Now softly open—and officially opening Wednesday evening—is the new TROCADERO CLUB in the former RJ’s in the TL. The project is from Dennis Leary and Eric Passetti, who seem to want to kill themselves with openings this month (they just opened Café Terminus in the FiDi a couple of weeks ago). The bar takes its name from a multitude of sources: anyone who went disco dancing after-hours in this town more than 20 years ago will remember the Trocadero Transfer in SoMa, but it was also a roadhouse in the city in the late 1800s, and there’s also the Place du Trocadéro in Paris. Leary says he’d like the vibe of the place to take the most influence from the disco days—he wants a mixed crowd of folks to come by, have fun, and socialize, whether you’re on a date, or just want to enjoy some cocktails with a club-like party vibe. Cocktails are going to be well executed and unfussy.
The gents worked with Charles de Lisle on the stylish interior (he did House of Shields and Canteen), which is inspired a bit by Bauhaus, 1920s Austria, and Donald Judd. The look is a far cry from all the moody, reclaimed wood, and Edison bulb look-alikes in our city—they ended up installing stucco throughout the bar and whitewashing it for a clean, understated effect. They also uncovered the original windows, and installed 14,000 pounds of handmade hex tile for the flooring. There are small café tables in beige high gloss and rush chairs with a Shaker-style ladder back; there are about 20 seats at the glossy black bar. As Leary says, it’s a pretty spot. I can’t wait to check it out. Open nightly at 5:30pm. 701 Geary St. at Leavenworth.
