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Hotel Spero Premiers Bar Esper
A Soulful Modern Tavern
“A little Portuguese, a little Japanese, a lot of San Francisco”
SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Welcome to Bar Esper, an intriguing new addition to San Francisco’s culinary scene. Housed in the landmark Hotel Spero Vignette Collection an IHG Hotel, Bar Esper is poised to be a focal point of the landmark hotel’s century-old Spanish Colonial Revival building. Bar Esper is a lively, modern San Francisco tavern reimagined through the soulful lens of Portuguese and Japanese port city traditions inspired by San Francisco’s legacy as a global crossroads of culture and cuisine; it is a neighborhood hideaway and destination for curious diners, located just steps from Union Square, the Theater District, and major convention hotels. The restaurant and bar welcome visitors, professionals, and locals alike with a menu that feels global, seasonal, and grounded in soul.
Guests will find Bar Esper to be a welcoming, warm and unpretentious place where the clink of cocktail glasses meets the aroma of flame-grilled Peri-peri Chicken. The tavern-style menu celebrates the unexpected harmony between Portuguese and Japanese cuisine, rooted in their shared values of simplicity, seasonality, and community. The Portuguese once introduced tempura to Japan, and now, centuries later, these culinary lineages are back together courtesy of the regional farmers’ markets and coastal influences of Northern California.
“Esper”, short for Esperança, meaning hope in Portuguese, is also a nod to the hotel name “Spero”, which translates to hope in Latin. Inspired by San Francisco’s legacy as a global crossroads of culture and cuisine, Bar Esper is a neighborhood hideaway and destination for curious diners.
The developers of Bar Esper at Spark3 Hospitality collaborated extensively with Orcun Turkay, Vice President of Food & Beverage for Crestline Hotels & Resorts, which manages Hotel Spero. According to Orcun, “We have developed an exceptional experience designed to both please hotel guests and appeal to local patrons, positioning Bar Esper as a premier destination for creative cocktails, captivating cuisine, and socializing.”
Spark3 Hospitality describes Bar Esper as a modern San Francisco tavern that celebrates the rich history of Portuguese and Japanese cuisines, thoughtfully layered with California's seasonal ingredients and multicultural spirit. The space blends rustic-modern design with Spanish Colonial bones, offering a warm, eclectic, and lively atmosphere that’s equally suited for locals grabbing a drink as it is for travelers seeking something unique and rooted in place. The menu centers on food that is as recognizable as it is craveable, and rich in small and large plates meant for sharing, savoring, and discovering. The beverage program features Portuguese and Spanish wines, Japanese whiskies, fortified offerings like Madeira and Port, tea infusions, sake, and local beer collaborations. Bar Esper is designed to be unserious in all the right ways. A restaurant and bar that invites you to sit, stay, and taste something just a little different than what you expected. For more information and reservations visit: www.barespersf.com.
More About the Hotel Spero Vignette Collection an IHG Hotel at Union Square, San Francisco
Originally built in the 1920s, the hotel’s Spanish Colonial Revival architecture has been thoughtfully preserved. Guests are welcomed into the grand lobby adorned with intricate tilework, soaring ceilings, and curated local artwork that reflects the vibrant culture of the city. Each of the hotel’s comfortable guestrooms and suites is thoughtfully designed to offer a serene escape from the city’s lively pace. Guestrooms feature sophisticated finishes, warm ambient lighting, plush fabrics, and modern geometric accents. Added upgrades include walk-in glass enclosed showers in Spanish tiled bathrooms, well-lit workspaces, oversized windows, and 50-inch flat screen TVs. For meetings, special events, and weddings, the hotel has 3,000 square feet of flexible space in a collection of six distinctive venues. Guests may choose from a selection of personally crafted meetings, dining, and event packages. The 24/7 fitness center is equipped with state-of-the-art cardio machines and strength training gear, and the hotel’s pet-friendly policy ensures that every guest, two or four-legged, feels at home.
Hotel Spero is located at 405 Taylor Street, San Francisco. The hotel is 13 miles from San Francisco International Airport. For more information and reservations, visit www.ihg.com or call 415-885-2500.
Download Food & Drink Images:
BAR ESPER CHEESEBURGER - bone marrow butter, muenster cheese, crispy shoestring potatoes, port onion chutney, sesame bun
PORK BELLY & CLAMS - crispy pork belly, tomato-saffron broth, potatoes, giardiniera
CASTAWAY - Christian Drouin Calvados, kummel, grapefruit, lime, honey, mint
More About Crestline Hotels & Resorts, LLC
Hotel Spero is managed by Crestline Hotels & Resorts LLC, one of the nation’s largest independent hospitality management companies, whose portfolio includes upscale boutique hotels with a focus on innovative dining experiences. Founded in 2000, the company presently manages 110 hotels, resorts, and conference centers with nearly 15,500 rooms in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Crestline manages properties under such well-regarded brands as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Choice as well as independent, private label hotels and conference centers throughout the United States. For more information, visit: www.crestlinehotels.com.
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Gayle MacIntyre
Global Ink Communications
gbmacintyre1@gmail.com
404.643.8222
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