San Francisco’s Yerba Buena and SoMa blocks were built for movement, with hotels, museums, and restaurants clustered within a short walk. For planners, that means guests can leave a keynote and reach a private dining room or a wine bar in minutes.
This blog spotlights the restaurants and event spaces that make planning around Moscone Center simple. Each one sits within walking distance and handles private dinners, receptions, and off-the-clock gatherings without the usual downtown hassle.
18 Event Venues Close To The Moscone Center
Within a few blocks of the convention halls, the best event venues near Moscone Center, San Francisco, reveal stunning event spaces built for everything from private dinners to large corporate receptions.
1. LongHouse
Location: 83 Minna St, San Francisco, CA
LongHouse sits two blocks from the Moscone Convention Center, a sunlit loft with exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and skylights that pour in natural light. The open floor plan accommodates up to 250 guests, featuring flexible zones suitable for both seated dinners and standing receptions.
A built-in bar anchors the room, ensuring service remains efficient even during peak flow. Groups use lounge banquettes for breakout sessions or quiet sponsor corners, an approach that keeps traffic clean during larger programs.
Menus skew seasonal Californian or lean into modern Mexican or Southern comfort, matched with a full bar program. The in-house team can coordinate lighting, photo booths, and entertainment so the space feels tailored to your agenda.
Guests walk from Montgomery BART, with the SFMOMA Garage and the 5th and Mission garage close by for drivers.
2. Fireside
Location: 330 1st Street, San Francisco, CA
Fireside is a bright SoMa restaurant that opens around a wood-fired oven visible from the dining room. The kitchen leans Californian with clear Italian influence. Think blistered pizzas and slow-roasted mains finished over oak.
The space splits easily: the main room for groups that like a bit of buzz, the wine room for focused dinners, and the bar for arrivals or a slow close. Staff know how to move large parties without breaking the meal’s rhythm.
BART stations at Powell and Montgomery are close enough for a quick walk, and garages along 2nd and Howard keep driving simple.
3. Buena Vida Cantina
Location: 860 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA
Buena Vida Cantina brings southern Mexican cooking to SoMa with color, sound, and a layout built for movement. A loft and private dining room offer separation when needed, while a heated deck stays open through San Francisco’s chillier evenings.
The kitchen handles up to 70 for seated dinners or 300 for full buyouts, serving cochinita pibil, handmade tortillas, and coastal seafood that keeps the table active. Behind the bar, tequila and mezcal drive the story – fresh lime, pink salt, and just enough smoke to cut through the city’s fog.
It’s a short walk from Montgomery or Powell stations, with Moscone parking garages right nearby.
4. Joyride Pizza
Location: 730 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA
Joyride Pizza, located right above Yerba Buena Gardens, features two stories of glass that frame the skyline and park below. The dining room opens to a covered terrace that fits roughly 80 guests for receptions, with movable tables and built-in heaters that make the space usable year-round.
Inside, light bounces off polished concrete floors during the day and shifts to soft LED track lighting after dusk, keeping the focus on the food. Detroit-style pies lead the menu, baked in steel pans for caramelized edges and an airy crumb.
Large parties often add garlic knots, salads, and other sides for sharing. The bar pours craft beers, alongside wines from Sonoma and small-batch cocktails mixed with local gin and citrus.
Powell and Montgomery BART stations are each about a four-minute walk, and nearby garages on 3rd Street and at Moscone South handle parking.
5. 447 Minna
Location: 447 Minna Street, San Francisco, CA
A block from the Moscone Center, 447 Minna sits inside a restored 1907 warehouse that once housed Hearst’s photo archives. The 1,700-square-foot venue now works as a flexible event space for downtown San Francisco gatherings, its concrete floors and steel beams softened by modern lighting and gallery-ready white walls.
A black-box theater seats 66 or fits 94 standing, while an adjoining conference room doubles as a greenroom or breakout space. The open lobby can host check-ins, cocktail service, or rotating art installations on its hanging system.
A built-in A/V rig covers projection, livestream cameras, and a full sound network with assisted-listening capability, ideal for presentations and hybrid sessions during multi-day conferences. Outside catering is welcome, giving planners control over menus and budgets.
Powell Street BART and Muni lines stop within two blocks, and the 5th & Mission Garage keeps parking close.
6. Lao Table
Location: 149 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA
Lao Table, a short walk from Montgomery BART, blends Southeast Asian design with polished downtown San Francisco hospitality.
Two distinct rooms define the layout: a lounge for up to 25 seated or 50 standing guests, and a main dining room that handles 100 seated or 190 standing for receptions or private dinners. Bamboo-carved walls and temple bells set a textured backdrop that reads elegant without excess.
