with a bigger group. It can get loud so not the best spot for intimate conversations. Nonetheless, cool spot!

moody lounge sitting atop mister jius, serving rotating craft cocktails. great atmosphere and good drinks overall, although some were a miss. would come back with friends or as a date spot if willing to splurge a little. frost descent: refreshing and light. loved the bitter jasmine tea aroma from the garnish. would get again! autumn equinox: way too spirit forward for me, tasted like medicine

Tucked away on the second floor of Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown, this bar exudes a sense of mysterious glamour. Velvet sofas bathed in purple lighting, paired with Chinese-style windows and doors, create an atmosphere that feels both dramatic and intimate. The space itself is generous — roomy enough to comfortably accommodate both seated guests and larger standing groups, making it suitable even for gatherings. We sampled the full lineup of house cocktails along with a few classics. The menu leans confidently into Chinese-inspired ingredients — baijiu, osmanthus, fennel, and longan all make appearances — resulting in a cocktail list that’s both inventive and culturally expressive. Among the standouts was Rainwater, a beautifully balanced drink with layered complexity, showcasing notes of longan, elderflower, and grapefruit. Start of Summer, an iced riff on the strawberry daiquiri infused with baijiu, offered a refreshing, playful twist. The bar’s approach to classic cocktails also reveals a spirit of reinterpretation — most notably in their Vesper, where a touch of crab oil brings out savory undertones and adds an unmistakable Asian sensibility to an otherwise traditional composition.

"We arrived late, about an hour before closing, and were still able to enjoy the DJ and spacious dance floor. To order drinks, you'll need to head to the bar, as there aren't any waitstaff - just staff cleaning tables. The drinks are good and the atmosphere is great."

Luke Qian

Tucked away on the second floor of Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown, this bar exudes a sense of mysterious glamour. Velvet sofas bathed in purple lighting, paired with Chinese-style windows and doors, create an atmosphere that feels both dramatic and intimate. The space itself is generous — roomy enough to comfortably accommodate both seated guests and larger standing groups, making it suitable even for gatherings. We sampled the full lineup of house cocktails along with a few classics. The menu leans confidently into Chinese-inspired ingredients — baijiu, osmanthus, fennel, and longan all make appearances — resulting in a cocktail list that’s both inventive and culturally expressive. Among the standouts was Rainwater, a beautifully balanced drink with layered complexity, showcasing notes of longan, elderflower, and grapefruit. Start of Summer, an iced riff on the strawberry daiquiri infused with baijiu, offered a refreshing, playful twist. The bar’s approach to classic cocktails also reveals a spirit of reinterpretation — most notably in their Vesper, where a touch of crab oil brings out savory undertones and adds an unmistakable Asian sensibility to an otherwise traditional composition.

Kiran Singh

Super cool ambiance with DJ & Ambient lighting. Our service was great & drinks were super unique. Still thinking about the sesame foam. I would definitely come back here with a bigger group. It can get loud so not the best spot for intimate conversations. Nonetheless, cool spot!

Andrea Santos

moody lounge sitting atop mister jius, serving rotating craft cocktails. great atmosphere and good drinks overall, although some were a miss. would come back with friends or as a date spot if willing to splurge a little. frost descent: refreshing and light. loved the bitter jasmine tea aroma from the garnish. would get again! autumn equinox: way too spirit forward for me, tasted like medicine

Ivan Zarate

"We arrived late, about an hour before closing, and were still able to enjoy the DJ and spacious dance floor. To order drinks, you'll need to head to the bar, as there aren't any waitstaff - just staff cleaning tables. The drinks are good and the atmosphere is great."

Romantic, swanky, chic, nostalgic lounge. Great cocktails, decent but slow service. Cocktails are incredibly overpriced and a real bummer.. Best time to go is when they have Cumbia events or Spanish music to enliven the environment.

This is one of the best bars in SF but my most recent experience wasn’t great. I went with someone who is lactose intolerant and the majority of their cocktails had lactose strangely. Also their front of house was confused over our reservation and a private event which was happening at the same time. We were able to come but they tried to turn us away at first despite already having a reservation.

Kaliska Wootton

This is one of the best bars in SF but my most recent experience wasn’t great. I went with someone who is lactose intolerant and the majority of their cocktails had lactose strangely. Also their front of house was confused over our reservation and a private event which was happening at the same time. We were able to come but they tried to turn us away at first despite already having a reservation.

Very interesting drinks + a lot of them are simply not vegan lol. If you’re looking for classic cocktail this may not be the place! they do have fun drinks though (mine was 99% ice as pictured). I got the Start of Spring and would give it a 5.7/10. The service was alight, they seemed very busy (it was quite busy hahah). Overall cool place and vibey music There is a bathroom.

Ananya Mahesh

Very interesting drinks + a lot of them are simply not vegan lol. If you’re looking for classic cocktail this may not be the place! they do have fun drinks though (mine was 99% ice as pictured). I got the Start of Spring and would give it a 5.7/10. The service was alight, they seemed very busy (it was quite busy hahah). Overall cool place and vibey music There is a bathroom.

The place is really cool, it has a great vibe! The staff however can be quite rude. The bartenders on the other hand were friendly. The cocktails were definitely on the pricier side but were really good. The little bits of food to munch on while drinking were really great!

We came after a late dinner around 11pm for my friend’s birthday with two SF locals who had never been before. I looked around for drink menus but didn’t see a single one. The first thing I was told was, “There’s no food,” even though I was only asking for a drink menu. After waiting at the bar for a while, the bartender finally let me know they weren’t making cocktails anymore, despite the fact that I’d been standing there alone for several minutes. The whole interaction just carried a really negative energy. I genuinely loved the décor, lighting, and music, but the service was awful, which was disappointing. The drinks were extremely boozy if you like that, and one of mine oddly had crushed ice that wasn’t easy to sip. Overall, it ended up being a pretty unpleasant experience for such a cool looking place.

Aman

The place is really cool, it has a great vibe! The staff however can be quite rude. The bartenders on the other hand were friendly. The cocktails were definitely on the pricier side but were really good. The little bits of food to munch on while drinking were really great!

Vivian

We came after a late dinner around 11pm for my friend’s birthday with two SF locals who had never been before. I looked around for drink menus but didn’t see a single one. The first thing I was told was, “There’s no food,” even though I was only asking for a drink menu. After waiting at the bar for a while, the bartender finally let me know they weren’t making cocktails anymore, despite the fact that I’d been standing there alone for several minutes. The whole interaction just carried a really negative energy. I genuinely loved the décor, lighting, and music, but the service was awful, which was disappointing. The drinks were extremely boozy if you like that, and one of mine oddly had crushed ice that wasn’t easy to sip. Overall, it ended up being a pretty unpleasant experience for such a cool looking place.