Starlite — Restaurant in San Francisco

I usually love this bar—it has amazing views, solid drinks, stylish interiors, and an overall great vibe. But unfortunately, the customer service last night was really disappointing.

We were a group of 16 and were seated promptly, but it took quite a while for a server to come by. When someone finally did take our order, we weren’t informed that she was our designated server, nor were we told that there was a spending minimum we had to meet through her specifically. A lot of our group ended up ordering directly from the bar because it was much faster, not knowing this would cause an issue.

At the end of the night, with most of our group gone, a few of us were told we were $250 short of the minimum. We explained that many people had ordered at the bar throughout the night, and in total, we were confident we exceeded the required amount. The issue was that those purchases weren’t consolidated under one tab, something no one ever communicated to us.

When we tried to explain, our server insisted she had come by multiple times, though most of us didn’t see her. She eventually sent over the manager, who was incredibly rude and unhelpful. I offered to provide the names on the individual tabs so they could try to reconcile them, but he wasn’t interested in problem-solving at all.

In the end, we had to order overpriced champagne bottle to go, to meet the minimum. Add on the automatic 20% gratuity, and it felt like customer service just wasn’t a priority for them.

We fully understand and respect that there was a minimum spend—we would have happily met it. But the lack of clear communication, disorganized service, extremely rude manager and unwillingness to work with us left a really bad taste. It’s unfortunate, because we really do love this...

The Starlight Room had a great atmosphere and decor. The mocktails were tasty but expensive. The food was very ok. The service and subsequent service to rectify a double-credit card charge has been abysmal. I provided the server with a debit card to open a tab. Later on I asked the serve for the bill. She ran the debit card without authorization. I explained that I didn't have enough in that account and wanted to pay with cash and another card. She promised me that she would reverse the $359.00 charges. I paid her $200 cash and put the the rest on another card. I notice a few days later that the $359 had been withdrawn and was pending, in addition to the $179.00 on the other card. I called and left multiple voicemails with Brian Romely, (sp) Director of Finance, as well as sent a number of emails to the Starlight Room and The Beacon Grand Hotel. It appeared that after approximately nine days, the $359 were returned to the account wrongfully debited. Today, I noticed that the Starlight Room returned my $179 and then billed me $335.01!?! Further more my account shows $99.81 and $55.20 withdrawn and pending? So now, it appears the Starlight has billed me $535 & I have pending charges for $146.20 for a bill that cost $359.00. All because the server used a card not authorized to charge and the establishment couldn't simply refund the wrongfully debited $359? I already paid $200 cash and $179 on the correct card. In other words.... Stay away.

Follow-up… the pending charges cleared. The Starlight Room official charged me $700 on a...

Three-Star Review of the Starlite Room in SF

I recently visited the Starlite Room, and while it has potential, there are some significant areas for improvement. The views are fantastic, but the dirty windows really detracted from the experience, especially since this place is all about the scenery.

The food options were a letdown. The hot fried chicken bun consisted of just one nugget on a roll, which felt inadequate. The baked oysters were nonexistent, and although raw oysters were available, they had an overpowering taste of the sea that wasn't very enjoyable. The snack options overall were disappointing.

Service was decent, but the decor, while somewhat cool, showed signs of wear and tear. The building is old, and you can see the damage and peeling paint in the windows that everyone is looking through. The faux flower arrangement in the lobby was also dirty, which is not the impression you want to give.

Additionally, they really need to improve the timing for dealing with the sun and the motorized shades. Switching to black see-through shades instead of what they currently have could significantly enhance the comfort level for diners.

The drinks were okay, but nothing to write home about. If the Starlite Room doesn’t clean those windows, improve its food offerings, and address these shade issues soon, I wouldn't be surprised if it struggles to stay afloat. I hope they take this feedback seriously, as it could be a great spot with some...