Libation Liberation: Noc Noc

Heading to the SF neighborhood that unrightly generates a mix of anxiety and anticipation in those that rarely leave their own comfort zone, we made a point to dip into a piece of Lower Haight avant-garde that goes to show that speculative creativity and drinking might actually go hand in hand.

Noc Noc is the establishment. At 557 Haight (between Fillmore and Steiner) some industrious folks have created a room to satisfy your inner Flintstone, er, your inner Flintstone hopped up on heroin speedballs, that is. Noc Noc is quite possibly the most unique place to drink beer and/or wine you've ever been to. Seemingly carved out of Mother Earth herself, with Frank Gehry and Dalí throwing in a few shots for good luck, there are no corners for you to cower into. Nooks, yes; recesses, perhaps; niches in which to Romeo your Juliet, um, yeah!

Wondering at which point the designers of the place robbed the latest Tim Burton movie set, we felt oddly comfortable along the center table, thinking that we were doing better than the folks sprawled out on the floor on thin cushions, giving us reason to believe it is in fact acceptable to be lying on your back in a social establishment outside of the Power Exchange.

SFist Nico, contributing.

Noc Noc has a DJ every night of the week (from 9pm) and absolutely no cover, which would be a shame considering the blaring lack of hard alcohol, which is admittedly more common than not in the neighborhood. One thing we did like was that they incarcerate the record jockeys in a tiny side room and only a slice of their bouncing heads can be seen though a little window. We ask you, still want to be a DJ?

Noc Noc has a decent happy hour, 5-7 every day with $2.50 drafts and $3 Guinesses, always a full selection of wine and sake, which as far as we're concerned, will never take the place of good vodka tonic, or even a bad one for that matter, but the beer selection is one that will happily frustrate your average Budweiser meister.

When we left the place, with a gut full of sloshing albeit tasty beer, we congratulated ourselves that we avoided the beer-gatory of the Toronado and took a chance on what many would consider the end-all in creative bar ventures. We did wonder, and not for a short time whether they just might have overdone it. Because high backed Corpse Bride barstools and tuned out 80s era tvs might be a bit much for those looking only for a comfortable place to hang out on a Friday night. But Noc Noc is definitely worth a look-see, if not only to take your just-turned-21 art-school nephew.

Cheers!