Isabella’s 3-star review:
It was my last day in SF and my preferred coffee shop in the Financial District, where I was staying is not open on weekends. We hadn't cruised Union Square yet, so we took a walk and popped into Nespresso with no real expectations. In fairness to a coffee shop that seems to be well loved by many, I'll preface this review by saying that I'm a pretty serious coffee drinker. We make our own Toddy and pour over coffee at home, we study the beans we buy, we purchase based on when they were roasted and make sure we grind them to the right size; we are total coffee nerds! So the idea of drinking coffee from a machine that essentially requires no skill really doesn't amuse me. The barista pops in a capsule of your choice of coffee into the machine and out comes your drink of choice, be it a latte, capuccino, etc. This entire process probably takes about 1-2 minutes. Frothing the milk is also essentially a handsfree process, where the "barista" actually sets the milk frothing container down, walks away from it and let's the machine do all the work. Watching all of this made me feel like I was in a scifi movie, a lot like the Fifth Element or even a Wall-E esque type of world. All the steps that I love about making a great espresso are eliminated in this process. And while the coffee was good, it was no where near great. The capuccino was way too hot, when it should be warm, setting the accurate temperature can be a tedious task depending on what type of machine one uses, and these machines don't seem to take that into account. Plus, when the "barista" froths the same milk twice, you're bound to get a scorching hot beverage. I was amused by how many coffee options there are. I believe it's sixteen "premium" blends that all come in those little pods. How they stay fresh? I don't know.
The retro yet sleek interiors had me mesmerized and confused for the fifteen minutes that we were there. They take reservations here and even have a menu that's way over priced and the food is not made in house. Again, I was feeling like I was in a weird scifi movie. Super fast automatic coffee plus food that comes down an elevator that is shipped in and only requires minimal assembly or garnishing.
There is also a bar that can be reserved for groups to have a "customized" experience with the barista. So you pay extra to have the sole of attention of one barista who is going to teach you how to place the capsule into the machine and press the start button. The flat screen TV installation behind that bar is lovely though.
For those interested in buying a machine there is a show room downstairs that we did not visit.
Yes, the super hip retro vibe is rad but not rad enough for me to come back. Quite frankly, the experience was just a little too "automated" for me. The store is definitely a great fit for Union Square and Nespresso really has taken "automatic" to another level and that, in it's own right is rad and amusing.
Isabella’s 3-star review: It was my last day in SF and my preferred coffee shop in the Financial District, where I was staying is not open on weekends. We hadn't cruised Union Square yet, so we took a walk and popped into Nespresso with no real expectations. In fairness to a coffee shop that seems to be well loved by many, I'll preface this review by saying that I'm a pretty serious coffee drinker. We make our own Toddy and pour over coffee at home, we study the beans we buy, we purchase based on when they were roasted and make sure we grind them to the right size; we are total coffee nerds! So the idea of drinking coffee from a machine that essentially requires no skill really doesn't amuse me. The barista pops in a capsule of your choice of coffee into the machine and out comes your drink of choice, be it a latte, capuccino, etc. This entire process probably takes about 1-2 minutes. Frothing the milk is also essentially a handsfree process, where the "barista" actually sets the milk frothing container down, walks away from it and let's the machine do all the work. Watching all of this made me feel like I was in a scifi movie, a lot like the Fifth Element or even a Wall-E esque type of world. All the steps that I love about making a great espresso are eliminated in this process. And while the coffee was good, it was no where near great. The capuccino was way too hot, when it should be warm, setting the accurate temperature can be a tedious task depending on what type of machine one uses, and these machines don't seem to take that into account. Plus, when the "barista" froths the same milk twice, you're bound to get a scorching hot beverage. I was amused by how many coffee options there are. I believe it's sixteen "premium" blends that all come in those little pods. How they stay fresh? I don't know. The retro yet sleek interiors had me mesmerized and confused for the fifteen minutes that we were there. They take reservations here and even have a menu that's way over priced and the food is not made in house. Again, I was feeling like I was in a weird scifi movie. Super fast automatic coffee plus food that comes down an elevator that is shipped in and only requires minimal assembly or garnishing. There is also a bar that can be reserved for groups to have a "customized" experience with the barista. So you pay extra to have the sole of attention of one barista who is going to teach you how to place the capsule into the machine and press the start button. The flat screen TV installation behind that bar is lovely though. For those interested in buying a machine there is a show room downstairs that we did not visit. Yes, the super hip retro vibe is rad but not rad enough for me to come back. Quite frankly, the experience was just a little too "automated" for me. The store is definitely a great fit for Union Square and Nespresso really has taken "automatic" to another level and that, in it's own right is rad and amusing.
Isabella’s 4-star review: Spacious, clean, upscale and full of options; just the way I like it. I was in town for a week on for business and our company couldn't have set us up at a nicer gym! You'll find three floors packed with cardio equipment, yoga/pilates studios, a kickboxing gym, free weights and more. They definitely have a surplus of cardio equipment, but that's never a bad thing. I would've liked to see more free weights given the size of the gym, but it's not a deal breaker. The locker rooms were especially nice and the locker room staff was friendly and professional. I can't say the same for the salon reception. I stopped in to buy some hair product and was ignored by the receptionist who was definitely not on the phone with a customer. There's also a pretty sizable snack area where you can grab a post workout shake or snack, both of which I did not do, but there's always next time.
Isabella’s 4-star review: I must admit that prior to my arrival I read through the reviews and got on the plane to SF with slight anxiety about the remarks of the "tiny rooms" and "uncomfortable beds." I'm happy to report that my seven night stay went swimmingly. Yes, while my room was on the small side, the bathroom was reasonably sized although the lack of counter space was a touch annoying and the combo of bulky furniture that offered no storage space and a closet without a light fixture made unpacking cumbersome and picking out an outfit a much harder task than the usual, I survived my stay. I lucked out in that I did not have any trouble with the temperature of my room. I heard several complaints that some rooms were ice cold and others were too warm. Mine was just fine. Besides, hearing doors opening and closing at night, noise was not an issue for me either. I'll go ahead and echo others sentiments regarding the staff. Everyone from the doormen to the front desk and housekeeping staff was super friendly and always smiling. Housekeeping did forget to vist my room twice during my stay. Wine hour was definitely popular in our group and a nice perk. I did not try out the rooftop track (gym) at the hotel, but that's also nice touch given that it's such an old building and space is obviously limited. The location is excellent, right in the Financial District. You can walk to Union Square, China Town and tons of restaurants and bars are in the area. Access to BART and the Bus was also super easy. I extended my stay for a rate of just over $200 a night. I'm not sure if that's the normal going rate at the Galleria, but for that price I'd stay here again.
