The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco opens Bruma, a Nob Hill cocktail lounge with a liquid-nitrogen martini

Since 12 October 2026, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco has had a new place to gather: Bruma, an 80-seat cocktail lounge that also serves lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. Its name means “mist” in Spanish, a nod to the fog that settles over Nob Hill, and its décor takes its cue from the drawing rooms of the neighbourhood’s grand mansions.

☰Contents

1. Bruma, 80 seats named after the fog
2. A look drawn from the Nob Hill mansions
3. Four chapters and a liquid-nitrogen martini
4. What’s on the plate at Bruma?
5. Jazz on Fridays, a Latin band on Saturdays
6. A 1909 landmark at the top of Nob Hill

Bruma, 80 seats named after the fog

Set within the 1909 neoclassical building that houses the hotel, Bruma was designed to change character as the day goes on: tea in the afternoon, an aperitif at sunset, conversation late into the evening, with a cocktail list that shifts with the hour. The hotel’s website already describes it as “newly opened”, and tables can be booked online. For general manager Nicholas McDermott, the space invites guests and locals “to slow down and discover something new”, from the first sip of tea to the last drink of the night.

A look drawn from the Nob Hill mansions

The Fettle studio, based in London and Los Angeles, drew on the opulent drawing rooms of Nob Hill’s great houses, including the former Leland Stanford mansion. A bespoke mural wraps around the room, telling the neighbourhood’s past through a blend of history and fantasy. Behind the bar sits an églomisé mirror, gilded and hand-engraved on its reverse side, and at the centre the hotel’s original fireplace. The palette: patinated brass, deep ocean blue, espresso brown, dusty pink and antique parchment. The two images released so far are renderings.

Four chapters and a liquid-nitrogen martini

The list is divided into four chapters that evoke the city: World’s Edge for bright, citrus-led cocktails, Open Water for recipes shaped by Pacific influences, Golden City for seasonal Californian fruit and High Ground for martinis and spirit-forward drinks. Two signatures stand out: a martini chilled with liquid nitrogen and served tableside, and a reworked Nob Hill Pisco Punch finished with charred pineapple. A selection of rare spirits rounds out the list, alongside zero-proof and low-alcohol cocktails.

What’s on the plate at Bruma?

The food, Californian and made for sharing, was created with Lowder-Tascarella Hospitality and the hotel’s executive chef, George Vanyi. Expect a Dungeness crab roll, made with the Pacific’s signature crab, a wagyu burger, a Californian poke bowl and warm Japanese milk bread with seaweed butter. In the afternoon, Bruma hosts the hotel’s afternoon tea, currently in an autumn edition: a chance to compare it with the finest tea times in the Paris palaces.

Jazz on Fridays, a Latin band on Saturdays

Bruma has a regular programme: a Golden Hour aperitivo on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4pm to 6pm, live jazz on Fridays from 7pm to 10pm and a Latin band on Saturdays at the same times. Two annual events are planned, a “Bruma Season” and a celebration of Dungeness crab. Another hotel table expected in the United States this autumn: José Andrés’s Bazaar Meat steakhouse at Andaz Miami Beach.

A 1909 landmark at the top of Nob Hill

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco occupies a 1909 neoclassical landmark at 600 Stockton Street, a short walk from Union Square, and the famous cable car runs right past its door. Breakfast is still served at Parallel 37 restaurant, from 7am to 11am; Club Level guests have a private lounge with city views. We found €755 a night for two in a 37 m² Deluxe room on 5 November 2026. Another opening to watch in the neighbourhood: the Midjourney Spa, due near Union Square in late 2027.