Chef Lalita Souksamlane’s menu draws from northeastern Thailand and Laos – grilled meat and coconut-braised curries – plated with precision. Cocktails riff on regional ingredients, while non-drinkers go for Lao-style Thai iced tea.
Multiple garages on Howard, Mission, and 2nd Street keep access simple, and the restaurant’s proximity to the Moscone Convention Center makes it a dependable anchor for conference dinners and corporate events.
7. Hungry Tables
Location: 257 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA
Hungry Tables trades the usual private-dining formula for something looser and more personal. One long communal table runs the length of the room, seating about 24 guests for a guided dinner led by a toastmaster who keeps conversation moving.
The menu rotates and takes inspiration from Californian and Mediterannean flavors, and courses arrive in shared platters that encourage guests to connect. The setting feels part supper club, part salon: soft lighting, open kitchen, no formal separation between host and diner.
For planners, it’s a natural fit for networking dinners or team-building evenings that call for engagement over presentation slides. Montgomery and Powell BART stations sit within an easy walk, and nearby Moscone garages simplify parking when conferences fill the streets.
8. 111 Minna Gallery
Location: 111 Minna Street, San Francisco, CA
111 Minna Gallery is a warehouse-sized canvas dressed in rotating art. The 4,500-square-foot venue divides into two galleries (the main Second Street Gallery for up to 300 guests and the Zappa Room for around 200) or combines for a full buyout accommodating roughly 500.
Sixteen-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows bring an industrial clarity that suits receptions, live performances, and product launches. Each gallery has its own bar, and a third service area, Red Door Coffee, doubles as a casual networking nook.
A professional A/V system covers stage lighting, projection, and sound for presentations or performances. In-house caterers like Comestible or Soma Eats handle events efficiently, though outside vendors are welcome.
Montgomery BART is a three-minute walk, with parking at SFMOMA or the 2nd Street Garage around the corner.
9. B Restaurant & Bar
Location: 720 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA
B Restaurant & Bar offers beautiful views of downtown San Francisco and the Bay Bridge. The terrace stretches along the roofline of Moscone North, a glass-edged perch that feels open yet private. Inside, a 25-foot terrazzo and concrete bar anchors the room, framed by walnut and zebrawood finishes.
The kitchen favors California seasonal ingredients, balancing bar plates and hearty mains that suit both lunch meetings and evening receptions. Drinks follow suit with wines, cocktails, and pitchers of sangria that keep service fast without feeling rushed.
Full buyouts accommodate up to 400 for standing receptions or smaller seated dinners of around 80, with the indoor lounge and terrace used separately or together.
The T and F Muni lines stop at 4th and Howard, while garages under Moscone offer simple access for guests staying near Yerba Buena.
10. Press Club
Location: 20 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA
Press Club sits beneath the Four Seasons, two blocks from Moscone Center, and feels part wine bar, part lounge.
The 9,000-square-foot space breaks into multiple environments: semi-private tasting bays, a walnut-paneled wine library with twenty-foot windows, a central stone bar, and low-slung lounges that absorb noise without killing energy.
Groups of 20 or fewer can claim a single bay, while full buyouts scale to 450 guests, including a tented outdoor extension along Yerba Buena Lane. Private events often pair local charcuterie and small plates with California and European wines poured by staff who know vintages as well as capacity charts.
Montgomery BART lies two blocks north, and nearby garages on Mission and Jessie Streets keep parking convenient for corporate groups.
11. Tropisueno
Location: 75 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA
Tropisueno flips from a taqueria by day to a full-service restaurant and tequila bar at night, giving planners two distinct event setups in one downtown address. The space supports seated dinners for up to 70 guests or cocktail-style gatherings for 175, with indoor tables and a compact patio that opens onto Yerba Buena Lane.
Regional Mexican cuisine shapes the menu, featuring lime-bright ceviche de camarón, slow-cooked carnitas, and tasty flautas. Behind the bar, staff mix an array of margaritas and tequila cocktails as well as all the standard options.
Montgomery and Powell BART stations are nearby, and the 5th & Mission Garage sits a block away.
12. Fogo de Chão
Location: 201 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA
Fogo de Chão turns Brazilian churrasco into a polished private-event experience. The restaurant’s carved-wood walls and leather seating create a steady backdrop for tableside service by gaucho chefs carving roasted beef and lamb directly from skewers.
A series of private and semi-private rooms holds groups from 12 to 150, with A/V setups that include screens, microphones, and wired connections for presentations.
The Market Table (an abundant spread of salads, soups, and cured meats) anchors the meal and doubles as a natural networking point. Guests pair the service with South American wines or caipirinhas from the marble bar.
Powell Street BART is a five-minute walk, and valet service begins at 5 p.m. for those arriving by car.
