Urban Tavern A Gathering Place

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov


Renovated and remodeled, and under new management, Urban Tavern (at Hilton San Francisco) is now a gastropub that follows all the urban trends originated Only In San Francisco. Executive chef Colin Duggan uses as much farm to table ingredients in his simple comfort food menu as possible, and the wines served at the Tavern are locally grown and sustainably, organically, or biodynamically farmed. Beer, too, comes mostly from California breweries, and its selection is constantly increasing. In fact, in a month there will be 20 more excellent beers on the menu, according to the Assistant General Manager Adam Betts. Besides wine and beer, the restaurant offers some excellent cocktails, like Maple Bourbon Sour, made with maple sugar, and Movie Star, named after the Gilligan’s Islands’ Ginger, which contains Flor de Cana rum, ginger liquor, and fresh lime. The new green approach is pronounced in the ambience as well. Urban Tavern is comfortably low lit, with exposed overhead beams made of reclaimed wood from an old farmhouse, and antique mirrors on the walls.

A centerpiece that separates the bar area from the dining room is a striking multicolored metal horse, created by Doug Owen. It consists of various salvaged parts from agricultural machinery, like a radiator from a retired tractor, or a rusty propane tank. Intended a gathering place for the hotel guests and San-Franciscans alike, the restaurant accommodates parties and events from 10 to 360 people for birthday celebrations, weddings, corporate lunches, and conferences. In the bar area, there is a long communal table made out of one single tree trunk, polished and finished, with a naturally occurring heart-shaped knothole in the middle. Cozy booths in the dining room sit from two to six, and usually fill out quickly every night at dinner time.

There are several house specialties on the menu that stand out, like the freshest plump Mussels and Clams, served with roasted sweet peppers, chorizo, smoked paprika, and grilled bread, or Sausage & Pretzel – a grilled Caggiano beer sausage from Petaluma served with a delightfully chewy warm housemade soft pretzel. Braised Baby Back Ribs are served the Old World style, with toasted faro, and Fall Vegetable Stew comes with grilled polenta, butter beans, and sweet onion broth on a side.

While the portions are tavern-large, there is plenty of enticing Small Bites on the menu to choose from. Deviled Eggs Three Ways and Hobbs Bacon “Tato Tots” definitely stand out. Desserts are mostly classic fare with a twist. Sticky Toffee Pudding is made with Anderson Valley Stout, and in a Banana Trifle Jar there are six layers of banana, cream, and caramel ingredients.

Urban Tavern is located at 333 O’Farrell Street, SF. For reservations, call 415-923-4400 or visit UrbanTavernSF.com. To book an event, call Private Dining Manager, Kyle McKibbin at 415-202-7021.