Nihon (Japanese for ‘Japan’) Whiskey Lounge is one of those San Francisco bars a true Japanese conoisseur would love – a bar that brings to mind those dimly lit Tokyo whisky clubs where, for a few hundred bucks, you can keep one of 250 or so special bottles behind the bar and use the private room for your private moves. The same rules apply here. A DJ spins Thursday through Saturday in the bar. Bring your friends or take a date. The scene is low-key lounge with minimal mingling, and the bar is pretty much reserved for the sip-and-savour whisky connoisseur. Before 7pm, nosh on half-price apps alongside Tokyo-bound young execs. Nihon ups the ante on bottle service. Fall in love with any of their 250-plus whiskey selections and then purchase your own bottles. The restaurant will gladly store them (for free) in their VIP bottle room, where you can partake of your favorite spirits on your next visit.