13. Amber India
Location: 25 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA
Amber India anchors Yerba Buena Lane with refined Indian cuisine and a setup built for corporate events as much as private celebrations. The dining room combines soft lighting with hand-carved wood details and can be configured for small dinners or large receptions without losing flow.
The kitchen works from a regional playbook, with Goan seafood curries and Northern tandoori dishes sharing the menu with lighter, California-influenced options. Event planners appreciate the catering team’s flexibility, which allows them to design custom menus for vegetarian or multi-course service without slowing delivery.
Montgomery BART is a short walk away, and nearby garages around Moscone Center make access simple.
14. The Contemporary Jewish Museum
Location: 736 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA
The Contemporary Jewish Museum stands out among venues near Moscone Center for its architecture alone, with a fusion of a 1907 brick substation and Daniel Libeskind’s angular blue steel cube. Inside, event spaces range from the Yud Gallery, a soaring room punctuated by 36 diamond-shaped windows, to the more intimate Blue Cube and Grand Lobby.
Adjustable lighting and high ceilings create dramatic backdrops for fundraisers or art-forward corporate events. Approved caterers handle cuisine and bar service, allowing planners to pair menus with the museum’s design rather than compete with it.
Situated beside Yerba Buena Gardens and across from SFMOMA, the museum sits in the city’s densest cultural pocket. Guests walk easily from Powell or Montgomery stations, and multiple garages along Mission and Howard Streets provide parking.
15. Delarosa Downtown
Location: 37 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA
Delarosa Downtown, just a short walk from SFMOMA and Moscone Center, delivers the ease planners need when timing is tight between sessions. The Roman-style trattoria balances clean design with warmth: long communal tables, bright pendant lighting, and an open kitchen that keeps the room humming.
Private and semi-private sections are adapted for seated dinners up to 60 or standing receptions for about 100. The menu centers on Roman pizza (thin, crisp, and fired fast) plus house-made pasta and antipasti meant to share in twos or fours. Italian wines and balanced cocktails round out the offerings, with efficient service that keeps group events on schedule.
Guests can walk from Montgomery BART in under five minutes, and garages at Jessie Square and Moscone South sit nearby for drivers.
16. Novela
Location: 662 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA
Novela sits between Union Square and Moscone Center, a literary-inspired bar where floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and brass fixtures set the tone. The Hemingway Room fits 20 to 30 guests with its own bar, while the Fitzgerald Room hosts 40 to 60 for receptions or screenings.
A full buyout can hold 100 seated or 300 standing, with enough circulation space for multiple activations at once. Drinks are the draw: punch flights on tap, gin cocktails named for literary characters, and mocktails built with fresh herbs and house syrups.
Small bites, such as charcuterie boards and sliders, keep the service moving.
Montgomery BART sits a short walk away, and garages on Mission and Jessie Streets make parking straightforward. Surrounded by hotels like the St. Regis and the Four Seasons, Novela offers planners a stylish venue for evening events that require overnight accommodations.
17. La Société Bar & Café
Location: 50 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA
La Société Bar & Café inside the Hyatt Regency SOMA combines refined French cooking with the accessibility planners need near Moscone Center. The venue features flexible layouts that work for both intimate gatherings and larger private parties.
The enclosed private dining room hosts 24 to 32 guests for seated service or up to 50 standing, while the main dining area accommodates 84 seated or 100 standing. Executive Chef Alexandre Viriot’s menu bridges California produce and classic technique.
Montgomery BART lies five minutes away, and the hotel valet covers evening events.
18. Fang
Location: 660 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA
Fang is built for scale but manages to feel personal. The venue features two adaptable dining rooms that can merge for 120 seated or 160 standing guests, allowing smooth transitions between intimate gatherings and larger private parties.
The menu blends traditional Chinese flavors with California sourcing, like crisp-skin duck, wok-seared vegetables, and hand-rolled dumplings. Each is designed for a shared service that suits group dining. Lighting adjusts cleanly from daytime meetings to evening receptions, and service moves at a conference-friendly pace.
Powell and Montgomery BART stations are both nearby, and garages on Howard and 3rd Streets keep parking close.
Conclusion
From rooftop terraces to museum halls, downtown San Francisco offers an unmatched range of amazing venues within walking distance of Moscone Center.
Each space brings its own personality, from wine bars built for networking to galleries where modern art frames every gathering. Many also support outdoor events, giving planners the flexibility to host cocktail hours, receptions, or dinners under the open air without leaving the convention corridor.
No matter what types of special events you plan on hosting, this list is guaranteed to give you an option that resonates with you or your clients.
Ready to turn ideas into an actual event? Browse the Perfect Venue Marketplace, where you can check availability and book directly with each space!
