by Lauren M. on My girlfriend moved away from SF and was missing the city, so she came back for a weekend to celebrate her birthday. She wanted something elegant and fun, so we decided to start out at Bubble Lounge. We wanted to get a table so we could relax a little bit, and she called ahead and they booked it no problem-- they only required a $30 minimum per person. We were fine with this, knowing that we didn't have to pay cover, and that we were going to order dinner here, as well as drinks. About 7 people in our party showed up at the time of our reservation, and we were seated right away. The lounge was dark with very cool decor, including massive, striking, black-and-white paintings on the walls. Our waitress was very nice; we said we weren't knowledgeable about champagne, she asked us a few questions, and (get this) recommended two different champagnes: one expensive, and one less expensive. So helpful! We ordered a couple bottles, about 6 plates of food, and the rest of our friends showed up. The lounge was not crowded yet, as it was around 8:30. Everyone was sitting around the table enjoying themselves when the bouncer walked up to a friend of ours. He was asked to step away for a moment. Apparently, the bouncer asked our friend to leave because he was wearing a hooded sweater underneath his jacket, which did not meet the requirements of the dress code. I understand having a dress code can be important. What was frustrating to us is how the situation was handled. We were being good customers, enjoying our food and drinks, and the bouncer let our friend in-- and then came back to get him *after he had already been seated*. We were obviously frustrated, and trying to find a solution. The waitress stopped by, concerned, and asked what the problem was. She said that she thought our friend was dressed appropriately. She (the waitress) suggested that he take off the hooded sweater and put the jacket back on. The bouncer said this wouldn't do. The waitress apologized profusely. (We certainly weren't blaming her.) We immediately paid our bill, and left the bar as quickly as we could. We didn't want to celebrate at Bubble Lounge if our friend couldn't join us. In the end, the food was good, the servers were polite, helpful, and friendly, and the ambiance was lovely. But we will probably not be back because we were so disappointed by how we were treated. Bottom line: be sure to follow the dress code-- carefully!
